top of page
Off The Page
Arts & Culture on the Corner with Gabriel San Román
Spotlighting our local and diverse O.C. communities and global topics that traverse our streets.
Holiday Gift Guide for Scholars & Our Community
Need some tips on academic books? Here are 10 recommended by LibroMobile's bookstore owner, Sarah Rafael Garcia!
Dec 6, 202410 min read
No Sanctuary in SOLIS: Resistance & Connectivity in a Near-Future Dystopian World Scarily Similar to Our Own
SOLIS, released on October 8, 2024, is a companion tale to Sanctuary. Activist Paola Mendoza and author Abby Sher co-write both novels.
Nov 1, 20245 min read
Orange County’s First Black History Book Only Ripens with Time
“A Different Shade of Orange:Voices of Orange County, California,Black Pioneers,”published 15 years ago as OC’s first tome of Black history.
Oct 4, 20246 min read
Beauty in the Lens RD
I needed an outlet that shared my vulnerabilities without being too revealing; photography seemed the closest to it...
Sep 6, 20245 min read
Sympathy for the slasher? Stephen Graham Jones’ latest novel upends the horror genre
In Stephen Graham Jones’ latest novel, all the horror subgenre’s hallmarks are present while being turned on their head at the same time.
Aug 2, 20244 min read
¡Luces, Cameras, Acción! Poco a Poco Productions Reclaims Latinx Film Stories, Founder Aims to Save the World
Elvia may not have yet saved the world, but she’s coming damn close to it—one stage, one set at a time.
Jul 5, 20248 min read
Frederick Luis Aldama Against a (Capitalist) World: A Superhero’s Origin Story and the Endgame Behind Latinx Comics
For Frederick Aldama, books were not mere physical objects just for reading material...
Jun 7, 20248 min read
Romance, War and the Undead entwine in Isabel Cañas’ ‘Vampires of El Norte’
Where Cañas thrives in ‘Vampires of El Norte’ is her setting in the RGV," writes local writer Gabriel San Román.
May 3, 20244 min read
Tracing Memory & Cosmos in El Rey of Gold Teeth
Reyes Ramirez's debut book of poems, El Rey of Gold Teeth, doesn’t promise us gold, but instead maps out poems of wonder that are critical.
Apr 5, 20244 min read
Then & Now: Kilson Street Broadcasts OC Rockstars from Garage to Glory
Kilson Street is “‘[t]he World’s BEST live-music-video show you’ve never heard of. Broadcasting from our Garage to yours.’”
Mar 1, 20244 min read
A Looking Glass into Black History in Orange County: Past & Present, Pride & Parades
The Black community within the walls of Orange County has set its roots and is here to stay.
Feb 2, 20245 min read
BIPOC Cookbooks, Chisme y Más
Sarah Rafael Garcia offers her Top 5 BIPOC cookbooks...
Jan 5, 20245 min read
A Letter from the Founder: ¡Aquí Estamos y No Nos Vamos!
This year is rapidly ending. And as we take a moment to reflect, we realize how much our community has carried us along the way...
Dec 1, 20235 min read
From the River to the Sea: Books that Raise Awareness on Palestine & Its Liberation
The list below is a selection of beloved books that offer another side to the conflict: a raw portrayal of what it means to be Palestinian.
Nov 3, 20237 min read
Unos Libros Para El Susto: Latinx ~Espooky~ 2023 Books List
~Espooky~ season is upon us! Check out this list if you're a Halloween and/or Dia de Muertos fanatic.
Oct 6, 20236 min read
Jesus Cortez has always been here, this show is our time to really notice
¿Ya Mero Compa? features the photography of Anaheim's Jesus Cortez — intersecting his life as an artist and immigrant worker.
Sep 1, 20234 min read
Mapping Our City: How Santa Ana Lives On in the Cyberworld
Whether you’re a Santa Ana native, an OC local, or just a curious lover of all things history, A Storymap of Santa Ana is meant for you.
Aug 4, 20234 min read
Just Around the Corner: Free POC-Led Art Spaces in Southern California
From Monterey Park to Long Beach, Compton to Santa Ana, we’ve gathered a list of free POC-led art spaces that beckon us home.
Jul 7, 20236 min read
Orange County’s Book-Banning Dilemma: Age-Inappropriate Content vs. Literacy Censorship
Our little ones are our future, and their empowerment to read books, whether physically or digitally, shouldn’t be limited...
May 5, 20234 min read
Welcome to the Santa Ana Public Library: A Looking Glass into Tradition & Modernism All in One Space
Santa Ana Public Library offers a quieter, more laid-back alternative to the hustle and bustle of DTSA...
Apr 7, 20235 min read
Gabriel San Román is a contributor to Times OC and a former OC Weekly staff writer. Subscribe to his weekly Slingshot! Newsletter. And in case anyone is wondering, he's still the tallest Mexican in OC.
Contact:
bottom of page