Books and Life Stages

by Margaret Dilloway          

Books are miraculous creatures. Returning to them at different stages in your life yields different results. I think the best books provide multiple layers to many people, at various points of being.

            For example, my book club recently re-read The Great Gatsby. Many of the women hadn't read it since high school. “All I remembered,” said one reader, “was the big, awesome party.” Some who had thought Gatsby a romantic figure now wanted to slap him. More details were noted and discussed. We all agreed that our high school reading was much different than our adult reading.

            Reading Little Women as an adult versus a child was different, too. As a child, I remember how I couldn’t believe Jo refused Laurie. They were best friends, and he was rich and handsome. What more could she want? How ungrateful, I thought. Plus, Christian Bale played him in the movie! Who in her right mind could turn down a mooning, gentle Christian Bale? As an adult (but seriously, not until I was at least thirty, I think), I better saw how they were unsuited for each other, how young they were, and how Jo actually made the more difficult, mature decision to break it off, recognizing that ultimately they'd both be unhappy, and that she needed to pursue her dreams. What wisdom! Which proves my mother-in-law’s creed that a person should not get married until age thirty—or, perhaps, not until you understand Jo’s decision.

            Even “light” kids’ books can be extremely affecting. We are listening to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume, in the car. If you don’t remember, it’s about Peter Hatcher, whose two-year-old brother, Fudge, is a holy terror. I remember reading it when I was in third grade or so and thinking how crazy and bratty Fudge was. Everything horrified me. I cried when Fudge ate Peter’s turtle. Yes, his parents bought him a dog, but still. That turtle was gone, washed away by Milk of Magnesia and prune juice (Blume does not shy away from gory details).

            As a parent, I recognize that Fudge’s antics are mostly just regular toddler stuff. Some of them were just what my son had done, like the mega tantrum Fudge throws in the shoe store. My son nearly kicked the poor shoe saleswoman in the face when she was trying to measure his feet. Like Fudge, he was crazy and completely unreasonable at age two. My kids and I were laughing our heads off.

            When Peter’s mom goes away for the weekend and leaves them at home with their dad, Dad decides to make a mushroom omelet. It’s a huge omelet and Peter asks how many eggs Dad used. “Twelve,” Peter’s Dad replies. What’s funny is that my husband did almost the same thing for me when we first got together, except he used thirteen eggs and no mushrooms. My kids know the story of my husband’s cooking and laughed along with it. I remember reading that passage as a kid and thinking nothing of it. Maybe I remembered it on some level and it endeared my husband to me. 

            This time, I still cried a little when Fudge ate the turtle.

            It’s easy to see, just from a cursory glance at reviews, how dissimilar readers are. Your life experience affects how you read a novel. I hope that people will return to one of my books later, too, and get something new out of them. It’s something to aspire to.

The Walking Home Challenge

by Susan McBeth
Friday, October 19, 2012

Walking Home.  It's a simple phrase that
generally conjures up a physical destination and, as such, it is likely we do not put much thought into any other context. Whether we are walking home from school, walking home from the park, walking home from work, walking home from a friend's house, or walking home after a neighborly visit, we all understand the meaning conveyed by those two words.  Yet, recently, I felt compelled to ponder the significance beyond returning to the dwelling in which I sleep, eat, and live.

First, let me explain why this recently provoked my intrigue and, for those who know me, you won’t be surprised to know there was a book involved.  Lynn Schooler, an award-winning author and photographer, penned his most recent book, Walking Home, after a difficult period in which he lost a close friend and felt his marriage nearing an end. To clear his head and put his life in perspective, he decided to undertake a lengthy “walk” through the Alaskan wilderness, during which time he struggled with multiple physical as well as emotional challenges
 

Throughout his beautifully written memoir, Lynn shares not only his expertise in Alaskan culture, history, wildlife, and geography, which is extensive given his forty years as an internationally-renowned wilderness tour guide, but he also shares his innermost thoughts and fears of where his life is heading at this crucial crossroads.  And the keen powers of observation he possesses allows him to eventually reconcile his place in the intricate web of life so that he really can begin Walking Home.

As I finished his book and started processing my vision of what Walking Home really represented to me, I was interested in (okay maybe slightly obsessed with) trying to capture that image in a photograph.  Of course it was important to me that the book Walking Home be included in the photo since it was, after all,  the impetus for this challenge.  I recently spent a week in the Alaskan wilderness outside of Juneau with Lynn Schooler, where every day, I looked for an opportunity to capture Lynn’s spirit and my vision of “Walking Home” in the perfect photograph.

