Silent Water (& Dream Books) Productions
Honoring the Difficult & Divine
_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________
___________________
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.
____________________
UPCOMING EVENTS
_____________
SPECIAL AUTHOR INTERVIEW EVENTS FOR Book Passage and other clients
Upcoming & Archive Client Events of Note
Juneteenth Commemorative Event - Speaking Of ... Juneteenth as a new federal holiday. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the emancipation of those who were enslaved in the United States. Until very recently, this historical milestone, which originated in Texas, was only observed in that state. Thankfully and rightfully, it is garnering more attention, celebrated annually on June 19th. As of last year, Juneteenth received official recognition as a national holiday, signed into law by President Biden. Unsurprisingly, many Black writers and activists are embracing (or not) and elevating this demarkation of the end of slavery in the ways they know best- with their pens, their voices and talents. As such, Book Passage, along with SilentWaterProductions is giving a platform to invited guest writers of acclaim to share their thoughtful reflections about Juneteenth through the written and spoken word. Go to BookPassage.com/events-calendar for the essays and event info.
Join the Book Passage presentation moderated by Paula Farmer -Sunday, June 19 & 20 @ 4:00 PT/ 7:00 ET
PRIDE Program 2022 - Speaking Of ... the importance of LGBTQ stories and voices. The Second Annual Pride program in partnership with Book Passage and SilentWaterProductions, and curated/hosted by Paula Farmer will be done this year as a mini-series event. This 3-night series will feature emerging authors on the literary landscape discussing their writings, the importance of Queer books- fiction and nonfiction- and issues within the community. Whether you are part of the LBTQ community or an ally, these special conversations are for you! Go to bookpassage.com/events-calendar
Join the Book Passage talks- Tuesday, June 21- Thursday, June 23 @ 5:30:00 PT / 8:30 ET
Robert Samuels & Toluse Olorunnipa - A landmark biography by two prizewinning Washington Post reporters that reveals how systemic racism shaped George Floyd's life and legacy — from his family’s roots in the tobacco fields of North Carolina, to ongoing inequality in housing, education, health care, criminal justice, and policing — telling the singular story of how one man’s tragic experience brought about a global movement for change. His Name Is George Floyd tells the story of a beloved figure from Houston's housing projects as he faced the stifling systemic pressures that come with being a Black man in America. Placing his narrative within the context of the country's enduring legacy of institutional racism, this deeply reported account examines Floyd's family roots in slavery and sharecropping, the segregation of his schools, the over policing of his community amid a wave of mass incarceration, and the callous disregard toward his struggle with addiction — putting today's inequality into uniquely human terms.
Live-Online through Book Passage. Go to YouTube.com/BookPassageTV
_____________________________________
Speaking Of ..." interview series - Paula Farmer on Instagram Live in conversation
@paulawritesreviews
Upcoming IG Interviews -
Audrey Huang - Speaking Of ... great reads for the end of summer & a fall preview of books. I'll be talking with experienced and enthusiastic bookseller who is also a co-member of mine for the American Booksellers Association's DEIA Committee. Audrey Huang is a front line bookseller at Belmont Books (Massachusetts). She’s been with the store since they opened in June, 2017. She is also a lapsed lawyer, happily not practicing the law while discovering all the books. Audrey reads across almost all genres and age groups but primarily reads BIPOC authors with all the intersections. One of her favorite things to do in the store is to rip open the arc envelopes, to see what treasure lies inside.
Join the IG talk- Wednesday, August 17 at 4:00 PT / 7:00 ET
Anita Gail Jones - Speaking Of ... midterm elections 2022, voter's rights and keeping up the fight. Anita Gail Jones lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was born and raised in Albany, Georgia, and maintains a strong connection with this southwest corner of the state.
In fact, it is that connection, among other things, that inspired her to get involve with Georgia's changing and volatile political landscape. She recently launch Anita's Peach Corp to enlist Bay Area residents to help her home state send 2020 Democratic candidates to the U.S. Senate through grassroots efforts. She's continuing the work with a volunteer network in California for this year's midterm elections. This includes a push to help get Stacey Abrams in the Georgia Governor's seat!
Anita is doing this all while also working on her novel, The Peach Seed. The manuscript was selected as a 2021 Finalist in the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and was acquired by Retha Powers at Holt in a two-book deal for publication in August 2023.
Join the IG talk - Wednesday, August24 at 4:00 PT / 7:00 ET
Danté Stewart- Speaking Of ... the new Juneteenth holiday and why its celebration is complex. Danté Stewart is a minister, essayist, and cultural critic. He is author of Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle. Named by Religion News Service as one of “Ten Up-And-Coming Faith Influencers”, his work has appeared on CNN, The New York Times and more. According to Sojourners Magazine, "Stewart is a product of two of the most powerful traditions in the United States: the Black Christian tradition and the Black literary tradition. In his new book, Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle, Stewart traces how these traditions have touched his life and why he believes they can heal the Christian church and the United States." Stewart is also one of the author-guests invited to contribute to the Book Passage special program in honor of Juneteenth, curated by SilentWaterProductions and moderated by Paula Farmer. For this IG talk, he will share his thoughts on the new federal holiday in all its celebratory sentimentality and complexity.
Join the IG talk - Tuesday, June 15 at 4:00 PT / 7:00 ET
Archived interviews in IGTV @paulawritesreviews
Kris Ferguson - Speaking of ... Pride Month 2022 and coming out loud and proud! My guest in honor of Pride Month is a former bookselling colleague who identifies as non-binary. They are an 8th grade teacher of U.S. History for the San Francisco School District. As such, they puts particular teaching focus on Reconstruction Era and how it connects to systemic issues we witness today.. Kris came out last fall and has since been a vocal advocate for the LGBTQIA community. Additionally, they are one of the most prolific readers I know and will share their insights about the importance of LGBTQ literature for today's youth.
