Silent Water (& Dream Books) Productions
Honoring the Difficult & Divine
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Our Mission
We will bring some of the most dynamic writers, artists and activists from diverse backgrounds to uplift books/art and spark change. The Diversity Project is a creative outlet dedicated to female and Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) voices, and a consulting agency supporting stores and venues looking to incorporate diverse representation to their customers and communities. The primary goal of The Diversity Project is to use various media platforms and promotional pieces to elevate unique BIPOC and female issues and stories.
Our Focus
Topical issues and relevant books will be presented by writers, other artists and agents of change. For too long BIPOC and women have been marginalized in the literary and activist circles, but recently their stories have become more appreciated and sought after. Now more than ever as the world is facing unique challenges and changing drastically on several levels, people need the healing aspect(?) of diverse and inclusive communities. As such, SWP will creatively and effectively connect the writers/artists with the targeted audiences and merchants.
Our Values
Educate I Entertain I Engage I Inspire
At SWP, we curate, promote and moderate live and lively topical interviews and other type of events with authors, artists and activists. We do so by using various media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and other virtual outlets. Be it for our own SWP events or on behalf of our clients, we provide full service curation. From more simple one-on-one discussions, book promotions and launches, to complex special panel events, we bring all the necessary elements together. Whether virtually or in-person; whether intimate or larger functions, it all matters to us, and these presentations allow us and our clients to engage our audience.
Series Curator/Moderator
PAULA FARMER is a buyer and event host/moderator for Book Passage bookstores, having overseen hundreds of author events during her tenure there. In recent years, she’s been known for curating special panel events such as “Race in America” and “Immigration in America.” Additionally, she was selected to chair the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee for the California Independent Booksellers Association (2019- present). Paula was recently (2021) selected by the American Booksellers Association (ABA) to be on their Diversity Equity & Inclusion committee board. Her background is as a news journalist/producer for outlets such as CBS Radio, ABC Radio, and a film and theater reviewer for the Detroit Metro Times, and Culture Vulture online arts magazine. After growing up in Detroit, and spending several years in New York, she now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where in addition to holding positions at Book Passage, she continues work as a freelance journalist and website writer. For more information on Paula go HERE.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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SPECIAL AUTHOR INTERVIEW EVENTS FOR Book Passage and other clients
Upcoming & Archive Client Events of Note
Book Passage's Race in America series event featuring authors and agents of change- In honor of Black History Month and recognizing the importance of uplifting diverse voices and stories now and throughout the year, Book Passage + Silent Water Productions present this special annual event. Paula Farmer hosts this mini series of live-online discussions covering a range of provacative issues involving race, racism, immigration, and exploring possible solutions featuring BIPOC authors and activists, with particular experiences and expertise. Whether you are part of these communities or an ally, we invite you to listen, participate and be a part of the necessary change.
Daniel Black, author of Black on Black and Kristin Henning, author of The Rage of Innocence
Roberto Lovato, author of Unforgetting: A Memoir and Dr. Raina Leon, author of black god mother this body
Oindrila Mukherjee, author of The Dream Builders and May-lee Chai, author of Tomorrow in Shanghai
Now in the archives at YouTube.com/BookPassageTV
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In honor of Women’s History Month, Sausalito Books by the Bay + Silent Water Productions is proud to present a special panel discussion exploring female autonomy and their health at work, home; in their bodies and mind. Increasingly, women’s well-being is threatened, with challenges coming from many directions. What are the challenges exactly? How have things changed for women in these areas over the decades? And how to counter the challenges while maintaining a healthy balance and thrive? We’ll answer these questions and more and welcome your participation in what is sure to be an inspired discussion.
This IN-PERSON event features a dynamic panel of talented, accomplished and diverse Bay Area authors, educators and activists, including…
Lara Bazelon, American academic and journalist and law professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law
Rachel Lehman Haupt, author of Reconceptions: Modern Relationships, Reproductive Science, and the Unfolding Future of Family
Cathy Rath, author of Ripple Effects
Acharya Shunya, author of Roar Like a Goddess
Dr. September Williams, author of The Elephant in the Room: Bioethical Concerns in Human Milk Banking.
