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Page 2 June 14, 2018
Check It Out
Flying Lessons and Other Stories
Incites Fantastic Flights of Fancy
Reviewed by Tommy Vinh Bui,
MLIS, Associate Librarian,
Inglewood Public Library
Summer looms and all of the kids are
collectively throwing their arms into the air
with wild abandon accompanied by whoops
of delirious jubilation. A well-earned break
from sums, essays, and earmarked arithmetic
Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh.
books. But, lo, it’s of the foremost importance
to not let that persnickety summer slide creep
into your student’s well-deserved hiatus. And
I’ve plumbed just the plum paperback to help
keep their literacy buoyed until the school bell
rings again come autumn.
The anthology Flying Lessons & Other
Stories edited by Ellen Oh is abundantly adept
at tugging at each and every heartstring. The
stories contained therein are an impressive
hodgepodge that cobble together volumes of
insight and vibrancy. From urban bildungsromans
to tall tales of rollicking adventure yarns,
each story is imbued with a strong thematic
core and makes an effort to impart sage advice.
A quick synopses of a smattering of stories
include a young man yearning to prove himself
on the basketball court of a ragtag and tough
neighborhood. It’s a coming-of-age story that
redefines what it means to break down expectations
of masculinity amongst peers. Another
story features a young Chinese girl arranged
to be married to a stranger, but she aspires
toward higher goals and her gaze is fixed upon
the high seas and adventures with pirates.
It’s a pawky, swashbuckling period piece and
through grit and grit alone does she lift herself
up by her bootstraps and endeavor to better
her situation. In yet another standout story, a
Homeless Count Has Silver Lining
young man travels throughout Europe with his
spunky grandmother who continually coaxes
him to come out of his shell. He’s a determined
bookworm who is reluctant to enjoy himself.
But he soon finds himself swayed by the allure
of summer and the potential for self-discovery.
The narrative voices found in the book
are stellar. The writers comprise an eccentric
motley crew of talent and literary verve that
firm up the reading experience thoroughly. A
vivid and crisp image is implanted crystal-clear
into our mind’s eye. The writing is immersive
and laden with emotional weight. Laced with
sincerity, the idiosyncratic inflections found in
the writing are appropriate and executed well.
The writing is almost aurally auspicious, as
there was even something akin to a detached
enthusiasm when speaking from the point of
view of an angst-ridden teenager. No easy
tone to capture, but achieved singularly here.
The diversity of themes is what really captured
my imagination. These are stories that teens
particularly should be able to identify with easily
and with gusto -- themes such as a lifelong love
of reading and female empowerment and the
determination required to overcome obstacles.
The subject matter is emphatically empathetic
and should appeal to a wide teenage audience.
As a whole, the stories complement one
another masterfully. They’re well-curated and
represent a wide spectrum of expression. There’s
a little bit of something for everyone and it
casts a wide net in terms of appeal. The stories
are diverse in characters and social issues, and
implement a kaleidoscope of unique voices
throughout. The ambiance and seamless tonal
shifts range from feisty and humorous to forlorn
and somber. The stories all contextualized as a
whole display a remarkable narrative dexterity.
All in all, it’s an overwhelmingly charming
young adult book -- one that I expect will bring
much joy and newly acquired insights to teens
willing to lend an ear. So pluck it from our shelves
quickly before the summer blinks by and you’re
inundated by onerous schoolwork again. •
Tommy Vinh Bui.
By Rob McCarthy
South Bay cities and unincorporated areas
didn’t fare as well as the rest of the county
in reducing the number of homeless people,
though there are a few bright spots in the justreleased
Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.
Housing assistance programs run by the county
and funded by taxpayers through Measure H
helped children, families and chronically homeless
veterans most.
The census done each year creates a snapshot
of the number of people, including children,
who live without permanent housing in Los
Angeles County. The head count was taken over
three nights in January, and organizers report
a 3 percent drop in homelessness throughout
the county. The promising numbers for 2018
are heralded as a sign that taxpayer-funded
strategies are paying off.
