By Josephine Hurtado —
Powder Ground
A love letter to Hercules, told one walk at a time.
About the book
Hercules, California, was once a company town built around an explosives plant. The factories are gone, but the town still carries that history in its name, old buildings, freight tracks, and former industrial ground.
Marshes, homes, parks, and shoreline trails now occupy parts of the same landscape.
In fourteen walking essays, Josephine Hurtado follows the Bay Trail, creeks, marshes, neighborhoods, and old powder-works sites. She learns what happened there and considers what the place has taught her about migration, grief, ambition, safety, and making a home.
The book includes the people who built and worked in Hercules, including Chinese laborers whose names were often left out of the record.
It also follows the life that has returned to the shoreline: coyotes, birds, trees, tides, neighbors, walkers, and freight trains.
Where it began
Powder Ground began with daily walks.
Looking closely led to questions. The questions led to local history, conversations, and memories. The walks became a book.
The same process led to The Unautomated Life: go somewhere, pay attention, learn what is there, talk to people, and put the experience into your own words.
From the book
“I walk to stop solving things. Most mornings it almost works.”
An excerpt and a recording of Josephine reading will be posted here before publication.
About Josephine Hurtado
Josephine Hurtado is a Filipino writer, entrepreneur, and mother of four who lives in Hercules with her husband, Jack.
She has spent much of her professional life building companies, running operations, and solving problems. Her daily shoreline walks gave her a place to stop solving them for a while. Those walks became Powder Ground.
Her writing focuses on place, migration, ambition, grief, womanhood, safety, and belonging.
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