California Literary Adventures: Boxwala

When I first moved to the Bay Area in the 1980s, my newly hired research technician, my immigrant father, also became an anthropologist. Full of energy and enthusiasm for something completely new, he investigated every clue about what makes this region tick. what happens there? Every cultural festival, every religious group, every magazine, every newspaper, neighborhood cafes, local library book sales, bookstores, it was all an adventure.

As the years went by and he learned the contours of the bay, the sulphurous smell of the Dumbarton River and temples, the quaint cafes and foggy coastline, he began subscribing to one publication after another. American culture and English production. Reader’s Digest, National Enquirer, Atlantic Ocean, Book of the Month Club. There was no distinction between high and low culture. All these words in their various forms, written by people with very different personalities and imaginations, and curated by people with different tastes, are an insight into California, a place blazing with complex and sometimes bewildering contradictions. brought

In my child’s logic, having all these experiences, like jeweled shards at the edge of a kaleidoscope, and bringing together all the insights from everyone, might eventually develop a sense of belonging. I imagined it wouldn’t. It’s a club of sorts, one that offers a chance to live in more minds and more lives, not just yourself, a house of books. A vibrant literary experience continues to be a state delight. The last few months have seen a new birth. american fiction seriesa subscription box from the company boxwallawas founded by Lavanya Krishnan and Sandeep Bethanabhotla and is based in Southern California.

Subscription includes 2 literary books and additional tokens once every 2 months. Next up is the Star Spinner Tarot Deck. The selection is presented in an elegant box, printed with the boxwalla logo in geometric tongue and olive. Each box’s selections are by noted author and critic Alexander Qi (How to write an autobiographical novel). Tarot His deck came with two of his works by California-based literary authors.Gene Cheng Ho’s fiona and jane and Jonathan Escoferry If I Survivor You.

We asked Krishnan and Vetanabotra about their inspiration and future plans for the box. This interview was conducted via email and has been lightly edited.

What was the conversation that inspired you to develop the idea for this particular subscription box?
We have lived in Southern California since 2006. One of the things we enjoy about living in Southern California is the diversity, especially reflected in the food. There is a vibrant immigrant community here, accessible to Mexicans, Taiwanese and Indians. , Korean, Iranian, Vietnamese, Arab, Turkish, Lebanese, Ethiopian, Moroccan food. I especially love the food scene in downtown Santa Ana, Anaheim, and San Diego.

Over the last few years, we’ve been a little disillusioned with the American literary scene. In some ways, it didn’t seem to reflect the variety and “fun” we encountered in real life. But when I did a little digging a few years ago, I realized that there are some very interesting American writers we fell in love with: Alexander Chi, Percival Everett. And in 2020, when the lack of diversity in American publishing suddenly became a public perception, many of our clients and subscribers asked us to curate a diverse and inclusive collection of American fiction. . Until then, our focus had been on excellent literature from around the world, including the United States.

We thought long and hard about how we wanted to introduce our audience to American fiction and wanted to work with Chee on that. We approached him and were thrilled and honored when he agreed to explore this idea with us. In subsequent brainstorming, the format was fully realized in the form of an American Fiction subscription box. This is a reimagining of the American literary landscape.

What is your collaborative process with Qi regarding book selection?
We had several brainstorming sessions. This was an iterative process covering things like how we wanted the series to be shaped. Alex recommended a few books for us to peruse and check out. We read them and gave feedback to him. It was thrilling because he sort of turned the tables and curated it for us, the readers. And when he asked us to check out the books that ended up being the first box and his second box, we were completely blown away by his choices. And they felt like Alexander Qi’s gift to us.

Alex’s editing experience best american essay 2022 We also covered the process of curating the boxes. I told them I had to dig and read Gatekeeping to find the gem. We told him that he was free to showcase the absolute best, regardless of trends or other unimportant things related to sales potential.

What books do you like and recommend to readers that are set in Southern California?
erase, by Percival Everett! Everett is one of our favorite authors he.the main character of erase A professor at a university in California, although much of the novel is also set on the East Coast, in DC, Everett is himself a professor of English at the University of Southern California.

I also highly recommend the wonderful work of Jean Chen Ho. fiona and janeavailable in our second box.

What are your thoughts on the future of American Fiction subscription boxes and Boxwalla?
Alex writes best in the letter included in the first box.

This country is debating what it means to belong here. Meanwhile, with a compelling new collection of novels and stories appearing every month, there’s literature like never before, with editors and homeless writers getting their hands on old, living, and deceased authors. The result is a reimagining of the literary landscape that we risk missing if we don’t see it.

Boxwalla’s mission is to showcase the best literature from around the world, connect readers with their potential favorite authors and books, and provide a starting point for exploring the great literature available.

To this end, we are very pleased to announce a collaboration with the anonymous curator behind @poetryisnotaluxury, who lives in Los Angeles. Poetry can be a universal balm in difficult times. @poetryisnotaluxury does a great job of curating poetry for the feed, appealing to so many people without silly form.

In our first conversation with @poetryisnotaluxury, we hit it off in the ‘good fight’ of literature and realized we were very much on the same page regarding the types of poetry we love and want to showcase. Emphasis on the world, underrated voices, criminally underrated poets, and more. The three of us were united by Donald Hall’s poetry and @poetryisnotaluxury introduced us to a great Iranian poet. It was a perfect fit. We are thrilled to be gathering together to showcase our wonderful poetry.

Jaime Hernandez joins CBC host John Join Zoom on Thursday, January 19 at 5pm PT Discussion with Freeman and special guests maggie the mechanic. Buy Hernandez’s book from the Fantagraphics website and use the code Cal Book Club 15 CBC members receive a special 15% discount. Please drop by Alta club house Let us and your fellow book club members know what you think of the book. Here for the event.

fantasy books

Southern California punk scene

Michelle Cruz Gonzalez (Spitboy Rules: The Story of Female Punk Band Chikana) I’m writing about something I read recently maggie the mechanic—Alta

Dustin Snipes

why you should read this

alta journal The book’s editor, David L. Ulin, writes about the world Jaime Hernandez envisioned. maggie the mechanic and other stories in the Love and Rockets series, commenting that they “are more important than any story in the region for the last 40 years.” —Alta

rejoice paul mccartney adam braver head of book fiction novel alta journal california book club

University of New Orleans Press

Affirmation of Historical Fiction

Novelist and memoirist Amy E. Warren interviewed author Adam Braver: rejoice paul mccartney head—Alta

University of Georgia Press

upward mobility

Former CBC editor Rasheeda Saka reviews Toni Ann Johnson’s related collection, Light skin go to waste, Winner of the 2021 Flannery O’Connor Award for Best Short Story, the work “kind of worries about the tenuous veneer of upper socio-economic class.” —Alta