Bay Area Book Scene
Book Reviews … and a Literary Reality Show?
Mrs. Magoo readies for her closeup; next stop, stardom as a cyber-TV celebrity book critic? (Photo courtesy Mrs. Magoo) In the fall of 2007, the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) ran a lengthy essay by Steve Wasserman, a former editor of The Los Angeles Times Book Review, titled “Goodbye to All That.” It offers a fascinating…
Read MoreThe Wednesday Sisters and the Writing Life
Meg Waite Clayton and her creation. For anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming an author, Meg Waite Clayton’s website is a delightful and inspiring place to visit. Meg is the author of the bestselling novel, The Wednesday Sisters, a book about a group of women friends. They meet at a park in Palo Alto,…
Read MoreLiterary Salons and Book Groups
Book lover Liz Epstein guides groups through the classics; below, at Book Group Expo, panelists Sara Davidson, Po Bronson and Elizabeth Gilbert interact with moderator Sam Barry — and the book group community. Top photo from bookpassage.com; bottom photo from fora.tv If there is a modern American equivalent to the French salons of the 17th…
Read More“Sex and the City?” Please don’t forget me!
Who knew such a dainty garden setting would occasion talk of “the two Ls”? I’ve met a lot of wonderful people while touring to promote the paperback release of The House of Mondavi, but surely one of the most memorable was Helen Dufficy. Helen, a lively 91-year-old who lives in a retirement community called The…
Read MoreChristina Meldrum and Madapple
Christina Meldrum I read the galleys of my friend Christina Meldrum’s stunning debut novel, Madapple, over a single, rainy afternoon a few months ago. I refused to get up off the couch, despite the requests of my husband and sons, until I’d finished the last page. What a book! I truly couldn’t put it down.…
Read More“Friend-raising” for our public libraries?
Above, an invitation to Burlingame’s library fundraiser … Image from wincountrygetaways.com … While in Salinas in 2004, readers protest “death of the libraries.” Photo from indymedia.org On Saturday, May 3, the Burlingame Public Library Foundation hosted a lunch that was as much about building community as it was about raising funds. As one of the…
Read MoreCommunities — virtual and otherwise
The future of community?Photo from smh.com.au (Sydney Morning Herald) Writing, by its nature, is a solitary undertaking. Reading, too, is done mostly on one’s own. So why not bring writers together with readers in a virtual community? Redroom.com is the one of several social networks devoted to the love of literature. Yet, it is pulling…
Read MoreGrotto Dwelling
Lunch in The GrottoPhoto from sfgrotto.org This month, I’ve been spending time at The Grotto, the famed San Francisco writers’ community which is home to such West Coast literary luminaries as Po Bronson, David Ewing Duncan, ZZ Packer, Jason Roberts, Julia Scheeres, Ethan Watters, and many others. One of my favorite parts of making the…
Read MoreVinography – 2008 Best Wine Blog Award
Suggested wine pairing? Ask the go-to guy.Photo by justinsomnia.org Alder Yarrow and I had lunch together today at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher at San Francisco’s Ferry Building. After noting the $100-plus bottles of Shafer Hillside Select, Quintessa, and Blackbird Vineyards wines on offer at a take-out place that serves $8.99 burgers and $3.99 hotdogs wrapped in…
Read MoreFomenting the Revolution – Anne Lamott
Photo by Mark Richards Last night, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, I heard Anne Lamott speak at Book Passage, one of my favorite bookstores. Anne (often referred to as Annie) was at the tail end of a three-week tour for the paperback release of her book, Grace (Eventually): Thoughts…
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