San Francisco
Baker Beach: I spent a lot of time there when I lived in SF. I loved that little beach – loved watching the doggies run free, loved bringing friends from out of town to ogle at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The last scene in my novel “Bear Witness” takes place on this beach, with the three best friends running and playing and enjoying life.
When my friend Michelle and I arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday (after a brief, fun visit to Redwood City), I dragged her to the beach so a) she could see it and ogle at the Golden Gate Bridge and b) I could have a full-circle moment. It didn’t disappoint.
Books, Inc. in the Marina hosted my reading, and at one point I jumped into the audience and posed for a picture with the sweet, kind faces who came to the event. I told them I was going to post it on my website. Drop me a line in the “Contact” area if you checked to see if I did! Thank you so much to those who made it out, and to the people at Books, Inc. for making the event feel so special. I hope to come back soon(ish) with my new book.
Another weird full circle moment: At the reading, someone (Caroline) said they, too, had a fear of kidnapping as a child, and thought it was due to the Patty Hearst story from the 70’s, and she wondered if that might have been the origins of my fear. I emphatically agreed and said I remembered distinctly watching tennis on TV with my mom when there was a Special Report that interrupted the game. It was the news of Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, and it was very alarming.
Later that night (the night of the reading), my friend Michelle and I found our way to a bar in Bernal Heights where she was meeting up with a friend she hadn’t seen in 30 years. He was playing in a band when we entered, and we took a seat, ordered drinks, and listened to them. At one point in the evening, I looked up at the wall near my seat and saw the original “Wanted” poster from Patty Hearst’s kidnapping was framed and hanging right above me. I later learned that she was found and rescued a few blocks away from that bar.
I don’t know what any of it means, but at the time it just felt that something about this book, this trip, this reading, was right on track.