The Hoffman Center for the Arts Presents a book reading
WHEN A WOMAN TELLS THE TRUTH SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 – 4PM
Here are the introductions and information about the host Julianne Johnson, the books editor Dena Taylor and the readers, and the link to the video as at the end. What an amazing opportunity to share with our community at this standing-room-only event! Thank you Julianne Johnson, and all the readers – Glenna Cook, Claudia Johnson, Linda Kozlowski, Ann Morgan, Leila Salmon, and Liz Cole.
India LeGuin, Hoffman Center executive director welcomed the full house and introduced event organizer and host, Julianne Johnson.
She moved to Manzanita in 1992 on her 50th birthday. In the first 10 years, newly arrived neighbors, ambitious for this community, launched 20 new private-non-profit organizations. Julianne left fingerprints on these start-ups, creating strategic plans, and serving on Boards of Directors and City committees. You can thank her for the rolled curbs on Laneda Avenue.
Now she spends her time loving Manzanita and spending months at a time in Marseilles France, and Kapa’a Kauai.
Julianne Johnson – “So many thanks to India and her team here at The Hoff. Our first Thank You really goes to Vera Wildauer who opened the door for this reading this afternoon. We have others who are supporting this: Holly at the Cloud and Leaf book table, Marcia at the entry, Kay and Carrie selling Glenna’s, volunteers who help set up and break down. About breaking down: we have a surprise invitation for you all to stay and mingle with us after the Q and A—sip a glass of wine or soft drink, enjoy a nibble, linger a bit.
We have today Dena Taylor, the co-editor of this anthology and two contributors. The real magic this afternoon is the illustrious group of local women who stepped up to read when I invited them. They each received a copy of the book—then selected pieces that mean something to each one.
Here is what Laura Swanson had to say about this group. Laura is the editor of The Tillamook Pioneer—one of the important places we get our news.
Laura Swanson
These women are some of our icons of grace, power and lives-well-lived. Several of our mentors and greatly admired women are in this group, and heck yes – we all need to hear “When A Woman Tells the Truth”. This is bound to be one of those “you’ll wish had been there moments” at The Hoffman Center.
We asked Lorraine Ortiz to use her stunning PR skills and this is what she wrote.
Lorraine Ortiz
What happens when women tell the truth? Find out at a special event at Hoffman Center, Wednesday, September 18, 4 p.m. featuring Dena Taylor and her latest book, “When A Woman Tells The Truth,” an anthology of creative works and writings about life by women over 80.
Along with Taylor, seven local women—all over 80—will read their favorite pieces from this anthology. Readers include Liz Cole, Claudia Johnson, Julianne Johnson, Linda Kozlowski, Ann Morgan, and Leila Salmon. Glenna Cook, a poet, will be here from Puyallup to read her selections from the book.
A regular visitor to Manzanita for 30+ years and a resident of Santa Cruz, California for over five decades Taylor has filled her post-retirement years with activism, writing, extensive international travel, obtaining her pilot’s license, and saying yes to unusual opportunities of all kinds from her circle of life-long friends.
“I turned 80 in March of 2021 and was talking to a friend who had also recently turned 80. We discussed what that milestone meant to us, and we wondered what other women were going through. We decided to find out and this book project was born,” said Taylor.
The book is filled with funny, heart-breaking, tender, sly, angry and loving stories, poems, essays and memoirs by poets, professors, Zen Buddhists, theater directors, French teachers, jewelry artists, union organizers, midwives, hospice workers—all women over 80. The honesty, wisdom and humor contained in the book’s pages portray rich lives whose roots are still growing into the future.
Now, I’d like to introduce Dena.
“When A Woman Tells The Truth” is Dena’s ninth published book. Other titles include, “Exclamation Points: Collected Poems,” she co-authored with her daughter Becky Taylor “Tell Me The Number Before Infinity: The story of a girl with a quirky mind, an eccentric family, and oh yes, a disability,” and several books on women’s issues. Dena Taylor completed her graduate studies at Rutgers School of Social Work and is retired from careers in social work and education.
Dena Taylor
She’s a poet, an author and an editor of anthologies. She’s an extraordinary traveler; she’s always ready for an adventure; and she’s the best friend, of 60 years, that any girl could hope to have.
Dena: Now, I’d like to introduce Juli.
This is what Claudia Johnson said about her:
Julianne Johnson
She is a force of nature…for example—she brought a world class exhibit to NCRD in Nehalem honoring Ann Frank in 1993! It was stunning. We were stunned. She travels the world and she brings the world to us. Her ability to bring together these octogenarian women to speak our minds is yet another example of her incredible expertise at bringing it all home.
Juliane says:
I’m so excited to be here to welcome my Sister-Friend Dena, her contributor Glenna Cook, and my girlfriends—this illustrious group of over-80s. Each one so accomplished in her own right and generously agreeing to read the writings of someone else.
Let me introduce myself. You know we live in a fishbowl here so nearly everyone here knows nearly everything about me. There’s one thing that many of you know about me, but for others it will be a surprise. In 2019, when I was 76, my 56-year-old son found me. Life has been a joy ride ever since.
