

Source: Joe Cabaniss press release
June 8,2024 (Alpine)-- In his debut story collection, Life Songs And Other Passages – San Diego Stories, native San Diegan Joe Cabaniss probes the spaces between youth and adulthood and explores a road paved with uncertainty, heartache and moral dilemmas. His characters strive to understand their lives and loves amid opposing forces that foster tension and uncertainty in an often unjust and unforgiving world.
Place figures strongly in these tales, set mostly in San Diego in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Readers of a certain age may see something of themselves in these pages, while others may find universal truths that resonate. Long-time San Diegans may recognize neighborhoods where they lived or played, and surfers will note favorite beaches and recall how the sport/lifestyle taught them to embrace the Aloha spirit.
Eleven stories examine coming of age and beyond from myriad perspectives: a young adventurer takes menial work at a ski resort to follow his passion; a fifth grader makes his way as a new kid in class; a boy grows up under the weight of estrangement from his father; and three friends set out to meet girls and sample the nightlife in Tijuana. Other tales examine the lives of young men seeking their place in the world: a 21-year-old’s life is upended when he receives his draft notice; a surfer moves away from the beach to save his academic future; and a reluctant college student shares a moment in time with a captivating girl he meets in Rome.
Joe Cabaniss attended San Diego State University and spent most of his working life as a newspaper reporter and copywriter. He was a surfer for many years, chasing waves throughout San Diego County and northern Baja California, often to the detriment of his academic development. But he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
For more information, visit Life Songs: And Other Passages.
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