Literary Salon: Christi Phillips

Monday, June 1, 2009 || 7pm ||
Christi Phillips, Author of The Devlin Diary and The Rossetti Letter

Book Passage – Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Dr., Corte Madera

The Devlin Diary
The Devlin Diary

Christi Phillips will discuss the research and creation of her popular novels. She is the author of The Rossetti Letter, which has been translated into six foreign languages. Her research combines a few of her favorite things: old books, libraries, and travel. When she’s not rummaging around in an archive or exploring the historic heart of a European city, she lives with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is at work on her next novel, set in France.

Christi’s new book, The Devlin Diary is a dazzling novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge. A suspenseful and richly satisfying tale brimming with sharply observed historical detail, The Devlin Diary brings past and present to vivid life. With wit and grace, Christi Phillips holds readers spellbound with an extraordinary novel of secrets, obsession, and the haunting power of the past.

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Literary Salon: April Eberhardt

Monday, April 6, 2009 || 7pm ||
April Eberhardt, Agent at Reece Halsey North

Book Passage – Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Dr., Corte Madera

April Eberhardt
April Eberhardt

April Eberhardt joined Reece Halsey North as a Literary Agent in 2008 after five years of editorial work with Zoetrope: All-Story, a literary magazine, and another agency. Her specialty is adult literary fiction, particularly ironic family dramas and realistic midlife tales, often with a twist, preferably involving strong female characters. She is attracted to collections of interlinked stories with a common character or theme. An original voice and smart, speedy delivery are critical, as is a subtle sense of the absurd. She enjoys working with new authors to edit and streamline their manuscripts before submitting them to publishers. April does consider selected non-fiction works. She does not represent mysteries or murders, thrillers, historical fiction or fantasy, nor does she represent children’s titles.

April earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Boston University, a BA in Anthropology and French from Hamilton College, and a CPLF degree from the University of Paris. Her prior careers in banking and management consulting honed her strategic, marketing and presentation skills and serve her well in her literary endeavors.
In this time of great international misunderstanding, many things are “lost in translation.” Join us for an exciting and truly enlightening evening that will add a little clarity and introduce new voices with important things to share.

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Book Launch: Best Women's Travel Writing

The Best Women's Travel Writing
The Best Women's Travel Writing

LEFT COAST WRITERS BOOK LAUNCH: The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2009 (Travelers’ Tales)

Saturday, March 14 || 7pm
Book Passage-Corte Madera || 51 Tamal Vista Dr.
Corte Madera || www.bookpassage.com

Here’s the exciting line-up for The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2009 party on Saturday evening: Laurie McAndish King—tracking lions on foot in Botswana, Natalie Galli—enjoying the delicious spectacle of Easter in Sicily, Ginny Horton—finding her inner Coco at the Paris Ritz, Marybeth Bond—learning more than Spanish in Mexico, Nicole Zimmerman—adventuring to the extreme in New Zealand, Kathryn Kefauver—guarded by monks in Laos, Pamela Alma Bass—developing perspective on “Angels” in Mexico. Publisher Larry Habegger will be on hand to answer questions about the anthology and upcoming Travelers’ Tales titles.

ABOUT THE BEST WOMEN’S TRAVEL WRITING 2009:

Reading the stories in these books is like getting to eavesdrop on other women’s conversations and stowing away on their adventures. From the rhapsodic to the humorous to the harrowing, these tales will take you on a wild and wonderful ride around the globe.

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Literary Salon: David Poindexter

Monday, March 2, 2009 || 7pm ||
David Poindexter, MacAdam/Cage, Founder and Publisher

Book Passage – Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Dr., Corte Madera

Join us in an evening with David Poindexter, MacAdam/Cage founder and publisher.

poindexter_24

After twenty years in the commercial printing industry, David Poindexter, inspired by his lifelong love of reading, decided to start an independent trade publishing house. In 1998, he founded MacAdam/Cage in order to bring new voices to the literary marketplace.

A year later, Poindexter acquired MacMurray & Beck, a Denver-based independent press, well known in the industry for launching authors such as Patricia Henley (Hummingbird House), William Gay (The Long Home), and Susan Vreeland (Girl in Hyacinth Blue).

Now, with twelve employees and offices in San Francisco and Denver, MacAdam/Cage remains committed to publishing quality books with the personal attention offered at a small company, and the marketing and distribution strengths often associated with larger houses. MacAdam/Cage currently publishes between 25 and 35 new titles each year, primarily hardcover fiction. They have found both commercial and literary success with a number of works including The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, How To Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward, A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart, Pinkerton’s Sister by Peter Rushforth, The Contortionist’s Handbook by Craig Clevenger, and Rose of No Man’s Land by Michelle Tea.

