LITERARY LAS VEGAS

Advertisement

Jacqueline Chan Valencic developed a love for writing in childhood, a subject the Las Vegas resident explores fully in her poetry collection "When the House was Bright Pink." Written for adults, the poems capture the joys and challenges of growing up in 1950's America.

Excerpt from "When the House was Bright Pink"

On the corner of Bush and Mercy,

Stood our house -- bright pink -- oh, mercy!

Mom said, "Supposed to be Chinese red."

The color came out bright pink instead.

Dad was color blind. He couldn't tell.

Everyone else, though, sure saw it well.

No one was watching, I'd sneak in the house,

Wishing, then, to be small like a mouse.

Bright pink lit up the old neighborhood

Where sober folks preferred hues of wood.

Off-whites and browns, their colors of choice.

Bright pinks and bright blues couldn't rejoice.

Thank goodness our house didn't stay pink.

Was bad enough when kids called me "chink."

The house returned to its normal tame.

I once again thought we were the same.