Write Your Story…Don’t Eat the Flowers

Doris Nikolaidis local author of the title Don’t Eat the Flowers , and the former member of the Write Your Story group will join us on March 19  to share her story of her published  memoir.

This book is a kaleidoscope of the author’s adventurous and often comical life, from stories of growing up in chaos after the end of World War II to her hitchhiking trip across America. In a series of humorous and heartwarming essays, she recounts the stories of her childhood in Germany, her introduction to America, and her gradual realization that she is no longer an immigrant but is truly an American.

Write Your Story @ Union City Library Join our library group, for an   informal gathering of aspiring writers of all types of genres. Your writing can be memoirs, creative non-fiction, poetry, song lyrics, science fiction, plays,essays, you name it!  We just want to hear what you have written and support each other as we grow as writers. Third Tuesday of the Month: March 19, April 16 , and May 21    1 p.m to 3 p.m.                                                                                              .

Rumi in Spring @ Union City Library

Saturday March 2, 2019 @ 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

 

Observe the coming of Spring and its new beginning with peace, love, and unity. Farima Berenji and her dance company ‘The Simorgh Dance Collective” will present ancient and beautiful sacred and Sufi dances to bless and honor the coming of Spring, including a candle dance, Sufi whirling, Persian mystical dances, and sacred circle dances.

 

Farima is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, dance ethnologist, and archeologist. Recognized as one of few world experts and scholars of Persian dance history, Farima infuses spirituality into her dance and teachings to impassion, empower, and inspire. A Dervish and travels worldwide to research, perform, teach, and inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance. Farima is the founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), and a 2018 TEDx lecturer. www.farimadance.com

This event is part of a series of 300 free Art IS Education events for youth and families presented by Alameda County Library in partnership with the Alameda County Arts Commission and the Alameda County Office of Education to celebrate arts education and creativity.

Write Your Story…Color

Write Your Story @ Union City Library

Join our library group, for an   informal gathering of aspiring writers of all types of genres. Your writing can be memoirs, creative

non-fiction, poetry, song, lyrics, science fiction, plays,essays, you name it!

 We just want to hear what you have written and support each other as we grow as writers.

Third Tuesday of the Month:  November 20, December 18,

and January 15       1 p.m. — 3 p.m.                                                                                                                                                                    

Color Prompt

Coloring  the life.

The day color,

the flowers color,

the butterfly color,

the sky color,

evergreen color.

People don’t like

The clouds color.

Shear the dark

And fill

The rainbow color.

Child only

Plays with color.

Not aware

The secrets of life.

The quarrels

In people life.

Let us start again

In life.

Fill the nation

With bright color.

Time is short

In life.

Grab all colors.

The childhood color,

The prime youth color

The decline color.

And himself dye

Parwana to

The new color!

  ======

-Parminder S. Parwana , the library member

      

Write Your Story…What do you see when you look in the mirror!

submitted by Stacy Sorrells

 Eighteenth Birthday

Oh hello, you, I mean me. Yup still me. Let’s see eighteen today. I honestly thought I’d burst into flames by now, but here I stand. Should I have gotten a manicure or something? No. that would have been a total waste of money. Look at these fingernails so short and ragged. I have such man hand’s; rough boney man hands. That’s what I get for working as hard as a man.

Oh wow, the dark circles under my eyes are back again. Maybe I should start using old lady cream now that I am an adult.

“Hmph”

What I really need more sleep; better sleep and a better diet. My lips are still the best though and thank God that hasn’t changed, naturally full and garnet red. I’ll never need to buy lipstick. But I’ll also never have a female friend. My pore less porcelain skin is no help either. Girls do everything under the sun to avoid pimples while I’ve prayed for just one,  just to fit in and feel normal. My vending machine diet is proof I’ve made a solid effort.  At this point, I’ll take anything a beauty mark, a mole, a freckle, even a tan. But there is just this white, this soft glowy white skin. Oh, thank goodness for you nose.  Still here in the center of my face and average as ever.  Jealousy among us females ridiculous. So glad school is finally over.

Oh, my hair, my poor poor hair you are just like me; a hot mess.  I was hoping you’d pull a Benjamin Button, and the silver streaks would turn brown. Guess I’m to continue looking like an old hag from behind. And let me see…yup, those silver crescent shapes are still in my eyes. Why not gold or green?; Had to be effing silver. I’m so freaking weird.

I guess I was hoping for something magical to happen, something radical. But there is nothing new to report. Still strange, still hiding my diagnosis from the world; still seeing eyes; still feeling watched; still dreaming of that man who won’t turn and face me. The only thing changing today is my age and this home; no more foster families to navigate. Well, time to pack and get out of here.

Write Your Story @ Union City Library

Join our library group, for an   informal gathering of aspiring writers of all types of genres. Your writing can be memoirs, creative non-fiction, poetry, song lyrics, science fiction, plays,essays, you name it!  We just want to hear what you have written and support each other as we grow as writers.

Third Tuesday of the Month:  October , November 20, and December 18.                                                                                                                                             1 p.m. — 3 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Eat What You Grow…Gardening Series @ Union City Library

Gardening workshops with Lori Caldwell

Wednesdays, June 13, June 27, and July 11—4:30 to 6:30 P.m.

Learn how easy and fun gardening can be!

Join Bay-Friendly Landscape Professional & Garden Educator Lori Caldwell to learn the basics to be a successful gardener. She will be present three workshops this summer.

 

Eat What You Grow

Wednesday June 13

There is nothing more satisfying than eating food from your own garden. Topics such as: crop rotation, seeds vs, starts, soil fertility, and plant succession, transplanting, seedlings, watering, irrigation and the best crops for your garden. Emphasis on re-use able materials will also be discussed.

