IN-STORE EVENT: Jan Harwood, 'Patchwork'

Bookshop Santa Cruz welcomes local author Jan Harwood, lyricist for the Raging Grannies (an arm of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom), for a celebration of her new book, "Patchwork: True Stories from My Life" — a collection of true, emotionally candid stories from some of the highest, lowest, and most poignant (and embarrassing) events of her long life (she is 93). an is best known in Santa Cruz, her beloved home since retirement from her thirty-year career in psychiatric social work, as the lyricist for hundreds of wickedly satirical song parodies sung by the Raging Grannies (an arm of the hundred-plus-year-old Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, WILPF). The mostly older women lambasted the political follies and horrendous mistakes of five administrations through their witty, (though often less than melodious) songs in public venues all over the city. Now she’s giving us intimate looks into her past, from her passionate love affair with a handsome artist in East Greenwich Village (shortly after her marriage to another artist); their lives in Florence, Italy in the mid-1950s; her job as counselor to prisoners at a women’s jail; her terrified days in 1962, picketing the White House as the Cuban Crisis threatened to start World War III; her near drowning in Hawaii; her therapy group for non-orgasmic women and others; as well as an appendix of Raging Granny lyrics that are dated, but still singable—and, unfortunately, still relevant. Jan has previously published two mystery novels, Dangerous Women and An Un-Conventional Murder, as well as several children’s books and a book of poetry and photos called, Snippets from a Happy Old Age. Patchwork is available at Santa Cruz Bookshop and at Santa Cruz Public Libraries. You can reach Jan at [email protected].

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2546434-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2546434-2

Read More

View Less