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Lorinda Toledo

@lorindatoledo

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PhD. Writer, Educator, Bookworm, Wanderluster. Nuevomexicana | ABQ & LA.

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Please help spread the word—

This is for adult learners from all walks of life and all around the world. I’ve been teaching writing here for the past 6-months and the students and professors have all be so supportive of one another and inspiring!

FREE EDUCATION — APPLY TODAY for Fall 2026!

If you want to take college classes but have been unable to afford it, you may qualify for the Bridge Program, offered through Antioch University Los Angeles. Study Writing, Environmental Humanities, Art History, and Literature at no cost.

FREE Tuition and Course Materials. Classes currently offered virtually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Students in the Bridge Program will:
• Take free writing and humanities courses
• Work closely with faculty and tutors
• Earn up to 12 units transferable college credit
• Receive free course materials.

Applicants to The Bridge Program must:
• Be adults eager to work cooperatively with others
• Be able to read a newspaper in English
• Be within 200% of current federal poverty guidelines
• Have access to Zoom and stable internet connection

More info:
bridge.aula@antioch.edu
bridge.antioch.edu by @lorindatoledo

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4 months ago

New piece out for @latimes #shelfhelp wellness section! So honored to speak with @beatrizvictoriaalbinanp about her recent book #endemotionaloutsourcing and the life-changing offerings for healing and connection that she is bringing to the world through a social justice lens. If this piece speaks to you, I highly recommend her book, End Emotional Outsourcing (out now from @hachetteus) and long-running podcast, Feminist Wellness.

Many thanks to my editor @sophiakercher and to Maggie Chiang for the gorgeous artwork! (I especially love the little illustration at the end.)

Link in bio.

#perfectionism #peoplepleasing #codependency by @lorindatoledo

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4 months ago

Happy to see my recent piece in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times! Make sure to pick up your copy of this powerful genre-bending book, Autobiography of Cotton by the singular @cristinariveragarza from @graywolfpress

Thank you to #books editor @sophiakercher for her wise editorial guidance and to Kay Scanlon for the gorgeous accompanying artwork!

@latimes_entertainment @latimes @latimesbooks #autobiographyofcotton #newbooks #bookstagram #immigration by @lorindatoledo

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7 months ago

I had the immense privilege of interviewing Pulitzer Prize-winning author @cristinariveragarza about her brilliant new book, Autobiography of Cotton, for the LA Times!

Garza talked with me about themes of migration, her research and writing process, and also shared what she’s been reading, including a new novel by poet @alias_animalia!

How a Pulitzer winner resurrected a forgotten U.S.-Mexico border rebellion (link in bio)

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2026-03-03/cristina-rivera-garza-autobiography-of-cotton-border-history

Please read and share!

@graywolfpress @latimesbooks #howiwrotethebook #latimesbooks #immigration #bookstagram #books by @lorindatoledo

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7 months ago

What a year! Happy Ten-year Wedding Anniversary to my lovely wife, @lorindatoledo ! Our main celebration was earlier this year with a trip to Japan, which was unforgettable. This weekend, we had a lovely dinner at @darlingbyseanbrock in West Hollywood. We also get to indulge in this nice Cabernet Savignon given to us as a wedding gift by @jamenicoleli . The initial plan was to open it on our five-year anniversary, but that seemed too soon so we chose to open it on our tenth anniversary. And here we are! Coincidentally it’s also the recommended time to enjoy the wine…nice. I also want to pay respects to my mother who would’ve turned 80 years young today! I miss her every day and I hope she’s smiling on us from above. Pics include us at Darling in West Hollywood; said bottle of wine; in our ryoken before the onsen in Hagi, Japan. Bamboo forest in Kyoto. Mom’s resting place. And our cats. by @lorindatoledo

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a year ago

So excited to dive into this latest read from the magical and marvelous Jennifer Givhan!! Picked up on debut day from @booksoup

@jenngivhan @jennabee_84 #books #bookstagram #fiction #literature #americanwestliterature #saltbones #latinxliterature #newbook by @lorindatoledo

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a year ago

Won this beautiful 🌹record and tickets to see the marvelously talented Lola Kirke live a few weeks ago!! 🎶🎸And The Troubadour is always my favorite venue. Such a fun night with my dear friend @sophiakercher.

Thank you @lolakirke and @thetroubadour!!

#lolakirke #lolakirkemusic #thetroubadour #livemusic #countrymusic #weho #losangeles by @lorindatoledo

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a year ago

You are never alone in the act of creating:

A somatic exercise to remind us that though it may be necessary to shut out the world at times, we are never lonely and we do not create in isolation.

