Events
Call (415) 927-0960 ext. 1 to reserve
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Join Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff for lunch as she talks about her book Cleopatra: A Life. Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Along the way, Cleopatra’s supple personality and the drama of her circumstances have been lost. Schiff boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Schiff is the author of Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Saint-Exupéry, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; and A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, winner of the George Washington Book Prize and the Ambassador Book Award.
Book Passage hosts literary luncheons with celebrated authors at our Marin store. These events are catered by the outstanding Insalata’s Restaurant of San Anselmo. The ticket price of $55 includes lunch & an autographed copy of the book. Call (415) 927-0960 ext. 1 to reserve.
Because of actor Michael Douglas' illness, Sir Michael Caine has replaced him in an upcoming film and will be filming in November. We will, however, still have autographed copies of The Elephant to Hollywood. You may order a signed copy by clicking the order button below.
Corte Madera store
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SARK presents Glad No Matter What: Transforming Loss and Change Into Gifts and Opportunities ($18.95). When grief, sadness, and other strong emotions seem overwhelming, this book shows how to skillfully work with those feelings and access their significant healing power.
Book Passage Class
Four Thursdays: Nov. 18-Dec. 17 (no class Nov. 25)
Corte Madera store, $60
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What exactly was Modernism? From our vantage point a century later we shall be examining the avant-garde movements in the visual arts in Europe from 1900 to 1940. Modernism had its roots in the late nineteenth century when artists like Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh began a move toward abstraction. We will begin with the Austrian Secession; Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka and move on to Germany: The artists of Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter. We'll encounter the Fauves in France: Matisse, Derain, et al. The pioneers of Cubism: Braque and Picasso, Orphism and the Delaunays will be followed by a study of the Italian Futurists. A special emphasis on the Women artists of the Russian Avant-Garde will be followed by a study of the Surrealists whose notion of reality fell entirely outside traditional views of reality versus the artists of Neue Sachlichkeit who addressed the problems of Weimar society.
Kerrin Meis taught art history at SFSU for ten years, lectured for the College of Marin, Exploritas, Dominican University, and leads study tours in France.
Corte Madera store
Tickets $25 (plus ticket service fee)
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YOU Deserve an Evening of Fabulous Food, Wonderful Wine and LOL Laughter
Attend the MAMA MONOLOGUES!!!!!!!!
Join our nationally renowned group of mothers, The Writing Mamas, who meet monthly at Book Passage to write, whine and wine, and our very special guest, Kelly Corrigan!!!!! the New York Times best-selling author of Lift and The Middle Place. Let us entertain you with stories of REAL-life parenthood. (Otherwise known as—survival!)
Leave the kids at home, bring your special someone, your BFFS, or meet new ones during this friendly, hilarious, LOL party created just for YOU! Fabulous Puerto Rican cuisine will be lovingly prepared and donated by Sol Food, one of Marin's most popular and hippest restaurants, along with complimentary wine, red or white, maybe both? And the entertainment—OMG!!!!!
ALL profits are donated to charity. Meet Kelly—she is one very funny mama—and have her personally sign a book for you!
Cost: An amazingly low $25 (plus ticket service fee) for EVERYTHING—Food, Wine, Entertainment!!!!
Buy now. Tickets will sell out!
Questions: Contact Writing Mamas and Mama Monologues Founder, Dawn Yun, @ dawnyun1@gmail.com, or (415) 233-2483.
Corte Madera store
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Robert Michael Pyle talks about Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year ($27.00). Part road-trip tale, part travelogue of lost and found landscapes, all good-natured natural history, this volume tracks Pyle’s journey across the United States as he races against the calendar in his search for as many of the 800 American butterfly species as he can find.
San Francisco store
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Buddy Valastro presents Cake Boss : Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia ($25.99). Television viewers have fallen in love with Valastro, master cake maker, and his funny and fiery family, proprietors of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, on the smash hit television series Cake Boss. In this heartfelt memoir, Valastro tells his inspiring story.
Corte Madera store
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Adair Lara discusses Naked, Drunk, and Writing: Shed Your Inhabitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay ($14.99). The material is right there in front of you. You’ve known yourself for, well, a lifetime—and you finally feel ready to share your story with the world. Yet when it actually comes time to put pen to paper, you find that you’re stumped. Enter Adair Lara—beloved writing coach.
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Ann Louise Gittleman presents Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution ($25.99). We’re being zapped: Today 84 percent of Americans own a cell phone, 89 million of us watch TV beamed in by satellite, and we can’t sip a cup of coffee at our local cafÉ without being exposed to Wi-Fi. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields. Invisible pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness.
But we don’t have to simply surrender. Ann Louise Gittleman brings forth the latest research into electromagnetic fields to create this groundbreaking guide for every citizen of the wireless age. With the proactive, levelheaded approach that has made her one of our most respected health experts, she not only clarifies the risks but also offers specific, step-by-step information for how anyone can minimize them.
Corte Madera store
Cosponsored by Hospice by the Bay
Judith Redwing Keyssar presents Last Acts of Kindness: Lessons for the Living from the Bedsides of the Dying ($15.95). In these chronicles of a midwife to the dying, Keyssar speaks eloquently and from her heart about her extensive experience in the field of palliative care.
Corte Madera store
Gary Kamiya presents Shadow Knights ($19.99). Kamiya reveals the exhilarating illustrated story of Britain’s secret Special Operations Executive and the everyday men and women who risked their lives to sabotage Hitler. David Talbot discusses Devil Dog ($19.99). Talbot shares the thrilling illustrated tale of Smedley Butler, a Marine who fought across the globe, restored order to Philadelphia, and foiled a plot against FDR.
