Hector Tobar says he never expected to become an award-winning journalist and author.
At a recent lecture at Pasadena City College, Hector talked about his growing-up years in Los Angeles. His teachers, he said, did not encourage him in his writing. Hector recalled only once that an instructor commented favorably on something he’d written.
Fast-forward to today–when Hector has written for the Los Angeles Times for more than twenty years.
He was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting team who covered the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has served as the Times’ Mexico City bureau chief, and has filed stories from all over South America–in addition to Iraq and across the United States.
Currently, Hector has three books to his credit, with a fourth in the works. His most recent novel, The Barbarian Nurseries, paints a vivid picture of life in the diverse communities of Southern California–from the manicured gated communities to the gritty streets of south Los Angeles.
The Barbarian Nurseries, which won a 2012 California Book Award Gold Medal for fiction, evokes the “feel” of modern-day Southern California with both affection and authenticity. The reader will almost hear the trains at Union Station, and the squeals of overindulged children at an over-the-top birthday party on “Paseo Linda Bonita”.
Hector talked about his background, his work and his advice to fellow writers.
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