SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 // 7 Manzanita What made a mother want to murder her children? novelist reads at Cannon Beach Library CANNON BEACH — Holly Lörincz, an award-winning Manzanita novelist, will read from her recently published novel “The Everything Girl,” at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Cannon Beach Library, 131 N. Hemlock. She will also read from a crime book slated for fall publication and discuss the intricacies of collaborative authorship. Before establishing Lörincz Literary Services in 2010 in Manzanita and becom- ing a collaborative literary agent with the MacGregor Literary Agency, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a mas- ter of arts in teaching from Western Oregon University. While teaching at Neah-Kah-Nie High School, Lörincz received the Outstanding Speech, Debate and Theatre Educator of the Year Award from the National Federation of High Schools, the OSAA Speech Educator of the Year Award and the National Feder- ation of High Schools Educator of the Year Award for Oregon. Her experience at Neah-Kah-Nie became the basis for her novel “Smart Mouth,” which received the 2014 Bronze Independent Publishers Book Award in Popular Fiction. Following a life-threatening illness, Lörincz resigned from teaching at Neah- Kah-Nie, but she views her current work as a collaborative editor, publishing coach and writer as an extension of her teaching career, especially through her conference and workshop presentations. A member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, Lörincz serves on the faculty for the Profitable Authors Institute and for the Blackbird Studio for writers in Portland. PHOTOS COURTESY KATHIE HIGHTOWER The cover of ‘To the Bridge’ by Nancy Rom- melmann. MANZANITA — Author Nancy Rommel- now defined by an unspeakable crime. mann will read from her book, “To the Rommelmann is also the author of the novel “The Bad Mother,” the story collection Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and “Transportation,” and “Destination Murder,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. Gacy” about a cross-country journey 15, at the Hoffman Center for the to interview serial killer John Wayne Arts, 594 Laneda Ave. Gacy shortly before his execution. The case was closed, but for She has written articles for the LA journalist Nancy Rommelmann, Weekly, the New York Times, the the mystery remained: What made Wall Street Journal and other publi- a mother want to murder her own cations. children? Author Following Rommelmann’s reading On May 23, 2009, Amanda Stott- Nancy and Q-and-A, we’ll have our popular Smith drove to the Sellwood Bridge Rommel- open mic where up to nine local or vis- in Portland and dropped her two iting writers will read five minutes of mann children into the Willamette River. their original work. The suggested (not One child died, one lived. Amanda required) theme is “I Don’t Understand You.” was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 35 Admission for the evening reading is $7. years in prison. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Rommelmann traced the roots of Aman- da’s fury and desperation through thousands The Manzanita Writers’ Series is a pro- gram of the Hoffman Center for the Arts. of pages of records, meetings with lawyers and convicts, and interviews with friends and More information is available at hoff- manblog.org, or contact Vera Wildauer at family who felt shocked, confused and emo- tionally swindled by a woman whose life was vwildauer@gmail.com. Writer’s Guild announces fall workshops ASTORIA — The Writer’s Guild, an Asto- ria-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy in the community, has announced its fall workshop schedule. • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13: Poetry of place. Poetry of place focuses not on the land- scapes we know or imagine. Award-winning poet John Sibley Williams will focus on ways the mundane and sublime impact our writing through prompts, exercises and discussion. The cost is $65; guild members get a dis- count. Location is TBA. Register at thewriters- guild.org/workshops. • 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3: “A Dark and Stormy Night.” Dress up as your favorite book character and join us for music, wine and wordplay at River- Sea Gallery, 1160 Commercial St. in Astoria. All proceeds benefit the work of the Writer’s Guild. COURTESY JOAN OAKEY COURTESY JOSEPH BERNT Author Holly Lörincz. COURTESY MARIANNE MONSON Astoria author and educator Marianne Monson, right, is the founder of The Writer’s Guild in As- toria. In this photo, she is working with Shahnaz Radjy during a writing retreat in Sintra, Portugal.