Author to Read from Novel With Orcas Setting at Drop Out

Sunday, April 10, 6 p.m., Mia’s

— from Jennifer Brennock —

The third Drop Out artist reading and open mic will take place Sunday, April 10 at Mia’s at 6 p.m.

This is the final reading of the spring series and will feature Rebecca Villarreal, author of The Amazing Adventures of Selma Caldron. Villarreal finished her novel on Orcas the last time she was here. Now she is on tour with that book. The book is also partially set on Orcas Island.

“I think it’s kind-of poignant to be returning here, to a place where she was so inspired in her work before, as part of the tour of her debut novel” Drop Out director Jennifer Brennock said.

Amazon describes Villarreal’s debut novel as “a globetrotting magical mystery of courage, food, and friendship.”

In the novel, fifth-grader Selma Calderon has recently moved to Chicago with her legal guardian and wants to use her magic to explore the world. She’s planning trips to Paris to taste a café au lait and a chocolate-filled croissant, to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas with her best friend, Hurley, and to Alhambra, Spain to visit the great palaces. But she’s not supposed to use magic without permission from Guadey, her guardian, not even to do her homework. Or deal with the school bully, or the creepy principal. Or to uncover the mystery of her parents who went missing when she was four.

Villarreal’s reading will be followed by a “five-minute mic.” Anyone is welcome to read their own original writing with a five-minute courtesy limit.

“During the last open mic, I looked around and saw the Orcas writing community connecting with each other in a more vibrant way than I have ever seen before. It was really touching to see artists giving each other inspiration and camaraderie,” Brennock said.

The event is free. More information call Brennock at (360) 317-8464 or visit www.dropoutonorcas.com.