The 2018 Homeless Count showed 53,195
people in Los Angeles County experiencing
homelessness. It marked the first time in four
years that homelessness hasn’t risen across L.A.
County’s sprawling and diverse communities,
organizers with the count said. The South Bay’s
census numbers weren’t as positive -- with a 4
percent increase in homeless residents.
Still, a silver lining showed in the data collected
by the volunteers who fanned out after dark
on Jan. 24. They counted 4,246 people living
out of cars and vans, in shelters or motels, or
outdoors under bridges or in drainage canals.
They spotted fewer families, both adults and
children, and organizers calculate their numbers
dropped by as much as 18 percent compared
to the previous winter.
Similar improvement was registered among
chronically homeless veterans, whose resident
population was down 13 percent in the 2018
count. Overall though, more veterans (18 percent)
became homeless in the South Bay, the tally
showed. Volunteers found 222 veterans staying
in shelters, while 151 people with military
service were living on the streets or in vehicles.
Men continue to represent the largest population
of homeless in the South Bay at 62 percent.
That represents a small drop in the number of
males who were counted the previous year.
The number of homeless women in South
Bay jumped 20 percent in a one-year period.
The increase was nearly as high (18 percent)
among people who identified themselves as
transgender individuals.
Re-housing programs targeting African-
Americans got a boost from the census numbers.
Black/African-American men and women now
represent 32 percent of the South Bay’s homeless
population, down 5 percent from a year ago.
There were 564 living in shelters, while 815
lacked housing as of January. Census organizers
said that African-Americans are more affected
by homelessness than any other single ethnic
group in Greater Los Angeles.
“Fewer Black/African-American people experienced
homelessness than last year, though they
continue to be overrepresented,” according to the
count’s organizers. “The population of Black/
African-Americans decreased from 40 percent
to 35 percent of the total population, but they
continue to be overrepresented compared to 9
percent in general County population figures.”
A recently created Ad Hoc Committee on
Black People Experiencing Homelessness
plans to address the disparity in homelessness
for people of color, according to organizers.
Homelessness also has increased among
Hispanics since 2017, the new figures show.
They self-reported a 13 increase to the census
takers back in January. There were 1,351 Latinos
without permanent housing and all but 186
were sheltered, the census numbers showed.
Caucasians in the South Bay represent 32
percent of the area’s homeless population,
and their numbers rose considerably over a
12-month period. This ethnic category saw
a 57 percent jump for the 1,375 people who
were counted on Jan. 25. All but 100 were
sheltered on that night.
Particularly troubling is data showing the
county’s homeless population is aging. The
number of displaced people aged 62 and older is
22 percent higher this year. Organizers reported
a drop in all other age groups. The South Bay
was the exception in this comparison, with its
homeless population getting younger than the
rest of the county’s.
Among the South Bay’s displaced residents,
there are 453 who are 62 years and older, the
census reports. That figure is down slightly
from 2017, while the 18 to 24-age group is the
fastest growing. There were 56 of these young
adults in shelters and 71 without a place to live
in January’s count of the South Bay.
Locally, the largest age group of homeless
individuals fall in the 25 to 54 age category.
Volunteers reported 312 people living in shelters
and 2,263 with no residences during the
winter census.
There were 690 people between 55 and 61
who were counted as homeless this year, and
just a fraction (108) were staying in a shelter
or living in affordable government-sponsored
housing.
Organizers of the count said that while they
are encouraged that a record number of people
are being sheltered throughout Los Angeles
County, more people are entering homelessness
for the first time. This suggests that “root
causes of homelessness, such as the affordable
housing crisis, have continued to worsen,” they
said in an announcement of the results made
on May 31.
The data, with its silver linings, leads the
region’s homeless coalition leader to believe
the tide is beginning to turn.
“It’s encouraging, and indicates new resources
voters approved are already having an impact,”
said Peter Lynn, the executive director with the
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “As
the funds and programs from Measures H and
Proposition HHH begin to reach more people
and create more housing, we will continue
building on this momentum.”
To learn more about the homeless count and
view the results, go to www.lahsa.org. The
site also lists shelters and homeless service
providers in the area.
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
– MARGARET FULLER