Corte Madera store
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Anne Germanacos presents her novel In the Time of the Girls ($14.00). Set in Greece, this innovative debut uses discrete, telling moments to create fast-paced stories that are richly pleasurable to read. Germanacos has lived between Greece and San Francisco for thirty years. Her stories are just as strange and tragic as the Greek myths they riff on.
Catch Anne's interview with Michael Krasny on November 17, 10:30-11:00 am on KQED-FM 88.5!
Corte Madera store
Speaker: Becky Levine, author of The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: How to Give and Receive Feedback, Self-Edit, and Make Revisions
The Marin branch of the California Writers Club meets monthly at Book Passage, typically the third Sunday from 2:00-4:00 pm. Meetings are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. The Marin branch was chartered in 1999 and celebrates ten years with California Writers Club and with Book Passage. CWC, a 501c educational corporation, is the nation’s oldest professional club for writers. More info at: http://www.calwriters.org.
Corte Madera store
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Leonard Pitt talks about Paris: A Journey Through Time ($29.95). With an array of archival and contemporary photos, Pitt peels away the layers of old Paris to document the city’s transformation. Painstakingly researched, this work is a tour through Paris, seen through the lens of photographers who witnessed ages of both demolition and construction.
Corte Madera store
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Ken McAdams and Marian Bingham talk about Bon Courage: Rediscovering the Art of Living in the Heart of France ($22.95). One year into their marriage, Ken and Bing head to the French countryside. When they fall in love with the village of La Montagne Noire, they find themselves buying a fixer-upper and starting all over again—but this time, in French!
Corte Madera store
Lissa Rovetch will lead writing exercises! Bring a pen, a notebook, and an appetite for home- made goodies!
Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Salon • Led by Lissa Rovetch
4th Monday each month • 7:00-9:00 pm • $120 per year
The Kid Lit Salon is for both established and beginning children’s book writers and illustrators. Come socialize with like-minded, creative types in your field. Our evenings include a wildly diverse array of speakers, member updates, events, conferences, and insider tips. Writer and illustrator Lissa Rovetch is the illustrator of There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat and Other Vile Little Poems and author of Ook the Book and the Hot Dog and Bob book series.
San Francisco store
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Don LePan discusses his novel Animals ($13.95). More than 100 years in the future, the horrors of factory farming, combined with the widespread abuse of antibiotics, have led to mass extinctions. As paranoia about the food supply spreads, a forceful new logic takes hold. In the blink of a millennial eye, the disenfranchised have become food!
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Michael Krasny talks about Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic’s Quest
($22.95). Unlike recent authors who emphatically say “No!” or “Yes!” to
God, Krasny is among the millions who know they don’t know. As a radio
host, professor, and scholar, he has spent decades leading conversations
on every imaginable topic. He takes readers on an exploration of
morality, mortality, why we do good, and why evil sometimes triumphs.
Corte Madera store
Join Book Passage President (and grandmother) Elaine Petrocelli and Children’s Book Buyer Susan Kunhardt to talk about the best new and classic children’s books. Find out about Book Passage programs to help you share books with your grandchildren or with other children no matter where they live. Share the love of reading with the next generation!
Corte Madera store
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Tim Palmer talks about Rivers of California: Natural Lifelines of the Golden State ($39.95). With 176 photos and original prose, Palmer showcases the variety, vitality, and majesty of streams large and small through all four seasons, from rainforest to desert, from high country source to the Pacific, taking us on a journey that changes the way we think about water.
San Francisco store
Books will be available for purchase
at the signing
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Olympic speed skater and television's Dancing with the Stars winner Apolo Ohno signs copies of Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday ($26.00). Over three consecutive Olympic games, Apolo Ohno has come to symbolize the very best of the competitive spirit—remaining equally gracious in victory and defeat, always striving to improve his performance, and appreciating the value of the hard work of training as much as any reward it might bring. In Zero Regrets, Apolo shares the inspiring personal story behind his remarkable success.
San Francisco store
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Gerald Blaine, Lisa McCubbin, and Clint Hill talk about The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence ($28.00). The Secret Service has a single mission: to protect the president of the U.S. On November 22, 1963, this team failed—and the country would never be the same. A member of JFK’s Secret Service reveals the inside story.
Book Passage Class
Sign up early to receive pre-class homework assignment
Corte Madera store, $45
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What does it take to write a book review that will get published? Former San Francisco Chronicle Book Editor and McSweeney’s publisher Oscar Villalon shows how to write a smart, entertaining book review. He explains what works best in long and brief reviews, what to keep in mind when assessing a book, and how to shape the tone of your review. Villalon’s reviews have appeared on NPR.org and on radio for KQED’s The California Report. He’s served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle and on the jury for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Corte Madera store
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Russ Baker discusses Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, America’s Invisible Government, and the Hidden History of the Last Fifty Years ($20.00). After eight years, George W. Bush leaves office as one of the most unpopular presidents in American history. Baker goes deep behind the scenes to deliver an arresting new look at the Bush legacy.
Corte Madera store
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Fen Montaigne talks about Fraser’s Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica ($26.00). Towering mountains and iceberg-filled seas of the western Antarctic Peninsula have for decades formed the backdrop of scientist Bill Fraser’s study of Advélie penguins. Montaigne spent five months working on Fraser’s field team, and here presents a moving tale of the wildest place on earth.
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Hazel Rowley presents Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage ($27.00). Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt’s marriage is one of the most celebrated and scrutinized partnerships in presidential history. In this new account, Rowley describes the remarkable courage and lack of convention—private and public—that kept FDR and Eleanor together.
