The annual Literary Luncheon had a humorous flavor this year.
All four authors — two of them Laguna residents — who spoke at the luncheon told the story of their trials as writers with wit and grace.
Cara Black, Joyce Weatherford, Judy Flynn and Lisa See were the guest speakers at the annual Festival of Women Authors presented by the American Associations of University Women's Laguna Beach Foundation on Saturday at the Surf & Sand.
The authors' books were for sale at the luncheon, but the real treat was hearing the women talk about how they came to write them.
Weatherford was of special interest to the local group. Not only does she live in Laguna with her husband, Dr. Jim Cushing, and their two children, Carson, 7, and Juliet, 4, but she was the recipient of an AAUW scholarship.
Born on a ranch settled by her family the late 1800s in what she called the "armpit" of Oregon, Weatherford jumped at the opportunity to attend Stanford University.
"I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I couldn't think of thing to write about," Weatherford said.
She discarded the notion of writing about the family ranch, her colorful aunt — a countess in a mental institution — her horse and even her 6-foot-tall sister, Alice, who runs the ranch."Then I thought about writing about my brother, Scotty, who had died, and that shut me up for 20 years," Weatherford said.
She turned to acting, a career she enjoyed until she met and married Cushing and moved with him to Laguna, where the writing bug bit again. Eventually she came full circle and wrote "Heart of the Beast," a book set on a ranch inherited by a 28-year-old woman.
Flynn, also a Laguna resident, was born and raised in San Francisco. She gave up a 30-year business career to teach abroad.
"Gumboots, Lesson Plans and Hot Rugby Nights — New Beginnings in New Zealand" recounts her experiences with her students, newfound friends, maintaining a bi-continental marriage and how to reinvent oneself.
The book tells about her sojourn in New Zealand, but it is really about her personal renaissance.
Flynn's book is a must-read for anyone making a career transition or interested in an overseas adventure, according to the luncheon program notes.
