Meet local authors Christabel Hudson Choi, Dorothea McCowan, Amelie Butkus, and Lee Rossi. Hear excerpts from their latest works and get inspired by their words. Whether you're a passionate reader, aspiring writer, or just looking for a unique night out, this event is for you. Authors will read 6-7pm and from 7-8pm there will be an open reading, where all are welcome to share their own work and get feedback from the authors themselves. For more info. email twinpinesarts@belmont.gov or call (650) 394-7590.
Christabel Hudson Choi grew up in rural Oregon, in a close family hailing from four continents. Christabel visited and lived in Korea between 1987-1992, Christabel met her husband in Seoul, then in Paris, and they are now settled in the Bay Area. She teaches creative writing in the San Mateo County Libraries and independently. For fun she practices traditional archery, sometimes on horseback, and spends a lot of time writing. Her life motto is to “leave it better than you found it”—except for her office, where maintenance is a noble enough goal.
Dorothe McCowan a is an artist and writer, living in Redwood City, California. She's currently in the pre-published stages of writing, Heartwise, stories about how she navigates through life with the wisdom of her five wise grandmothers. This is her first book.
Amelie Butkus is a multi-hyphenate artist trying to bring back the lost art of traditionally illustrated adult fantasy novels. She’s a writer, illustrator, and designer of her own books, and concept artist who has spent 7+ years in marketing and freelance creative work across books, podcasts, and Kickstarter campaigns. Her publications include the Kickstarter-loved YA mystery novel A Lamplighter In Larkeney and the genre-bending how-to-draw sci-fi survival guide The Traveler’s Guide To Illustrating The Extraordinary Creatures Of The Universe. Her latest novel, The Witch In The Wall, is currently out for submission to major publishing houses. She is also a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in English Literature.
Lee Rossi has published five books of poetry, most recently, Say Anything from Plain View Press. Individual poems have appeared in numerous anthologies, including Don’t Leave Hungry: 50 Years of Southern Poetry Review and Grand Passion: the Poetry of Los Angeles and Beyond as well as in such journals as The Harvard Review, Poetry Northwest, The North American Review, Nimrod, the Beloit Poetry Journal, Poet Lore, Poetry/LA, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and others. His has published reviews in Poetry Flash, The Los Angeles Review, and the online journal Pedestal. He is winner of the Jack Grapes Poetry Prize and of the Sense of Site poetry contest sponsored by the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. He has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and is the current Poetry Moderator at Portside.org.
