Performing Artists Bring Sister Stories to Life

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - Oct. 28, 2014 - PRLog -- ROHNERT PARK, Calif., Oct. 28, 2014 — When author and editor Laura McHale Holland put out a call for creative writing about sisters one year ago, she didn’t expect word to travel far beyond her immediate circle of friends. However, the theme struck a chord. She soon received memoirs, poems, essays and short stories from every continent except Antarctica, and the slim volume she had envisioned grew into a full-length book.

“A bigger book meant increased costs, so I raised funds through Pubslush, a crowdfunding platform devoted to literary projects,” Holland said. “When I approached Michael McCullaugh, co-owner of the Redwood Café, about the campaign, he didn’t just donate; he suggested I do an event with Sound Kitchen, a local band that often does joint shows with other artists. I accepted the offer even though sharing the bill with a band meant I’d have to devise something more energetic than a typical literary reading. I’m thrilled that the prospect of this event, just like the book itself, was met with enthusiasm, and we have a spellbinding evening planned.”

The Redwood Café is at 8240 Old Redwood Hwy. in downtown Cotati. Several of the 75 authors who contributed to the anthology Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood will be at the Redwood early for dinner and to visit with any community members interested in their work. Petaluma Readers Theater co-founders Maureen Studer and Jennifer March and director/actress Leslie Scatchard will kick off the free entertainment at 7:15 p.m. with dramatic interpretations of three memoirs from the book. Local band Sound Kitchen will do a set of eclectic, energizing music. Then professional storytellers John Boe and Ruth Stotter, who contributed stories to the anthology, will tell their riveting tales. Afterward, Sound Kitchen will take the stage again.

Laura McHale Holland published the award-winning childhood memoir Reversible Skirt in 2011 and the flash fiction collection The Ice Cream Vendor’s Song in 2013. Sisters Born, Sisters Found will launch officially in January and can be pre-ordered via email to info@wordforest.com. For more information about this event and book, please visit http://wordforest.com or email info@wordforest.com.

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About the Editor:

Laura McHale Holland is the editor of Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood. Her prior publications include the flash fiction collection, The Ice Cream Vendor’s Song, and the award winning memoir, Reversible Skirt. Her writing has appeared in print and online in community newspapers, business periodicals and literary anthologies. Her play Are You Ready? was produced by Sixth Street Playhouse and Redwood Writers in 2014 and shortlisted for the Short+Sweet Sydney 2015 international festival. For more info, please visit http://lauramchaleholland.com.

About the Book:

Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood reveals the core of female hearts, divulges secrets, and captures poignant, compelling, complex relationships. This vibrant collection of work from across the globe isn’t only about blood sisters or women who like each other. Sisters can bond over movie nights. Stuff snails down each other’s throats. Steal each other’s clothes—and lovers. Scrounge for food together, tell stories together, work magic together—even kill together. Seventy-five gifted writers explore all of this and more is in the memoirs, short stories, essays and poems that form Sisters Born, Sisters Found.

ISBN: 97809829365
Preorder via email at info@wordforest.com

Review Copies and Media Interviews:

For a review copy of Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood or an interview with Laura McHale Holland, please email info@wordforest.com or phone 707-792-2409. If you would like to receive this information as a Word document, please let us know.

About the artists performing Nov. 12 at the Redwood Café:

John Boe recently retired from UC Davis, where he taught Shakespeare, Fairy Tales, Storytelling, Children’s Literature, and various writing courses. He has won teaching prizes from UC Davis and Phi Beta Kappa and first prize in the H. R. Roberts Literary Awards, Informal Essay Category. He has published widely, including Life Itself: Messiness is Next to Goddessness and Other Essays. He is also a professional storyteller. “The Face of the Following Eyes” first existed as a performance piece.

Jennifer March is the founder of Petaluma Readers Theatre. She started her acting career doing Oral Interpretation and it is still her favorite method of performance. More about PRT at www.petalumareaderstheatre.com.

Leslie Scatchard has been performing in one way or another for most of her life.  Lately she has been focusing on storytelling for grown-ups, with her second one-woman show due out this spring.  Leslie also directs the Petaluma Kids' Theatre at her performance space, Clear Heart, in Petaluma.

In addition to creating the Dominican University Certificate-in-Storytelling program, Ruth Stotter has performed and conducted storytelling workshops on five continents, authored and contributed to numerous books about storytelling and folklore, and for six years, produced The Oral Tradition—a storytelling radio show on KUSF-FM. In 2011, Ruth received the Oracle Life Time Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network. She is also the author of Little Acorns: An Introduction to Marin County Plant-Lore. The youngest of three sisters, Ruth is currently a competitive croquet player and kayaker.

What started as a teenage crush on the theatre has turned in to a life long love affair for Maureen Studer; her work in the theatre spans over 40 years—acting, directing, teaching and writing. She is a co-founder of Petaluma Readers Theatre and getting ready to publish her first romance novel, Show Fever.

To see Sound Kitchen jamming at the Redwood, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFuUCWVDnto. In addition to jazz, the band does blues, soul, Latin and funk music.