April 7 The Perfumist from P.G. The Perfumist of Paris, the third volume of the saga by the local literary star, Pacific Grove-based Alka Joshi, is now available online and in local bookstores. While a local book launch party featuring live music, a Kathak dance performance, chai, samosas and a book signing (Bookworks will sell books at the event) is already sold out, there’s the possibility that extra space might open up due to no-shows. The new volume zooms in on Radha, sister of Lakshmi, who we know from The Henna Artist (2020) and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (2021). Radha is now a mother of two and a talented perfumer in Paris. Even though this time the plot takes us to 1970s Paris, Radha is still part of the global Indian diaspora and her past— and future—keep haunting her. Like millions of other women around the world, Radha refuses to believe that having it all (a fascinating career and a satisfying family life) is possible and blames herself for not being able to manage to excel at all times in both. “I feel so much for those women,” Joshi says. [AP] 7pm Friday, April 7. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org. April 8 Memoir-ease We assume that writing a memoir is much more difficult than putting the stuff you did on paper in roughly chronological order. We assume this because literature professor, author and poet Barbara Mossberg is leading a Memoir Writing Workshop. Need to know how to gloss over that time when the cops pulled you over for…let’s not go there. How about when you almost scored a touchdown? That can probably be spun into an entire, thrillingly heroic chapter. She can help you sort it out. After all, Mossberg’s life is worthy of a memoir. She’s written books, performed one-woman plays, been an activist and now serves as Pacific Grove’s poet-in-residence. Few people are better able to help you tell your story. Registration is required. [DF] 32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY April 6-12, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Katie Simpson The Pathways exhibit by the Emerging Artist Alliance of Monterey is still on display at The Pearl Works coworking space in Monterey until August. The show includes art by Kristen Slavick, Erin Mitchell Harwayne, Jonanna Keefe, Katie Simpson (the piece above is titled “Our River”) and others. The exhibit is free; vaccination verification required. Simpson is a local artist and art educator. Her work includes a combination of various printmaking techniques, collage, sculpture, installation, drawing, painting and photography. “My work focuses on natural environments and various human relationships to them,” she wrote on her website. “Working along these lines leads me toward an understanding of the ways people interact with and remember our time in nature, and this artistic exploration crosses many disciplines.” [AP] 6-12 April HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit calendar.montereycountyweekly.com c/o Katie Simpson Daniel Dreifuss VISUALS Seaside Fire Station This 35-by-9-foot mural is located on an outside wall of the Seaside Fire Station located at 1635 Broadway Avenue. The project was initiated by the city of Seaside’s public art program. La Neta Murals, a crew of five from the Monterey Bay area, was selected from a pool of 13 applicants. An official unveiling took place on March 2. A depiction of Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen because he exemplifies change and hope. The scope of the project included celebrating the culture and history of Seaside, its connection to Fort Ord, its residents and the fire department. The mural also features the American flag, a logo of the fire department, a fire truck and the motto: “Service Above Self.” [AP] Musician Colin Hay, of Men at Work fame, is on a West Coast tour that brings him through Monterey’s historic Golden State Theatre this week. Paul Mobley Three’s a crowd. Pacific Grove-based author Alka Joshi’s third book, The Perfumist of Paris, is out now. Parker Seibold
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