Thanks for the reading list – I wasn’t aware of all the great stuff already happening. I think I wanted to believe it intuitively, but didn’t even know where to begin. Thanks!

Don’t you mean “Waiting to Exhale”? Never saw either, but do know that “Waiting..” was shot in Phoenix. Forrest Whittaker was the director..

To start with, a classic Valley read is Glendon Swarthout’s “The Cadillac Cowboys”

For ‘fun’ fiction, Be sure to check out Jon Talton’s David Mapstone novels, which are set in Phoenix and draw on out history and landscape for inspiration. As well the recently published “Phoenix Noir,” is a collection of short stories set in the city by authors with connections to Phoneix. Also Mabel Leo has written a few books on local legend Jack Durant, and John Myers Myers’ wrote “I Jack Swilling” based on the life of the founder of Phoenix.

Also Erma Bombeck’s columns from the 60’s give a interesting perspective of life in surburban Phoenix during the cities first big boom. Laurie Notaro’s column for the New Times in the 1990s (and series of books based on them, including Dairy of a Fat Bride) echo the voices of many of the ‘Gen X’ crowd who lived here in the 1990’s)

For more serious works, start with Stella Pope Duarte’s “Let their Spirit Dance.” Also check out Alberto Vea’s La Maravilla. As well Alberto Rios has written some great poetry about life in the Valley and AZ more generally, and Guillermo Reyes has written numerous plays, including “Places to Touch Him.”

In terms of film, How Stella Got her Groove back is set (and filmed) in Phoenix, and does a great job of portraying daily middle class life in the city..

Here’s a link to a list of some critical reviews on writings about Phoenix. http://www.public.asu.edu/~atdwf/phoenix/writingphx.html

Nevertheless, there is always room for more and a need for the next generation to develop their own literary voices about living in the urban desert.

So count me in (as a co-conspirator, not necessarily as a literary writer )

Yuri