Page 64 - Sonoma County Gazette - October 2017

Backstories From the West Edge
Review by Diane McCurdy
It is fairly obvious even to the casual observer
River Senior Center - Tell your life story in prose, poetry or creative non- fiction. Meet with other writers for lively discussions, fun, and supportive feedback on your writing, 2-5p; Free, Russian River Senior Resource Center, 15010 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville, 707-869-0618, Scott Reid
Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, ~ Snoopys Writers Weekly Writers GroupMeet with serious, good nature’d writers weekly, (Call for Holloween schedule) Read/ discuss your “Work in Progress” and receive feedback from writers willing to give honest, no nonsense, unfiltered comments...ggdeb@sonic.net or Dawn at undertheredfedora@gmail.com 11- 2p, Snoopy’s Home Ice, Warm Puppy Cafe, 1667 West Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, snoopyswriters.com/, ggdeb@sonic.net
Oct 4 - Oct 7 ~ Friends’ Book Sale - Fiction and non-fiction books, mystery and sci- fi novels, children’s books, book sets, DVDs, VHS videos, music CDs and books on tape - they’ll all be available! Rohnert Park Cotati Regional Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park, 707-584-9121, sonomacounty. libcal.com/event/3555984
Journey of an Israeli in Palestine - Presenter Miko Peled is an Israeli born writer an activist. His 13 year old niece was killed by Palestinians in a suicide attack in Jerusalem. This brought about a major shift that Miko describes in his 2012 memoir, “The General’s Son, Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.” $20 and a dish to share if attending the potluck from 6-9p, EarthRise Transformative Learning Center at Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, 510-932- 9405, noetic.org/earthrise/event/going- against-current, vidprohd@aol.com
When reading the text it is as if one is sitting with Ms. Granahan with a cup or coffee or a glass of wine and conversationally having a tete a tete with her. She becomes your intimate friend and confidante. Her cast of characters are presented in living color. One of my favorite incidences concerned a tenant who lived on the author’s property. He was a discreet marijuana grower. His crop was planted in barrels that were suspended on wires and hoisted up to be hidden in the foliage of the redwood trees. Such ingenuity! We are also informed about a crazy dentist whose past exploits included implanting steel plates into the jaws of fighting dogs and a mysterious woman who wrote bizarre conspiracy type notes about the military emitting brain eating waves onto the general populace. I was appalled to learn that perhaps it was the United States navy that sank several fishing ships. Submarines get tangled in nets and when the sub dives they pull down net and boat to Davey Jones’ locker and leave nary a trace. Of course, there is extensive mention of the fishing industry and local institutions as the Tides, the Casino and the Bohemian Grove. Most sketches take place in local hamlets like Camp Meeker, Sebastopol, Occidental and Bodega each providing a background for its own hilarious or tragic anecdote.
Oct 5 ~ Going Against the Current:
Oct 22 ~ Arts Book Launch - Nevertheless They Persisted: Stories from the Left Coast 4 yrs. ago we created a writers’ sanctuary. Out came notebooks of writing and poetry to be employed in further meditation, creative exploration and discovery. We faced down our internal and external critics. We urge you to do the same. Start your group! Selected readings, book sales and signing. Donations gratefully accepted, 4-6p, Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental, 707-874- 9392, occidentalcenterforthearts.org/
Oct 22 ~ Petaluma: Readings from The Write Spot Anthology: DiscoveriesWriters from Marlene Cullen’s and Susan Bono’s Jumpstart Writing Workshops. A unique interactive book revealing techniques to ignite imaginative writing. Features writing and prompts whether you want to write fiction, memoir, non-fiction, or poetry, or if you are experiencing writers block. TheWriteSpot.us; 2 pm, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma.
FREE Drop-in Homework Help Grades K-12
Every Tues ~ Writing Your Life - Russian
Oct 9 ~ Dine with Local Authors –Five authors read from their new books with Q & A from the audience. Free with $5. Min. food purchase; 6-8p; Gaia’s Garden 1899 Mendocino Ave. SR 707-544-2491
Oct 13 - Oct 15 ~ Wine Country Spoken Word Festival- will celebrate both local storytellers and bring national and international spoken word artist to our town to celebrate storytelling. Gothewebsiteforlocations,timesand schedules. Hotel Petaluma, 205 Kentucky St., Petaluma, davepokornypresents. com/wine-country-spoken-word
that coastal Sonoma County has a certain cachet.
The denizens of west county are a motley crew.
There is a merry melange of red-necks, hippies,
intellectuals, fishermen and farmers. That they
coalesce and come together to console and give
comfort to one another in emergency situations
seems contradictory but also commendable and
amazing. No one is better equipped to explore
these complexities than Andrea Granahan who
has lived and loved in these northern environs
for forty years. An award winning investigative
reporter and travel journalist, her breezy style of
writing is a delight. Her book, Backstories from
the West Edge, consists of sixty-eight vignettes
that she has compiled over time. The mini-stories
are further sectioned into seven chapters. The
amusing remembrances are separated from the sad more profound or poignant ones. A special category is set aside for the memories that are down right weird.
Oct 21 ~ Word Temple Poetry Series
Featuring Sharon Doubiago, Rosa Lane and Phyllis Meshulam. 7p Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 South High Street, Sebastopol, wordtemple.com/blog/
The book is a delight. It is constructed in segments so you can pick it up and put it down without losing continuity. I have a hunch, though, that once started you will not be able to put it down.
Bookmobile 707-520-4536, freebookmobile.org Oct 8 ~ Glen Ellen Village Fair 12- 5p
Oct 14 ~ LumaFest, SRJC Petaluma Campus 11-4p Oct 17 ~ Geyserville 5 -6:30p
Oct 21 ~ Larkfield / SR Farmers Market, Luther Burbank 10-1p Oct 21 ~ Cotati/Oliver’s Market 2-3:30p
Oct 21 ~ SR Marketplace,Kawana Springs Rd 4-5:30p
Oct 22 ~ Tolay Fall Festival, 11- 4p
Oct 28 ~ Freestone 9-10a
Oct 28 ~ Valley Ford 10:30-11:30a
Oct 28~ Bodega Bay Veterinary Hospital 12 - 1p Oct 28 ~ Jenner 1:30 - 3p
Oct 28 ~ Monte Rio Beach 3:30 - 5p
Oct 29 ~ Geyserville Fundraiser Breakfast 8a - 12p
Readers Books
Readers’ Books, 130 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-939-1779, readersbooks.com, info@readersbooks.com
Oct 11 ~ Lynn Freed reads from her new book of essays
The Romance of Elsewhere; 7p
Oct 12 ~ Reed Martin presents Pop-Up Shakespeare; 7p Oct 14 ~ Random Acts; 5p
Oct 18 ~ At Congregation Shir Shalom, Andrea Pitzer
discusses her book One Long Night: A Global
History of Concentration Camps; 7:15p
Oct 19 ~ Robert Adams and Brian Narelle present
their book All Systems Go! A Guide to the Healthiest
You; 7p
Oct 26 ~ Deepa Thomas discusses her cookbook
Deepa’s Secret: Slow Carb New Indian Cuisine; 6:30 Reception / 7p Reading
64 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/17
LITERARY cont’d on page 65