Greens Restaurant, San Francisco
Tickets: $120 per person ($190 per couple)
Reserve by phone at (415) 927-0960, ext. 1
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The Wild Table offers an invitation to the mysterious world of exotic, foraged foods. Connie Green is on the forefront of the foraging movement, and she sells her gathered goods to restaurants like French Laundry and Greens. Readers of this original cookbook will be taken into the woods in search of prize morels, chanterelles, mousserons and more. Along with incredible recipes are entertaining stories of wild foods from the gatherers, foragers, and chefs. You’ll learn the art of enjoying and appreciating these delicious delicacies. Connie Green has been foraging foods for 30 years. She owns Wine Forest, and her clients include Thomas Keller, Daniel Patterson, Nancy Oaks, Charles Phan, Bradley Ogden, and others. Sarah Patterson Scott is a chef and culinary consultant who served as executive chef for Robert Mondavi Winery for 13 years. The ticket price includes the meal, wine, coffee, tax, tip & a signed copy of the author’s book.
San Francisco store
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Elisabeth Antoine Crawford talks about Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey Through Northeastern Italy ($29.95). Gnocchi stuffed with plums? Pasta with dried figs and ricotta? Crawford brings us news of the culinary gems of Italy’s Northeast.
Osher Marin JCC
Tickets available at (415) 444-8000 or online at www.marinjcc.org/performing_arts.html
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Todd Gitlin and Liel Leibovitz present The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election ($26.00). The authors discuss the origins, consequences, and attendant burdens of a belief central to the identities of Americans and Israelis—that they are God’s favored people.
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Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio presents What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets ($40.00). This compelling blend of photography and reportage expands our understanding of the complex relationships among individuals, culture, and food.
Book Passage Class
Corte Madera store, $105
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San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll (winner of the National Association of Newspaper Columnists Ernie Pyle Award for Lifetime Achievement) shares his wit, wisdom, and essay-writing talents. This is a chance to learn humorous writing from one of the best. One student wrote, “Jon Carroll is witty, patient, knowledgeable, inspiring. He anticipates people’s concerns in their questions and problems they can’t express. Gives tons of examples. He’ll be a hard act to follow…”
Book Passage Class
Corte Madera store, $105
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Find the “flow” in your story. This workshop will include exercises to open up your creativity, uncover the best material for your project, and see the storylines. There’ll be writing, feedback, a little artistic expression, and more. This workshop is open to all levels.
Laura Deutsch is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the N.Y. Times and S.F. Chronicle. She has taught writing at U.C. Berkeley, and she leads writing retreats from Tassajara to Tuscany.
Book Fair!
Corte Madera store
Storytime in Italian! Panettone and Hot Cider! Lots of Fun!
Please join us to discover and celebrate some of the finest Italian children’s literature available. Enjoy a selection of more than 250 Italian children’s books, including special Christmas editions, from the most distinguished Italian publishers. The book selection offers a large range of educational topics, design and multimedia styles for kids age 0 to 10. La Festa del Libro Natale 2010 is organized by Papilio Books.
(The celebration takes place only on December 4, but the books will be available at Book Passage through January 6, 2011.)
Corte Madera store
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John Addiego presents his novel Tears of the Mountain ($25.95). It is July 4th, 1876, and Jeremiah McKinley is looking forward to a great day of festivity and celebration among friends, family, and heroes in Sonoma County, California. Highlighting the day: his only teacher, Professor Elijah Applewood, is returning to California from the East Coast to visit after an absence of twenty-five years.
However, Jeremiah’s celebration of the American centennial is troubled by the words of the dead, who seem intent on contacting him in dreams and through the seeming transmigration of his father’s soul into the body of a small boy. Further, a series of puzzling notes and messages follows him throughout the day and when a visiting senator is found dead, suspicion leads directly to Jeremiah’s mentor Professor Applewood—whose sudden disappearance makes Jeremiah a suspected accessory to murder.
Book Passage Class
Corte Madera store, $105
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for Class
This class is canceled. We will look forward to a future class with Linda Boccia.
Corte Madera store, $105
Learn how to hand-paint on silk with French dyes, using watercolor techniques. You will complete one scarf in the colors and designs of your choice. Handouts will provide techniques you can try at home. Award-winning Linda Boccia’s work has been widely exhibited. She has taught in Denver’s Botanical Garden Program and elsewhere. She specializes in painting orchids from her native Hawaii and now designs fabrics for wearable art designers and private clients. Some materials provided.
Corte Madera store
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Kate Morton talks about her novel The Distant Hours ($26.00). A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13-year-old child during WW II. Morton is the author of The House At Riverton.
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Richard A. Muller talks about The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide ($16.95). Is wine radioactive? Do organic foods have more poison in them than those grown with pesticides? Best-selling author Richard A. Muller, the author of Physics for Future Presidents, enlightens us, assisted by award-winning cartoonist Joey Manfre.
Corte Madera store
Multi-author, end of the year celebration!
A Writing Group • Led by Dawn Yun2nd Sunday each month • 5:00-8:00 pm. • $120 per year
The Writing Mamas is where motherhood meets writinghood and finds a happy neighborhood at Book Passage. Improve your writing! Meet great mothers who are writers! Learn to perform your work before
the public! Get published! We will write, workshop, gab, and hear speakers. Many members have gone on to be published. Why not you? Let the other mothers/writers help you, while the speakers inspire you. This year lots of Writing Mamas are getting their books, articles, and blogs published. Inspiration is found in the fabulous speakers we have lined up. For a complete list of all speakers, go to www.writingmamas.com.
