Upcoming Oakland event

This event is not about Woman of Ill Fame, but instead my book Oakland's Neighborhoods. I was given a grant from the city's Cultural Funding Department to write it, and so librarian Steve Lavoie has teamed me up with Jeff Norman, Ly Nguyen and Anh-Hoa Thi Nguyen so we can all talk about our grant-driven Oakland books.

Jeff's book is Temescal Legacies, and it has hit the SF Chronicle Bestseller List! It's about the history of this Oakland neighborhood, told through oral histories collected by Jeff.

Ly Nguyen and Anh-Hoa Thi Nguyen's book is called As-Is. They are two of the contributors to this collection that showcases art and literature from the Bay Area's Vietnamese community.

My book Oakland's Neighborhoods is a combination of neighborhood histories, A-Z, researched and written by me, and creative writing by residents about their neighborhood.

What follows is the official library press release.

Meet the Authors of Three Books Documenting Oakland

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(Oakland, CA)—In an exciting evening celebrating our city in print, Oakland Public Library will host the authors of three fine books documenting Oakland’s diverse history, stories, and neighborhoods. Come hear from and meet authors Erika Mailman, Jeff Norman, Ly Nguyen and Anh-Hoa Thi Nguyen as they promote their books, each of which was funded through the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program. Steven Huss, Acting Cultural Arts Programs Coordinator for the City of Oakland, will help to introduce the evening’s program and the city’s funding objectives. The event will take place Thursday, March 8, 2007 from 6 to 8 pm at Oakland’s Main Library, 125-14th Street.

The books will be available for sale and signing at the event. The titles are Oakland's Neighborhoods by Erika Mailman, Temescal Legacies by Jeff Norman, and As Is, an anthology of visual and literary art by the Vietnamese Artists Collective, which will be presented by editors and collective members Ly Nguyen and Anh-Hoa Thi Nguyen. Each book has been well received by critics and the public, and each will serve as a lasting resource to help in the understanding and enjoyment of our city.

The program is sponsored by the Oakland History Room of the Oakland Public Library. For more information, please call (510) 238-3222, or see the Library's Web site: www.oaklandlibrary.org. Additional information about the authors can be found on the following Websites: http://www.sharedground.org/New_Book.html (for Temescal Legacies), http://www.erikamailman.com/, and http://www.vacollective.org/. Please refrain from wearing scented products. To request sign interpretation, or other accommodation, call the number above or (510) 834-7446 (TTY) at least five working days prior to the event. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.