New Orleans visit rich and bittersweet Thursday, Nov 26 2009

Painting of Mardi Gras Indian

They call it the City that Care Forgot, the Crescent City, the Big Easy–it’s a great city for both saints and sinners. I lived there for 15 years and experienced a lot of life in many different ways. I hadn’t been back in 5 years and was a little apprehensive. My visit was short–only 5 days, and most of it was spent catching up with old friends I had known for 23 years, 17 years, 15 years. As usual, the city graced me with its amazing sensory complexity–architecture, food, personalities, celebration, and a little sadness walking those old familiar streets with so many memories. I was treated like a queen by my friends. There is almost no city I can imagine that has more joie de vivre than does New Orleans. I was hosted by friends Kathleen Turpel and her partner Alessia, (an Italian goddess ) at Nona Mia, and wined and dined by my darling “adopted daughters” Kimmie Kiviranna and Julie Pieri at restaurant August. My brother and his wife took us out to Marigny Brasserie and I got to see my nephew Val who has lived in New Orleans since he arrived to help with the Red Cross and eventually other agencies after Katrina. He was also born there–and that is another story for another post. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Cheryl Gautier and her lovely family greeted me with love and warmth and unsurpassed friendship. So that’s what I mean by rich and bittersweet. It’s hard to live so far away from long time friends, and from the very extraordinary city that is New Orleans.

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Jeanette Boyer on Women’s Voices Nov 30 Thursday, Nov 26 2009

Jeanette Boyer, author of Junkyard Dreams

Jeanette Boyer, author of Junkyard Dreams, moved to Mendocino for eight months in order to write her second novel. Two years later, she is still here, still writing (she says she is a slow writer!) and feeling at home in northern California. Join me for an interview with Jeanette Boyer on Women’s Voices Monday November 30th at 7:00 PM Pacific time to explore elements of a writer’s life: the writer’s process, inspiration, themes, and how to stay with the creative process while earning a living.

“My family moved a lot, often driving cross country for long stretches at a time, sleeping in the car when we had too little money to stay in even the cheapest of motels. It was on those voyages that I first began to compose stories. Seeing houses in the middle of nowhere and wondering who lived in them, I invented lives. Junkyard Dreams resulted from my personal attempt to prevent the development of a ridgetop near my home in New Mexico. Although completely fictional, the novel represents my attempt to understand why our very desire for beauty can lead us to damage our environment.”

How does the writing process affect our lives as artists and world citizens, and how can we use our art and writing to affect social change? Join us on Women’s Voices to hear about the writing life and how to make it happen!

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Christina Perez Slam Poet on Women’s Voices November 9 Tuesday, Nov 3 2009

On November 9th at 7:00 PM Pacific Time Monday November 9 I’ll be interviewing Latina slam/performance poet Christina Perez on Women’s Voices, streaming live on www.KZYX.org. It should be a very interesting show– Christina is an amazing performance poet. I met her at the Mendocino Coast Writer’s Conference this past summer and was blown away by the power of her poetry and her presence.

Her work is comedic, political, self-exposing, and connecting. Her poems are both deeply personal and completely honest. Christina mines for words that get right “to the bone,” yet maintain a deft and hypnotic complexity, and she is explosively engaging to watch. She uses voice and body to add layer, depth, and power to her art. Christina will also perform in Fort Bragg at Women’s Open Mic Night at V’Cantos restaurant at 124 East Laurel Steet on Thursday November 12th. One performance only: 7:30 PM

We want to bring Christina to Fort Bragg for future workshops with at-risk youth in association with the Mendocino Coast Writer’s Conference,  Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Mendocino County, and the Youth Project, so if you are in the area on November 12th, support this vision and stop by V’Cantos to experience her amazing voice for yourself!

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