Today I was talking with a woman in the locker room at my health club, when the conversation turned to books. She asked what I had read recently and liked, and I mentioned a few titles (I won't repeat them here, check out the sidebar). She told me she hadn't liked
The Help![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0399155341)
as much as she'd expected to, with all she'd heard and read. When I asked what one of her favorite novels was, she said
Midnight's Children![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0812976533)
, by Salman Rushdie, one of my favorite novels.
Surprising--mainly, because I assume (silly me!) that nice little older ladies don't read/like Rushdie, but also it's just surprising to meet readers of literary fiction at all...Or writers, for that matter...
This weekend at SCWC was a love-fest of both the above. Though there are always lots of authors (and wannabe authors) of genre fiction at writing conferences, there were quite a few literary authors, and new books, as well. I picked up Midge Raymond's new collection of short stories,
Forgetting English ![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1597660469)
, and devoured two of the deliciously evocative tales already.
Not to diss genre fiction, because I also saw some fine writers from that camp--like Ken Kulken, author of the
Vagabond Virgins![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1590586492)
, which is an excellent example of how a genre novel can transcend its category. Set partly in Baja, Mexico, that book is full of history and culture as well as an intricate, thrilling plot.
There was a new literary review out too--
the Hummingbird Review![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0984225854)
--in its premiere volume, so I have enough stories to last me a while.
Speaking of story collections, tonight is the launch for the new San Diego Writers, Ink, anthology,
A Year in Ink, vol 3![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jenny02-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0979920434)
, so that will end up the weekend with a bang. All the contributors, save a few, will attend and read--an exhilerating experience for all, no doubt.
hasta