Author Reading: Dian Greenwood, Forever Blackbirds, and Gemma Whelan, Painting Through the Dark

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Dian Greenwood, author of Forever Blackbirds, and Gemma Whelan, author of Painting Through the Dark.

Portland authors Dian Greenwood and Gemma Whelan will read from their books Forever Blackbirds and Painting Through the Dark. Afterwards they will discuss some of the common themes from their novels: immigration, women’s journey’s, overcoming obstacles, finding hope and light and courage in dark times. Dian and Gemma will also speak of their earlier books, About the Carleton Sisters (Dian) and Fiona: Stolen Child (Gemma), which deal with family dynamics, sibling conflicts, and the power that the past exerts on the lives of their female protagonists.

Gemma Whelan (she/her) is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and educator. Gemma was the founding Artistic Director of Wilde Irish Productions in the San Francisco Bay Area, and of Corrib Theatre in Portland, Oregon. She has been directing, and teaching at universities and conservatories in the U.S, Ireland, and Asia for over 35 years. Her novels are Fiona: Stolen Child and Painting Through the Dark. She is also published in the Wordstock Ten Anthology and The New Hibernia Review.

Dian Greenwood‘s first novel, About The Carleton Sisters, was published by She Writes Press. Though she started in the Dakotas, Dian has been a West Coaster since adolescence. She studied both writing and counseling psychology in San Francisco. An early focus on poetry led her to fiction. Recently, she published personal essays in The Big Smoke, a weekly online magazine, and contributed to a collaborative book, 2020* The Year of the Asterisk. She writes and work as a therapist in Portland, Oregon.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m.

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Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.