Wednesday, March 28

MARQUEE EVENT this day:

THE LEGACY PROJECT: “Five Important Lists to Write Before You Die” with BUCKET LIST screenwriter and Ojai resident Justin Zackham | 7 – 8:30 p.m. | World University, 107 N. Ventura St. | $10 | “For those who seek to understand it, death is a highly creative force. The highest spiritual values of life can originate from the thought and study of death.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross | We are all going to die. So take one hour to pen “legacy gifts” for those whom you love and will leave behind. Whether you’re 88 or 8, or somewhere in between, there is value in sharing your end-of-life wishes and memories in your own words. | “Riveting and urgent! This series is for anyone who is facing death … or who wants to truly live life!” - Dr. Shauna Mathis, Founder of Humanity Lab | The lists you write tonight could change your life — and the lives of those you love!

___________________________________________

ALL EVENTS on WEDNESDAY

Breakfast With Books: “Live It Up with Alternative Economies” hosted by historian, Kirsten Anderberg, author of Amazon Ebook “Alternative Economies, Underground Communities” | 9:30 – 11 a.m. | Bohemia Coffee House, 214 W. Ojai Ave.| FREE | Make Ojai richer for all through food co-ops, community agriculture, business to business bartering, entertainment collectives, communes, independent media and busking.

Writers’ Pad – Read. Write. Doodle. Daydream. Whatever. Yeah, it’s that laid back and that sublime! | 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Bart’s Books of Ojai, 302 W. Matilija St. | FREE | Home to the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the U.S.A filled with nearly one million books ranging from the .35 cent specials which line the outside walls (for sale on an honor system: take a book, leave some coins), to rare, out of print first editions, and art books valued in the thousands of dollars.

Toddler & Preschool Storytime | 10:30 a.m. | Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. | FREE

“So, You Want to Write a Book!” with Ojai author Patricia Fry. | 1-2:30 p.m. | Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. | FREE | Nearly 80 percent of authors fail in the marketplace today. Fry busts popular myths and shares insider secrets to writing and producing a more successful book. Come with an open mind and the desire for a successful publishing experience.

Writing Workshop: “Uncovering Past Shame – The Pathway To Your Best Work” with Ojai author Larry Chambers | 3 – 5 p.m. | World University, 107 N. Ventura Ave. | $39. Pay Online or at Door | Author of more than 50 published books and thousands of articles, Chambers shares how uncovering shame can be a ghost-mine of richness and access to your best stories and work. Shame is one of the most toxic forces on the planet. Shame is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and has destroyed more lives than all the wars combined. Shame affects intimacy and relationships. Shame breaks the human spirit. Shame is the root cause of more unhappiness than poverty, disease, and erectile dysfunction. Shame makes you feel like you’re good enough to belong. But if you’re a writer uncovering shame can be a ghost-mine of richness and access to your best stores. | Larry is one of the three recipients of the 2012 Ojai WordFest “Local Literary Legend” Award.

“Torn by God: A Family’s Struggle with Polygamy” with Ojai author Zoe Murdock | 3 p.m. | Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. | FREE | A novel based on her childhood experience with polygamy, Murdock will discuss current developments in the mainstream Mormon Church (including Mitt Romney’s run for the presidency) and explore unsettling developments in the FLDS, still under the control of Warren Jeffs from his prison cell.

“Finding Your Voice in Memoir” | 3 – 5 p.m. | At private residence. Call for reservations (805) 646-7601 | $49 | “How do I know about the world? By what is within me.” –Lao Tzu. In Remembrances of Things Past, French writer Marcel Proust conquered time in autobiography by exploring the self. He invented nothing, but altered everything. He did this by finding his own unique voice. We are our past. The way you discover other people’s stories is how we access our own. Learn tips on how to research and structure your life story, write three-dimensional characters, find the thru-line, and discover your unique subjective voice. Dare to be personal and know that the universal rests in the specific. Art connects us. By opening ourselves and sharing our stories, we allow that connection so vital to living. For more information, visit: www.wayofstory.com

“The Art of Hearing Heartbeats” by Jan-Phillips Sendker with Lisa Luckenbach | 4 p.m. | Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. | FREE | A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, spanning the decades between the 1950s and the present.

“The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls presented by Ojai writer Sharon MaHarry | 5 p.m. | Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. | FREE | This is a poignant and evocative memoir by a woman who triumphed over the challenges of being raised by parents who suffered from alcoholism, mental illness and chased away the grind of poverty with flights of magical thinking.

Scrabble™ Tournament-Style Play at The Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Resort | 6:30 -10:30 p.m. | Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Resort, 905 Country Club Rd. | FREE | When it comes to a board game that’s both relaxing and mind enhancing, nothing is better than a little Scrabble. Combine that with the smell of lavender, fresh herbs and eucalyptus trees throughout the Ojai Valley Inn, and you have yourself a fantastic way to break up the week. OVIS host tournament-style play every Wednesday night beginning at 6:30pm in the Neff Lounge, or you can join us for dinner beforehand at 5:30pm in Maravilla to meet your fellow opponents. | As pointed out in an article by NBC Los Angeles, Scrabble in Ojai is worth the drive, and the midweek hustle is a nothing commute. And once you’re here, you won’t want to leave! Bring friends and family, the more the merrier! (Photo courtesy of NBC Los Angeles)

The Legacy Project: “Five Important Lists to Write Before You Die” with Sequoia Hamilton, 2012 Co-Director of Ojai WordFest | 7 – 8:30 p.m. | World University, 107 N. Ventura St. | $10 | “Of all the entertaining events during WordFest, this will be the most important one, the one that changes lives and impacts generations to come. Riveting and urgent! This series is for anyone who is facing death … or who wants to truly live life!” – Dr. Shauna Mathis, Founder of Humanity Lab | We are all going to die. So take one hour to pen “legacy gifts” for those whom you love and will leave behind. Whether you’re 88 or 8, or somewhere in between, there is value in sharing your end of life wishes and your memories of your lifetime in your own words. Handouts provided. | “For those who seek to understand it, death is a highly creative force. The highest spiritual values of life can originate from the thought and study of death.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross