I was talking to a bookseller at Kepler's the other day about Bay area authors, and was surprised to find that she knew ones I didn't know and vice versa. Who are your favorites?

I live in the North Bay and my favorites are Gerald Haslam (retired from Sonoma State University), Dorothy Allison, the author of one of my favorites, Bastard Out of Carolina, and Greg Sarris who wrote Grand Avenue.

I may do a Bay Area category for the 888 challenge next year because there are so many great writers here. Our local library has a Book Festival each fall which has included many Bay Area writers like Michael Pollan and Khaled Hosseini.

I'm now reading Michael Chabon, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union." (He and his wife, author Ayelet Waldman, live in Berkeley.)

Ursula K. Le Guin is a favorite of mine; she lives in Berkeley.

(Sorry, touchstone not working; her name is all messed up in many variations.)

Message edited by its author, Jun 1, 2008, 12:03am.

Jack Vance.

Message edited by its author, Jun 1, 2008, 6:11pm.

> Ursula K. LeGuin ... lives in Berkeley.

I didn't know that!

Mary Roach and Kim Addonizio.

(There are two listings under "Mary Roach" which have already been combined, but I guess that's why the touchstone doesn't work for her.)

Michael Chabon asked me if I was leaving my parking spot in the Allston Street garage yesterday. I had just pulled into the spot, unfortunately. Sorry, Michael.

He was wearing a straw hat. Was with his wife. I was taking my kids to their swim lessons at the Y.

Michelle Richmond. Her new novel, No One You Know, which I got an Early Reviewer ARE for, is wonderful!

John Caris lives in San Francisco. We see him at concerts by San Francisco Music Players. (He has a website:www.westgatehouse.com that has thought-provoking essays. . . and some of my pictures.)

Firoozeh Dumas (Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without An Accent) lives in Berkeley.

mcna217 - Which library has this awesome sounding Book Festival? I want to go check that out this fall!

Greil Marcus (Lipstick Traces, The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice)lives in Berkeley

Message edited by its author, Jul 8, 2008, 1:00pm.

#11

Sonoma County Book Festival

http://www.socobookfest.org/

I checked their website, they don't have this year's schedule up yet, but it's September 30th

#13 > I just checked the link you provided. The website now says the Book Festival is on September 20. Looks like fun!

Meg Waite Clayton is one of my favorites, especially since she did a reading in the city I live in. :-)

But I'm DYING to read more of Michelle Richmond and maybe even attend a reading of hers, though she tends to stick to SF, and I live almost an hour north. :-(

I interviewed the young adult writer Ralph Moody years ago for a school project. At the time he was living in Rossmoor. I chatted with him in the rock polishing studio and he gave me a rock.

:-) Thank you, Trish.

Firoozeh Dumas actually lives on my side of the bay; she's a neighbor of mine!

Also on my side of the bay:

Lolly Winston (Good Grief, Happiness Sold Separately)
Lalita Tademy (Red River, Cane River)

I thought this article about local writers who won the PEN may be of interest to this group.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

This in no way relates to the topic at hand, but I feel sure the folks who hang in the Bay Area wouldn't want to miss a wonderful new Internet radio show by our own rocketjk!

It's over here! On until noon Pacific time.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Robert Silverberg as a Bay Area author. I remember reading a story of his in Omni back in the late 70s or early 80s, and being actually vaguely familiar with the mean streets of Walnut Creek where he set his story.

Owen Hill has written a couple of mysteries sleuthed by a Berkeley book scout/detective. Author lives there, too.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much - out this fall by Bay area author Allison Hoover Bartlett! I'm reading it now and really enjoying it.