Page 64 - Sonoma County Gazette - June 2018

Connections
The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing
Ongoing
Our Free Little Library ~ Dedicated to Lila, grade school librarian. 6492 First St., Forestville
My Little Free Library ~ 8893 Jeannette Ave, Graton, ellen.swenson2@gmail.com
Call to All Writers Book Launch Series - All genres will be considered. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, 707- 874-9392, occidentalcenterforthearts.org
2nd and 4th Tue ~ Reader’s
Theatre Group - Reading a script adapted from literature. Free, 7p, Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, 707-829-2176, Judith or Joan, occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Writers Helping Writers ~ Enjoy the support and camaraderie of other writers. Redwood Writers, redwoodwriters.org
By Date
June 1 ~ READING TAKES YOU EVERYWHERE - programs all sumer for Prescholers, children, teens adults. INFO: sonomalibrary. org/summerreading2018
Jun 4 ~ FREE Online Writing Class - Sonoma County Writers Camp. 7-8p, sonomacountywriterscamp.com/free- class
Jun 4 - Aug 3 ~ Lunch at the Sebastopol Library - Partnering with the Redwood Empire Food Bank to offer free nutritious meals to kids 18 and younger at 6 library locations. FREE, Mon-Fri, 12- 12:45p, Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, 707-823-7691, sonomacounty.libcal.com/event/4182516
Jun 4,11,18,25 ~ Snoopys Writers - A writer’s haven that stimulates the imagination. 11-2p, Snoopys Home Ice, Warm Puppy Cafe, 1667 West Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-546-7147, snoopyswriters.com, ggdeb@sonic.net
Jun 5 ~ iRead in the Garden - FREE, Pre- registration required, 1.3p, Bayer Farm, 550 West Ave., SR, Landpaths.org
FREE, Pre-registration required, 1-3p, Roseland Library, 779 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa, Thru Jul 1 ~ Three New Exhibitions -Vickisa, Yari Ostovany and Tim Graveson. FREE, Wed-Mon, 11-5p, Gallery Route One, 11101 Hwy 1, Point Reyes, galleryrouteone.org
Jun 10 ~ Literacyworks New Lecture Series - Daniel Ellsberg In conversation with Peter Coyote. 4p SRJC Petaluma, 680 Sonoma Mtn. Pkwy., Petaluma, copperfieldsbooks.com
Jun 11 ~ Petaluma Women Who Write - Supportive forum where constructive criticism inspires and uplifts. FREE, 6 - 8p, Aqus Cafe, 189 H St., Petaluma, Carole Coates, aqus.com
Jun 15 ~ Book Launch Series -
2 Titles by Patrick Fanning. FREE, donations gratefully accepted, 7p Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, 707- 874-9392, occidentalcenterforthearts.org, info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Jun 16 ~ Three Jewels Book
Talk and Signing with Laura
Morgan - FREE, 2-4p, Sea Nature Store, 16215 Main St., Unit number 1, Guerneville, 707-869-9177, stewardscr. org, stewards@stewardscr.org
Jun 21 ~ The Language of Love in Today’s Changing Times - Georgia James and Deborah Parrish. Copperfields, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma, thewritespot.us
Jun 23 ~ Garden reading with Kendra Tanacea and Christopher DeLorenzo - 1:30-3p, Readers Books 130 East Napa St., Sonoma, 707-939-1779, readersbooks.com
Jun 29 ~ iRead with the butterflies - FREE, Pre-registration required, 10-1p, Hallberg Butterfly Garden, 8687 Oak Grove Ave., Sebastopol, Landpaths.org
By Diane McCurdy
Marlene Cullen is the editor of Connections, a collection of stories, poems and
anecdotes which is destined to become part of an anthology. This is the second book in The Write Spot to Jump Start your Writing series. Ms. Cullen says she is passionate about writing. I would say she is obsessed, but obsessed in a good
forward to the first day of school only to find to her dismay hat her mother had written down the wrong date. A gentle recounting of a favored childhood tree is a narrative which I could relate to having had a leafy friend as a child. There is horror here too. A group of kids explore an abandoned carnival as it lies deteriorating in the forest. The results are gruesome. The tone is macabre in a brief vignette about some malevolent wolves. Even death itself is addressed as “The Visitor.” An abstract Zen-like piece that has people walking through walls that, “...obstruct energy from flowing”.
Subjects are various because each selection is responding to a different prompt. Prompts range from Snoopy’s classic, “It was a dark and stormy night” to memories of a teenage summer to a consideration of the velvet hands of death. We are introduced to each author by a mini-biography after their work and a nice vintage photograph as well as a philosophical rumination on perhaps, a note to a younger self, what I wish my younger self had known, If I had my life to do over or just life advice.
Jun 8 ~ iRead fun and creative sessions
The tone of the entire collection belies Ms Cullen’s fervor. She gives us hints and lesson plans, and a bibliography but all she wants is for us to put pen or pencil in hand and just write, write, write!
The Sitting Room
64 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 6/18
way. She not only writes herself but she wants everyone else to write as well. I can appreciate her intensity as I have always had a love affair with words.
First of all she has assembled a stellar class of participants. Most have been published before. But the literary group also includes a marriage and family counselor, a teacher, a professional sailor and those who have been worked in journalism, radio and film. But what makes this compilation unique is that in each section there is a piece written by a mother followed by another piece written by their offspring, son or daughter. A few best friends will do follow ups as well and sisters and even grandmothers get into the act.
Stories are diverse. Some are light hearted such as a recounting of some precious lemon bars that were stolen by bullies from a school lunch pail and the revenge that was eventually extracted and how one little girl eagerly looked
Jun 11 ~ Dine with Local Authors - Five authors present their books. Q and A following. $5 Minimum Food Purchase6-8p, Gaia's Garden, 1899 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, 707-544- 2491, gaiasgardenonline.com/literature, info@jeaneslone.com
FREE, 2-4p
2025 Curtis Drive, Penngrove, sittingroom. org, The Sitting Room is open to all who love writing and reading. 9a-5p. Key code required.
Diane McCurdy has a whole LIBRARY of BOOK & - DVD REVIEWS on our website @
SonomaCountyGazette.com Be INSIRED!
Jun 3 ~ Sitting Room Birthday Party
-FREE, 2-5p
Jun 20 ~ Book Group, Dorothy Bryant
Jun 30 ~ Tribute to Dorothy Bryant - FREE, call 707 795-9028 to reserve, 2p