Mary Camarillo on Those People Behind Us

November 21, 2023. Tuesday, 2 PM on KPFK 90.7 FM in Southern California. This week my guest is Mary Camarillo on her newest novel, Those People Behind Us. It’s the first of a two-part discussion, with readings from the novel, an ensemble story told from the perspectives of five neighbors in a fictional(ized) Orange County tract home community. Set in the early Trump years, it’s a smart social commentary but with generous and humane investigation into what’s possible for citizens defined by real estate, economic status, privilege, and symbolic if not quite real politics. The portrayals both exploit and explain stereotypes, with a heavy application of critique and humor but perhaps an even more generous application of empathy. Camarillo is the author of the previous award-winning novel The Lockhart Women.

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