Jun 5, 2018
A
native New Yorker, Ivy
Pochoda has discovered the pull of the desert.
After moving to LA, she'd heard folks talk about going to the
desert. Eventually she took a trip to Palm Springs and,
though nice, wasn't really the experience she was looking for. The
second trip she booked a vacation rental 'near Joshua Tree National
Park'. After driving for sometime past two entrances to the
National Park, Ivy realized the definition of the word 'near'
had different meanings to her and the vacation rental owner. Turns
out, the reward for all that driving was staying in what's known as
The Tile House in Wonder
Valley.
Growing up in NY, Ivy started playing squash,
found she was very good at it and ended up traveling the world to
play. When her parents encouraged her to get off the 'road' and
find something more stable, Ivy decided on writing. Her publisher
parents weren't certain that was the right choice - Ivy has
prevailed. Her third novel, 'Wonder Valley', was a Los Angeles
Times Book of the Year and her writing has appeared in many
publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and The
LA Times, just to name a few.
Though
only featured in three chapters of 'Wonder Valley', we talk
about dealing with the reactions of locals, who may feel 'their
place' may have been misrepresented in a work of
fiction.
After
watching a film about LA's Skid Row, Ivy decided to get involved
with LAMP (Los Angeles Men's Place) Community, teaching creative
writing in their arts program. LAMP has since merged with another
organization and is now known as The
People Concern.
Ivy
finds herself planning to return to the desert even before the
present trip she's on is over. Me thinks she's hooked.