December 6: Peter J. Hayes

On December 6, we welcome author Peter J. Hayes for the release of his new book An American River Journal. A collection of short essays on the flora and fauna of the American River, An American River Journal is a great tribute to one of Sacramento’s best features! The book has terrific illustrations by Jo Glasson Smith.

Peter Hayes is author of An American River Almanac and edited The Outdoor World of the Sacramento Region (with Jo Smith) and The Lower American River, the best history of this historic waterway. He started his writing career as a reporter for UPI, before moving to Sacramento and becoming an editor for the Sacramento Union. In 2008 he was recognized as the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for his service to the county’s regional parks.

The event is on Sunday, December 6, 2009. 3:00 pm

Please note: This event is free to the public. The News & Review mention that a donation is requested is wrong.

December 5: Eva Rutland

Time Tested Books is happy to welcome back Eva and Ginger Rutland for the presentation of Eva’s book, No Crystal Stair.

Born and raised in Georgia, the granddaughter of a slave, after World War II, Eva Rutland and her husband moved to Sacramento, where they raised four children. During this time Eva took on a quiet Civil Rights struggle, integration at the family level. She was the first African American mother to join the PTA, as well as the a member of the first black family to live in their neighborhood. By seeking common ground with white mothers during this challenging time, Eva Rutland was able to break down stereotypes and help create part of the foundation that transformed American race relations. It is from this life experience and more that Eva draws from for her novel No Crystal Stair.

A departure from her prior novels, No Crystal Stair was originally published in 2000 by Mira Books. December sees a new edition of the book thanks to IWP Book Publishers. Eva is also the author of the much acclaimed autobiography, When We Were Colored.

Eva’s daughter Ginger Rutland will also be talking about the book. Ginger Rutland is an editor at the Sacramento Bee and a regular commentator on Capitol Public Radio.

The event is on Saturday, December 5, 2009, 7 pm.

Nov. 15: poetry w/ Mary Mackey & Francisco X. Alarcon

We are now into November with Time Tested Books’ 2009 poetry series. This time around we have two excellent poets in Mary Mackey & Francisco X. Alarcon.

Mary Mackey is related through her father's family to Mark Twain. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. During her twenties, she lived in the rain forests of Costa Rica. In the‘90s she served as Chair of PEN American Center, West. She is a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and has recently served on the Governing Board of PEN Oakland. Mackey is a Professor of English and Writer in Residence at California State University where she teaches creative writing and film. She is the author of many volumes of poetry and novels, including her most recent book, “The Widow’s War.”

Francisco X. Alarcón is an acclaimed poet and educator, author of ten volumes of poetry. Alarcón is the recipient of 1993 American Book Award, the 1993 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and the 1984 Chicano Literary Prize. In April 2002 he received the Fred Cody Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bay Area Book Reviewers Association (BABRA). He was one of the three finalists nominated for the state poet laureate of California. Alarcón's books include Sonnets to Madness and Other Misfortunes / Sonetos a la locura y otras penas (Berkeley: Creative Arts Book Company 2001) and From the Other Side of Night / Del otro lado de la noche: New and Selected Poems (University of Arizona Press 2002). He currently teaches at the University of California, Davis.


Time Tested Books is located at 1114 21st Street in Midtown Sacramento.

The event is on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 7 pm. The event is free, however a donation - which goes to the poets - is requested.