Meet the Members: H.R. Young-Lira

“My intention in joining [WLT] is to learn how to best be involved with my local writing scene and how to find the best home(s) for my work.”

— H.R. Young-Lira

A member of the Writers’ League since August 2018, H.R. lives in Austin, TX.

Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?

H.R. Young-Lira: Creative nonfiction, fictionalized memoir, and fiction.

Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them?

H.R.: At this moment? Taylor Jenkins Reid. And I’d ask her this: How has having a baby changed your writing life and what do you do differently now?

Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?

H.R.: I’d say Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace because I know I’d forever have something to read, but to be completely honest, I’d probably be most grateful to myself if I’d happened to have packed my ancient copy of The American Tradition in Literature before being marooned. So much good stuff in those pages.

Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?

H.R.: I’m really new yet, but my intention in joining is to learn how to best be involved with my local writing scene and how to find the best home(s) for my work.

Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?

H.R.: I’m not quite sure, but I’m beginning to believe I’ll know I’ve arrived when I can post to Instagram and feel comfortable using only a single hashtag in the caption. But in all seriousness, I’m looking forward to watching my audience grow, and learning how I might be able to move readers in the same way I am moved by the stories that inspire me. I do also hope that one day my writing will afford me copious amounts of time to live exactly the life I want.

Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?

H.R.: I can’t not recommend my book The Truth About Sunday Minor here. It published in February 2018 and I have been surprised and elated by reader response — it seems I’m not the only one who couldn’t let this story go! Otherwise, I don’t specifically seek out Texas-related books, and the last one (besides my own) that happened to be Tex-centric was published in 1993. I read it straight through from cover to cover as soon as I got my hands on it and I would recommend it in a heartbeat as an absolute must-read today — Drink Cultura: Chicanismo by Jose Antonio Burciaga.

Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion! 

H.R.: I’m currently working on Part II of the Sunday Minor series, and can’t wait to share the next part of this story with the world. I keep everyone updated on my progress via social media, and my primary platform is Instagram. I’d love to connect with other WLT members there, so come find me (@h.r.younglira) and say hi!

Thank you, H.R.!

If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!

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