Monday, August 7, 2006
Left Coast Writers Literary Salon, 7pm
Brad Newsham
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera, CA
Literary Salon: Melba Patillo-Beals
Monday, July 3, 2006
Left Coast Writers Literary Salon, 7pm
Melba Patillo-Beals
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera, CA
Book Launch: Tom DeMott
LEFT COAST WRITERS(tm) BOOK LAUNCH PARTY SHOWCASING: TOM DeMOTT and
his new book, “Into the Hearts of the Amazons: In Search of a
Modern Matriarchy” (University of WI Press, May 2006)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21 || MONTICELLO INN – SF || 5:30 – 6:45PM
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“Into the Hearts of the Amazon” is the story of a writer who
comes of age during the women’s revolution. Outwardly, he
sympathizes when the women he cares for blame corporate greed,
hunger and war on an oppressive patriarchy. But inside, he is
stung, and wonders: Would life be any better in a matriarchy? In
search of an answer to this question, TOM DEMOTT travels to a
remote corner of southern Mexico where, according to some, a
modern-day matriarchy still thrives.
“Into the Hearts of the Amazons” is part rousing travel adventure
through a little-known world and part popular ethnography,
exploring how Zapotec women earned their legendary status. To
satisfy his curiosity about this culture, Tom DeMott journeyed to
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where he discovered a thriving
modern-day matriarchy among the people of the Isthmus-a cultural
crossroads, breeding ground for rebels, and home to a
half-million Zapotecs. DeMott integrated himself into the culture
by joining in the rites of spring (where women pelt the men with
fruit); by interviewing the women who control the marketplace
where men are rarely seen; and by honoring the saints with drink
and dance at all-night ceremonies.
Tony Cohan, author of “On Mexican Time and Mexican Days” has
called the book, “an exceptional narrative that deconstructs the
cliches of a Mexican region and a people shrouded in romance and
myth. Acutely observed, richly experienced, “Into the Hearts of
the Amazons” exposes issues of matriarchy and culture through
intimate, often bizarre, and surreal yet indelibly moving close
encounters with the people of Juchit n and Tehuantepec.”
LEFT COAST WRITERS(tm) BOOK LAUNCH PARTY SHOWCASING: TOM DeMOTT and
his new book, “Into the Hearts of the Amazons: In Search of a
Modern Matriarchy” (University of WI Press, May 2006)
Wednesday June 21 5:30 – 6:45PM
Monticello Inn
121 Ellis Street (corner of Ellis & Powell)
San Francisco
For Info: mailto:leftcoastwriters@aol.com
Literary Salon: James Dalessandro
NEXT UP AT THE JUNE LEFT COAST WRITERS(tm) SALON: JAMES DALESSANDRO,
Author of “1906, A Novel,” Poet, Screenwriter, and Documentary
film maker of “The Damnedest, Finest Ruins”
TOPIC:
MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2006 || BOOK PASSAGE – CORTE MADERA || 7PM
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Every disaster has a story. Set during the great San Francisco
earthquake and fire, “1906”, written by JAMES DALESSANDRO, is a
page-turning tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance,
rescue—and murder—based on recently uncovered facts that
forever changed our understanding of what really happened. His
documentary film, now out on DVD, “The Damnedest, Finest Ruins,”
is a riveting documentary of the most dramatic event in American
history outside of war. Written and directed by Dalessandro, it’s
narrated by acclaimed actor Peter Coyote.
ABOUT JAMES DALESSANDRO
JAMES DALESSANDO, was the co-founder of the Santa Cruz Poetry
Festival, the nation’s largest literary event for four years and
which brought together Ken Kesey, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles
Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Bob Kaufman and musicians
like Charles Lloyd and Anthony Braxton. He has published four
books: poetry in Canary In A Coal Mine, the highly acclaimed San
Francisco murder mystery Bohemian Heart (St. Martin’s Press),
true crime (Citizen Jane), and his new novel, 1906, an epic
recreation of the great San Francisco earthquake and fire. He is
a 20-year veteran of the Writer’s Guild of America, West, and has
written the screenplays for all three of his books, including
1906, which was sold to Warner Brothers after a heated Hollywood
bidding war. He is currently writer and co-director, with
four-time Oscar winner Ben Burtt, of The Damnedest Finest Ruins,
a feature documentary about the 1906 earthquake. He is also
co-executive producer and screenwriter of Citizen Jane for Wolper
Productions and Court TV, producer and co-writer, with Lidia
Fraser, of Draconin, a trilogy of novels and animated feature
films. He teaches the longest-running screenwriting course in San
Francisco and served as the writer for the award-winning House of
Blues Radio Hour. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
LOCATION DETAILS:
JUNE LEFT COAST WRITERS(tm) LITERARY SALON Featuring JAMES
DALESSANDRO
Monday, June 5 2006, 7:00 – 9:00p.m.
Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera
For Info: http://www.leftcoastwriters.com
Past speakers at the LCW Salon include TAMIM ANSARY, DANIEL
ELLSBERG, KEVIN SMOKLER, FRAN GAGE, GAIL TSUKIYAMA, JEFF
GREENWALD, DONALD GEORGE, ISABEL ALLENDE, TERRY RYAN, SUZY
PARKER, JOHN FLINN, SHELDON SIEGEL, JANIS COOKE NEWMAN, JOYCE
JENKINS, CATHY FOWLER, PAUL MCHUGH and LINDY HOUGH.
Reading Series
MONDAY May 8, 2006
Left Coast WritersTM Reading and Networking, 6pm
Book Passage, Ferry Plaza, San Francisco, CA
For info: leftcoastwriters@aol.com
Book Launch: Susan Reynolds
WEDNESDAY April 19, 2006
Left Coast Writers Book Launch Series, 5:30pm
Susan Reynolds
Monticello Inn, 121 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA
For info: leftcoastwriters@aol.com
Book Launch
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Left Coast WritersTM Book Launch, 5:30-6:30pm
TBD
Monticello Inn, 121 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA
For info: leftcoastwriters@aol.com
Literary Salon: Wes Nisker
An evening with Wes “Scoop” Nisker is a guaranteed good time, full of his trademark zaniness and wacky wisdom! Nisker will wax eloquent on cosmic conundrums, and talk about and read from his latest book, The Big Bang, the Buddha and the Baby Boom: The Spiritual Experiments of My Generation.
Wes “Scoop” Nisker is author of the enduring classic Crazy Wisdom and the widely acclaimed Buddha’s Nature, and is Editor-in-Chief of the Buddhist journal Inquiring Mind. For the past twenty-five years he has been both a popular San Francisco Bay Area radio personality and a nationally known Buddhist meditation teacher.
Reading Series
MONDAY April 10, 2006
Left Coast Writers Reading and Networking, 6pm
Book Passage, Ferry Plaza, San Francisco, CA
For info: leftcoastwriters@aol.com