The reading with Jennifer Blowdryer and Jane Mackay was fabulous!

What a fantastic, busy, inspiring week that was! The reading of Punk Rock Saved My Ass at Dog Eared Books with Jennifer Blowdryer and Jane Mackay on October 14th was great, with a large turnout and two excellent readers. Jennifer and Jane were the perfect balance, giving a glimpse into the diversity of writers and stories in the anthology, and Alvin, the owner of Dog Eared Books, was the perfect host. Many friends came as well, including Greg, my J. C. math tutor and the man who introduced me to punk when I was 20 (if you read Punk Rock Saved My Ass, you know who I'm talking about). There were also many people who came because they were curious about the book and the infamous Jennifer Blowdryer. We sold quite a few copies as well, making this event prosperous as well as fun for Medusa.


Unfortunately, this is the only picture that turned out from the many shots I took that night...

writer Jennifer Blowdryer and publisher/editor, Terena

I had a new camera program on my Iphone and didn't quite have it figured out. If anyone who came to the event has pics, please send them. I especially need some pics of Jane.

Jennifer is adorable. Funny, friendly, edgy and street-smart, with a huge smile and an honest heart. There's also a vulnerability about her I hadn't expected. She's seen a lot, experienced a lot, but she hasn't let any of it destroy her sense of humor or compassion. She isn't trying to be "cool", she just is.

After the reading I had a day of rest to wander the City I love, then Rick joined me for the Alternative Press Expo that weekend. Photos and story of that event coming up next.

Happy Third Birthday, Medusa's Muse

I've been so busy lately I forgot Medusa's Muse birthday! Three years old on October 1st, which is the date the press became a real, legitimate, tax paying business. Prior to that was two years of planning, which I think of as gestation. The first book published by Medusa's Muse launched in November, 2007 and was called Traveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers. Then came the handbook, What You Need to Know to Be a Pro, and the latest book, Punk Rock Saved My Ass. Wow, three books in three years! How on Earth did I manage to pull that off?

Happy Birthday, Medusa's Muse. Many thanks to Jane and Rick for helping to make this crazy dream of mine come true, and thank you to all my friends who support the press and cheer me on.



And of course, thank you to my muse. Without her, I'd never have found the inspiration. This is how it began...

When Muses Get Bored

October is a busy month for Medusa. If only I had time to enjoy it

There are times I wish I still lived in San Francisco; it would be so much easier to market my books if I did. Instead I live two hours north in gorgeous Mendocino County, which is usually perfect. But right now, I really need to be in the City.

If it weren't for Jane, I'd be screwed. She's been handling all the PR for the big Jennifer Blowdryer event on October 14th at Dog Eared Books on Valencia Street. She even got a write up in SF Gate rather than just a listing in the calendar. Yesterday she fliered North Beach and parts West in San Francisco. And she'll be the lead person at the event, supporting the authors and reading from her stories in the anthology. Alas, it looks like I won't be able to come to the reading. Childcare and grad school are as usual keeping me close to home. But I know the authors and book store owner will be in excellent hands.

I will be attending the Alternative Press Expo (APE) on October 16th and 17th though, which I'm really excited about. Two days with my husband, spreading the word about Medusa's Muse and Punk Rock Saved My Ass. There will be hundreds of other indy presses (including McSweeneys, one of my favorite publishers) and underground zines and artists to discover. In a way, this feels more like my community than Book Expo ever did; we're all a bunch of indy book nerds. If you can make it, Medusa's Muse will be at table 700 B.

I hope to do at least one more book event in San Francisco, then another in Santa Rosa, and at least one in Ukiah. Those are only in the planning stages, but I'll let you know as soon as I have dates. Punk Rock Saved My Ass is really taking off! The feedback from readers has been fantastic, which makes all the hard work, money and extra gray hairs feel worthwhile. Yes, we did great work at Medusa.

Now if only I could finagle a way to see Jennifer Blowdryer!