WOMAN WARRIOR TALK: "Maxine Hong Kingston: Woman Peace Warrior" is the title of the presentation to be given by John Swensson on Oct. 20, 79 p.m., in the library's Community Room. Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior is the book chosen for this year's Saratoga Reads campaign.
Swensson is dean of language arts at De Anza College, and the talk will include a 20-minute video of his conversation with the author about her book and her philosophies. Saratogans are encouraged to read and discuss the book as part of a community-building process.
Saratoga Reads is an offshoot of Building Bridges, the communitywide celebration of diversity. Note that Friends of the Library program times have changed and are no longer on the first Monday of the month. Each program will be held on a different day and time, depending on speaker, topic and audience targeted.
The schedule is available in the library, the Book-Go-Round, and online at www.fslonline.org. Friends of the Saratoga Library's Geetha Krishnamurthy is publicity chairperson.
ECO ART: Committee for Green Foothills is sponsoring a juried art show on Oct. 30, 47 p.m., and two environmentally active artists from this area were selected from the 100 applicants—Michelle Waters of Los Gatos and Kay Duffy of Saratoga. The show will be held at The Family Farm, 1400 Portola Road in Woodside.
Waters says her art "gives voice to those whose voices go unheard: the animals whose world is being stolen by development and overconsumption. More and more scientists are saying that we face certain ecosystem collapse ... unless we immediately and drastically lower greenhouse gas emissions, chemical usage and consumption.
"By creating art which speaks ... of the environmental crisis, I aim to unearth truths buried by the constant barrage of corporate-controlled visual images."
Duffy says, "I love the beauty of wild open space and the healing power of nature." She was a campaigner for the formation of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and served as a director of that agency for 20 years. Tickets for the art sale are $75 and need to be purchased by Oct. 20. The contact is Velma Gentzsch at 650.968.7243.
ON STAGE WITH DAME EDNA: Saratogan Jill Hunter had no idea she'd be part of the performance when she went to see Dame Edna's recent show at the Curran in San Francisco, but perform she did. After the intermission Hunter was asked to come onstage, don a costume and play the role of the grandmother in a skit with the Dame.
During the first act Dame Edna had bantered with Hunter, who was seated in the second row, along with friends MaryKay Breitenbach, Reiko Iwanaga and Iwanaga's mother, Grace Akahoshi. Sounds like that interchange was something of an audition for the part she later played.
Hunter was deemed Oscar-worthy during her stage time by the Saratoga contingent. She received a Polaroid photo to commemorate her 15 minutes of fame.
ULMER MILESTONES: Barby and Vic Ulmer of Saratoga will celebrate three significant milestones on the afternoon of Oct. 17—their 50th wedding anniversary, the 21st official birthday of their educational nonprofit, our developing world, and fall birthdays. Door prizes will be given to those who have registered 10 new voters.
Attendees are asked to bring an 8-inch square depicting their vision of a better world. The piece can be a drawing, appliqué or embroidery and will be part of a quilt to be made for an HIV/AIDS orphanage in South Africa. A wreath to celebrate the occasion will be constructed on the spot and nailed to the Ulmer front door.
The event is potluck and music will be by the Bear-a-Tones (Vic's octet) and the Raging Grannies. Dancers should bring favorite CDs to share. Tax-deductible donations to odw appreciated. The number is 408.379.4431.
JAPANESE TRADITIONS: Japanese Traditions were part of the Building Bridges program held last week at Hakone Gardens. Reiko Iwanaga taught Japanese folk dancing. Flower-arranging demo was by Kathy Toy and kyudo, Japanese archery, was demonstrated by Yoshiko Buchanan.
A bamboo dragonfly contest for children and adults was held, and Saratoga Sister City Taiko beat the drums and invited visitors to try their hand as well. Hakone Foundation and Saratoga Sister City sponsored the presentations.
ADDED HELP: Lesley and Tom Dinette owned an unusual house—three acres of land, yet close to Los Gatos' Main Street, so it took a special buyer to be interested. They wanted all the help they could muster to get the word out and even buried a St. Joseph's figure in their yard.
This tactic was offered them by Bobbie Thomas. Thomas dug it out of her own yard, because her house had been for sale before she and her husband decided against the move.
St. Joseph evidently did the trick: the Dinette house sold soon after the artifact was planted.
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By Mary Ann Cook