When you feel unmoored, remember that you are not alone. You are surrounded by goodness, graciousness, and generosity.

Take deep breath, maybe close your eyes.

Think of your community, become aware of the people who surround you, and bring their faces into your mind’s eye. Feel their collective presence radiating through your body. Where in your body do you notice sensation?

What does it feel like, to be in their metaphorical or spiritual presence? It is like a light in the darkness? A burning to step forth into your truest form? Or perhaps, a gentle holding, a shoulder to cry on, someone to check on you when you call out in the night, to remind you that whether the monsters under the bed are real or not, they are here for you.

And the embrace is mutual, because you are here for them, too, are you not? Even when you are across the miles, even if you rarely see each other’s faces in person. Even if your loved have crossed over into the other side of this life, or they are ancestors you never knew, they are here with you.

Take a deep inhale. Take a deep exhale. Hold your people, your furry companions, in your heart. Let their presence radiate through you. Let yourself rest into that sensation of support. Where do you feel it in your body? Linger there for a moment, a few deep breaths. Thank them for their presence. And as you bring yourself back into your own space, be aware of any lingering sensations in the body that let you know you are held as you go about your day.

And remember that you can always pause and tune into these sensations of community, of support. You can, at any time, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and call upon your loved ones in your minds eye, whenever you notice that you could use some reminders that you have support.

#writingprocess #creativeprocess #writingcommunity #creativecommunity #gettingunstuck #musepursuit #muse #creativeinspiration #somaticexercise #feelingalone #feelinglonely #mentalhealth #spiritualhealth by @lorindatoledo

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a year ago

Instead of the old adage, “Write what you know”—

I say to myself:

“Write as much as you know right now.”

In other words, I remind me,

Write as much of your project as you know of it right now.

There is no need to have it all figured out.

We will figure it out as we go. In the action of the present page,

We will figure out where to go next, one baby word at a time. by @lorindatoledo

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a year ago

Excited to read tomorrow, Thursday. 3/27 at 7pm as part of a stellar line up celebrating the wonderful @expositionreview at their AWP off-site party @trulyla_ in downtown LA!

Find details and RSVP here: tinyurl.com/Expo10Years

Friends and family welcome! (No conference registration needed).
#ExpoReview #LosAngeles #ExpoPresents #literarycommunity #awp25 #reading by @lorindatoledo

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2 years ago

Moderating this panel with some of my favorite authors and teachers at #AWP25!! Thurs, March 27, 12:10–1:25pm, Room 515A, Level Two.

“Getting Out of Our Own Way”: Cultivating a sustainable writing practice

How can writers cultivate a sustainable creative practice while paying the bills, growing a career, and accounting for domestic responsibilities? Award-winning authors with multiple books and diverse lived experiences discuss their ongoing journeys to do so—while also taking into consideration the roles of culture and institutions—as well as their best advice for tending to the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of the writing life.

Panelists:
★Janet Fitch (@janetfitch323) is the author of the novels Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, The Revolution of Marina M., Paint It Black, and White Oleander. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Noir, Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Her writing chats, Writing Wednesday, appear on Facebook and YouTube.

★ Reyna Grande (@writerreynagrande) is the author of the novels Across a Hundred Mountains,
Dancing with Butterflies and A Ballad of Love & Glory and the bestselling memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home. She has received several awards,
including an American Book Award & El Premio Aztlan Literary Award.

★Karen Connelly (@karenconnellyauthor) is a writer, educator & therapist who specializes in
creativity, trauma & giftedness. Author of eleven books, she also hosts The Courageous
Writers’ Academy online and The Olive Grove Retreat, a land-based creative healing experience, in her olive grove on the Greek island of Lesvos.

★ Amanda Churchill (@amandagchurchill) is the author of The Turtle House (Harper Books). Her work has been featured in Lit Hub, Hobart Pulp, Witness, and other outlets. She has received support from Tin House and Community of Writers, and holds a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas.

★ Moderator:
Lorinda Toledo’s work won first runner-up for the 2019 James Jones First Novel Fellowship and
appeared in the Mississippi Review, The Normal School, and more. She earned a PhD, MFA,
Barrick Graduate Fellowship, and BMI PhD Fellowship. Gradient image with title and description of event along with panelist photos by @lorindatoledo

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2 years ago

We are safe.

We voluntarily evacuated last night due to the proximity of the Sunset Fire evacuation zone in the Hollywood Hills (second image shows our place on a map). We are at Todd’s dads in Thousand Oaks.

Since then, all evacuation orders in our area have been lifted.

I'm so grateful things are safer in our area. The sheer number of fires and the amount of devastation is overwhelming.

Sending love to all those affected. by @lorindatoledo

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2 years ago