GO HERE to register (free) for this event
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Speaking Of ..." interview series - Paula Farmer on Instagram Live in conversation
@paulawritesreviews
Upcoming IG Interviews -
Akaya Windwood and Rajasvini Bhansali - Speaking of community leadership and financial empowerment with the co-authors of Leading With Joy. In a time of increasing disconnection and uncertainty, Leading with Joy, shows how leaders can reclaim their purpose and embrace joy in service of social transformation.
Akaya Windwood facilitates transformation. She advises, trains, and consults on how change happens individually, organizationally, and societally. She is on faculty of the Just Economy Institute, is Lead Advisor at Third Act, and is founder of the New Universal Wisdom and Leadership Institute, which centers human wisdom in the wisdom of brown womxn. She was President of Rockwood Leadership Institute for ten years, and directs the Thriving Roots Fund, which supports young womxn’s finance and philanthropic learning and leadership based in generosity and interconnectedness.
Rajasvini Bhansali is the Executive Director of Solidaire Network and Solidaire Action, a community of donor organizers mobilizing critical resources to the frontlines of social justice. She is a passionate advocate for participatory grassroots-led power building and a lifelong student of social movements. In a wide-ranging career devoted to racial, economic and climate justice, she has previously led an international public foundation that funds grassroots organizing in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and worked as a community organizer, researcher, planner, policy analyst and strategy consultant.
Join this IG event live! Wednesday, March 8 at 4:00 PT / 7:00 ET @paulawritesreviews
Lyzette Wanzer - Speaking of the complex and convaluted relationship with hair. Lyzette is a San Francisco writer, editor, and writing workshop instructor. She received her MFA in Fiction from Mills College. A flash fiction connoisseur and essay aficionado, her work has appeared in Natural Bridge, The Los Angeles Review, Callaloo, Tampa Review, The MacGuffin, Ampersand Review, and many others. She is a contributor to Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth From the Margins (Wayne State University Press 2022), The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays, Civil Liberties United: Diverse Voices from the San Francisco Bay Area
We'll be discussing her latest book, Trauma, Tresses & Truth - From grammar and high schools to corporate boardrooms and military squadrons, Black and Afro Latina natural hair continues to confound, transfix, and enrage members of White American society. Why, in 2022, is this still the case? Why have we not moved beyond that perennial racist emblem? And why are women so disproportionately affected? Particularly relevant during this time of emboldened White supremacy, racism, and provocative othering, this work explores how writing about one of the still-remaining systemic biases in schools, academia, and corporate America might lead to greater understanding and respect.
Join this IG event live! Wednesday, March 22 at 5:00 PT/ 8:00 ET @paulawritesreviews
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Archived IG Interviews - IGTV @paulawritesreveiws
Margaret Wilkerson-Sexton - Speaking of Black History Month in literature. Our guest for this segment has a new novel that navigates family dynamics and Black female empowerment through the lens of historical fiction. Margaret was born and raised in New Orleans, studied creative writing at Dartmouth College and law at UC Berkeley. She is an award-nominate and winning author. This includes her 2020 novel, The Revisioners being listed as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom, was long-listed for the National Book Award. Margaret's latest book, On the Rooftop is a stunning novel about a mother whose dream of musical stardom for her three daughters collides with the daughters' ambitions for their own lives--set against the backdrop of gentrifying 1950s San Francisco.
Join the IG discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 4:00 PT / 7:00 ET
Terrence A. Reese - Speaking of the perfect books for BHM and Valentines Day. Chicago-born Terrence A. Reese (TAR) pursued his passion for photography in NYC. He has always had an eye for letting his subjects tell the story. "Reflections" is a black and white - documentary-style photography series, of personal living spaces of renowned Americans whose lives and careers have addressed the fundamental political, economic, and social realities of the 20th Century and beyond. Recently, TAR put his creative energies in a novel, The Science of Seduction. A straight forward, easy and enjoyable read about what happens when you try to mix business with pleasure.
And many more archived events @paulawritesreviews IGTV
EVENT NOTES FROM OUR GUEST
MERCHANDISE
Are you tired of seeing the same ol' faces on book totes? They are often dead and monochromatic, and usually men. Not here. With the "Mixed Bag" selection we are featuring diversity and contemporary, along with some classic figures. The project is in early days, with varying stages of production. As soon as the inventory increases, you will be alerted and encouraged to buy for yourself, for friends, family and fellow book lovers.
