Afternoon of literary abundance

OUR LAGUNA

Laguna Beach resident Bette Anderson, Aileen G. Baron, Denise

Hamilton, Kevin Duffy, Jill Shure and Mary Rakow added their names to

the roster of authors featured at the Literary Luncheons hosted by

the American Assn. of University Women Laguna Beach Foundation.

The 16th annual fund-raiser was held Saturday at the Surf and

Sand. About 175 attended.

“Thanks to all of you, we will again make a major contribution to

the AAUW Educational Foundation. Thus we help all women further their

education, scholars to complete their research and continue our

mission of educational equality for women and girls,” said Carol

Redford, president of the local group.

Tech Trek chair Jana Hollenbeck introduced Allison Dial and Laura

Renault, Thurston Middle School seventh graders, who won trips to a

weeklong science and math camp for girls. Winners are selected on the

basis of essays.

“I would like a career where I could use my brain,” Dial wrote. “I

don’t think working at Dairy Queen is for me.”

Dial, whose older sister, Erica, was a Tech Trek winner two years

ago, is one of nine girls in the AAUW’s Beyond the Classroom program.

Heather Thomas, who attended the luncheon, is also a member. Mentors

include Dee Perry, Karen Hogrebe, Paula Peterson and Redford.

“The program exposes the girls to career opportunities,” Redford

said. “They have gone to the ballet and a field trip to a college is

being organized.”

Maybe some of the girls will grow up to be authors, although they

might not start out on that path.

Author Aileen Baron earned her doctorate in archeology, did field

work in the Middle East and taught at Cal State Fullerton for 20

years before she wrote her first book, “A Fly Has a Hundred Eyes.”

Anderson had careers as teacher and librarian. She used her

experiences, as well as her love of photography to create the

character of Chris Maple in her first book, “Close-Ups.” The book is

set in Laguna

Denise Hamilton reported on local communities and internationally

for the Los Angeles Times before retiring to have baby, at which time

she joined a fiction writing class. “The Jasmine Trade,” her first

mystery novel, was based on her firsthand knowledge of “parachute

kids,” on which she had reported. It was nominated for Edgar and

Anthony awards and was a finalist for the 2002 Willa Literary Award

for Contemporary Fiction.

Her second book, “Sugar Skulls,” was released last week. Both

books feature reporter “Eve Diamond.” Love it.

Kevin Duffy, the lone male author at this year’s luncheon, worked

for 20 years in Africa after reading about anthropology at Cambridge

and earning his doctorate. “The African,” is his first work of

fiction.

Mary Rakow was a last-minute substitute for ailing author Jill

Shure, author of “Night Jazz,” described at “The Great Gatsby” meets

“Somewhere in the Night.” Shure is working on a sequel.

Rakow’s book, “The Memory Room,” made the Los Angeles Times list

of Best of 2002. She started out with a degree in theology.

“Education is the one place in society you can goof off in a

constructive way -- study economics and realize you want to be a

poet,” Rakow said.

AAUW’s support of educational projects is funded by the luncheon.

“We are hoping today’s luncheon will complete the California AAUW

Endowment of $35,000,” said Madeleine Peterson, Laguna foundation

chair. “We are almost there.”

Early arrivals could chat with the featured authors, buy

autographed copies of their books and bid on an array of items

donated for the silent auction.

Laguna Beach Woman’s Club President Kimberly Salter bid on tickets

to Disneyland. Melissa O’Neal, who donated a three-night stay at her

Arrowhead cabin, bid on an aquamarine eyeglass chain donated by

Roberta Goodman and on a banjo donated by Laura Tarbox.

Other donations were picture frames from Barbara Antonacci; a

watercolor of Woods Cove beach from Fred Holland; some pink

Depression glass circa 1931-35 from Marge Fuller; dinner for two at

Splashes from the hotel; and jewelry, a handmade brass box set with

carnelians and turquoise, and a colored etching from Jo Dominick.

Bivens Hunt and Donna Martin of DecoRangers donated a room face

lift. Sybil Carey offered salon services. Other donors were Arlene

and Dr. Brian Yocum, Jim Pemberton, Latitude 33, Phyllis Holmberg,

Diane Logan and Martha Lydick. Soroptimist International was

recognized for its $500 contribution to the AAUW after-school program

at El Morro Elementary School.

Many of the guests were distressed by Irvine Valley Community

College’s decision earlier in the week to issue a guideline against

classroom discussions about the war with Iraq unless the course was

directly related.

“I think any university woman should be concerned about the

decision,” said Mayor Toni Iseman, a counselor at Orange Coast

College. “This is not about one side or the other of the war. It is

about freedom of speech in education.”

Iseman expected to meet Wednesday in Sacramento with John Burton,

who had appointed her to the California Coastal Commission, and to

exercise a little free speech about Laguna’s educational problems.

“I will thank him for the appointment and then take the

opportunity to discuss mutual concerns about the environment and

hopefully to discuss the plight of basic aid school districts,”

Iseman said.

Basic aid districts, such as Laguna, are funded by property taxes,

which the state is planning to severely curtail this year because of

its budget crisis.

Iseman will make her point by presenting Burton with a little toy

school bus with one wheel missing, which she fortuitously found on

one of her garage sale forays.

The luncheon committee included Jean Brotherton, Katie Haven,

Peggie Thomas, Beverly McComb, Hollenbeck, Peterson and Redford.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321; or fax 494-8979.