Corte Madera store
Elaine Petrocelli and a team of Book Passage booksellers lead a discussion of books for the holidays. Come join us as we present new books for all the readers on your holiday shopping list this season, from children’s books to the latest literary fiction, and art books to thrillers—we’ll have the best recommendations for readers of all ages and interests!
Corte Madera store
Speaker: Canyon Sam, author of Sky Train: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History
A Literary Salon • Led by Linda Watanabe McFerrin
1st Monday each month • 7:00-9:00 pm • $120 per year
Left Coast Writers
provides literary connections, support, counsel, readings, writing
tips, literary chat, unabashed networking, and great fun. Many local
authors are active members of this group. Meetings feature presentations
by Bay Area literary figures. LCW hosts a variety of other activities
to launch the books of members, explore publishing alternatives, and
network with others in the industry.
San Francisco store
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Andrew Lam talks about East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres ($14.95). In this collection of 21 personal essays, Lam, the award-winning author of Perfume Dreams, continues to explore the Vietnamese diaspora, this time concentrating not only on how the East and West have changed but how they are changing each other.
Corte Madera store
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Edmund Morris discusses Colonel Roosevelt ($35.00). This biography by the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex is itself the completion of a trilogy sure to stand as definitive. It recounts the last decade of one of the most amazing lives in American history.
Corte Madera store
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Thomas Larson talks about The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings ($26.95). Larson exlpores the cultural impact of Barber’s Adagio for Strings—the “pieta” of music. This year marks the centenary of Samuel Barber’s birth. Larson is the author of The Memoir and the Memoirist.
Preferred seating with
puchase of the book
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An Italian Musical Celebration!
Lin Arison and Michael Tilson Thomas, co-founders of the New World Symphony, present Feast for the Senses: A Musical Odyssey in Umbria (includes 3 DVDs) ($40.00). Inspired by her lifelong love of Italy, Arison takes readers on a journey through Umbria in the company of Michael Tilson Thomas—conductor and music director of the San Francisco Symphony and artistic director of the New World Symphony—and members of the New World Symphony orchestra. Part memoir, part travelogue, this lushly illustrated work features the scintillating sites, foods, and crafts of Umbria.
Corte Madera store
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Nina Lesowitz talks about The Courage Companion: How to Live Life with True Power ($15.95). From world-class athletes to spiritual teachers, to cancer patients, to ordinary people who took extraordinary action to transform their lives, these “courage warriors” will show you how to turn apprehension into action.
Corte Madera store
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Wendell Potter presents Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans ($26.00). Since Wendell Potter walked away from his executive position at a top health insurance company in May of 2008, he has worked tirelessly as an outspoken critic of corporate PR and the distortion and fear manufactured by America’s health insurance industry. It is a PR juggernaut that is bankrolled by millions of dollars, rivaling lobbying budgets and underwriting many “non-partisan” grassroots organizations. How would Potter know? He wrote many of the industry’s talking points himself.
Every ugly tactic is revealed in Deadly Spin. From clandestine meetings carefully organized to leave no paper trail to creating third party front groups, Potter lets the reader in on the dirty secrets most big corporations would rather have the masses be in the dark about because the stakes are high and the profits even higher.
Deadly Spin is not just an exposé of health insurers but a stark warning that corporate spin is distorting our democracy.
Book Passage Class
One week advanced registration required
Corte Madera store, $105
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James Dalessandro is the author of the bestselling novel 1906, and screenwriter of the Warner Brothers film currently in production with Pixar’s Oscar winner Brad Bird directing. A 24-year veteran of the Writer’s Guild, James is one of the most popular screenwriting instructors in the Bay Area. He has sold more than 20 feature film and television projects. In this fast-paced workshop, he covers structure, scenes, and character development, as well as pitching, polishing, and marketing the finished screenplay.
This event is canceled. We will look forward to a future event with Carol Denker.
Corte Madera store
Local Author Day!
Carol Denker talks about Autumn Romance: Stories and Portraits of Lover after 50 ($29.95). Denker traveled for three years interviewing and photographing 29 senior couples whose lives had been transformed by love, then writing their stories. This book is a celebration of love found later in life.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day!
Cindy Bailey talks about The Fertile Kitchen Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Optimizing Your Fertility ($29.99). Understanding first-hand the challenge of fertility issues, Bailey provides expert advice, easy-to-follow recipes, and dietary guidelines that helped her (and her partner Pierre) beat the odds and bring home a baby.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day!
Nancy Forster presents Encounters: A Lifetime Spent Crossing Cultural Frontiers ($15.95). Forster’s husband Cliff, a prisoner of the Japanese at 17, became a fervent advocate of public diplomacy throughout his long career as a Foreign Service officer. Forster shares her husband’s story.
Corte Madera store
Local Author Day!
Revelations of a runaway housewife who rose to the top of the magazine field in the 1960s and 1970s women’s liberation era
Leda Sanford discusses her memoir Pure Moxie. Pure Moxie is memoir about an Italian-American woman who rejected her traditional suburban life and upbringing at age 33 and reinvented herself as an independent career woman. Spurred by the feminist writings of the period, Leda Sanford began a daring climb in the fast paced 1970s male-dominated magazine business. Through a series of unorthodox encounters with risk-oriented entrepreneurs, Sanford seized challenges that catapulted her to the top. As the first woman to become the publisher of a major American magazine, Sanford juggled her personal life and bounced back from personal defeats, rebuilding from each and demonstrating a unique capacity for resilience. Her career serves as a guide for any woman who longs for a second chance and wants to discover her own path to self fulfillment.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day!
Wayne Farquhar, an expert in homicide/sexual assault investigations and police procedures, talks about his thriller Blood Over Badge ($17.95). Two police detectives are assigned to catch a cold-blooded rapist and killer. The unrelated mysteries of two murderers seem to come together but make little sense. What does a man rotting in Angola Penitentiary have to do with a rapist and killer on the run?
