Local Author Night

The Ungraspable, Uncomfortable, Inconceivable, Unacceptable, Ineffable Untenable Fragrance of Violets...the big question is, what are the nature and demands of forgiveness, and how do you know who must forgive whom, and when, and how? This is not just a memoir. It is a complex saga that has morphed into a trilogy with a sequel. I kept on writing as the world moved onward, replete with meteorological, economic, political, societal changes creating a background noise, a magnetic force that enveloped, encompassed, consumed the rest. I was told that I needed to choose a theme to focus on. Less is more, everyone said, a mantra I had avoided all of my adult life. I am a more is more kind of person, there is no escaping this truth. It is evident in my art, in my home, in my garden. In my family. In the entirety of my life. My art, my studio, my gallery, even my home have been critiqued by some as worthless, untenable, because they are so filled, so encrusted with stuff. And yet, I have been successful. I have persevered, continued with art forms that give me great pleasure, and fought the mighty dragon of minimalism, and managed to survive in the art world. So here's the thing. I have this vision of my story as it is; my last and most important work of art that is comprised of all the details of my life, colored, textured cross threads woven into the woof and warp of a carefully constructed rich complex tapestry. I don't have one simple story, a memory of a period in time, a problem solved. I cannot write a simple memoir; what I have is a saga. The very fact of the interaction, the conflict between all of these disparate elements is the heart and soul of the story, its life force. What it really appears to be is an anthology of interwoven novellas, essays, thoughts, memories... Maybe it will eventually be unreadable, a tree in a forest that fell, sound and motion that no one was there to experience; a huge, deep infinite, tangled forest, too many trees, a situation that makes exploration impossible, a lengthy and cumbersome tome. Does this matter? As long as it is recorded, I can rest easy. One friend has told me I must decide whether I want to write an all encompassing story for my own personal satisfaction or a more marketable endeavor for popular consumption. I ask myself if these are mutually exclusive. So where do I begin? With love, faith, marriage, children, art, law, loss, recovery? Therein lies the rub. Now, having reached the entrance to my eighth decade, it seems as good a place as any to begin as well as end the tale, for chances are, I won't be here to update those last few chapters, and all that is going to be resolved, already is, and that which won't be, will not change. So I begin today, in 2009, introduce myself at this moment in time without giving away the story, and then continue with the source of all adversity, the first domino that falls against all the others, one by one, until they are all knocked down, lying on the ground, motionless.

South Brooklyn in the 1950s
In Grace Zolla Protano's touching memoir we meet the people who most impacted her life: her brothers Jack and Sal, who gave her strength and laughter; her father Anthony, who showed her gentleness and character. We see her mother Fiorentina, who taught her kindness and wonder, but whose emotionally crippling illness stole half a childhood.
Set mainly in Brooklyn in the 1950s, "As Long As You Can See the Clock, You're Okay" is a recollection of growing up with a unique love embodying joy and sadness; pride and shame; tenderness and cruelty.
We sing along with the doo-woppers; we drool over the teen idols as we cheer throughout Alan Freed's Rock and Roll Revue at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. We play Ringo Levio, Kick the Can and Iron Tag until our moms look out their windows and call us in.
The author longs for her absent mother and we cry with her; she feels a safety just by seeing Downtown Brooklyn's 512 foot icon, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank clock tower, and we understand fully why "As Long As You Can See the Clock, You're Okay."

The true story of six children whose father was leading a double life during the Great Depression, the dire circumstances in which they lived, and their eventual triumph over their difficult beginnings. The story unfolds over the course of a series of letters written by the author's mother.

Montauk Mike is all alone!

Montauk Mike, everyone’s favorite friendly fish and the star of Montauk Has a Very Hungry Shark, returns in a second adventure. Join him in his quest to find a friend of his very own.

Toddlers and young readers can join Mike as he sets out to find his one and only friend: the Girl in the Pink Dress. As he travels the waterways and villages of Long Island’s beautiful East End, Mike meets a variety of animals, some helpful and some not. Poor Mike! All he wants to do is find his friend.

Featuring stunning, original water-color artwork by Ross, Montauk Has a Very Lonely Shark is a gentle tale about searching for what you want and learning that sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of your eyes.

Everyone’s favorite friendly fish, and the star of Montauk Has A Very Hungry Shark and Montauk Has a Very Lonely Shark, returns for a third adventure. Join him on his quest to identify a tiny treasure he finds on the ocean floor, which he fondly calls a “smoon.”

Toddlers and young readers will delight in following along as Mike heads ashore to find out what the “smoon” could be. But his luck suddenly changes when his treasure goes missing. Will his friend, the Girl in the Pink Dress, help Mike to find it and learn what it is?

Featuring stunning, original watercolor artwork by Nina Ross, Montauk Has A Very Lucky Shark is a wonderous story about teamwork, friendship, and what it takes to find happiness.

