This isn’t something I think about when I’m writing; it struck me away from my desk, with sudden clarity: One of the main goals of my writing, particularly my last book (Dark Days, Bright Nights) and the short stories I’m currently working on, is that the reader will never look at the homeless—or Las Vegas—in quite the same way.

Photo credit: Steve Fanell

To get to school, I Uber to one of the most beautiful buildings in San Salvador—La Basílica de Guadalupe, which fronts the famous Pan-American Highway. I scale a rusted, tottering pasarela (pedestrian overpass) that spans the highway. As its floor undulates, I send up a prayer: If it gives, please let me land on the back of truck headed for Costa Rica.

The overpass drops me into a bustling, open-air bus station/market. Stout women stand guard over grills and cauldrons of grease, their skin glistening with sweat. The heat and smell of fried tortillas hit me as I pass in my school uniform, backpack bulging and credentials bouncing off my chest. Buses destined for Zaragoza, Jayaque, and Sonsonate jostle for position along the curb. Weighed down by their wares—potato chips, unsalted cashews, knockoff T-shirts and baseball caps—street vendors disappear into the buses and reappear when the vehicles are in motion.

As the sidewalk clears and smooths out, I instinctively check for my wallet and glance over my shoulder. The wallet’s always there and no one’s ever trailing me. I hurry through a dark and loud underpass, then play Frogger as I attempt to cross a semi-blind, debris-strewn onramp that borders the presidential palace and leads to campus. The vigilante (security guard) waves me through the gates with a smile—and that, of course, is when the chaos begins.

This is a ways off, but I’m already looking forward to it: On April 15 at 6 p.m., I will be speaking at my alma mater, the University of West Georgia (just outside of Atlanta). The plan, at this early stage, is that I will be discussing my writing career and adventures (Las Vegas, El Salvador, etc.) with two professors from the school.

It sounds like a few of you (who live outside of Georgia) are interested in using this talk as an excuse to catch up with me in person and to explore the Atlanta area and the South. Please do mark the date, and let me know if you have any questions about the event, area, etc. And, of course, I will post more details as the date approaches.

Congrats to my friend and writing student Logan Gaines! Logan, who works as a realtor during the day and in restaurants at night, and has struggled with dyslexia, has been a dedicated writer for more than ten years. Yesterday, he earned his first publishing credit.

The story, “From Fame to Shamrock,” is about two musicians who discover that their idol, believed to have died in a car accident many years ago, is alive and in hiding. They seek him out, in hopes of meeting him and possibly even baiting him back on stage. It’s fun to read and does an admirable job of suspending disbelief.

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue1060/fame_shamrock1.html

Soon after Bill Hughes passed away in April 2021, a group of his ex-colleagues at Las Vegas CityLife put together a pitch to get him in the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. We noted his long tenure in the state (nearly 30 years), how he blended art and photojournalism, and his domination of the Better Newspaper Contest. (Over a ten-year stretch—amid the golden age of alt-weeklies in Nevada—he won forty-three first-place awards.) He left behind a portfolio, we concluded, that is unmatched as far as quality, quantity, and uniqueness—one which tells the story of Las Vegas becoming what it is today.

Bill would’ve shrugged off such praise. He was humble, hardworking, and would never have sought this type of validation of his work. But we thought he deserved to be recognized as one of the best photojournalists to ever toil in Nevada (and that more of the work of alt-weeklies in general should be acknowledged)—and the Nevada Press Foundation Board of Trustees agreed. Bill will be inducted into the Newspaper Hall of Fame next month, along with seven other journalists.

Congratulations to Bill and his family! Congrats also to the three other inductees who I know personally and/or professionally: Mary Hausch, Jake Highton, and Charles Zobell.

I still get the occasional book-club request for Beneath the Neon, which was published more than seventeen years ago. And I always try to accommodate them, especially when they’re from a group that is involved in the Las Vegas community and trying to learn from the book in some form or fashion.

I had fun chatting yesterday afternoon (via Zoom) with the United Way of Southern Nevada’s book club. Interesting and informed people who asked interesting and informed questions.

I have not taught a class on campus since March 2020. (I don’t think I need to remind you all what was going on in the world then.) That is set to change in roughly four weeks.

I recently agreed to teach two senior writing classes (one prep) at a private, bilingual school not far from where I live. I’m excited about the opportunity for a variety of reasons, but, in particular, it will be nice to feel a little more involved in the Salvadoran community. (Working from home and not being fluent in Spanish, I often feel removed from it.) The part-time job, of course, also complements my writing and editing work.

I learned a lot teaching at UNLV and, especially, Escuela Americana, and I am looking forward to putting that experience to use.

“Few writers have captured the feeling of the rising tide of years sweeping over a character as evocatively as this.”

Kind words from New Critique editor James Mcloughlin about my short story “Bakersfield Breeds Outlaws,” which is now live on the NC website. The story is about a man who learns that his estranged mother is dying of cancer while he is living in the underground flood channels of Las Vegas. Deciding to take the Greyhound bus back to his hometown of Bakersfield, California, he is forced to confront his colorful and sordid past. But, in essence, the story is a character study of one of the more interesting people I met in the drains.

https://newcritique.co.uk/2024/07/07/fiction-bakersfield-breeds-outlaws-matthew-obrien/

My editing service, OES, continues to grow and evolve—and to receive positive feedback from clients. Here are two of my favorite testimonials from the past few months:

“I reached out to OES for help with my résumé and cover letter, since my goal was always to move to New York and grow my career there. New York is a very competitive city, and I’d not had luck applying for jobs there and I knew I was doing something wrong. Matt helped me simplify and streamline my résumé and cover letter and make the language stronger and more grammatically correct. (English is my second language.) He also emphasized strong points that I was not highlighting properly. Magically, with the new résumé and cover letter, I got the job in New York!”—Eliana M., architect and designer

“I think of Matt as a guide who has navigated diverse terrain: crossed its ridges, hiked its peaks, and breathed in its meadows. He recognizes the challenges writers face and the tools they’ll need as they embark on their creative journey. He not only carved a path for me as I stumbled through the wilderness, but carried my water through the toughest stretches. My boots are muddied, my shirt is sweaty, and my walking stick is scarred, but I owe the confidence I’ve gained as an author to Matt’s pathfinding. His compass is true north in the realm of writing.”—Juergen B., author and adventurer

To read more testimonials, please visit https://www.obrieneditingservices.com/testimonials.html.

If you have a book, bio, résumé, website, etc., that you need feedback on, or you’re interested in one-on-one online writing classes, contact me at https://www.obrieneditingservices.com/get-started.php.

Thanks again for your support!

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the first draft of another story set on the streets of Las Vegas. Tentatively titled “The House of Cards Began to Quiver,” this is one of the longer and, I think, and potentially stronger stories in the collection. (I now have eleven vignettes, flash-fiction pieces, and short stories total.)

My fiancée and I celebrated last night by taking a walk in the neighborhood, resting at a juice stand, and sharing a sushi dinner. Instant review of Sushi King in Antiguo Cuscatlán: slow service, but solid sushi.