Parks and Gardens in Greater Paris

Local Authors Festival







Are you looking for a good book to read? At the Local Authors Festival, which was held on Sunday April 3 at the Rinconada Library, authors shared stories that ranged from Paris to a cruise adventure to toxicology. Besides speaking, the authors were available for book signing.

As library customers entered the south doors, they were met by a festive scene. Balloons decorated the breezeway, and authors were sitting at tables with their books ready for purchase. Before entering the Embarcadero room, programs were on a table along with name tags for the authors and a floral that was a single white rose.

Each author spoke for twenty minutes. During their talk, the authors shared how they became interested in writing and their motivation for writing their book.

Jacqueline Widmar Stewart has always loved French culture. Later when she took up photography, she combined her two interests to produce exquisite coffee table books on Paris and France. Jacqui wrote in her blog, “Kudos to Palo Alto on its new forum. Like bouquinistes lining the Seine on a Sunday, writers amid stacks of tomes received their readers along the breezeway corridor. Here’s wishing the city an equally distinguished literary future.”

Imagine taking a cruise with other wealthy men only to return and learn that you could be a pauper. That’s what happened to some of the individuals on the Millionaires Cruise by Don McPhail. Don said, “The Rinconada Library audience was quite welcoming and widely read, and it is clear that they love their library!”

Alan Wu shared a story from his book, Toxicology. It is a tale of two college boys who came home for the holidays. One attended school on the East Coast, and one attended school on the West Coast. Upon returning to school, both became ill. The West Coast student was correctly diagnosed and was immediately treated with antibiotics. On the other hand, the health center for the East Coast student thought that it was the flu. One lived and one died. The West Coast student lived.

Authors presenting or signing were: Dante Drummond (Homeward Bound); Susan Edelman (Be Your Own Brand of Sexy); SuAnn and Kevin Kiser (Sherman the Sheep); Liz Lee (The House at 844 1⁄2); Jean Libby (John Brown Photo Chronology); Don McPhail (Millionaires Cruise); Stuart Rojstaczer (Mathematician’s Shiva); Elizabeth (Betty) Schneider (Forbidden Friends); Peter Stangl (Painted Pebbles); Jacqueline Stewart (Parks and Gardens in Greater Paris); Alan Wu (Toxicology).

All books are available for check-out at the Rinconada Library. The Local Interest Collection is continuously being added to. If you know of a Palo Alto author, then have them contact Anita Delaney at the Rinconada Library. This is a special collection for the Palo Alto community.

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/52334

Rendering by Richard Elmore 2-12-2012

Woman's Club of Palo Alto
Incorporated 1894
At this location since 1916




Palo Alto sidewalk                    
Photo by JWStewart


Only today has Yours Truly discovered this most amazing Palo Alto institution that draws the epitome of both charm and intellect.  Superb presentations here perfectly balance know-how with style.

Here's wishing this venerable group all success in restoring and retrofitting their landmark.

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Google book-scanning project

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3057221/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-google-book-scanning-project.html

Kudos to Palo Alto on its new forum.

The now renovated Rinconada Library held a Local Authors Festival on April 3, at which 10 authors, including yours truly, read from their work.  Like bouqinists lining the Seine on a Sunday, writers amid stacks of tomes received their readers along the breezeway corridor.

Here's wishing the city an equally distinguished literary future.

Near Crémant

How sumptuous Champagne in the spring!

Congratulations to Slovenia! 
25 years of independence as Old Europe's new nation!

Announcing with great pleasure the 5th printing of Finding Slovenia!

Club Slovenia
www.facebook.com/ClubSlovenia

San Francisco Bay Area Slovenes celebrated Slovenian Culture Day with a fascinating talk this evening by author Jacqueline Widmar Stewart on Slovenia's "Iron Age Ancestry" through which she took us on a journey that delved into the history of early settlements in Slovenia. From Piran to Ptuj, up Soča and down the Ljubljanica - Stewart led a dynamic discussion, supplemented with photographs of Slovenian regions and artifacts, on the ways in which the influence of Celtic tribes from 850BCE to zero can be seen across Slovenia.  

Iron Age Ancestry

Golden hats and elaborate medallions do not spring into the mind at the mention of Europe’s prehistoric times, at least not yet.  As archeology uncovers more and more of these items, however, the usual notions of ancestral capabilities need to adjust.  Pageants with men and women in bright flowing costumes riding decorated horses may replace stale visions of cave people chasing each other with iron mallets.