A.J. Verdelle - Speaking Of iconic friendships with literary giants. A. J. Verdelle is the award-winning author of the novel, The Good Negress. She teaches Creative Writing at Morgan State University and at the MFA program at Lesley University. A.J. Verdelle has published fiction, essays and a memoir. Verdelle is motivated to write by love of language, and by fascination with a society so incorrect in its views of Black people, of Black richness, and of the value inherent in Black culture. Verdelle's first novel, The Good Negress, was first published in 1995, and has been continuously in print since its initial publication. Verdelle's second book, Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison, was released in May 2022.
Join the IG talk - Tuesday, May 17 at 4;00 PT/ 7:00 ET
Vanessa Hua - Speaking Of uplifting Asian stories and voices. Vanessa Hua is an award-winning, best-selling author and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Her novel, A River of Stars, was named to the Washington Post and NPR’s Best Books of 2018 lists, and has been called a "marvel" by O, The Oprah Magazine, and "delightful" by The Economist. For more than two decades, she has been writing about Asia and the diaspora, filing stories from China, Burma, Panama, South Korea, and Ecuador. She began her career at the Los Angeles Times before heading east to the Hartford Courant. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Magazine, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Newsweek, among other publications. Her recently released novel, Forbidden City is one of the most anticipated books for 2022.
Join the IG talk - Tuesday, May 24 at 4:00 PT/ 7:00 ET
Pooja Uberoi - Speaking Of ... the healing power of movement & NYC Dance Week Festival 2022. Pooja Uberoi is recognized globally as a Bollywood dance director and choreographer and has been responsible for some of the biggest Bollywood musicals in India and the US. Her company IKIGAI USA is working on expanding the Artistic Dance and Movement classes and has established work and classes in New York City and India. IKIGAI USA was created to foster artistic collaborations and help artists follow their passion without being short of the resources or finances.
Join the IG talk- Wednesday, June 1 at 4:00 PT / 8:00 ET
Nia McAllister - Speaking Of National Poetry Month 2022 - Nia McAllister is a poet, writer, environmental justice advocate working at the intersection of art, activism, and public engagement. As the Public Programs Manager and Book-Buyer at The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, Nia strives to create participatory spaces for creative expression and literary dialogue. She is the host and founder of the Open Mic series at MoAD and has committed herself to creating platforms for amplifying the work of Black artists on a global scale. Nia's poetry has been featured on Poets of Color Podcast, Nomadic Press Dial-A-Poet Series, and in forthcoming publications.
Chichi Agorom- Speaking of ... helping others discover their true and better selves. Chichi Agorom is a lifelong student of what it means to be fully human. She is a Trained Enneagram Teacher & Practitioner in the Narrative Tradition and holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Post-Master's Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Enneagram for Black Liberation, available for preorder now!
https://www.chichiagorom.com
Silvia Vasquez Lavado - Speaking of... amazing feat of courage. Endless ice. Thin air. The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below. This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning, pulse-raising memoir following her journey to Mount Everest. A Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, privately, she was hanging by a thread. Deep in the throes of alcoholism, hiding her sexuality from her family, and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child, she started climbing. Something about the brute force required for the ascent—the risk and spirit and sheer size of the mountains and death’s close proximity—woke her up. She then took her biggest pain as a survivor to the biggest mountain: Everest. Silvia is a humanitarian, mountaineer, explorer, social entrepreneur, and technologist living in San Francisco. In 2014, she launched Courageous Girls, a nonprofit that helps survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking with opportunities to find inner strength and cultivate their voices by demonstrating their physical strength.
Julie Rubio- Speaking Of ... daring and determined female filmmakers. Julie has been a friend-of-the-show since its inception, and I love having her return to talk about her personal film projects, women in the industry and our picks for Oscars 2022. She is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the founder of East Meets West Productions, Rubio is best known for producing the award-winning independent film East Side Sushi and is in the midst of wrapping up her latest documentary project, The Untold Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival. When she's not working on her films, she's helping other women realize their movie making goals as the Director of Business for Women in Film SF Bay Area.
https://www.tamaradoc.com/home
Join the discussion on IG - Tuesday, March. 8 at 4:00 PM/ 7:00 ET
Rachel Montez Minor- Speaking of ... Black excellence that promotes stories of love and connection. As a professional dancer, singer and actress, Khristi is clearly a multi-talented creative. What her fans didn't realize is she is also a mystic and dreamer. While she was pregnant with her daughter, a series of children’s books came to her as she slept. These stories of our universal love and connection were gifts from the stars, for which she is eternally grateful. The Sun, the Moon and the Stars is her recently release children's picture book is a direct result of her pregnancy dream. The author lives in California with her beloved husband famed musician and composer, Rickey Minor and their daughter, Brodie Nakia.
Greg Hodg- Speaking Of ... impassioned community activists- turned political candidates. At the end of last year, when we were all buying last minute holiday gifts and navigating how to safely ring in the New Year, Greg Hodge was launching his bid for Oakland mayor in a local restaurant. He made the announcement before over 100 enthused supporters, and since then he's been making his case. Hodge, an experienced advocate for children and a former OUSD board member, has embarked on a listening campaign to understand what voters believe to be important in crafting comprehensive solutions to reimagining safety, providing decent, affordable housing for its most vulnerable residents, and enhancing economic opportunities for all of Oakland’s residents. We'll find out why he's running, what his platform is, and why Black and brown representation matters in local politics.
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.