Corte Madera store
Left Coast Writers Launch! Wanderland Writers read from Wandering in Costa Rica. When workshop leaders Linda Watanabe McFerrin and Joanna Biggar gathered a baker’s dozen of their favorite travelers and writers, they had no idea how transformative the journey would be. Nurtured and inspired in an environment beyond compare, the assembled explored Costa Rica, gathering tales from across the country.
Corte Madera store
Local Author Day!
Keven Bellows discusses The Blue Darter ($14.00). California poet Bellows’ book of poems, her second book, is dedicated to her husband, legendary editor Jim Bellows, who died of Alzheimer’s last year. It reprises a wonderful marriage and the shadow cast on its last years by Alzheimer’s. The poems are strong, candid and moving.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day! Elspeth Benton talks about her mystery novel Crucial Time ($16.95). The son of a now-deceased Zimbabwean chief suffers a brutal warning on the eve of his departure from Harare for the United States. Unaware of being under Mugabe’s ZANU government surveillance, he soon winds up dead and his young son goes missing.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day! Robert Fischer discusses his novel Plane Jane ($14.00). Discharged from the Air Force for refusing to wear a veil off-base in Saudi Arabia, fighter pilot Mary Jane contracts to repossess a luxury Boeing 747 from a powerful Saudi prince. She partners with co-pilot Jesus Martinez and together they risk capture and execution.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day!
Marilyn Nemzer talks about Energy for Keeps: Creating Clean Electricity from Renewable Resources ($24.95). Nemzer describes the energy issues that now loom large in our daily news. With engaging language and illustrations, she explains renewable energy sources, the science of electricity generation, and the environmental impacts.
Corte Madera store
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Local Author Day!
Gemma Whelan talks about Fiona: Stolen Child ($16.95). Fiona Clarke, an Irish writer living in New York, has been running away from her past since she left rural Cregora, Ireland, for boarding school. That past finds her, many years later, when her thinly veiled autobiographical novel is optioned for a movie.
Corte Madera store
Local Author Day!
James Waste presents Don’t Shoot the Ice Cream Man: A Cold War Spy in the New World Disorder ($17.99). At the height of the Cold War, Waste was recruited after his career with Bechtel to serve as a covert observer for the CIA. He combines a vivid look at his experiences with a compelling behind-the-scenes portrait.
San Francisco store
Left Coast Writers Launch!
Left Coast Writers presents Bay Area poets Molly Fisk and Rebecca Foust for a book release celebration and reading, with a special guest appearance by Robin Ekiss. Fisk will read from her new book of poems, The More Difficult Beauty (Hip Pocket Press 2010). Foust will read from God, Seed (Tebot Bach Press 2010), a book of environmental poetry with art by Lorna Stevens, who will attend to answer questions. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. Parking is available on the street or in an adjacent paid lot (Washington & Embarcadero).
Robin Ekiss is a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford, recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Award for emerging women writers, and author of The Mansion of Happiness, winner of the 2010 Shenandoah/Glasgow Prize and a finalist for both the 2010 Northern California and California Book Awards.
Molly Fisk is also the author of Listening to Winter and a recipient of fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council and Marin Arts Council grants in poetry, and the Robinson Jeffers Tor House, Billee Murray Denny, and Dogwood Prizes. She teaches on-line at www.poetrybootcamp.com and www.voiceofyourown.com, and provides weekly radio commentary at community station KVMR in Nevada City.
Artist William Wiley calls God, Seed ""Good for the eye, mind, and heart." Rebecca Foust’s previous book, All That Gorgeous Pitiless, Song, won the 2008 Many Mountains Moving Book Prize. Her chapbooks, Dark Card and Mom’s Canoe won the Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prizes in consecutive years and were published by Texas Review Press in 2008 and 2009.
Lorna Stevens received her MFA in sculpture from Columbia University. She exhibits widely in galleries and public spaces. Her work has been featured or reviewed in The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Marin Independent Journal, and Artweek, and has been acquired by the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Public Library, and the di Rosa Preserve in Napa, California.
Corte Madera store
Debra Giusti, Steve Bhaerman, and Marilyn Schlitz discuss Transforming Through 2012. This book is an anthology of minds, looking forward into the future in an attempt to discern the course of humankind as we emerge from history into the next phase of our evolution.
33 Top Authorities report on the Truth about the 2012 Shift!
Featuring core messages from prominent authorities, from a wide variety of backgrounds: scientists, researchers, futurists, mystics, astrologers, artists, luminaries and indigenous elders and healers from the Maya, Aztec, Hopi, Inka and Hawaiian traditions. They share timley information and valuable resources about the 2012 shift that can be source of clearing confusion, cultivating wisdon, and empowering you to embrace the new opportunities in reaching your highest potential, while co-creating our positive future.
Some of the Featured Authors Are:
George Noory, Jean Houston, Daniel Pinchbeck, Bruce Lipton, Peter Russell, Paul & Lillie Weisbart, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Nassim Haramein, John Peterson, Carl Johan Calleman, Sri Ram Kaa and Kira Raa, Bob Frissell, Gabriel Cousens, Marilyn Schlitz, Steve Bhearman, Christine Page, Paco Alarcon–Kahan and Indigenous elders and healers from the Hopi, Mayan, Inka, Aztec and Hawaiian Traditions, and many more.
