Off The Page
Arts & Culture on the Corner with Melanie Romero
Spotlighting our local and diverse O.C. communities and global topics that traverse our streets.
Holiday Gift Guide for Scholars & Our Community
No Sanctuary in SOLIS: Resistance & Connectivity in a Near-Future Dystopian World Scarily Similar to Our Own
Orange County’s First Black History Book Only Ripens with Time
Beauty in the Lens RD
Sympathy for the slasher? Stephen Graham Jones’ latest novel upends the horror genre
¡Luces, Cameras, Acción! Poco a Poco Productions Reclaims Latinx Film Stories, Founder Aims to Save the World
Frederick Luis Aldama Against a (Capitalist) World: A Superhero’s Origin Story and the Endgame Behind Latinx Comics
Romance, War and the Undead entwine in Isabel Cañas’ ‘Vampires of El Norte’
Tracing Memory & Cosmos in El Rey of Gold Teeth
Then & Now: Kilson Street Broadcasts OC Rockstars from Garage to Glory
A Looking Glass into Black History in Orange County: Past & Present, Pride & Parades
BIPOC Cookbooks, Chisme y Más
A Letter from the Founder: ¡Aquí Estamos y No Nos Vamos!
From the River to the Sea: Books that Raise Awareness on Palestine & Its Liberation
Unos Libros Para El Susto: Latinx ~Espooky~ 2023 Books List
Jesus Cortez has always been here, this show is our time to really notice
Mapping Our City: How Santa Ana Lives On in the Cyberworld
Just Around the Corner: Free POC-Led Art Spaces in Southern California
Orange County’s Book-Banning Dilemma: Age-Inappropriate Content vs. Literacy Censorship
Welcome to the Santa Ana Public Library: A Looking Glass into Tradition & Modernism All in One Space
From Bookshelves to Literary Arts Festival: A Look into the Books (& their Authors) from Yesteryear
A Letter to the Comunidad: At the Heart of Art & Culture
Silvia Rodriguez Vega Forces Us to Listen to Children of Immigrants in Drawing Deportation
From the Ground Up: Orange County BIPOC Businesses on the Rise
From One County to the Next, Author and Columnist Gustavo Arellano Oversees a New Horizon in L.A.
From Book to Film: Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is an Anti-War Epic
A New Chicanx Cohort: Profes in Borderlands, Punk Communities, & Healing Justice
Cinematic Experience Series includes Spielberg’s timeless Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Navigating the In-Between: A Review of Luivette Resto’s “Living on Islands Not Found on Maps”
OC Youth Poet Laureate Curating a Community Poem For & By Youth
Jodorowsky’s Social Commentary & Surreal Fantasy in “The Holy Mountain” is Still Relevant Today
A Letter from the Founder: Where we’ve been, where we’re going
This Holiday Shop Small, Reinvest In Our Community
First-time Feature Director Unravels a Monstrous Femme on the Screen at The Frida
Inaugural Poet Laureates Picture a Home for Poetry in Orange County
5 QBIPOC Artists in California to Know
From Anaheim to TimesOC, Gabriel San Román Shares his Journey Towards Journalism
‘Canciones Bordadas’ Radio Show Stitches the Sounds of Santa Ana Together
Between OC and OJ, the Lives of ‘The Lockhart Women’ Delight in Debut Novel
History is Healing as the Heritage Museum of Orange County Finally Reopens!
Frosty Heats Up OC's Hip-Hop Scene With Her Rebel Rhymes
Santa Ana Poet Finds His Way Back Home With ‘Flower Grand First’
‘The Saints of Santa Ana’ Shows Ethnic Identity Isn’t Far From God
Apollo Bebop’s Blend of Hip-Hop and Jazz Pivots in the Pandemic
A Holiday Gift Guide for Books by Local Authors of Color—and Beyond!
Santa Ana Artist Reflects on Día de los Muertos with ‘And Still I Rise’ Installation
‘The Only Good Indians’ is a Haunting Native American Horror Story
‘Manufacturing Celebrity’ Spotlights Exploitation in Hollywood-Obsessed Media
OC Zine Fest Goes Virtual Amid Pandemic
Photographer Federico Medina Captures the Frontlines of OC’s Most Raucous Protests
Our Arts & Culture column was initially founded by local journalist Gabriel San Román in May 2020. Since then we have collaboratively featured over 25 stories and paid nearly 10 contributors from our community. Starting February 2023, #OffThePage is featuring Melanie Romero as our monthly columnist.
Melanie Romero is a trilingual writer born and raised in Orange, CA. It was during childhood weekend trips to Randy’s $1-a-book stall at the OC Market Place that she discovered a passion for reading and, eventually, writing. Today, she serves as Editor at Lil’ Libros and has written two children’s books, Amor de colores and J is for Janucá under the publisher. In her free time, she can be found indulging in challah and getting lost among the shelves of independent bookstores.
Contact:
Pitch Melanie a story or email us for more information!