Fresno poet Mai Der Vang looks back on a dark chapter of history in her new collection “Yellow Rain.” Hmong refugees fleeing Laos at the end of the Vietnam war reported being attacked with chemical and biological weapons that led to thousands of deaths, but American scientists dismissed refugee accounts, …
Read More »Mariposa Gazette editor writes a new book on the business of small-town newspapers
A University of North Carolina study found that roughly 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States since 2004, the vast majority of which were weekly publications that served small communities. But here in Central California, the Mariposa Gazette, is still going strong. In fact, it’s the state’s oldest weekly …
Read More »New book links the history of realtors, housing discrimination and modern political rhetoric
In the new book “Freedom to Discriminate,” author Gene Slater explores how during the civil rights era, realtors exacerbated segregation and fought against fair housing efforts by redefining freedom. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke to him about this history and its connection to the City of Fresno. https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202110/freedom_to_discriminate.jpg
Read More »New Book Profiles Women Entrepreneurs In The Emerging Field Of “Agtech”
A new book from journalist and author Amy Wu explores how a growing number of women are blending agriculture with technology to find new solutions to feed the world. Valley Edition host Kathleen Schock spoke to Wu about her book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food …
Read More »New Book Explores American Independence From Perspective Of British Loyalists
On July 4th, 1776, the United States declared its independence from Britain, a monumental move that many at the time thought was a bad idea. The new book, “Resisting Independence” by Fresno State history professor Brad Jones, explores the reasons why British loyalism deepened for some following the War of …
Read More »Fresno Poet Anthony Cody On Being Named A National Book Award Finalist
The Central Valley’s reputation as home to some of America’s greatest poets continues to grow. Fresno-based poet Anthony Cody was recently named a National Book Award finalist for his collection “Borderland Apocrypha,” inspired by a series of lynchings following the Mexican-American War. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with Cody …
Read More »Segregation, Racism, and An Inventive Postal Worker: The Rise Of The Real-Life “Green Book”
Forget the movie, which won the 2019 Oscar for Best Picture despite criticism for being overly simplistic and “whitewashed”—the real-life “Green Book” was a widely-distributed paperback pamphlet that listed tens of thousands of businesses that would serve African Americans in pre-Civil Rights Act America. In this interview, we speak with …
Read More »Fresno Poet Megan Anderson Bohigian Reflects On Her Latest Book, ‘Vanishing Point’
Megan Anderson Bohigian has been a teacher and writer for years, but only started publishing her own work after she retired in 2012. Her latest collection of poems, “Vanishing Point,” uses metaphors to compare nature to her personal experiences. Megan says the inspiration to write about her memories in this …
Read More »Fresno Poet Lee Herrick Writes Poems That “Call You Out” In New Book, “Scar And Flower”
The San Joaquin Valley is home to a number of renowned poets, past and present. Just yesterday, Juan Felipe Herrera, a former U.S. Poet Laureate, got a shoutout during Governor Gavin Newsom’s inauguration . Earlier this month, Fresno City College professor Lee Herrick came out with his own new book …
Read More »New Book Draws Parallels Between “Hitler’s American Friends” And Modern Right Wing Extremists
Over the last year and a half, we’ve seen how the Trump Administration has threatened to pull away from trade agreements, close borders, and champion an “America First” agenda. But this isn’t the first time that phrase has gone around. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, many in the U.S. …
Read More »Author Steven Church Talks About His Latest Book, And Why It Is And Isn’t “Disturbing”
Author and Fresno State professor Steven Church has written several books, many of them as compilations of essays. His latest is called “ I’m Just Getting to the Disturbing Part: On Work, Fear, and Fatherhood .” The essays span Church’s adult life, from jobs he took soon after college to …
Read More »Author Naomi Hirahara Explores “Life After Manazanar” In A New Book
It’s been 76 years since Japanese immigrants and Americans were incarcerated, and sent to internment, also known today as concentration camps, during World War II. They were sent there by Executive Order 9066 from President Roosevelt. The action was under the pretense of defending national security on the West Coast. …
Read More »For Novelist Steve Yarbrough, A New Book Brings Back Memories Of Fresno
The Central Valley has a rich literary tradition spanning generations. From Saroyan to Levine to Arax – journalists, poets, novelists and essayists have all found great inspiration in the valley’s soil, its people and the elements – good and bad – that make the region unique. The connection often extends …
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