Redwood Writers Vintage Voices 2009 Book Launch Party

There were quite a few firsts at our fourth annual Vintage Voices Launch Party. The largest attendance and the highest temperature for the annual September event were both firsts. The diversity in ethnicity, age, and gender of our readers also reflected the diversity of prose and poetry served up in the outdoor café readings.

Thank you to Jean Wong, who not only read her piece, but emceed the afternoon session at North Light Books. Linda Loveland Reid, President of Redwood Writers, welcomed everyone and congratulated Karen Batchelor, editor of the anthology, for a great success. Rob Koslowsky was recognized for his beautiful cover design and Linda McCabe for giving the book it's name: Centi' Anni: May you live 100 years. Both the cover and name were winning entries. Jean Wong, emceed the day, telling a little bit about each reader.

As members and their guests arrived, they were treated to a wonderful selection of 100-word entries read by Ana Manwaring from the ‘Fringe’ topic of “Ordinary People/Extraordinary Moments.” The fifty-plus attendees stayed throughout the afternoon heat and were treated to the prose and poetry of Don Hagelberg, Debbie Koehler, Persia Woolley, Farrell Winter, Juanita Martin, and Laura McHale-Holland. These first-half readers delighted their audience until the break when plenty of iced tea and water were consumed and purchases of Vintage Voices were made.

The second-half readers held the attention of the audience with wonderful readings served up by Arletta Dawdy, Mona Mechling, Tomoko Hareda Ferguson, John Abbott, Harry Reid, Brenda Bellinger and Linda Loveland Reid. Harry Reid’s piece touched on the idea of how new relationships lead to new experiences and this notion could be seen working its magic on September 26^th, “New members of the Redwood Writers bring their experiences to the table of our literary feast.” And what a fine feast it was. Be sure to check out Vintage Voices - Centi’Anni: May You Live 100 Years.