Corte Madera store, $60
Register by phone: (415) 927-0960, ext. 1
You’ve written a brilliant story and can’t wait to hear what others think. You’re stuck and need a critique. What to do? Bring your manuscript—a picture book, a chapter from a novel, or even just an idea (ten-page limit) and we’ll workshop on the spot. Amy Novesky is an independent children’s book editor, author, and experienced workshop leader.
Corte Madera store
Abby Wasserman presents Mary Tuthill Lindheim: Art & Inspiration ($32.00). This is the first book on the American sculptor and ceramist Mary Tuthill Lindheim (1912- 2004) who, with contemporaries Edith Heath, Peter Voulkos, Marguerite Wildenhain and others, awakened the art world and public to the exciting potential of clay as a fine art medium.
Corte Madera store
Special for kids & parents!
Nouzha Evans discusses the making of the first of a children’s book series, Cooper the Compost Worm, The Butterflies Are Teasing Me ($16.95), organized by the Early Discovery Program about living in harmony with the environment and endangered species. The setting of the book is a reflection of the children's small school garden. The children’s discussion and interpretation of why we raise butterflies and take care of our compost worms was documented and incorporated into the book. Conceptually unique, this book stands alone by having children not only take part in creating the characters of the story, but also by coming to the event and joining their teacher in signing the book. Their parents, family members and friends will be there too! Come and meet them and sign up for the next book workshop.
Corte Madera store
Speakers: Lisa Brown, author of Vampire Boy’s Good Night, and LeUyen Pham, author of All the Things I Love about You
Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Salon • Led by Lissa Rovetch4th Monday each month • 7:00-9:00 pm • $120 per year
The Kid Lit Salon is for both established and beginning children’s book writers and illustrators. Come socialize with like-minded, creative types in your field. Our evenings include a wildly diverse array of speakers, member updates, events, conferences, and insider tips. Writer and illustrator Lissa Rovetch is the illustrator of There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat and Other Vile Little Poems and author of Ook the Book and the Hot Dog and Bob book series.
Marin Jewish Community Center, San Rafael
Tickets at (415) 444-8081 or at www.marinjcc.org
Comedy Showcase: 8:30 pm
After party & countdown: 11:15 pm
With a rare west coast appearance from comedian & star of Broadway's Hairspray Kevin Meaney! Special guests include famed comedian/juggler Michael Davis, SF Favorite Geoff Bolt & your host, award-winning magician/comedian Robert Strong.
Come for the Comedy ~ Stay for the party!
- fun, full no-host bar, favors, sweets & countdown
DISCOUNTED TICKETS are available to members of Other Café email list www.TheOtherCafe.com (join now!)
Limited VIP tix & include champagne & reserved premier table seating
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
A continuation of grammar and language immersion through conversation.
Graciela Pera was born in Buenos Aires and has been teaching Spanish for 35 years.
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Prerequisite: Beginning Spanish I
In this class we are going to learn grammar and talk, talk and talk. Immersion in conversational Spanish is the best way to learn, and that is exactly what we will do. Study Guide can be purchased from the instructor the first day of class.
Graciela Pera was born in Buenos Aires and has been teaching Spanish for 35 years.
Corte Madera store
Topic: Get App Happy: How Authors Can Get In on the Mobile Application Craze • Laurie McAndish King, editor, publisher, award-winning travel writer and photographer and Suzanne Rodriguez, author of Found Meals of the Lost Generation
Left Coast Writers®
A Literary Salon • Led by Linda Watanabe McFerrin
1st Monday each month • Corte Madera store • 7:00-9:00 pm • $120 per year
Read more
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Conversation will focus on Spanish and Latin American literature. There will also be a review of Spanish grammar.
Graciela Pera was born in Buenos Aires and has been teaching Spanish for 35 years.
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Prerequisite: Beginning Spanish I
In this class we are going to learn grammar and talk, talk and talk. Immersion in conversational Spanish is the best way to learn, and that is exactly what we will do. Study Guide can be purchased from the instructor the first day of class.
Graciela Pera was born in Buenos Aires and has been teaching Spanish for 35 years.
Corte Madera store, $250
Register for Class
Eight Tuesdays: Jan. 4-Feb. 22
This class is for beginners and for those who have previously had some exposure to German. You’ll focus on conjugating verbs in the present tense, declension of nouns, articles and your ability to carry a simple conversation with a native German speaker.
Hamid Emami has a Masters from University of Hamburg, Germany, and is fluent in German, English, French, Spanish, and Farsi. He has taught German for many years.
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
For students who have never taken a Spanish class at Book Passage
In this class we are going to learn grammar and talk, talk and talk. Immersion in conversational Spanish is the best way to learn, and that is exactly what we will do. Study Guide can be purchased from the instructor the first day of class.
Graciela Pera was born in Buenos Aires and has been teaching Spanish for 35 years.
Corte Madera store, $250
Register for Class
Eight Thursdays: Jan. 6-Feb 24
This
class is for beginners and for those who have previously had some
exposure to German. You’ll focus on conjugating verbs in the present
tense, declension of nouns, articles and your ability to carry a simple
conversation with a native German speaker.
Hamid Emami has
a Masters from University of Hamburg, Germany, and is fluent in German,
English, French, Spanish, and Farsi. He has taught German for many
years.