Big Gardens in Small Spaces:

Adventures of container Gardening June 27

This class is geared toward people who don’t have a lot of space and want to grow their own food. Topics such as maintaining soil fertility, best plants for container gardens & crop rotation will be covered. Growing in containers is a great way to start a garden or add-on to maximize your already existing garden possibilities!!

Gardening All Year:

Prepping Your Garden for Fall Wednesday July 11

One of the many benefits of our climate is being able to garden year-round!!

Fall/Winter is still a great time to garden. This class will go over some great techniques on how to transition to your Fall garden:  cool-weather, edible crops, starting seeds, crop rotation, sheet mulching & planting natives.

  Lori‘s Blog: 

Facebook Page: CompostGal: Consulting, Landscaping & Education

There are more than 500 titles in the Library collection under the subject gardening. check it out!

Celebrate Older American Month!

STAGEBRIDGE @ Union City Library

NEVER TOO LATE

Thursday, May 31, 2018

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

 Join us for Never Too Late, a musical revue featuring songs, outrageous skits, and hilarious strolls down memory lane. Stagebridge showcases the rich and varied experiences of older adults to a multigenerational audience. The program is led by Artistic Director Joanne Grimm and Musical Director Scrumbly Koldwyn on the piano.

Art for Adults @ Union City Library

Wednesday May 23, 2018 at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Watercolor Workshopwith local artist

Naghmeh Danishmand.
Supplies will be provided .
This class is limited to 18 people.
Call 510-745-1464, or visit the
library for registration.Arts 

For titles on watercolor painting technique, check here…

Nowruz Celebration 2018 @ the Union City Library

Nowruz Celebration @ Union City Library

Saturday March 3, 2018

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Nowruz celebration with a dance performance by the Shahrzad Dance Academy, and Persian Music by the Amir School of Music.

Nowruz is celebration of  the New Year

(spring equinox) in Afghanistan, Iran

and Tajikistan.

Shahrzad Dance Company is proud to present an engaging and educational program on Persian Dance, an ancient art form shrouded in mystery!  Elegant and flowing, yet rhythmic and inspiring, this visual journey will showcase the unique body positions, angles, and dynamics that are intrinsic to Persian aesthetics.  A brief informative lecture and audience participation are included.  Created by world-renown choreographer and author of the ground-breaking book The Art of Persian Dance, this program features the exquisite choreographic art of Shahrzad Khorsandi.

 

 

This event is part of a series of 300 free Art IS Education events for youth and families presented by Alameda County Library in partnership with the Alameda County Arts Commission and the Alameda County Office of Education to celebrate arts education and creativity.

All Library programs are free! No reservations are required.

 

The Union City Library is a branch of the Alameda County Library system located at 34007 Alvarado-Niles Road, and is wheelchair accessible.

Write Your Story Workshop With Anita Amirrezvani & Persis Karim @ Union City Library

SATURDAY February 3, 2018

11:30a.m to 2:30 p.m.

Join us for a three-hour writing workshop in a safe, comfortable setting with novelist Anita Amirrezvani and poet/editor Persis Karim.

Through a series of writing exercises, you will be

assisted in getting your story on the page as fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

This creative writing workshop teaches specific

techniques to strengthen your writing and offers supportive feedback.

Anita Amirrezvani: Her first novel, The Blood of Flowers, has appeared in 31 languages and was long-listed for the 2008 Orange Prize for Fiction. Her second novel, Equal of the Sun, was published 2012. Anita teaches in the MFA Program in Writing at the California College of the Arts.

Persis Karim: She has edited three anthologies of Iranian-American literature  including A World  Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian Americans, Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora . Her poetry has been published in numerous national journals and magazines. She teaches literature and creative writing at San Jose State University.

For registration call 510-745-1464

 

 

Write Your Story ….War Prompt

 

WAR

Submitted by Patricia Eng, Union City Library Member

A sentry sat in a guard tower holding his rifle to his side, gazing toward green fields.  It was the middle of July, hot and humid, temperatures rising to 100 degrees.  Past the fields was an estuary and beyond that were the wooded hills of North Korea.  We took snapshots in front of the barbed wire fence that separated us from the guard tower.  There were a few other tourists milling around and a handful of activists talking about the reunification of North and South Korea.  This was one stop in a two-week tour which included visits to Independence Hall (commemorating independence from Japan), the Seoul Olympic Park, and the Seoul Zoo.

I asked my husband if it was safe to be here at the border of North and South Korea.  He said Koreans have been living under the threat of war for so long that nobody thinks it will ever actually happen.  Meanwhile, all the men in Korea are obligated by law to serve 2-3 years in the military after turning 18.  Although there is no active war, many of them are injured or die during training in the rugged Korean wilderness.  My husband was in the Korean army about 35 years ago.   He’s talked about supplementing his meager rations by catching and roasting snakes.  He suffers from hearing loss because a brutal superior hit him with the butt of a rifle.  Occasionally there are confrontations with North Koreans, but more often soldiers are shot by friendly fire.

Recently I asked him how Koreans feel about North Korea building a nuclear bomb and Trumps counter threats.  He still holds that it’s all bravado and the ones that are least concerned are South Koreans. But mothers are still crying about their sons going into the military.

Last month we drove down to L.A. to help my son move into his college dorm.  I was overcome with emotion.  As we were leaving, I gave him a tearful hug goodbye.  My husband said, “Cheer up.  At least he’s not in Korea.”

Write Your Story @ Union City Library

Join our library group, headed by Bruce Hasse, for an   informal gathering of aspiring writers of all types of genres. Your writing can be memoirs, creative non-fiction, poetry, song lyrics, science fiction, plays,essays, you name it!  We just want to hear what you have written and support each other as we grow as writers.

Third Tuesday of the Month:

 November 21, December 19 , and January  16

 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.