Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in Hollywood, California and later moved to the east side of L. A. I think the juxtaposition of the movie industry with the blue-collar ethic of the suburbs created a perspective for appreciating the people and places that cross economic, cultural, and racial lines and I try to incorporate that into my novels.
When did you first start writing?
I can remember writing a story about a kid playing baseball when I was around seven years old. I believe it was about eight pages long, written in pencil on lined notebook paper!
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