Corte Madera, $85
Register for Class
Four Thursdays: : Jan 6-Feb. 3 (no class Jan. 27)
Art Historian Kerrin Meis examines the ways Western Artists, mostly male, developed an image of the “other.” From Eve’s Expulsion from Paradise to the Virgin Enthroned in Heaven, we’ll trace the evolution of images beginning with the Earth Mother. What were the intentions of patrons and artists when the goddesses of antiquity emerged as seductive nudes? Why are some heroines of the Bible and the Apocrypha more fascinating than others? We’ll look at attributes ascribed to the Virgin Mary in the context of written encomia, as well as saints, martyrs and other models of female deportment. Special attention will be given to the female portrait in the Renaissance.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
John Lescroart presents his thriller Damage ($26.95). The Curtlees are the most powerful family in San Francisco. When the family’s heir, Ro Curtlee—convicted of rape and murder a decade ago—is released from prison, within 24 hours a fire destroys the home of the original trial’s star witness, her abused remains discovered in the ruins. Lescroart is the author of Treasure Hunt and A Plague of Secrets and a frequent faculty member of the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference.
Corte Madera store, 5:30-6:45 pm
Join us as musician Timothy Dixon plays piano and dulcimer. Dixon was born in England and trained in piano. He is an accomplished pianist/composer, as well as a master of the hammered dulcimer, didgeridoo and Native American flute. Dixon is also a Reiki Healing Master, and that is reflected in his playing.
Book Passage Class
Corte Madera store, $50
Register for Class
Let’s face it. If you intend to get published, you are going to need an agent. This class will teach you how to make that relationship one of value to the writer. We will discuss key issues in the agent-writer relationship, including: what is the role of the agent in trade publishing, techniques for finding the right agent, what an agent expects from you, what you should expect from an agent, how are agents compensated, agent engagement agreements, how to avoid bad agents. One student said “I liked Andy’s style—timely, on task, focused, direct, funny…” Andy Ross is a literary agent in Oakland. He has been in the book business for 37 years. Before starting his agency in 2008, he was owner of Cody’s Books in Berkeley for 30 years.
Corte Madera store, $105
Register for Class
It is crucial to make a good impression in the first five pages. Mistakes include starting the story in the wrong place or using an action scene that serves no purpose. The class reads first chapters of published books to determine what makes them successful. We’ll also analyze the first five pages of students’ novels. Wendy Nelson Tokunaga is the author of Midori by Moonlight and Love in Translation.
Corte Madera store, $40
Register for Class
RIP THE PAGE! Poetry and creative writing experiments for Kids 8-10 Years Old.
An imaginative writing workshop for kids 8-10 years-old who want to create poems and small stories they can take home to share. Karen Benke has inspired kids' creative journeys in the form of poem-making for 17 years as a California Poet in the Schools and has authored a collection of poems, Sister, and a new book for kids and kids-at-heart, Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing.
Corte Madera store
Left Coast Writers Launch! Charles Entrekin discusses Listening: New and Selected Work ($16.00). Mary Mackey says “Entrekin presents us with a remarkable poetic legacy. Written between 1975 and the present, the poems in this collection are passionate and darkly lyric. Always grounded in physical reality, they transcend time and place, revealing both the great and small moments of life as seen from the perspective of eternity.”
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Students will develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills within a framework of Italian literature, culture and language. Readings include early examples of Italian poetry plus short stories and plays by Moravia, Calvino and Ginzburg. Textbook: Sapore de Italia.
Gisella Petrone grew up in Italy. She received a Masters degree from the University of Calabria. She has taught English, Italian, Latin, Roman History, and Italian cooking.
Corte Madera store, $245
Register for Class
Seven Mondays: Jan. 10-Mar. 7 (no classes Feb. 14 & 21)
This class will incorporate French cinema into a French conversation course. You watch the movies in the comfort of your home. In class there will be discussion and exercises about the film. The films are designed to provide a wide range of exposure to French culture. Students are asked to view Le placard (The Closet) prior to the first class.
Genevieve Blaise-Sullivan has taught French at College of Marin for over 30 years. She is a French native from Paris and graduated from the Sorbonne with degrees in French, Russian, and Bulgarian.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
Left Coast Writers Book Party! Li Miao Lovett discusses her novel In the Lap of the Gods ($15.95). As a dam rises on the Yangtze, uprooting a million lives in a government-made disaster, a poor salvager who has lost everything finds an abandoned baby girl. Lovett presents a tale of defiance, of a lost man finding his place—and a new kind of love—in modern China.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
Claire Dederer talks about Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses ($26.00). Dederer and her peers emerged from a generation determined to be good, good, good—even if this meant feeling hemmed in by their conscientious little world. Yoga seemed to fit right into this virtuous program, but to her surprise, Dederer found that the deeper she went into the poses, the more they tested her most basic ideas about life itself.
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Eight Tuesdays: Jan. 11-Mar. 8, 2011 (no class Feb. 15)
This class is for students who want to gain proficiency and confidence communicating in French using nuances and idiomatic expressions. The “Litterature” book offers selections from French-speaking authors past and present. Articles from the French press will also be read and discussed in class. Textbook: Schaum’s Outline of French Grammar (4th or 5th edition), Ensemble “Litterature” with CD, Comeau, Lamoureux (6th or 7th edition).
Genevieve Blaise-Sullivan has taught French at College of Marin for over 30 years. She is a French native from Paris and graduated from the Sorbonne with degrees in French, Russian, and Bulgarian.
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
The class begins study of the subjunctive and continues to develop listening, speaking and reading skills. The study of Italian culture is combined with a review of grammatical structures and usage and linguistic competency. Discussions will be based on authentic literary texts, news clippings, film and Web sites.
Gisella Petrone grew up in Italy. She received a Masters degree from the University of Calabria. She has taught English, Italian, Latin, Roman History, and Italian cooking.
Eight Thursdays: Jan. 12-Mar 1
This
class is for beginners and for those who have previously had some
exposure to German. You’ll focus on conjugating verbs in the present
tense, declension of nouns, articles, and your ability to carry on a
simple conversation with a native German speaker. Hamid Emami has
a Masters from the University of Hamburg, and he is fluent in German,
English, French, Spanish & Farsi. He has taught German for many
years.
