April 22, 2024

Author's Festival Returns: Amy Tan, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Grann et al in Sonoma talking ideas

42 minutes

The Sonoma Valley Author's Festival is in it's seventh year in Sonoma, and founders Ginny and David Freeman come to the Sonoma Spiel and share their passion for books and the ideas expressed within. As Ginny notes, "It's an ideas festival - it's small and curated and intimate." This year we find out that among the many author's attending includes historian Doris Kearns Goodwinn, novelist David Grann ("Killers of the Flower Moon"), Amy Tan ("Joy Luck Club"), Akhil Reed Amar of Yale Law School, and rising star Anita Gail Jones ("The Peach Seed").

The Freemans detail how they came to the world of author festivals, and how neither of them had experience as conference or event planners. They also put on a free event, called "Authors on the Plaza" as well as bring the festival to local schools. (They've given away 15,000 books to students since the festival began!)

Like all of our Sonoma podcast guests they also answer YOUR Sonoma questions during "We Get Questions" and this week they attempt to answer:

I’ve noticed that the cover crops are mowed in every other row in the grapevines. Why is that? Why did they leave one row and then mow one row?

I was asleep last night and heard a low buzzing sound in the early morning hours. Was that a helicopter, or an airplane or just the persistent intrusive thoughts reminding me of my mortality?

Speaking of mortality, do any wineries offer the chance to dedicate a vine in memory of someone?

Where's a good place to buy a book in Sonoma?

Find more details about the Sonoma Valley Author's Festival at https://svauthorsfest.org.

Don't forget to get your Sonoma Plaza Wine Tasting Pass at www.sonomavalley.com/food-wine/sonoma-wine-tasting-pass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at [email protected], text us or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

It's Sonoma Valley's top podcast and you find it wherever you find fine podcasts, including

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

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By Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau

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