Arlington, Massachusetts, where I live, is a community with many residents who are professional writers. It’s not unusual to hear pedestrians talking about books or a recent session in a writing group or Galiot, a local press offering a new approach to publishing. In November, I organized a book fair for the Arlington Author Salon. The AAS holds readings “with a twist” four times a year at the Kickstand Café. This week, the “twist” for two authors was treats that were connected to their book: chocolates from Kyiv and Persian pastries. The third author showed us a short video of a woman in China singing a song she mentions in her novel. I have not read Displaced Persons yet, but River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure and The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali are both books I can recommend. I read a lot. Did you know writers make progress from reading? That is a truism I ignored years ago.
