Writing California’s Past: Ginny Kubitz Moyer on WWII, San Francisco and The Nutcracker (E185)
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Ginny is a California native with a lifelong passion for local history. A graduate of Pomona College and Stanford University, she taught high school English for 26 years and has written both fiction and nonfiction. Her love for California and its rich tapestry of stories inspired her debut novel The Seeing Garden, which won Silver in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, A Golden Life, continues her celebration of her home state’s unique history. Ginny is also the author of the nonfiction books Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses and Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God. An avid weekend gardener, Ginny lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two sons, and one adorably stubborn rescue dog.
Episode Highlights:
How 25+ years of teaching English shaped Ginny’s writing voice and storytelling process.
Why all her books are rooted in California history and the moment she first dreamed up The World at Home.
A glimpse into San Francisco life during WWII and the type of historical fiction she loves to craft.
Her evolution from nonfiction to fiction and why the shift felt meaningful.
How Ignatian Spirituality guides her reflections, using the daily questions “Where did I find life today?” and “What drained me?”
Connect with Ginny:
Show Notes
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Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bingley
Book Flight
The Highland Witch (Corrag) by Susan Fletcher
The Promise by Ann Weisgarber
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Dessert Pairing
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
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