Bonanza Street Books, a home away from home

jenniferkate — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:54:43 -0800

When I found out that this week the topic was favorite bookstores, I thought, “Oh, this is going to be a tough one.” For me it’s asking which cat is my favorite, or which See’s chocolate I would like. It’s pretty darn tough. When I’d visited my dad on weekends during my childhood, we’d spend hours in bookstores. “Stay where I can see you,” he would tell me, and I did. Dad, ...

Shelf Discovery Challenge: Dating in Woodmont

jenniferkate — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:23:53 -0800

Won't you let me walk you home from school Won't you let me meet you at the pool Maybe Friday I can get tickets for the dance and I'll take you…. Big Star, “Thirteen” Although the ages aren’t the same, I had this song in my head when I read Beverly ...

I'm Not Going to Disneyland! I am going to write a novel and read Beverly Cleary!

jenniferkate — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:45 -0700

After I stopped writing for the GL project last month, people asked me “What are you going to do next?” I almost wanted to tell them “I’m going to Disneyland!” I didn’t because it sounded snarky, also I didn’t even have the money to go to Disneyland. However, it is time for a new writing project, and a new blogging project as well. First off, the writing ...

Oh London, you're my hometown

jenniferkate — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:30:17 -0700

Gertrude Stein once said: “America is my country, but Paris is my hometown.” I’ve lived in the Bay Area all my life, but I know how Gert feels. Although in my case, London is my hometown. As many of you might know, I got the chance to spend the semester in London when I was twenty. I don’t think it really hit me I was going until I was on the plane. There were snafus with getting money ...

Where You'll Find Her

jenniferkate — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:03:32 -0700

The first time I saw The Wizard of Oz, I was five years old. I was at my dad’s. “Do you know what’s going to be on, baby?” He said to me when picking me up for a weekend visit. “It’s The Wizard of Oz! “ I swear to God, I thought he was going to jump and down. In his studio apartment, Dad made Jiffy-Pop popcorn and we watched the movie. I was so scared for Dorothy in the ...

Be brave, little one

jenniferkate — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:18:12 -0700

There have been times I’ve wanted to be rescued. From a bad teacher, from a bad work situation—from life. Usually, I had books and movies to help me escape. One of the first movies I saw in a theater especially helped me at times, and the title is perfect for this week’s blog: The Rescuers. My parents made a deal when they split up: Dad would take me to Disney ...

On Labels, Women's Rights, and The Feminist and the Fuzz

jenniferkate — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:50:14 -0700

It shouldn't come to anyone's surprise that the staff here at Red Room try to be in touch with the best of everything. We only watch the best television shows on PBS, we only read the best authors, and we try to watch Films with a capital C. Therefore, we had to watch a classic for our first Red Room Movie Club Pick. We had to watch a film that stood the test of time. We saw The Feminist and ...

The Sun's Setting Fast

jenniferkate — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:16:47 -0700

I've said good-bye to many things in my life: clothes that didn't fit me anymore, homes, schools, I said goodbye to pets I loved, and to my grandparents who I adored. Yet nothing was more bittersweet when I said good-bye to Pleasant Hill, California, the town I lived in for twenty-seven years. The odd thing was I had wanted to leave Pleasant Hill for years. I did leave in 2004 for Mills ...

Guiding Light Project: The End of Summer

jenniferkate — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:28:22 -0700

1:55. How many times have I sat down on the couch, turned on the TV to channel 5, and got ready for Guiding Light? So many times, I've lost track. This will be the last time. Last time I will sit down on the couch and watch the show. Okay. Here we go. 2:00: Oh, fantastic beginning. They go from the current opening to the one that started in 1952. 2:02: Dang! Is that Fletcher? He ...

"The Time To Make Up Your Mind About Somebody Is Never"

jenniferkate — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:37:02 -0700

I’m not good at forgiving people; surprising yet true. I still have a grudge against the person who stole my favorite pen in 6th grade twenty-five years ago. Yet there have been times in my life when I had to forgive people to move on. When my grandfather died thirteen years ago, I was so angry at his second wife that it took everything I could not to scream at the top of my lungs at her. ...

Shouldering the Dead

jenniferkate — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:40:27 -0700

CelloDorianne Laux When a dead tree falls in a forestit often falls into the armsof a living tree. The dead,thus embraced, rasp in wind,slowly carving a nichein the living branch, shearing awaythe rough outer flesh, revealingthe pinkish, yellowish, feverishinner bark. For yearsthe dead tree rubs its fallen bodyagainst the living, buildingits dead music, making its raw mark,wearing the ...

Welcome to College Baby Girl!

jenniferkate — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:17:04 -0700

Five years ago last month was my first day at Mills College. I waited a good portion of my life to go to four-year college. I have learning disabilities that prevented me from passing algebra; however, at Mills they didn't require it to get in. I would have to take it while I was there, but I wasn't thinking about that on August 25th, 2004. I was thinking that I was starting four-year college. ...

"Martin Luther King's Birthday is a Holiday?"

jenniferkate — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:42:52 -0700

I'm joining the entire Red Room community in writing a short blog post on this week's topic: "Bad Manners." We'll choose at least one of these blogs to be featured on Red Room's homepage next week, and we'll choose three blog writers to receive free books from Red Room Authors. Submit your blog entry by Friday at 10:30 a.m. PDT [GMT-0700] for consideration. Be sure to tag the ...

Ellie Greenwich: Leader of the Pack

jenniferkate — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:29:29 -0700

Ellie Greenwich died today at the age of sixty-eight. You might not know her name, but I'm betting you know her music. People have always said I've had eclectic taste in music. One person asked me once what was on my CD player at the moment. I told him: Vince Guraldi, Natalie Merchant, Joni Mitchell, Loretta Lynn, and The Monkees. He looked at me and said "Wow, usually when I ask people ...

Day By Day Oh Dear Lord Three Things I Pray

jenniferkate — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:40:41 -0700

I'm joining the entire Red Room community in writing a short blog post on this week's trio of topics: "Sex, Religion, and/or Politics." The form and the content of the blog entry are open to personal interpretation--you can blog about one or any combination of these subjects. We'll choose at least one of these blogs to be featured on Red Room's homepage next week, and we'll choose three ...