Grandma, Grandma, Grandma…. I have heard my grandson call me "grandma" so many times that I can tell by the inflection of his voice whether he truly wants to speak with me, or if his mother or father has put him on the phone to say hello to his grandmother. However, on a Tuesday (a few weeks ago), my grandson was lying in the emergency room bed when I heard his voice over the phone say, “Grandma….” There was an unspoken fear that reverberated through the phone seventy-plus miles away to me....

I spent the morning at a high school in Hesperia, California, reading and discussing my book, Rolling In The Deep , by Evelyn C. Fortson. Although the book was written for an older audience, the high schoolers could relate to the multigenerational family drama. I think that was in large part because of the well-layered character-driven narrative about love, personhood, resilience, grace, and redemption. We spoke about the generational and racial differences in the places we call home, and how...

Writing during this difficult time has been cathartic. It has helped to ground and center me. When I write, I hope to convey a feeling or idea; if I can do that well, it’s very satisfying. Writing for Lotus Rising LA is very important to me because it allows me to document individual and collective struggles and victories. Losing a home to a fire is unimaginable. Home is a place of refuge, peace, family, and pride. Having that taken away in such a sudden and violent manner is so destabilizing...