Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Author Kelly Corbet relaxes at home next to a framed picture of her son, Nolan. She also plays mom to her Siamese cat, Oscar.

Local author celebrates maternal wisdom

By Shari Kaplan

Mother's Day 2001 will be a special "first" for Los Gatan Kelly Corbet Weinschenk. Although she's always celebrated the holiday as a daughter, this year marks her debut as a mother. It's also the perfect time to share her first book: a glossy, jauntily illustrated little hardcover titled Love Lessons from My Mom (Important Stuff I Hope I Never Forget).

At two months old, it's even younger than Weinschenk's 9-month-old son, Nolan. It's moving much faster than the quiet, tow-headed baby, however. In fact, Weinschenk's publisher, Berkeley-based Celestial Arts, is already talking about a second printing.

There are still books available at the Barnes and Noble in Westgate Shopping Center at 1600 Saratoga Ave, however. This is a good thing, because that's where Weinschenk is holding a meet-and-greet and book-signing on May 10, at 7 p.m.--just in time for Mother's Day.

"Now I realize how much my mom loved me," she says of her feelings after Nolan's birth. "I always knew she loved me, but now I really get it. Now that I see what it really involves, I'm in awe of mothers!"

Weinschenk's inspiration for the book came during pregnancy, when she says she was overcome by "mom thoughts," relating both to her impending motherhood and the loving influence of her own mother, Barby Corbet Woods.

"My mom was such a fabulous mom, and I wanted to try to give my child a shot at a fabulous mom experience, too. At the time I was just taking notes for myself, but when I realized how amazing some of her insights were, I wrote a little Mother's Day book, and gave it to Mom as a gift," Weinschenk explains of the book's initial incarnation. "Now it's a gift for other people to catch a glimpse of her love and wisdom, and maybe be able to incorporate it into their own lives."

Being the author of the whimsical book is a far cry from the job Weinschenk held before starting a family with husband Bob. The holder of a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University, she worked for most of the 1990s as an environmental consultant, helping start-up and international companies create cleaner, more efficient products and services.

Her growing disenchantment in that field came to a head in 1998, which was propitious in light of her pregnancy the next year and her foray into the inspirational book genre.

"I really love the magic of words. I love the power they have on readers," she says, smiling. "And if I'm not writing on paper, I'm writing in my head!"

Weinschenk is not immune to the power of words. She says she's been known to forget to eat on busy days, but she never forgets to write--a happy thought, a reminder note, an idea for a possible story or an entry into the journal she's keeping for Nolan.

The central idea of Love Lessons from My Mom is the same philosophy with which she lives her life and what she envisions for her son and any future children: "Opportunities to learn about love are all around us, just waiting to be invited in."

With its two dozen chapters, ranging from witty ("Parking Lot Karma," "Being a Ham Sandwich") to wise ("A Chance to Reflect," "Inner Voice, Rejoice"), Weinschenk's book offers the perfect invitation.

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