Oakland Authors Presents – Love, Loss, and Loathing: A Reading
Local Authors Create Platform, Support for the Self Published
Every month, Oakland resident Tim McAtee wanders through the chaos of First Fridays and the Art Murmur, and every month he finds something missing: books. While music and the visual arts are well represented, only a couple of scattered authors can be found. “This seems to be the case at most arts events, but with the publishing industry in the state it’s in, we’re ready to actually make a move to create a literary scene,” says McAtee, a first-time novelist and many-time author of non-fiction educational books.
Hoping simply to find information on where to sell his book, Tim visited the weekly community meeting where First Fridays are ostensibly organized. His inquiry was interpreted as volunteering and he was immediately deputized as a literary ringleader of First Fridays. This was the beginning of what is now Oakland Authors.
Oakland Authors is now a virtual and physical home for East Bay writers to collaborate and share publishing resources, while hosting regular events and meetups. They can be found at OaklandAuthors.com or at events throughout the month.
This February, for instance, the group will be hosting a pre-Valentine’s Day reading and are looking for volunteers to read.
Therapy’s expensive. Instead, say everything you’ve ever wanted to say to your exes at this reading on Wednesday, February 13, just one day shy of Valentine’s. Or just come out for some great stories, venting and possibly a touch of heartbreak.
Where: Stork Club (2330 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612)
Participate: Let us know if you’re interested in reading your poems, letters, or flash (non)fiction. Contact mal@oaklandauthors.com
Oakland Authors is a virtual and physical place for East Bay writers to gather, exchange ideas, grow their work, and establish a professional presence. They hope that, by banding together, they can help each other succeed.
If I lived closer, I’d so be there – I love this idea for V-day 🙂
The condition of the publishing industry? What is meant by this? Is it that anybody can now self-pub, and too many poor quality books are flooding the market and confusing book buyers? I understand the frustrations with the typical publishing route, but with all the new “athors” popping up everywhere, I tend to prefer known publishers’ books because at least these books have had some quality control (and professional editing!)
Books are missing from arts events? Good heavens—that’s not OK. I’m glad Tim is doing something about it.
@Suzi, I totally agree with you about poor quality books flooding the market, but just like the indie music scene, I think there’s an opportunity for serious, self-published authors to get their work out there and that a lot of it is good! Many people I know have hired professional editors and cover designers instead of waiting for the traditional publishing industry to take interest.
Art is so subjective and if we can get more independent artists to create, then there’s bound to be some diamonds in the rough. In my opinion, bad writers are just as rampant in the mainstream as they are in independent circles. Thanks for your feedback! I find the publishing industry so fascinating!