<  EVENTS

Events and Announcements:

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Upcoming Event
Wednesday, February 28 2007

Diane and Franca will be guest speakers at the Mercer Island Women’s Club on March 13, 2007, 7 p.m., Evening Book Club. Contact Naomi Mason for details.

“Franca’s Story” submitted to Bainbridge Performing Arts “Stage Off” Competition.
Monday, March 19 2007

“STAGE OFF - Two one-act plays for unstaged performances, chosen from a playwriting workshop” - a playwriting workshop that I, Diane, attended. What a great opportunity to adapt the book to a stage play! Stay tuned this spring to see if it was selected….

Village Theatre Auction & Gala - Donation of a private reading and a book!
Monday, March 19 2007

Both Franca and Diane participate in the Village Theatre and are delighted to donate a private reading of our award-winning book, “Franca’s Story: Survival in World War II Italy” to the auction this year. The event will be held May 19, 2007. For more information, call Marcie Wirtz, 425-257-6373 or email her at mwirtz@villagetheatre.org.

Franca and I have donated one copy and a reading of “Franca’s Story: Survival in World War II Italy” to New Beginnings, a Seattle group working to end domestic violence. On Friday of Mother’s Day weekend, May 11, New Beginnings will hold their 2007 Gala Ev
Monday, March 19 2007

Franca and I have donated one copy and a reading of “Franca’s Story: Survival in World War II Italy” to New Beginnings, a Seattle group working to end domestic violence. On Friday of Mother’s Day weekend, May 11, New Beginnings will hold their 2007 Gala Event and Auction, A Mother’s Courage, A Child’s Future. This special event will raise money to support vital services including emergency shelter, transitional housing, a 24-hour crisis line, and the community advocacy and social change programs. · Hosted by Margaret Larson, broadcast journalist · Silent and live auctions of exclusive experiences and treasures · Dinner and program honoring survivors of domestic violence New Beginnings’ mission is to provide shelter, advocacy, and support to battered women and their children and to change attitudes and social institutions that foster and perpetuate violence. Questions? Call (206) 926-3034 or email info@newbegin.org

New Beginnings Annual Gala and Auction - our Donation: a book and a reading!
Monday, March 19 2007

Franca and I have donated one copy and a reading of “Franca’s Story: Survival in World War II Italy” to New Beginnings, a Seattle group working to end domestic violence. On Friday of Mother’s Day weekend, May 11, New Beginnings will hold their 2007 Gala Event and Auction, A Mother’s Courage, A Child’s Future. This special event will raise money to support vital services including emergency shelter, transitional housing, a 24-hour crisis line, and the community advocacy and social change programs.

· Hosted by Margaret Larson, broadcast journalist
· Silent and live auctions of exclusive experiences and treasures
· Dinner and program honoring survivors of domestic violence

New Beginnings’ mission is to provide shelter, advocacy, and support to battered women and their children and to change attitudes and social institutions that foster and perpetuate violence.
Questions? Call (206) 926-3034 or email info@newbegin.org

Senior Foundation of Mercer Island - Book Night at Island Books.
Monday, April 2 2007

Have your signed copy of “Franca’s Story: Survival in World War II Italy” yet? Franca Martin and Diane Kinman, along with another author Judy Boynton, will be happily autographing books on May 1, 2007, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Island Books (206-232-6920). Roger Page, owner of Island Books, gives the Foundation a generous percentage of the total sales for the evening. See you there!

Featured at the Library Association conferences
Wednesday, May 2 2007

Franca’s Story was in the lineup for the Library Association conferences for the states of Massachusettes and Maryland.

20th Century Book Club, Albany, Oregon
Friday, May 11 2007

Nancy Lockner arranged this lovely luncheon with about 25-30 of the book club members. Diane visited with some friends in the audience that were classmates - and teachers - at Albany Union High School. What fun!

Order Sons of Italy - Tacoma Chapter - presentation
Monday, July 16 2007

Franca and Diane gave their presentation to the Tacoma Chapter of the Sons of Italy on September 5, 2007. What a great group! I didn’t count heads, but it was “old timers” night and about 120 people were in the audience. From this event, we’ve been asked to present at two more Sons of Italy chapters in the region, as well as a Jewish Foundation meeting and at Tacoma School District. Plus one of the ladies in the audience works at the book store at Fort Lewis and has recommended “Franca’s Story” for their store. We couldn’t be happier! Contact for this event was Joe Munizza, 253-752-7463. Ciao!

