An Evening with Barbara Kingsolver
Marjory Leonard meets Barbara Kingsolver at the discussion of her new book Lacuna.
About 14 Fremont Branch AAUW members made the trek to the newly-opened Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center located on the Menlo-Atherton High School on the evening of November 18 to hear author Barbara Kingsolver read excerpts from her new book The Lacuna and answer some questions from the audience.
Looking very fashionable in a black outfit with smashing red boots, Kingsolver started with compliments for the collaboration of high school meeting place, local library sponsorship and Kepler’s Book Store endorsement. “This supports,” said Kingsolver, “the three faces of democracy: public libraries, schools and book stores.”
Her new novel, The Lacuna, which has been reviewed very favorably, took Kingsolver seven years to write. She must have been in the process of writing it at the same time she wrote Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
In the Q&A period Margery Leonard, lead chairperson of AAUW Fremont Branch’s One Book, One Community project, asked Kingsolver if she and the members of her band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, would consent to come to the Fremont library to perform and help raise funds at a difficult time. This is a band that was formed with a group of authors. Among them are: Kingsolver, Stephen King, Amy Tam, Scott Turow, Dave Berry and others.
Her reply? She didn’t have control of the band and its output.
After the reading, many of the Fremont AAUW members stood in line to have their books signed by Kingsolver. Several got their pictures taken with her.
The evening ended with dessert, coffee and conversation at Café Barrone. A terrific close to a memorable time with one of America’s greatest authors.