The meeting will be held on TUESDAY, December 7th at 6:00 pm via Zoom. The book for our December meeting is House Lessons: Renovating a Life by Erica Bauermeister.
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From New York Times Bestselling Author Erica Bauermeister Comes a memoir about the power of home and the transformative act of restoring one house in particular.
“I think anyone who saves an old house has to be a caretaker at heart, a believer in underdogs, someone whose imagination is inspired by limitations, not endless options.”
In this mesmerizing memoir-in-essays, Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in eccentric Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal, accessible, and literary exploration of the psychology of architecture, as well as a loving tribute to the connections we forge with the homes we care for and live in, this book is designed for anyone who’s ever fallen head over heels for a house. It is also a story of a marriage, of family, and of the kind of roots that settle deep into your heart. Discover what happens when a house has its own lessons to teach in this moving and insightful memoir that ultimately shows us how to make our own homes (and lives) better.
The author has a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, and has taught there and at Antioch University. With the exception of two years in Italy, Bauermeister has lived in the Pacific Northwest for nearly four decades, and her children proudly say rainwater runs in their veins. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington, in the house she renovated with her family.
Here are a few resources that may add insight into the book and into Bauermeister:
1. Erica Bauermeister on her book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct6-1wn_7CQ
2. Erica Bauermeister about her life: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/one-true-thing/201301/erica-bauermeister-finding-my-father
3. Interviews: https://elenabowes.com/house-lessons-renovating-a-life-qa-with-sage-author-erica-bauermeister/ and https://www.26.org.uk/articles/interviews/author-qa-erica-bauermeister
4. Review: https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2020/0417/From-house-of-horrors-to-family-home
5. This may seem like an odd source, but I think it speaks insightfully about the importance of home and place: https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/04/05/why-our-homes-make-us-happy
The book is available from the Gig Harbor branch of Pierce County Public Library. You can get a copy in one of several ways:
1. Call and identify yourself as a Gig Harbor Literary Society member and the staff will put a copy aside for you.
2. Request through the library website.
3. Request an electronic version through the Libby app on your device. (If you don't know how to do this, the library staff may be able to help.)
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. As always, even if you don't have a chance to read or listen to the book, join us.
We will continue to meet via Zoom until the Library is able to restore programming in the branches.
To join in the zoom conversation you must register on the Pierce County Public Library calendar of events page: https://calendar.piercecountylibrary.org/events
Pour yourself a glass of wine, a beer or a cup of tea and join in the fun.
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This event is FREE and open to the public. For questions, please contact Cindy Hackett at cynthia.hale.hackett@gmail.com