FlowerSong Press is quietly building an impressive roster of writers. Last December, they published L.Á. poet, Matt Sedillo’s poetry collection Mowing Leaves of Grass, about the history, struggle, tragedy, anger, joy, despair, possibility and faith in the struggles of Chicanx’s, and working class people in general, to overcome the forces of capitalism and racism. Earlier this year they published The Most Spectacular Mistake by Orange County native Anatalia Vallez. Her debut collection is a love story to herself, her roots, and the sacred ritual of chanting the past to heal into the present. Since then, other L.Á. poets such as Angelina Sáenz, Luvette Resto, Iris de Anda, Peter J. Harris, and Matt Sedillo, have announced their next books will be published by FlowerSong in the upcoming year.

Now, add Orange County poet, professor and founder of LibroMobile, Sarah Rafael Garcia’s new hybrid collection, A Womyn’s Place Unconventional Tales of Herstory, to FlowerSong’s list, to be published next year. FlowerSong’s aim is to “nurture essential verse from, about, and through the borderlands. The voices of those from Latin America, the U.S.A. and all over the world.” Also of note, last week Sarah Rafael Garcia published an essay on Cultural Weekly titled “Why I Resigned From The California Arts Council In The Middle Of A Pandemic.”

Another local writer, Poet Astrid, hosted a virtual book release party last week for her poetry collection Through the Soil in My Skin, about “her first love to her biological father, unearth[ing] the truth and trauma that stems from relationships. Astrid embarks on an exploration of love through her past to a discovery of self in her present, recalling the men of her life and the lessons learned.” It’s published by local World Stage Press.

Other local writers have continued to publish essays and articles recently. David L. Ulin published “Jan Morris perfectly captured the world — and Los Angeles too,” an appreciation of poet Jan Morris, in Monday’s L.A. Times and Irene Sanchez announced an essay she wrote several months back has been accepted for publication. And recently South Central poet Viva Padilla debuted her new project “Chateo Exquisite,” Chats With Writers. For episode one, the founder of the literary journal Dryland: A Literary Journal Born in South Central Los Angeles, spoke with Fresno Chicano writer and poet Tim Z. Hernandez, author of All They Will Call You. All episodes are available to watch after the chat at Vivia Padilla’s YouTube page Here.