Tuesday, September 11, 2012

San Diego Writing Women 
Book Fair Party

WHEN: Saturday, October 13 from 5 to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Seaside Home,1055 Wall Street (the former Saks Fifth Avenue store) in La Jolla, CA
TO RSVP: Please contact Caitlin Rother, at crother@flash.net, by October 6

Please join us for a night of readings from our members’ newest and locally honored books as well as a stimulating interactive discussion about why and how we write. Guests will have a chance to chat with individual authors while enjoying complimentary fine wine, hors d'oeuvres and live music at this beautiful venue, a home furnishings and interior design store in La Jolla.

The readings will include this year’s Geisel Award winner FINDING EMILIE by Laurel Corona, the controversial LOST GIRLS by Caitlin Rother, the critically acclaimed THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS by Margaret Dilloway, and SKY OF RED POPPIES, this year’s One Book, One San Diego winner, by Zohreh Ghahremani. (See Books page on this blog for more details.) Authors Kathi Diamant, Georgeanne Irvine, Marjorie Hart and Divina Infusino also will be doing readings.

“Last year, we launched the group to celebrate the written word, and announce our goal to share our combined knowledge and experience with readers, writers and aspiring writers everywhere,” said Rother, the group's founder and spokeswoman. “With this event, we want to continue that literary conversation as we introduce our new books and new members to our growing writing community.”

Featured Authors and program schedule:

Doors open at 5 p.m.: Meet the authors, have some wine and hors d'oeuvres, listen to some music and check out the authors' books, which will be available for purchase and which they will sign for you.

5:30 to 6:05 p.m.: Opening remarks by Caitlin Rother and the first set of readings:

Laurel Corona is a historical novelist and professor of Humanities at San Diego City College. In addition to 17 Young Adult nonfiction titles and the Christopher Medal non-fiction winner UNTIL OUR LAST BREATH, Laurel has written four novels, including two Theodor S. Geisel Award winners (Best Book of the Year by the San Diego Book Awards, SDBAA), THE FOUR SEASONS and FINDING EMILIE. Her latest novel, currently being marketed, focuses on Spanish Jews before the 1492 expulsion by Ferdinand and Isabella. She is a board member of San Diego Writers Ink and of the Friends of the New Central Library. www.laurelcorona.com

Margaret Dilloway is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS, and HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE, both published by Putnam Books. Entertainment Weekly called ROSES “an exquisite little novel,” and Library Journal said it’s “a captivating study of how love and understanding nurture our lives.” HOUSEWIFE got four out of four stars from People magazine, and was a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction Award. A graduate of Patrick Henry High and Scripps College, Margaret lives in San Diego with her husband, a former Army Ranger, and their three children. http://margaretdilloway.com

Kathi Diamant is an author, actor and broadcaster, who has devoted decades to uncovering a literary mystery. Since 1990, Kathi has followed in the footsteps of literary giant Franz Kafka and his last love, Dora Diamant (no known relation) to discover a world-class love story, set against the most dramatic points in the 20th century. Her literary detective work resulted in an acclaimed biography, KAFKA'S LAST LOVE: THE MYSTERY OF DORA DIAMANT, which won the SDBAA’s Geisel Award for Best Book of the Year. Her book has been translated into French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese and, in 2013, into German.      

San Diego native Georgeanne Irvine has devoted more than three decades of her career to raising awareness about animals and wildlife conservation.  By day, she is associate director of development communications for the San Diego Zoo, where she has worked for 34 years. George is also the author of more than 20 children’s books plus numerous magazine, newspaper, and Web articles. George’s most recent work is the coffee table book, THE KATRINA DOLPHINS: ONE-WAY TICKET TO PARADISE, which is a true story about eight dolphins from an oceanarium who were washed out to sea during Hurricane Katrina and dramatically rescued.


New York Times bestselling author Marjorie Hart is the author of SUMMER AT TIFFANY, a memoir about arriving in New York City in 1945 with her college roommate and miraculously finding a job at Tiffany & Co.  An audio version of her book has been released, and this summer, through an arrangement with Harper Collins, it was translated and published by Newton Compton in Italy, under a new title, I LOVE TIFFANYThis July it became an international bestseller. In her past lives, Marjorie was a professional cellist and the chairwoman of the Fine Arts Department at USD. http://marjoriehart.com


6:05 to 6:30 p.m.: Music, munchies and musings. Chat with the authors, check out their books. 


