2012 Gator-By-The-Bay Zydeco and Blues Festival

There isn't a holiday or event I look forward to more every year than the Gator-By-the-Bay Festival, held each Mother's Day weekend for many years now at Spanish Landing on San Diego Bay. Hosted by the Bon Temps Social Club, the organizers have created a music and dance event that continues to improve as the fame and the popularity of the festival spreads.

The crowd includes people from all around the United States who love dancing to Creole and Cajun music or who just love listening to great live entertainment. This is a well-organized family friendly event with something for everyone.

Zydeco music is fun and easy to dance along to. Why? Because there are no zydeco police. Can't dance? Nonsense! The weekend is cram packed with free lessons located conveniently between the two main dance floor stages.

One of the main stages is for zydeco and Cajun music and the other serves up a variety of blues groups. If you don't think people dance much anymore - you really have to come here. Lessons in West Coast Swing and Jitterbug are also available throughout the day Saturday and Sunday.

If you are in the San Diego area this weekend or coming into town to visit dear old mum, bring her to the Gator Festival. Great food, colorful vendors, lovely San Diego weather, plenty of liquid refreshments, and one of the liveliest rites of spring you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else.

For more information and the talent lineup, check out the link below:
http://www.gatorbythebay.com/ 

Zug Island Wins Two Awards

When I found out I had won a Finalist Award in the USA Book News 2011 competition, I felt an immediate sense of accomplishment and validation. What for me was a quirky blue collar coming of age story about race relations in the Detroit suburbs was meaningful to others.

Since publication of Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel, one year ago this May, I have received many emails testifying to the unflinching honesty of my portrayal of a time in American history many people would prefer be left unwritten.

In February, I was surprised to discover that I had received another award for Zug Island, an Honorable Mention from the 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival competition. These awards have motivated me to forge ahead with my next writing project, The Water Tower, about the John Norman Collins murders in Michigan of the late Sixties.

If you are looking for an entertaining and meaningful summer read, click on the Zug Island book cover in the right sidebar for more information. Available from Amazon in a quality paperback edition and Kindle format.

Swing Diego - May 2012

Swing Diego is one of the greatest dance events in the United States. What began as a regional San Diego dance convention now draws the best West Coast Swing dancers in the world. In addition to dance competitions, there are plenty of workshops, and lots of "free" dancing on a huge dance floor.

West Coast Swing is the official California state dance. It is said to have been developed during the Second World War when soldiers and their dates crowded the dance floors of Coastal California.

Jitterbug took up too much room on the dance floor, so this "slot" dance was created with spins, turns, tucks, push breaks, and whips, which can be combined and choreographed in amazing ways. Once a "line of dance" (LOD) is established on the dance floor, more people can be out dancing without bumping into one another.

The dance is good for slow to medium speed R&B music, and it works well with many country tunes as well.

For anyone unfamiliar with West Coast Swing, watch the Canadian Champion, Tessa Cunningham, and her "Jack and Jill" dance partner, Terry Roseborough, have their way with each other on hardwood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EZighHlVjA

For the latest information on this year's Swing Diego, check out the link below.
http://swingdiego.com/2012-convention/event-videos/