Spring 2003 Special Events

The Sitting Room · Spring 2006 Special Events

Sitting Room events are free and open to all (though we ask for reservations for the Nov. 4 dinner)on a space-available basis, unless otherwise indicated. We cannot offer childcare, however. They will be held at J.J. Wilson's house, 2025 Curtis Drive, just off Petaluma Hill Rd., south of E. Cotati Blvd. and Sonoma State Univ. You may park in the lot belonging to our good neighbors, the Church of Christ, just next door, thus leaving J.J.'s driveway free for people who may need to use the ramp.

Oakland Blues Mothers
Sunday, March 12, 2006 At J.J.'s house (directions above)
Potluck lunch: noon; Sarah Baker, Oakland Blues Mothers: 1pm
One of the great migrations to California occurred during World War II, when work in the Kaiser shipyards brought scores of people, both black and white from the southern United States to California. The black population, of Richmond and Oakland, California, mostly from the south, increased by 80% at this time! Although not everyone worked in the shipyards, those who did needed to be fed. The astute women who opened restaurants and cafes in both cities served this huge new population. The resulting sense of community drew musicians such as Ivory Joe Hunter, John Lee Hooker, and Jimmy McCracklin, who began to play their blues during supper. “Supper” clubs provided not only a social venue, but an entirely new kind of blues—the East Bay Sound—nourished by these forward-thinking business women. Described as a "slow drag," this combination of Louisiana-Texas blues soon became known world wide for its unusual, mournful sound. In this multi-media presentation, Sarah honors these musical mothers and the legacy of music and community that emerged from their work.

Anna-Lisa Cox
A Stronger Kinship: One Town's Extraordinary Story of Hope and Faith
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 7pm, at J.J.'s house (directions above)
Anna-Lisa Cox joins us to discuss her recent study of Covert, Michigan, home to 2,600 residents today—1,200 Caucasians, 900 African-Americans and 500 Hispanics. That's an unusual mix for a rural Midwestern town, which, as Cox reveals, has an intriguing history. Focusing on the late 19th-century, Cox, a historian at Chicago's Newberry Library, recounts how Covert became racially integrated just after the Civil War and how its residents lived harmoniously thereafter, even as other American towns practiced segregation or ended up bedeviled by racial hatred.

Etel Adnan, In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Noon, SSU Library, Schulz 3001 (NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION)
Etel Adnan is a local treasure (and friend of The Sitting Room) whose visit to SSU is always a cause for celebration. A native of Lebanon, she has lived in the Bay area, Paris and Beirut since the 1950's. Adnan has published numerous works of poetry and prose whose hallmark is an "intense emotive strength of perception." She will be reading from her latest work, In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country, a haunting meditation on place and history. Not to be missed! For more info, contact Barbara Lesch McCaffrey, 664-2273, If you are unable to be there in person, you can view it at: www.streaming.sonoma.edu

25th (!) Birthday Party for The Sitting Room
Sunday, May 7, 2006 from 2 to 5pm, at J.J.'s house (directions above)
Come one, come all to celebrate the quarter century of reading and writing (+ good conversations) that go on at this unique community resource. As usual, there will be cake and fruit and flowers for the guests; presents (anything on paper) are welcome. Copies of our Spring publication, Readers Unite!, (see notice inside) will be available and contributors will read aloud from their brief essays. The event will take place at J.J. Wilson's house at 2025 Curtis Drive, right near Sonoma State University. If you need directions and/or want more information, please telephone J.J. in May, 795-9028.

Annette Parks, Bridge Work
Monday, May 15, 2006, Potluck 6pm, The Sitting Room
Annette Parks, long time friend of the Sitting Room, is back from her travels with a new novel tucked under her arm, Bridge Work. Set on California’s redwood coast in the early 1970’s, this novel explores the cataclysmic changes taking place in the people and land of this era. Join us for potluck and conversation.

Present at the Creation: the Sonoma County RoadWriters
Saturday, June 17, 2006 7pm, the Sitting Room
The Sonoma County RoadWriters (Doug Stout, Vilma Ginzburg, Batja Cates, David Beckman and Jennifer Weil) bring you an evening of poetry and improvisation. The RoadWriters are a traveling troop of California poets who lift the veil on the creative process, bringing you into the fun, inspiration and risk-taking that are part of the act of writing. Share our skills, craftsmanship and excitement about poetry through live performance, read from our ever-growing anthology of poems on the creation of poetry, submitted by over 30 area poets, Involve the audience, taking suggestions and improvising -- the ultimate literary "high wire act." So you’re invited to be PRESENT AT THE CREATION. We look forward to an evening of poetry, improvisation and fun with you.

Special Events Archive

Note: These events are free and open to all (though we ask for reservations for the Nov. 4 dinner)on a space-available basis, unless otherwise indicated. We cannot offer childcare, however. They will be held at J.J. Wilson's house, 2025 Curtis Drive, just off Petaluma Hill Rd., south of E. Cotati Blvd. and Sonoma State Univ. You may park in the lot belonging to our good neighbors, the Church of Christ, just next door, thus leaving J.J.'s driveway free for people who may need to use the ramp.