The Ukiah Branch Library & the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to host:

Local Author Panel featuring Jody Gehrman, Rena Rocford,

David Weitzman, and Natasha Yim!

Thursday, Oct. 25^th 5:30-7:30 pm

The Ukiah Public Library and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators are delighted to offer the final program in their series of presentations on the art and craft of writing by Mendocino County authors. The series, featuring Rena Rockford, David Weitzman, Natasha Yim, and Jody Gehrman, culminates in a not-to-be-missed panel discussion on writing and publishing that aims to provide insights about both the writing and publishing processes. Each author will discuss their unique career trajectory toward publishing their first book, and participate in a Q&A with the audience.

About Jody 

Jody Gehrman has authored eleven published novels and numerous plays for stage and screen. Her first suspense novel, Watch Me, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2018. Jody’s plays have been produced or had staged readings in Ashland, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and L.A. Her newest full-length, Tribal Life in America, won the Ebell Playwrights Prize. She is a professor of Communications at Mendocino College.

About Rena

Like most mad scientists, Rena Rocford has made an art form of living as a muggle. Today the bills, tomorrow the world. She writes science fiction and fantasy for all ages from her secret base in wine country. When she isn’t planning for world domination, Rena creates nerdy art and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She unleashed her first book Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon on the world. The companion novel, Prom, Magic, and Other Man-Made Disasters has been released on the world with more to follow.

About David

David’s twenty books of historical narrative and fiction (Pharoah’s Boat, Rama and Sita, Old Ironsides, Jenny: The Airplane that Taught America to Fly) have received several awards including a Bronze Medal at the International Book Design Exhibition, Leipzig, Germany, a PEN Book Award for Children’s Nonfiction, an Association of Children’s Librarians Distinguished Book Award, and the Children’s Africana Book Award. Books can be seen at www.weitzmanbooks.com

About Natasha

Natasha Yim is a children’s author, playwright, and freelance writer and editor. She has published three fiction and two nonfiction picture books. Her book Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas (Charlesbridge Publishing, Jan. 2014) was a Junior Library Guild and Scholastic Book Club selection and was nominated for the 2017 Illinois Monarch Readers’ Choice Award. Her latest book, The Rock Maiden, was released by Wisdom Tales Press in March, 2017, and was a finalist for the 2017 Foreword Reviews Best Book of the Year award. Her recently completed picture book project for Disney Publishing Worldwide, Mulan’s Lunar New Year, will be released in October 2018.

If you are interested in the program or want to find out more, please contact the Ukiah Library to register: 463-4490.