Winter Updates
Dear Ones,
Please receive my good wishes for your thriving. I hope that you are taking good care of yourselves and your loved ones.
When I was a teen, my grandfather Gene would often ask me “who are you working with?” He said this because he was curious about my political life. Some of the many negative impacts of the current regime are violence, chaos, overwhelm, and isolation. I realized that I could benefit from giving myself assignments to feel more connected with people I admire. I’ve been tinkering with ways of socialize my writing practice.
Inheritance of Peace
My late father and grandmother were peace activists during times of war. Their values and actions had a protective impact on me. I feel them as an inheritance of peace. I’ve begun interviewing people about their legacies of peace. The first conversation features poet Margarita León whose inheritance of peace is bioethics. Our audio conversation is accompanied by bilingual transcripts in English and Spanish.
Winter 2026 / Highlights
Write your Story, the global space for creative writers that I’ve been facilitating, is now entering its second year.
I guided a “Wear Your Story” workshop for the Circular Library in Venice. This was an opportunity to know our clothes by connecting storytelling to a local clothing swap. Lydia Thomas wrote a blog post about the experience. The workshop was a chance to think together about lifecycle design, circular economies, and fashion. According to Vibhu Mishra of the U.N., “doubling the lifespan of clothing could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44 per cent.”
Multidisciplinary artist Alma Cielo has been leading the 1000 Voices Project with support from the LA Conservancy. Alma and I started co-teaching a ceramics and creative writing series for local Firebirds (e.g., people who’ve been impacted by the LA wildfires). The next workshop will be on February 21 in Pasadena at the Armory. Special thanks to Cristal Trujillo for hosting us!
For LA based activists with ties to the Middle East, New Ground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change is a unique space for interfaith collaboration. I’m grateful to Aziza Hasan and enjoyed supporting their efforts.
On a personal note, my first born married the love of his life this month and we have been ritualizing, connecting, and celebrating.
Piecework: Ethnographies of Place received positive reviews from Library Thing. Here are a couple of excerpts:
“I have never been to Los Angeles, but reading Amy Shimshon-Santo’s book made it seem like a vibrant, complicated, and familiar place. Her ethnographic skill, artistic sensibilities, and empathy for the often-overlooked perspectives of youth shine through in these essays and pictures. My favorite chapter was on the author’s grandmother, an activist named Reva Mucha, and her persecution by the US government during the Cold War. After reading this book, I want to become more aware of the history in my own community and family.”
“Piecework is comprised of essays that encourage collective action as an extension of social justice, but by the end you have an intimate portrait of the author and her ancestry…It goes without saying that Piecework is thought provoking, but what I wasn’t expecting was the plethora of gorgeous photography. The entire book was exquisite to read.”