Saratoga News

Saratoga Sampler

Mary Ann Cook

This literary group meets, no matter the day

KID LIT CRITIQUES: A group of West Valley women who write and/or illustrate children's books meets monthly at members' homes to offer encouragement and editorial help to each other. So dedicated is this group they even met the day before Christmas Eve. Publishing deadlines have a way of creeping up, no matter what the holiday. All are published authors, so we're not talking novices here. And children's literature may be among the toughest genres to break into.

Some of the most demanding writing is that directed toward the shortest among us. And this group says the situation has gotten worse in the past two years, what with the number of publishing companies diminishing as firms merge and the new tax on warehousing that means a shorter shelf life for the books that are published.

And the number of competitors is higher than ever. You have to develop a thick hide just to stay in the game. But these folks are in for the long haul: Pat Compton and Jan Stiles of Saratoga, Joy Hulme of Monte Sereno and Joan Cottle, Mary Eckhart, Roz Kay and Martha Kendall of Los Gatos. Kendall and Hulme also give presentations in classrooms, another demanding feat.

MONEY AND SEX: Women's relationship to money has changed dramatically over the past decades, and spending and saving strategies need to reflect those changes. So says Joan Perry, whose book, A Girl Needs Cash, or Banish the White Knight Myth and Take Charge of Your Finances, is due in bookstores Jan. 12. Perry believes she was born to write this book. Though she worked on Wall Street herself, she became financially dependent on a man. When the relationship ended, she was left without her own nest egg, having invested in a real estate deal he was involved in.

If it could happen to her, it could happen to anyone, and so her mission became writing the book. She has heavy-duty credentials: She was the first woman to own a municipal investment banking firm, developing large bond issues for such clients as the city of Chicago and the state of California. Take Charge Financial! is the company she runs today in Los Gatos, but for four years before that, her former company, Perry Investments, was based in Saratoga. Whereas before she dealt with agencies, today she services individuals.

The title of her book comes from an old Sophie Tucker warning: "From birth to 18 a girl needs a good family; from 18 to 35, good looks; from 35 to 55, a good personality; and from 55, on a girl needs cash." The book was written in collaboration with journalist Dolores Barclay.

IN TUNE WITH SEASON: Rose Pashos became a redhead in honor of the recent holiday season. Rose is a member of the Naomi Writers, a confluence of poets.

GETTING ORGANIZED: Feeling like you should get organized now that it's a new year? Karen Cassel may be able to help. Cassel runs a Creative Memories workshop three times a month. Participants meet for three hours to make a memorable keepsake from photos. Safety is the key here in preserving photos and memories. You supply 12 to 24 photos; she supplies archival-quality materials, such as acid-free paper. Journal writing is part of the package. Cost is $10 for the first workshop, $7.50 for succeeding ones. Call 358-3070 to find out the January dates. If you have a group of at least five, she can schedule a special session. Workshops are held in her Los Gatos home.

KEEPING KING'S DREAM: A special Pete Seeger concert Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m. at Foothill College will honor Martin Luther King Jr. "Keeping the Dream Alive" is produced by Los Gatan Jane Fleming. Seeger marched with Dr. King during the turbulent '60s in the South. Now nearing 80, he is still sounding the call for civil rights. The Oakland Youth Chorus and Bob Reid are also part of the program. Reid is a Santa Cruz folksinger/songwriter who calls himself a "musical activist." For tickets at $17 ($30 for patron status) send SASE and check to San Jose Peace Concert, 540 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Suite 213, Los Gatos, 95030. Tickets at the door are $20. All the performers have donated their talents to the cause of world peace.

BACK IN THE SWIM: Those who are suffering from arthritis or who just want or need water exercise should be relieved to learn that the Southwest YMCA pool is back in operation after its recent resurfacing. Some 80 to 90 people--a cross-section of the county--take advantage of this Aqua Fitness class, says Pat Wolf, who directs the program. Offered in morning, afternoon and night sessions throughout the week, the buoyant schedule is: Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 a.m.; Tuesday and Thursday,1:30-2:15 and 6:05-6:50 p.m.

COUNSELING: The Teen Counseling Center of the West Valley has sent out a plea for funds. In a typical year the center conducts some 3,500 counseling sessions for more than 1,000 clients, including middle and high school students in Saratoga. The service includes peer counseling, and the number is 354-7648.

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