What sort of stories are accepted?
Any and all stories related to the South Bay! We may be expanding in the future, but at the moment the focus will be here. We’ve had submissions that range from deeply personal (falling in love, struggling with being a first year college student) to cute and funny (someone adopting their dog, two best friends who feel cursed whenever they go out) to historical or place based stories (how the streets in downtown are named after members of the Donner Party.) Overtime we plan on accepting stories from across the Bay, but at the moment are focusing on the South Bay (roughly the triangle of Fremont, Mountain View and Gilroy.)
Specific outreach will be spent to make sure that BASA includes stories from voices traditionally excluded from the narrative of South Bay, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA, differently abled, non-neurotypical, unhoused and youth voices.
The only exception is we will not be accepting hateful stories, stories that are racist, sexist, transphobic, classist, or treat any members of our community as less than the people they are.
The Bay Area is changing and shifting so quickly, the South Bay especially. We’re not trying define what is this space we live in, but to provide space for the stories that make this place our home. Your story matters, and we’d love to have it.
I can’t think of a story! Do you have any prompts?
Sure! Some prompts for stories include:
Where did you first experience love in the South Bay? Loss?
When did you move to the South Bay? If you’ve always been here how have you seen changes?
What’s something that you felt could only happen here?