Italian Cooking Class at Diane’s Market Kitchen
Monday, July 16 2007

For two special evenings in August, Diane’s Market Kitchen (corner of Spring and Post Avenue in Seattle) hosted an Italian cooking class, dinner and conversation with Franca and me. Each evening, about 10 people joined us for this rare and wonderful experience. The menu focused on several of Franca’s favorite dishes, and guests had the opportunity to learn more about her journey during World War II in occupied Italy. For a fabulous cooking class, visit: http://www.dianesmarketkitchen.com. For a great book about WWII Italy, go to http://www.wimerpublishing.com

Franca & Diane at the Women’s University Club of Seattle
Monday, September 24 2007

We’ve been to middle school, high school, and now we’re graduating to college. The ladies at the Women’s University Club of Seattle were a wonderful audience for our presentation at their lovely facility on 10/17/07. Barbara Lewinsky introduced us to the group of about 50 well-read women with curious minds. Franca and I always love the Question and Answer sessions; this group wanted to know how Franca met her husband. She was asked to interpret for the hotel at Lido di Camiore, where he stayed during his first time off in well over a year from duty in North Africa. Her father paced just outside the hotel to keep an eye on his daughter. The soldiers called the protective father the “MP.” She had never dated, and when he started paying attention to her, she said she “just went dumb.” That’s one way to describe the tongue-tied deer-in-the-headlights feeling…. If you haven’t been there, the Women’s University Club is at 1105 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA; phone 206-623-0402.

Book Club presentation
Thursday, October 4 2007

Carol Abodeely “bought” a reading for her book club at the Village Theatre (Issaquah, WA) auction. Carla Rodgers was the hostess for this book club event on October 4 at 7 p.m. What a great group of ladies! They’ve been reading books t-h-o-r-o-u-g-h-l-y for many years, and knew things about me that I had forgotten. Fun conversation focused on delving deeper into Franca’s experiences - and wandered to stories that AREN’T in the book. An example was what happened just that afternoon, when Franca received a letter from Italy telling of her cousin’s passing away in the middle of the night. Not unusual, except that cousin’s son, an engineer, travels to New York occasionally and recently was stuck there due to a cancelled flight. Someone asked him if he would be interested in reading this book about an Italian family - and he instantly recognized it as HIS family! He took it home to his mother, who was so excited she called Franca and they connected after decades of being apart.

Sons of Italy - Seattle Fedele Lodge 1390, Seattle - January 2008?
Saturday, October 20 2007

Franca and I will be featured for a brief segment of this upcoming meeting, date yet to be confirmed. Contact is Joanne Spino Marchese, 206-284-6938.

Lynn’s book club - Olympus neighborhood
Wednesday, November 7 2007

posted Saturday, October 20th, 2007

Sons of Italy - Renton, WA
Tuesday, November 20 2007

Franca and I were the featured speakers for the November 20 meeting - Thanksgiving dinner - for this lodge. Arranged by Frank and Mary D’Onoforo, 425-228-3243, they asked if we would visit in November to share thanks. What gracious hosts and wonderful cooks! The baked polenta was out of this world and the homemade desserts were fabulous. About 80 people attended the meeting, and at least 7 or 8 of those people had also gone through the war in Italy and shared their memories. When I did research for the book, I watched the movie “El Alamein” (2002 version) so that I could comprehend in some small way how the Italian soldiers suffered at the hands of the Germans, who considered them “clowns.” The movie shocked me and touched my heart at their predicament. I highly recommend it to all Italians so they can see what their soldiers went through, and to anyone else curious about the realities of that war. I am thankful that we won. I’m also thankful that Franca let me write about her experiences.

See link to www.internetvoicesradio.com on New Year’s Day - we’re on the radio!
Sunday, December 30 2007

Franca and I were interviewed on New Year’s Day by Lillian Cauldwell, who founded Internet Voices Radio about 2 years ago. She has a wealth of programming and we were lucky to get on AuthorBKnown with Lillian asking the questions about “Franca’s Story.” If you missed it, you can go to the Archives after January 14, 2008, and download the segment. What a great way to start 2008!

Italian cooking class at Diane's Market Kitchen featured Franca's recipes