The collected wisdom of Jaime Cortez

Based in Steinbeck Country, 'Gordo' shows the vulnerable rawness of what it means to be an outsider

| THE WRITING LIFE

By Olga Rosales Salinas

Childhood memories in our hometowns begin with first kisses, bullies, overarching parents and their mired lives. Complicated as these childhood experiences are, sometimes picking up an excellent book to shapeshift the paradigm of your memories so that love can shine through is all that is needed.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jaime Cortez about his debut short story collection, “Gordo.” In this book, written primarily as a memoir, Cortez writes about immigrant and first-generation experiences on the Central Coast of California in a way I’ve never read before.

Read full interview at Voices of Monterey Bay.