In Montauk Has a Very Hungry Shark, Mike has a very big wish: To find himself the perfect dish! Toddlers and young readers will delight in Mike’s adventures as he dons a disguise and travels the towns and villages of Long Island’s East End in search of the perfect ice-cream sundae. Along the way Mike discovers getting what you want is not always easy, but with the help of new friend and a little kindness, things work out in his favor. Featuring stunning, original water-color artwork by Ross, Montauk Has a Very Hungry Shark is a gentle tale about searching for what you want and learning the importance of friendship and kindness.

Marian Lindberg grew up being told that Walter Lindberg, the man who raised her father, was a brave explorer who had been murdered in the Amazon. She took her father’s claims at face value, basking in her exotic roots, until she started to notice things. The unverified legend became a riddle she couldn’t solve.

As Lindberg moved from journalism to law, fell in love, and sought a family of her own, her father repeatedly interfered. He had a closed vision of his family, and she—unlike the silent Walter—was breaking out.

Yet her father’s story of the past haunted Lindberg. Long after her father’s death, Lindberg set off for the Amazon, determined to find out the truth about Walter. Aided by generous Brazilians who adopted her search as if it were their own, she discovered as much about herself and her family as about Walter, whose true role in Brazil’s history turned out to be unexpected and deeply troubling.

Sharply observant, wrought with honesty, and sweeping in its ambitions, The End of the Rainy Season is a powerful examination of identity and human relationships with nature, and between one another.

The captain wore a see-through dress. No dispute about that. Even the captain admitted that in a certain light, guests at the party could The captain wore a see-through dress. No dispute about that. Even the captain admitted that in a certain light, guests at the party could see the outline of his body through the muslin shift. Months later, a lawyer would press for details: Was the dress tied at the waist? What color and length were the captain's socks? Did others treat him "as if you were a woman"?(From Chapter One, "Cross-Dressing For Halloween")

The carefree parties on Plum Island drew the ire of Maj. Benjamin Koehler, yet he would be the man arrested and accused of "immoral conduct" at the end of 1913. Koehler, a West Point alumnus and Philippine War veteran, had been tasked with bringing discipline to the 700 men living at Fort Terry, a sprawling post on a beautiful island off New York's coast. He lived on officers row with his sister, an educated and independent woman who, like her brother, was unmarried. Little did the devoted siblings know that Fort Terry would soon be the stuff of front-page headlines, with Ben Koehler at the center of them--and not for his dutiful service to his country.

The claims that Fort Terry's commander had groped male subordinates shocked the Army and Koehler's supporters, but the accusers were smart, triggering one of the first high-profile instances of federal legal process against a high-level military officer. Well before "homophobia" was a term, Koehler struggled to prove that the accusers were lying in a trial rife with innuendo and ill-informed ideas about how a "homo-sexualist" would behave.

Thoroughly researched, involving historical figures as contrasting as Theodore Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony, Scandal on Plum Island follows Koehler from respected officer to vilified outcast and turns up provocative information about his defense. His story is set in the context of changing standards of masculinity as the action moves from America's heartland to New York City, the Philippines, San Francisco, eastern Long Island, and government offices in Washington, D.C. In addition to telling a fast-moving and compelling story, Scandal on Plum Island speaks directly to modern discussions of gender norms, testimonial injustice, the high cost of stereotypes, and other issues of pressing concern.

Hollywood critics agree. Joss Byrd is "fiercely emotional," a young actress with "complete conviction," and a "powerhouse."

Joss Byrd is America's most celebrated young actress, but on the set of her latest project, a gritty indie film called The Locals, Joss's life is far from glamorous. While struggling with her mother's expectations, a crush on her movie brother, and a secret that could end her career, Joss must pull off a performance worthy of a star. When her renowned, charismatic director demands more than she is ready to deliver, Joss must go off-script to stay true to herself.

“Devious, delicious, and gasp-worthy.” (Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces)

In this genre-defying page-turner from Lygia Day Peñaflor, four teens befriend their favorite YA novelist, only to find their deepest, darkest secrets in the pages of her next book—with devastating consequences.

Miri Tan loved the book Undertow like it was a living being. So when she and her friends went to a book signing to hear the author, Fatima Ro, they concocted a plan to get close to her.

Soleil Johnston wanted to be a writer herself one day. When she and her friends started hanging out with her favorite author, Fatima Ro, she couldn’t believe their luck—especially when Jonah Nicholls started hanging out with them, too.

Penny Panzarella was more than the materialist party girl everyone at the Graham School thought she was—and she was willing to share all her secrets with Fatima Ro to prove it.

Jonah Nicholls had more to hide than any of them. And now that Fatima’s next book is out in the world, he’s the one who is paying the price...

Perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying—and told as a series of interviews, journal entries, and even pages from the book within the book—this gripping story of a fictional scandal will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.