I didn’t know what such a photo would look like, only that I would know it when I saw it.  About four days into the trip, we were hiking through a stunning rain forest in which we had to cross a bridge over a creek. We stopped to marvel at some chum salmon spawning at the end of their miraculous journey in the creek bed below.  I confess I was initially traumatized by the sight of their struggling, deformed, end-of-life bodies, until we were distracted by nearby bear tracks in the mud, and it quickly became evident why these salmon were hell-bent on their aquatic version of Walking Home.

Once I understood that these perseverant creatures were merely playing their own small role in the intricate web of life that Lynn set out to understand as he was Walking Home, I felt free to leave them in peace to complete their journey.  It was at that precise moment that I looked over the bridge ahead and saw it, a serpentine path leading into the forest beyond.  In a few minutes, we would head down that path and could speculate, but never know for certain, what was to follow until we ourselves started Walking Home. 

I stopped there to capture the photo that matched the image in my head.  This is what Walking Home means to me, but I am intrigued to know what it means to you, so I challenge you, dear reader to really put some thought into this and let me know what Walking Home means to you. Bonus points if you go out and read a copy of Walking Home by Lynn Schooler, create your own image in your head, and then include the book in a photographic representation and email it to me at susan@adventuresbythebook.com. 

Your Book Promotes You!

By: Zoe Ghahremani

People ask me, “How did you promote your book?” Which is often a polite way to say, “How did the first English novel of an unknown writer with an unpronounceable name make it this far?” They are not alone as I continue to ask myself the same question. I’ve thought about this for some time and think I may have found the answer.

What most writers underestimate is the readers’ power. We think we know what they need to read. But readers are on to us as they see right through what is written for “the market.” Such writing may see a fleeting success, but it will not last long on the shelf. You can try to sell what you think will sell, but in this day of bad economy and little time, people are more selective about what they read. Also, weary of false advertisements and book pushers, most people seek advise from friends or their friendly bookstore. And thanks to the Internet, satisfied readers can broadcast their finds to the entire world.

Writers are readers first. We read more than anyone in any other profession. I try to read a book a week – though I don’t always succeed – and know of colleagues who read even more. So I write what I can imagine spending money and time on. It’s important to sit back, wipe all other ideas from your mind and read your manuscript as a book you imagine you just bought. Does the content hook you? Do you have a hard time putting it down? Does it present a fresh voice? The questions are many and you’ll need to answer them with honesty. Don’t forget, you’re now a reader and not the writer in need of positive feedback!

San Diego is a literary rich city. Most people may not know it, but there are hundreds of writers, poets, and capable editors right here. We also enjoy multiple literary organizations and benefit from each other’s support. I have been a fortunate member of a few and served on the board of two major ones. In addition, having attended over 120 local book clubs this year alone, I am overwhelmed by the number of readers and the high level of public interest in books. But the amazing fact is that I did not find my readers, they found me!

Here I was, a writer living in my little computer cave, typing away. It was the reader who found my book and brought it to the table when a committee gathered to nominate a book for the city to read. And in the end, it was the readers who voted for it. In fact, I later learned that not just one, but that two other committee members had also presented my book on that fateful day! I still have no idea who the committee members are. Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of them after the selection of my book, but know nothing about the other members and/or the details of the selection process.

The year has been a fantastic journey to Cloud Nine, but as my tennis coach used to say, “You’re only as good as your next shot!” While I prepare for the imminent publication of my next novel – The Moon Daughter – I ask myself three major questions. “Is this book as strong as my last one, or am I letting down my readers?” Then I wonder, “Would I enjoy reading this book if I wasn’t the writer?” and, “Would I pay $15.00 to purchase it?” Readers have set the bar so high that I must answer these important questions with utmost honesty.

Last year, as I prepared to send the manuscript to print, I realized my answer to the first question was not entirely positive. I recalled the many times that an author’s second book had not met my expectation. I didn’t want to be such an author. So I took the manuscript out of its box and worked at it another entire year. Now with three strong ‘yes’s, I proceed with its publication and hope to have it out soon. How soon? Only after I see that the galley looks perfect and that it is absolutely worthy of the readers who deserve nothing but the best. Will San Diegans enjoy The Moon Daughter? I don’t have the answer. My novel does.

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 20^th 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 TIFFANY. This 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

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