Healdsburg Literary Cafe

Last night I attended Healdsburg’s Literary Café at the Senior Center. Featured readers were Sher Christian, performance poet from Bodega, reading poems from her book Star Kissed Shadows, and accompanied on the piano by her husband, John; and Lian Gouw, first time novelist who read excerpts from her book, Only a Girl. Both of these delightful women writers are charming and approachable.

In the lowered lights of Healdsburg Senior Center’s large room, attendees seated themselves at tables for four transformed by tablecloths and real-looking candles into a charming cafe. A spread of fruit, cookies, cakes, and tea was offered to attendees. Books and CDs were available for purchase.

The evening started with an open mic session, where writers read from their own short works or poetry, or read poetry by another author. About twelve people read and a variety of local talent was represented, from a young boy reading from his newly begun short story, to Vilma Ginsberg, Healdsburg’s Literary Laureate 2008/2009 reading from several works. From a rollicking yodeling poem/song, to the Chicken Diaries, written and read by our host, it was an enjoyable evening.

Lian Gouw wrote Only a Girl out of her experiences growing up in Indonesia. She found a gap in the writing set in that country—the voice of the Chinese experience. Set in the great world events from 1930 to 1952—the Great Depression, World War II, and the Indonesian Revolution—Gouw offers an enlightening exploration of those events seen through the eyes of four women.

I hadn’t attended a Literary Café evening before, and once again I found it’s easy to spend a delightful evening in Healdsburg.

*An apology and disclaimer—I didn’t get the names of all the writers and readers last night, and I’m sorry for not being able to attach everyone’s name with the work they read last night. But I appreciate everyone who contributed to such a delicious evening and I hope to learn your names, faces, and voices the next time we meet.

**Interested in Only a Girl? Lian Gouw’s website is www.liangouw.com

**Interested in Star Kissed Shadows? Sher Lianne Christian’s website is http://lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/