Corte Madera store, $250
Register for Class
Potential students are invited to attend a single class for
the cost of $33 before committing to the entire course. Single session sign-ups
must be done over the phone or in-person at our Corte Madera store. Call (415) 927-060, ext. 1.
Eight Wednesdays: Jan. 12-Mar. 1
Explore the gastronomy, wines, and cheese of France through its most celebrated regions. This class will be conducted entirely in French. Nicolas Wolff grew up in Paris and studied at one of France’s top business schools. He has worked extensively across Europe and the US and has taught French at all levels. Nicolas will bring his knowledge of all things French to demystify the inner workings of French gastronomy, arts, and culture. Each class will concentrate on a different region of France, highlighting local customs and specialities. Sample itineraries will also be discussed with an eye to assisting you in planning your next trip to France.
Genevieve Blaise-Sullivan says “Even as a French native I learned so much about wines and regional food specialties. Everyone interested in French culture will love this class. The Power Point presentation and handouts help those who are not advanced French speakers.”
Corte Madera store, $150
Register for Book Group
Five Wednesdays: Jan. 12-Feb. 16
“To have great poets,” Walt Whitman said, “there must be great audiences, too.” He wanted not just many readers but also able readers,open-minded and demanding. It’s a need we still have today. Are all poems good? What makes a poem worth the effort of reading it? How do we enjoy and judge the seemingly obscure or difficult poem? To get at such questions, we will do a lot of reading, a bit of writing if desired, and a great deal of discussion. We’ll look at famous and favorite poets from several centuries and from several literatures (nominations welcome); explore our reactions; and try together to see what makes a poem tick—or not. Widely-published local poet and author John Hart co-edits the venerable all-poetry journal Blue Unicorn, now in its 34th year.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
Charles Rubin discusses I’ll Get Right Back To You & Other Annoyances: The Things That Can Screw Up Your Day…and Even Your Life! ($15.95). Rubin presents 48 humorous instances of annoying situations ...such things as getting a birthday card announcing your real age. Or someone telling you your ideas are useless...and then stealing them, and much more!
Corte Madera store, $155
Register for Class
Four Thursdays: Jan. 13-Feb. 3
Discover the secrets of transforming memories and life experiences into personal essays and stories that sell. This practical “How to” workshop will give you the tools you need to get your writing published in magazines, newspapers, and other media. You’ll learn what editors are looking for (and paying for!). This class includes instruction, in-class writing, feedback, and submission ideas.
Laura Deutsch is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle. She has taught writing at U.C. Berkeley, and she leads writing retreats from Tassajara to Tuscany.
Susan Chang discusses A Spoonful of Promises: Stories & Recipes from a Well-Tempered Table ($24.95).
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
Winner of a Best True Crime Book of 2010 Editor's Choice Award and Best True Crime Book of 2010 Reader's Choice Award!
Candace Dempsey presents Murder in Italy: The Shocking Slaying of a British Student, the Accused American Girl, and an International Scandal ($7.99). Award-winning journalist Dempsey takes us to Italy for the murder trial of American Amanda Knox, accused of murdering her housemate. She reveals the real story behind the media frenzy.
http://truecrimebookreviews.com/2011/01/true-crime-book-reviews-awards-winners/
Corte Madera store, $235
Register for Class
Students of Italian I will acquire a basic proficiency in speaking, reading, understanding and writing. They are introduced to vocabulary, grammar and syntax through spoken and written exercises. Readings, music and video will be used to present Italian culture. Textbook: Studio Italiano and workbook.
Gisella Petrone grew up in Italy. She received a Masters degree from the University of Calabria. She has taught English, Italian, Latin, Roman History, and Italian cooking.
This event is canceled. We will look forward to a future event with Eric Alterman.
Corte Madera store
Eric Alterman presents Kabuki Democracy: The System Vs. Barack Obama ($14.99). While Obama’s many compromises have disappointed liberals, Alterman argues that these concessions are largely due to a political system that is rigged against progressive change. Alterman is the author of What Liberal Media? and When Presidents Lie.
Corte Madera store, 9:00 am-5:00 pm
All Hospice used books will be on sale at 50% off at Book Passage in Corte Madera. This is a chance to get some great bargains and familiarize yourself with our Hospice by the Bay used book collection.
Corte Madera store, $60
Register by phone: (415) 927-0960, ext. 1
48-hour advance registration required. Class limited to six students.
You’ve written a brilliant story and can’t wait to hear what others think. You’re stuck and need a critique. What to do? Bring your manuscript—a picture book, a chapter from a novel, or even just an idea (ten-page limit) and we’ll workshop on the spot. Amy Novesky is an independent children’s book editor, author, and experienced workshop leader.
Olivier Said and Chef MikeC present Kitchen on Fire ($35.00). Chefs Said and MikeC of Berkeley’s famed Kitchen on Fire! combine their many years of experience to present all the basic techniques necessary to create great food.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
David Richo talks about Daring to Trust: Opening Ourselves to Real Love and Intimacy ($21.95). Richo explores the importance of trust throughout our emotional lives: how it develops in childhood and how it becomes an essential aspect of healthy adult relationships. Richo is the author of How to Be an Adult.
Corte Madera store
Order a signed copy
Roberta Price discusses Across the Great Divide: A Photo Chronicle of the Counterculture ($34.95). Living in domes, adobes, octagonal houses built from reject railroad ties, several hundred young pioneers tried to create an alternative, collective, and simpler way of living. Price shows us the world they made during the high tide of the commune movement in the American Southwest in the 1960s.
