Laura Walker

Laura Walker holds an MFA from Northern Arizona University, and writes poetry and fiction. She currently teaches writing classes at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, where she lives with her wife. From Southern California by way of Flagstaff, AZ, she always finds herself wishing for a little more snow and a little less sun. Her work is featured or forthcoming in Zone 3 Literary Journal, Cathexis Northwest, Sugar House Review, and elsewhere.

A Gift of Fire

When you first drive into Riverside, it has as much distinction as any other town in this smear of Southern California cities—that is to say, virtually none. But if you look closer, through the haze of pollution that browns the summertime air, beyond the stark graffiti that coats the concrete surfaces, past the drooping palms and withered storefronts lining the freeways, you’ll start to see some character.