Trans/nb authors ALOK, Vivek Shraya, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Cyrus Grace Dunham, Meredith Talusan and Toni D. Newman to support Adobe Books
REGSITER
About this Event
It's a tough time for local bookstores, what with the social distancing and the sheltering in place. So we're raising funds to help local Bay Area bookstores stay in business, with a series of fundraisers. This event will feature trans/nb authors ALOK, Vivek Shraya, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Cyrus Grace Dunham, Meredith Talusan and Toni D. Newman in a panel discussion, to support Adobe Books
The authors
Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film. Her best-selling book I’m Afraid of Men was heralded by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel,” and her album with Queer Songbook Orchestra, Part‑Time Woman, was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize. She is one half of the music duo Too Attached and the founder of the publishing imprint VS. Books. A six-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, Vivek was a Pride Toronto Grand Marshal, was featured on The Globe and Mail’s Best Dressed list, and has received honours from The Writers’ Trust of Canada and The Publishing Triangle. She is a director on the board of the Tegan and Sara Foundation and an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.
ALOK (they/them) is a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. Their distinctive style and poetic challenge to the gender binary have been internationally renowned. As a mixed-media artist they explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020). In 2019 they were honored as one of NBC’s Pride 50 and Out Magazine’s OUT 100.
Jennifer Finney Boylan is the inaugural Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is the author of 16 books, including Good Boy: My Life in 7 Dogs (Celadon/Macmillan); her 2003 memoir, She’s Not There: a Life in Two Genders(Broadway/Doubleday/Random House) was the first bestselling work by a transgender American. Jenny is Contributing Opinion Writer for the New York Times, where her column appears on alternate Wednesdays. She serves on the Board of Trustees of PEN America, the nonprofit advocating for authors, readers, and freedom of expression. From 2011 to 2018 she served on the Board of Directors of GLAAD; she was co-chair of GLAAD’s board of directors from 2013-17.
Meredith Talusan is an award-winning author and journalist. Her debut memoir, Fairest, is out now from Viking / Penguin Random House.
Cyrus Dunham is a writer and organizer living in Los Angeles. His first book, A Year Without A Name, was published by Little, Brown in October, 2019. He is a member of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners.
Toni Newman is a Consultant for the Transgender Strategy Center based in Los Angeles. Toni was the Executive Director for St. James Infirmary and the Development Director for Maitri Compassionate Care, HIV/AIDS hospice in San Francisco and previously served as the Interim Director of Development & Communications at the To Help Everyone Health and Wellness Center in Los Angeles and as a Strategic Fundraiser, Volunteer Recruiter, and Legislative Aide for Equality California. Toni worked with EQCA to raise money to win marriage for the LGBTQ community in California. Additionally, Toni is a best selling author, noted for her memoir I Rise -The Transformation of Toni Newman released in 2011. Her memoir was based off the poem I Rise by Wake Forest University Reynolds Professor Dr. Maya Angelou who Toni interviewed with in 2012. The memoir has been featured in Ebony and Advocate magazines, and nominated for the prestigious Lambda Literary award. Most recently the memoir has been produced into a short film titled Heart of a Woman by Alton Demore and Keith Holland being featured at several film festivals in the USA and Germany.
The beneficiary
Known affectionately as The Living Room of the Mission, Adobe Books and Arts Cooperative, Inc. ("Adobe Books" or "Adobe") was founded in 1989 by Andrew McKinley at 3166 16th Street. The store became a bohemian nexus for a large and rotating cast of artists, musicians, writers, readers, thinkers, and whoever was looking for an old comfortable couch and a place to feel welcome. With an open heart and open door, Adobe Books has played host over the years to an innumerable number of memorable afternoons and evenings.
Adobe Books has steadfastly adhered to the idea that good books sold at affordable prices can succeed in today's digital age. The independent bookstore serving offline, in-person communities is a dying breed. The store cannot and will not change this essential core value of its business model. Nearly as important as the mere existence of printed matter is Adobe's daily commitment to live events, face-to-face interaction. In our current age of smart phones and laptops, people still desire these personal interactions, and Adobe Books is happy to provide a location and platform for them to grow and evolve. The tradition of intellectual curiosity is a hallmark of this great city of ours, and Adobe Books and Arts Cooperative, Inc. has significantly contributed to such a history. The cooperative hopes to continue this well into the future.
Every penny you spend on this event will directly to Adobe Books.
How does it work?
We use the conferencing system Zoom. After you sign up you'll get an email with the Zoom access code. (Check that Eventbrite is using your current email address.) You don’t have to join with video, but it’s nice to see faces.