The Writing Life
The James Beard Awards
Above, the author (center), her sister and her husband celebrate in style at the James Beard Awards ceremony. Below, Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson of Tartine Bakery share the award with the sweetest of their creations. (Tartine photo from Gothamist.com) It was hard to escape “Sex and the City” even at the black-tie 2008 James…
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 MoreMargaret Mitchell: The Inspiring True Tale of a “Girl Reporter” Turned Bestselling Author
Above, Margaret Mitchell at the typewriter she used to write the masterpiece that became one of the most beloved novels — and movies — of the 20th century. Photo of Mitchell from Wikipedia.org; poster image from Jamd.com One of the most uplifting stories I’ve come across recently is that of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone…
Read MoreAllegro Romano
Although on this visit there were no San Francisco mayors at Allegro Romano, there were plenty of people to meet and greet. Photo from Allegro Romano Allegro Romano, a small Italian restaurant on San Francisco’s Russian Hill, is the setting for a key scene in The House of Mondavi. The restaurant was where Timothy Mondavi…
Read MoreThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
President John F. Kennedy plays with children John. Jr., and Caroline in the Oval Office in October 1962, above, while below, his motorcade approaches Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Top photo from historyplace.com; bottom photo Walt Sisco, photographer/Courtesy The Dallas Morning News I can’t remember the last time I choked up with…
Read MoreBook Tour Blues, as sung by Tony Horwitz
Tony Horwitz: His blog details the “voyage long and strange” that is a book tour.Photo from voyagelongandstrange.com I hit a low point on my first tour for The House of Mondavi on one of those days that come so seldom to Chicago. It was last June and the weather felt balmy, with the last burst…
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 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…
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