Book Review by Heidi Simmons
The Rancho Mirage Library in association with the Palm Springs Writer’s Guild recently held its second annual Desert Writer’s Expo. With 42 authors in attendance, the event hosted an array of colorful, interesting and provocative local writers and their work.
Mostly self-published, the predominately mature group had a great deal to offer. The books are filled with wit and wisdom, humor and horror, adventure and attitude. These talented authors share knowledge and experience in carefully written memoirs, self-help, fiction and nonfiction.
Here is just a small taste of the flavor of the expo.
Late Bloomer Millionaires: A Financial Story and Investment Guide for Late Starters by Steve Schullo and Dan Robertson is a personal account and guide to financial planning and investing. Schullo and Robertson have been partners for 38 years. Both educators, when it came to their retirement funds, they realized they had a lot to learn.
Neither is a licensed financial advisor, nor are they looking to generate business. The two simply share their mistakes, successes and strategies from 1994 to the publishing of the book in 2011. They are open and honest and provide an easy to understand, holistic, long-term and low-cost investing approach for those who want to take control of their own finances. It includes graphs and tables, a glossary and references.
My Mother Died Before I Could Kill Her, a novel by Seymour Englander is closely based on the author’s own life growing up in South Africa. The character, Josh Pendrey looks back at his life when he returns home to his ailing mother’s bedside. The first person narrative tells a loving account of his coming-of-age during apartheid.
The title refers to the author’s mother’s “death contract” or living will and her right to die. She requested her son to simply put a pillow over her head to end her suffering. The title also refers to Englander’s favorite phrase as a boy when his mother denied his requests or interfered with his plans. He often said, “I could murder her.”
A Broad Abroad in Iran: An Expat’s Misadventures in the Land of Male Dominance and A Broad Abroad in Thailand: An Expat’s Misadventures in the Land of Smiles are Dodie Cross’s bold and humorous books of her experience living in foreign lands. A distinctly out-spoken feminine point of view makes her a real fish-out-of-water in these award-winning stories.
Burt Upson was in the World Trade Center’s South Tower giving a lecture on September 11, 2001. On a Clear Day: 9/11 An Eyewitness Account tells of his horrendous and life affirming experience surviving that notorious event.
Morris Diamond is 91. In his memoir, The Name Dropper or People I Schlepped With he shares his experiences and personal relationships as a successful record producer in a career that spans over seven decades. From Tommy Dorsey to Michael Jackson, Diamond drops over 100 names.
Author, speaker and consultant Dr. Beverly Battaglia, a social psychologist, shares the challenges couples face when they retire in her book Couples Changing Lanes: Redefining Retirement. With practical advice and examples, Battaglia helps lay out a roadmap to enrich the retirement experience.
A children’s book, Griff, by Merian Snow, is about a pure-bred Brussels Griffon who moves to Palm Springs from Oklahoma and learns to make friends while simultaneously helping his owner to acclimate. A true story, Griff was abandoned by a puppy mill for being four times the normal size for the breed and was eventually rescued by Snow.
With over 20 years working with chocolate, Tony Manne’s Anthony’s Chocolates On-the-Go makes cooking chocolate fun, easy and delicious. This oversized cookbook has beautiful pictures and step-by-step simple directions for creating treats from truffles to turtles.
The Desert Writers Expo is great fun and amazingly entertaining because so many of the authors are accomplished people. They take their writing seriously and have taken time and energy to carefully construct and articulate a narrative that is important and meaningful to them. The purpose of their creative endeavor is to share their stories and experiences with others. The opportunity to talk with these remarkable authors and peruse their books was a delight. This expo consisted of a room filled with treasures — both books and authors.
