Page 63 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2020
P. 63

   The Petaluma Literary Scene
By Diane McCurdy
Who knew that Petaluma was such a hotbed of literary talent? For one, Marlene Cullen is at it again. This is the fifth book in her ”Write Spot” series. She not only edits but contributes to the anthologies that her group creates. This edition is called Possibilities. The others are Discoveries, Connections, Reflections, and Memories. Cullen exhorts her flock to “just write” and
While watching two kids a Petaluma resident Decided to take on the sitting president With parody and satire rendered Seussical He has re-imagined the POTUS absurdical!
of journalist, Khashoggi, reference to pay- offs to porn stars, Fox news, tariffs, the wall, deregulations--nothing is left off the table. The cartoonist deserves equal credit. Darren Nelson lives in west Marin. He is
Sonoma County Library - Events - sonomacounty.libcal.com
Teen Book Swap ~ FREE program for teens in grades 7 to 12 ONLY Teens are invited to drop in and browse through a selection of books - new titles,
old titles, and titles that have not been published yet - and pick one to keep. In ex- change, you will swap us a review of the book by the end of the month.
Mar 4 ~ 2-5p @ Healdsburg Library, 139 Piper St, Healdsburg, (707) 433-3772
Teen Volunteer Drop-In (12-17). Teens, do you need a few hours
of community service for school? Join us at our drop-in get-it-done teen volunteer event! Get up to 2 hours of community service and help us prep craft projects, staple, cut, organize, clean, draw, color, and more! First Thursday of every month! You will need an APPLICATION filled out and signed by a legal guardian before you can participate. REGISTER: https://sonomacounty.libcal.com/event/6162032 - INFO: (707) 308-3020
Mar 5 ~ 3:30-5:30p @ Central Santa Rosa Library, 211 E St. Santa Rosa
Create HOPE & Opportunities
 after every piece the prompt that inspired it is indicated along with a short biography of the contributor as well as advice on how to get one’s muse
energized.
 David Hightower insists the he is “not a writer”. He was a day trader in the East Bay before moving to Petaluma. Since he spent a great deal of time as a stay at home father reading Dr. Seuss books to his two children, he became inspired. The subtitle of his book The Sun Also Sets is A Seussical Indictment of Trump. He doesn’t like the guy. The book, for him, represents a catharsis of sorts, a way to relieve his frustration. It is not for children! The Paris Accords, the crisis at the Southern border, the killing
   a singer, a songwriter, and a lead guitarist. Initially, he met Hightower at a saloon where he requested an extemporaneous reading of some of the more iconoclastic lines after which he fashioned a visual accompaniment. Then Hightower asked
the bartender and a customer what they thought. It was a deal! Nelson’s drawings are flamboyant, playful, irreverent--spot on.
The Sun Also Sets
A Suessical Indictment of Trump by David Hightower of Petaluma
Many of us think about what
we can do to make our corner of
the world a better place. We at the CASA of Sonoma County Program consistently hear from our volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, that their work with foster youth is by far the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of their lives.
 Now at a glance, these two artistic
endeavors might seem to be polar opposites,
the antithesis of one another; one silly
and frivolous, the other personal and poignant. But, on closer examination, there are some similarities. Superficially speaking they are both attractively packaged, slim and compact. The cover of Possibilities is draped in deep purple against a starry sky, almost mystic, looking into space for those infinite Possibilities. The Sun Also Sets is clownishly colorful with a circus-like theme done in bright primary colors. Both are compelling. Here is a more integral similarity: the books each touch on the absurd. For example, in Possibilities, there is a writing prompt about the “mysterious proliferation of gyms in Petaluma” which inspired a tale about a kind of sinister and sometimes terminal workout. Then there is a piece about fish having an animated conversation in an aquarium. The prompt of a photo of a bathtub elicited
from one writer an existential type poem as it follow the progress of water from storm drain to sewer, to the laguna, to the river, to the ocean, etc. We
are also introduced to a green man and an ode to a yellow broom as well. The absurdity of Hightower’s book needs no further explanation. Petalulmans seem to have a penchant for the fanciful. It must be in the water.
In Sonoma County, approximately 600 children and teens live in the foster care system, taken from their homes due to abuse, abandonment, or neglect. They could use someone to show up for them and help them navigate this time of constant changes, someone to advocate for their best interests.
In a life full of uncertainty and
change, a CASA volunteer is often the only consistent, caring adult in a foster child’s life. We encourage you to make an impact in your community that could last a lifetime: Become a CASA volunteer and advocate for an abused or neglected child! Commit to spending 2 - 4 hours a week offering advocacy, friendship and emotional support to a child or young adult in foster care
We currently have 72 children in our waitlist.
CASA of Sonoma County | 707-565-6375 | sonomacasa.org
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