Hoffman Center Blog

On August 22, authors Lauren Kessler and Tom Hager (who also happen to be married), read from their work.  Both are non-fiction authors with some 16 books between them.

Author Tom Hager reads from his new book The Alchemy of Air

Tom Hager started the hour reading from his new book The Alchemy of Air, which tells the surprising story of how nitrogen came to be the widely used fertilizer today.  He read excerpts from the most thought-provoking sections of his book–illustrating that while without nitrogen, the world would have faced widespread starvation, it is now a major pollutant changing the earth’s ecosystem.

Author Lauren Kessler reads from her book Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's

Lauren Kessler’s book brought the conversation to a more personal level.  Her book, out in paperback as Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s, tells the story of when she took a job in an assisted living facility as a resident aide.  For 5 months, Lauren did the hard work of caring for her ‘neighborhood’ of residents.  It’s a fascinating book that will change how you look at Alzheimer’s and the people who live with it.

Thirty-one writers gathered on Saturday, August 22, for a day-long workshop on the publishing process, presented by Lauren Kessler and Tom Hager. Participants came from all along the North Oregon coast, as well as from Portland and as far away as Medford, Oregon and Rosburg, Washington.

Held at the Contemplative Arts Center (because there was a Cassie the Crab performance going on at the Hoffman Center at the same time), the workshop was the first full-day writing workshop sponsored by the Manzanita Writers’ Series and the Hoffman Center.

The veteran authors and husband/wife team spelled out some of the harsh realties of today’s publishing business. They also covered specifics on the steps to getting your book published, from book proposal to approaching an agent. read more »