Selected Essays & Op-Eds
“When They Let Them Bleed” from Best American Essays
“The Living Desert” from The Rumpus
“The Killer Outside of Me” from CrimeReads
“The Royal Plaza Inn” from Angels Flight
“The Northridge Earthquake: Thirty Years Later” from the Los Angeles Times
“In a season of memories and melancholy, I turn my focus toward giving thanks” from the Los Angeles Times
“Finding Peace in the Desert Among Ghosts” from the Los Angeles Times
“A Broken Menorah and a Memory” from the Los Angeles Times
Selected Feature Stories & Articles
75 Essential Books for Gen-X from the Arrow.
In Conversation with David Ulin in CrimeReads
In Conversation with Steph Cha in Alta
On Desert Heat in Palm Springs Life
Wither the Date Shake in Palm Springs Life
Selected Book Criticism
From USA Today
From the Los Angeles Times
From Alta
From the Washington Post
Podcast Archives
Literary Disco — a decade of episodes from the popular podcast hosted by Tod, Rider Strong, and Julia Pistell.
Selected Short Stories
“Paladin” from Playing Games (named a Distinguished Short Story in Best American Mystery & Suspense)
“Walls” from Other Resort Cities
“Mitzvah” from Other Resort Cities (named a Distinguished Short Story in Best American Mystery & Suspense)
“Simplify” read by Andrew McCarthy
“Last Night at the Dairy Bar” from The Normal School
Summer of ’86” from The Silver Waves of Summer