Some Final Beauty and Other Stories

Some Final Beauty and Other Stories showcases women and Chicanx characters whose resistance, reconciliation, and strength vigorously affirm community. Author Lisa Alvarez captures the spirit of empowerment in the struggle for justice faced by marginalized communities in a nation defined by politicians from Reagan to Trump. From the vibrant streets of Southern California to the arid Nevada Nuclear Test Site, these thematically linked stories explore self-discovery, rebellion, and solidarity as complex personalities and values meet at the intersection of art, love, relationships, activism, and identity. A Mexican American returns from WWII to encounter Paul Robeson. A Spanish Civil War veteran befriends a recovering addict. Young 1980s female activists take to the streets. A big-city Latino mayor discovers the limits of ambition. A grieving aunt confronts her dead niece’s toxic lover. Both the author and her characters interrogate finality while insisting on the beauty of everyday human engagement, often steeped in Hispanic culture, and stubbornly demanding joyful civic participation. Alvarez constructs more than a sharp, empathetic and funny sociological survey of experiences. She crafts a chronicle of lives lived with purpose, resilience, and the hope of a better future.

Lisa Alvarez, born and raised in Los Angeles, has worked with many peace, justice, and civil rights campaigns. She teaches writing at Irvine Valley College, where she codirects the campus Puente Program and codirects the summer writer’s workshops at the Community of Writers in Olympic Valley, California. As a widely published author, her work may be found in in About Place Journal, Air/Light, Anacapa Review, Citric Acid, Faultline, Huizache, Santa Monica Review, So It Goes, and various anthologies.