6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Kathi Diamant will lead an interactive group discussion about how and why we write, featuring Laurel Corona, Caitlin Rother, Margaret Dilloway, Zohreh Ghahremani, and Georgeanne Irvine


7:30 to 8 p.m.: Please stay for more music, munchies and musings and the second round of readings. In the meantime, chat with some more authors, check out some other books.
  

8 to 8:20 p.m.: Second set of readings:

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored eight books, including the controversial LOST GIRLS, the story behind the rape and murder of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois by sexual predator John Gardner. Caitlin, a Pulitzer-nominated investigative journalist, is also the author of POISONED LOVE, a SDBAA finalist. She teaches writing at UCSD Extension, and also works as a consulting TV producer and crime expert, research and editorial consultant, and public speaker. Caitlin’s pieces also have been published in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe as well as The Daily Beast and The Huffington Post. http://caitlinrother.com

Zohreh “Zoe” Ghahremani is a freelance writer and a columnist for Zan magazine. Following decades of juggling a career in dentistry and writing on the side, she decided to follow her dream and become a full-time writer. More than a hundred of her articles have appeared in national magazines. She has written four books, including SKY OF RED POPPIES, a finalist in the SDBAA and the One Book, One San Diego winner for 2012. Zohreh has served on the board of San Diego Writers Ink and the SDBAA, and is a member of the Iranian-American Writer’s Association. www.zoeghahremani.com

Divina Infusino is the author of DAY TRIPS FROM ORANGE COUNTY: GETAWAY IDEAS FOR THE LOCAL TRAVELER, the writer of ROCK GODS, a rock ‘n’ roll photography collection, and a co-author of THE LOVE RESPONSE, a mind-body wellness book.  She is currently writing a new book, MYTHOLOGICAL HEROINES. An award-winning journalist, she worked as an entertainment staff writer and critic for The San Diego Union, as a staff rock critic for The Milwaukee Journal, a cultural commentator on KPBS, and a contributor to Rolling Stone, The Economist, TV Guide, Salon.com, The Huffington Post, Haute Living and other publications.


8:20 to 9 p.m.: Final chance to chat with the authors and check out their books. Music will last until 9 o'clock.  


ALSO FEATURING live music by Studio 2656, a group of veteran San Diego studio musicians:
Geza Keller of Fakebook (www.facebook.com/pages/FakeBook/199856955653), Joe Rosignolo and Jack Nathan, who will play a selection of songs from yesterday and beyond.


Authors will have books available to sell and sign. Cash and checks only please. We have no way to process credit card transactions for books. There are numerous affordable parking lots nearby in the village if you can’t find street parking.

Please contact group spokeswoman Caitlin Rother at crother@flash.net with questions or media inquiries or to book any combination of SDWW authors for an event with your group.

Many thanks to Seaside Home, which will be open during this special event, for generously hosting us. Check out the offerings here: http://www.seasidehomelajolla.com/index.html

Saturday, September 8, 2012

On the Road with Annie Nakamura





Part V of a series

In four previous blogs (October 2011, January 2012, April 2012, June 2012), I told the tale of Annie Nakamura’s request to be taken on one final road trip and to be buried in one of two locations--either on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Forest in Washington or at Anza Borrego Desert. Those blogs took the reader on a long journey as first four (Ann Kawasaki, Don Kelly, Janet Masuko-Kagimoto, Judith Liu) and then, three intrepid travelers (Ann, Don, and Judith) took Annie on her final trip.

This blog will contain pictures of that journey.


My cat, Inkusan, plays host to Annie while she was in our guest room.


One of Annie's favorite spots was Mono Lake.












Janet, Don, and Judith freezing atop Crater Lake on a "typical" "As you go Nakamura Tour" to Crater Lake--cold, rainy, overcast, and NO view of Crater Lake.





















Cindy Andy, Chehalis Tribe, sweet grass basket with whale design holds Annie's ashes that was buried at Hurricane Ridge, Port Angeles, Washington.













Since that October 2011, whenever either Ann Kawasaki (aka Kawa) or I travel, Annie is along. In November 2011, Annie traveled to Ireland with Don and me; in July 2012, I took Annie to Beijing and several places in Yunnan province; August we went to Denver. While it may seem strange to bring ashes along wherever I go, Annie would have loved the idea.

Judith Liu

September 8, 2012