I will read my piece I Want To Be 80 Forever. This is my reflection on how playful and carefree and joyful retirement can be—with time to connect with childhood school mates and nurture new friendships and new family. Reluctant to say NO, my response is usually, “If not now, when . . .” The urgency in that message derives from the news that comes weekly, if not daily, of another fall, another bad diagnosis, another death of young people my age. There is a sad cost of growing old, staying topside—the cost of losing those not so fortunate.
Glenna Cook
Glenna Cook moved from years and years in Tacoma to Puyallup. She’s been living with diagnosed Parkinson’s for 10 years—that’s a disciplined lifestyle with regular exercise to slow down the progress of the disease. She’s become an advocate for others with this disease. She’s a publish poet and you can buy one of her books at the table in the back.
Claudia Johnson
No stranger to stage lights, Claudia brought sparkle to local theatre in our Nehalem Bay community long before the rest of us, excepting Ann, moved here. Today, her sparkling and serious skills as an astrologer light up many a life.
Claudia will read Maude Mehan’s poem, Her Choice. Maude, in the middle of her sixth decade, moved from the East to the West Coast. She took a class, became a writer, a poet, a popular guest poetry teacher at UC Santa Cruz. Highly revered in the Santa Cruz area, she has written several poetry books.
For the second piece, Claudia will read another poem, Holding Hands by Tilly Washburn Shaw. Tilly started out as a New Englander and eventually found her way to the literature faculty at UC Santa Cruz. For inspiration and exercise, she swam in any ocean she could.
Linda Kozlowski
She found her business success in Portland finding the best people for the job. In Manzanita she is often the best person for the job: founder of our award-winning emergency preparedness organization, CARTM Board, long time City Councilor. She has an internal motor that keeps on keeping on.
Linda selected Beyond Me by Judy Davidson to read for you. Judy is a retired Marriage and Family Therapist. She’s worked for a newspaper, as a substitute math teacher and has written, written, written.
Ann Morgan
If you’re looking for local pedigree, look no further. Ann’s grandfather Sam Reed saw the potential in NeahKahNie before many of us were born. He built the NeahKahNie Inn. He and his wife Beulah had twin daughters: Jean and Ruth. Ruth was Ann’s mother—and Ann lives on Beaulah Reed Road. We all love the historic photo that floats around our community: The Reed family with the tiny twin girls are seated on the entry steps of the NKN Inn. Ann herself gave her savvy analytical skills to the City of Wheeler as a long time employee.
Ann selected The Faster, Faster, Faster Culture Rant by Naomi Newman to read for you. Naomi isn’t the only Renaissance Woman in this anthology! Listen to this: she has been a concert singer, television actor, improvisational theater director and psychotherapist.
Now, Ann will read Flattery by Margie Kern-Marshall. Margie’s colorful life led her to twelve countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa where she worked at everything from dishwashing to teaching. She’s one of the activist women over 80 who was a union organizer, active in the ACLU and the UFW. She retired as the Chair of the English as a Second Language program at Cabrillo College.
Leila Salmon
She’s served her community wherever she’s lived—and she has a football field of awards recognizing her service and her philanthropic contributions—Portland to Upstate New York to Manzanita. Her footprints are large whether as City Councilor or mastermind of successful fund raising events.
Leila will read an excerpt from A Revolutionary Memoir by Barbara Joans. While Barbara may have been a giggling revolutionary, she reminds us of the serious times we all lived and the extraordinary efforts women made to have fulfilling lives.
Her second reading is a poem, What a Relief by Patricia Hukill. Patricia’s practice of The Artist’s Way since the 1990s awoke The Muse to send her poems almost daily. She sends them off for publication.
Liz Cole
Star of stage and television screens long before she made her Manzanita entrance where she continues to shine brightly—to the delight of all the locals who now claim her as their own. When Liz is on stage, we fill the audience! And I will tell you a little secret. It’s no accident that Liz will close our readings—there’s not a woman up here who wanted to come after Liz.
Liz will read Unadorned by Wilma Marcus Chandler. Wilma is the co-editor of this anthology. Wilma is a playwright, poet, theater arts and dance educator—having directed well over 100 productions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Let’s call her a Renaissance Woman.
For her second reading, Liz selected this poem: Your White Knight by Laurie Corn. Laurie is a radio producer and artist and writer. She has published at least four memoirs. This is an excerpt from one of them.
There were so many emotions throughout the readings – tears, laughter, applause. This is a book you’ll want to have and to share – with all ages and genders. It’s uplifting and also brutally honest, and filled with so much elder wisdom – it’s bursting with words that need to be heard. The book is available at Cloud & Leaf Bookstore in Manzanita (at it’s NEW expanded location at 447 Laneda Ave.) or on Amazon.
Here’s the video of this timeless event – some of our local icons – all over 80 – the the Pioneer is honored to have preserved for hisotry: “When a Woman Tells the Truth” — Manzanita, OR Readings – Video by Don Backman