MacAdam/Cage has been recognized both for the quality of its list and for its somewhat old-fashioned approach to publishing.  Poets & Writers noted “they recreate the culture that thrived in publishing houses during the early part of the last century,” and former Harcourt Brace publisher, André Bernard, called the house a “genuine publishing success story.”

But perhaps more than anything, MacAdam/Cage is known for its dedicated publisher, David Poindexter, who is in turn known in the book world for “going to great lengths to find and serve authors,” as noted in a 2002 Publishers Weekly profile.

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Book Launch: Roccie Hill

LEFT COAST WRITERS BOOK LAUNCH: Roccie Hill, Author of Three Minutes on Love.

Roccie Hill
Roccie Hill

Saturday, January 10 || 7pm
Book Passage-Corte Madera || 51 Tamal Vista Dr.
Corte Madera || www.bookpassage.com

Roccie Hill talks about Three Minutes on Love. Rosie leaves her desert town to chase her dreams in 1960s S.F. She has a chance encounter with an illegal immigrant who publishes a music magazine. He gives Rosie her first job, photographing a legendary blues guitarist, catapulting Rosie into a hot career on the scene.

ABOUT ROCCIE HILL:

Roccie Hill is an American writer living currently in California. Roccie studied Philosophy at UCLA, and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, where her short stories appeared in the literary quarterly. She worked as a journalist and teacher of Creative Writing while living in Paris, France. She produced a variety of short films and celebrity/royal events during her years working in the UK and Paris. Roccie has one daughter, a pilot and Captain in the United States Air Force.

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Reading Series: From the Surreal to the Fantastic

Monday, January 12, 2009 || 5:30pm ||
Reading: From the Surreal to the Fantastic

Book Passage – Ferry Plaza
Ferry Plaza, San Francisco

On the second Monday of every month Left Coast Writers read from their favorite work. Colette Obrien hosts.

This month: From the Surreal to the Fantastic

Readers so far: Ethel Mays

Please contact us (leftcoastwriters@aol.com) to sign up to read.

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Literary Salon: Camille Cusumano

Monday, January 5, 2009 || 7pm ||
Camille Cusumano, Author of Tango, an Argentine Love Story

Book Passage – Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Dr., Corte Madera

Please join us in a scintillating start for the New Year at the first Left Coast Writers Literary Salon of 2009! Camille Cusumano will light up the evening with a talk about her love of literature and her passion for tango. Camille has even promised a short tango demonstration. You may bring guests to this event. After all, they say it takes two …

Camille Cusumano has written on food, fitness, and travel for more than 20 years, and recently on dance and yoga. She was an editor at VIA Magazine for 17 years.

Her work has appeared in many publications, including Islands, Country Living, the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, Yoga Journal, and the Washington Post.

Her cookbook credits include The New Foods (Henry Holt), America Loves Salads (Literary Guild), Rodale’s Basic Natural Foods Cookbook (co-written with Carol Munson, Editor Charles Gerras), and Tofu, Tempeh, and Other Soy Delights (Rodale).

Her novel, The Last Cannoli (Legas, 2000) was inspired by her growing up in a large Sicilian American family. The book, wrote former San Francisco Poet Laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti, “attests to the power of storytelling to hold life together through all its diasporas.” She has contributed essays to travel anthologies and is the editor of the anthology series: France, a Love Story, Italy, a Love Story, Mexico, a Love Story, and Greece, a Love Story, all published by Seal Press, Emeryville, Calif.

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Reading Series: Battle of the Sexes

Monday, February 9, 2009 || 5:30pm ||
Reading: Battle of the Sexes

Book Passage – Ferry Plaza
Ferry Plaza, San Francisco

On the second Monday of every month Left Coast Writers read from their favorite work. Colette Obrien hosts.

This month: Battle of the Sexes

Readers so far:

Please contact us (leftcoastwriters@aol.com) to sign up to read.

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Reading Series: Poetic License

Monday, March 9, 2009 || 5:30pm ||
Reading: Poetic License

Book Passage – Ferry Plaza
Ferry Plaza, San Francisco

On the second Monday of every month Left Coast Writers read from their favorite work. Colette Obrien hosts.

This month: Poetic License

Readers so far: Rebecca Foust, Elaine Bond

Please contact us (leftcoastwriters@aol.com) to sign up to read.

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Reading Series: Intoxicating Ideas

Monday, April 13, 2009 || 5:30pm ||
Reading: Intoxicating Ideas

Book Passage – Ferry Plaza
Ferry Plaza, San Francisco

On the second Monday of every month Left Coast Writers read from their favorite work. Colette Obrien hosts.

This month: Intoxicating Ideas

Readers so far:

Please contact us (leftcoastwriters@aol.com) to sign up to read.

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