Meet Beth Brookhart and Lorraine Devon Wilke at Kern County Library
Join Beth Brookhart (The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum) and Lorraine Devon Wilke (Chick Singer) for a lively discussion at Kern County Library in Bakersfield, CA on November 8th at 1pm.
In a lively conversation moderated by former journalist and current SJVW CEO, Lois Henry, Bakersfield’s Beth Brookhart and Lorraine Devon Wilke will discuss their individual journeys to publishing, the pitfalls and challenges of being an older author in a youth-oriented industry, and how they’re moving forward in both the art and commerce of writing.
Both published by Sibylline Press, Beth and Lorraine will also share from their current novels.
The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum and Chick Singer both feature complex, fascinating female characters swept into unexpected circumstances that compel them to reinvent and redefine who they are and what matters most to them. While Chick Singer‘s narrative brings readers into the ’80s rock scene and a powerful mother/daughter story, The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum set in the rural ’50s follows four diverse protagonists as they struggle to find common ground, navigating post-war sensibilities against their own emerging ambitions.
Books will be available to purchase at the event.
About The Four Queens of the Buttonbush Museum:
In 1950, the Buttonbush Museum is circling the financial drain, and Irene Pickett—a sassy farmer’s wife from rural California—is determined to stop the flush. Tired of being typecast as the housewife queen of pickling and laundry, Irene has something to prove. Enter The Four Queens: Irene and three other firebrand women ready to take on the museum’s budget issues. Can Irene pull off a miracle, save the museum, and finally get the credit she deserves?
About Beth Brookhart:
A journalism graduate of Colorado State University, Beth Brookhart spent two decades reporting on agricultural news. Later, her career shifted to communications roles with several agricultural organizations in Bakersfield, CA. In 2010, she started writing fiction, and soon completing The Book Project, a prestigious two-year program at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver. An avid volunteer, Beth was inspired to write this novel by her seventeen years of service on the board of her local museum.
About Chick Singer:
The glamor of ’80s rock & roll stardom is ancient history for Libby Conlin, whose focus is now on the unexpected arrival of her daughter Bridget, reintroducing the chaos of their fractious relationship. When Bridget’s application to an art school involves anonymously posting Libby’s old music online, it garners the attention of industry gatekeepers, uncovering dark secrets, and forcing Libby to confront her mysterious past.
About Lorraine Devon Wilke:
An accomplished writer in several genres, Lorraine Devon Wilke has built an eclectic library of expertly crafted work. After launching her “arts+politics” blog, Rock+Paper+Music (2010), she became a popular contributor to HuffPost and other media sites; her essays have been reprinted in literary journals, academic and nonfiction books. She maintains a column at Medium and a popular Substack, Musings of a Creative Loudmouth. Previous novels include After the Sucker Punch (2014), Hysterical Love (2015), and The Alchemy of Noise (2019). Landing in Los Angeles with an early rock & roll band, Devon Wilke lives with her husband, attorney/writer, Pete Wilke.
