Melissa Hart, author of “GRINGA-A Contradictory Girlhood.” A parent comes out of the closet memoir!

Forced to live with her father by a judge who deemed her mother’s lifestyle, “unnatural”, Melissa Hart was only allowed to visit her mother and her partner two weekends a month. During these short stays, she embraced the culture of her mother’s neighborhood, seeking solace in quesadillas, musicals, and her mother’s ramshackle VW bus. Melissa and I will be discussing her fleeting moments with her mother, her unfolding adoration of Oxnard’s Latino culture, and the ways in which she’s molded by the polarity of her parents’ worldviews - “ a touching and reflective look at one girl’s struggle with the dichotomies of class, culture, and sexuality! Melissa Hart teaches journalism at the University of Oregon and memoir writing for UC Berkeley’s online extension program. Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Advocate, Fourth Genre, and High Country News. She is also a contributing editor to The Writer Magazine. Please call 347.327.9995 on Tuesday June 22nd from 10-11am CST US to join Melissa and I live on the air with your questions and personal stories.