When KCET site editor, Zach Behrens, wanted to expand his site’s geographic coverage range, he personally asked UC Riverside creative writing professor, Susan Straight, to write a blog. Not only is Straight the author of eight novels and numerous other publications, she holds a widely recognized interest in the history and culture of the Inland Empire, where she was born and has spent most of her life.

The blog title “Notes of a Native Daughter,” inspired by Straight’s interest in the works of Joan Didion and James Baldwin, hits the heart of what Straight’s blog actually is. From sheep to murals to oranges, her work contains the thoughtful images of someone who cares very much about her home and seeks to record its essence. Her articles are inspired by events in her own life—random bits of information she picks up on and chooses to investigate, childhood memories, sporadic drives around the desert—but the pieces come together to form an image of the Inland Empire itself and the people who live here. One article, “Twilight Gardening and Kite Fighting”, is based primarily upon a haphazard conversation with a neighbor, while another, a favorite of Straight’s (Agua Mansa), is predicated upon an old story, brought to mind by the chance comment of a friend. The blog provides an excellent way for people to learn about and appreciate the culture and history of this community, and Straight’s writing highlights the beautiful images it has to offer. In describing her own participation in the blog, Straight says her ultimate aim is to, “have a larger audience see and understand this particular place in southern California which is sometimes overlooked.”

“Notes of a Native Daughter” can be accessed at .