The Pasadena Public Library’s Authors and Their Journeys series features April Davila on Wednesday, August 25, 5 to 6 p.m., as she presents her first novel, “142 Ostriches.”
Set against the unexpected splendor of an ostrich ranch in the California desert, Davila’s beautifully written debut conjures an absorbing and compelling heroine in a story of courage, family and forgiveness.
Davila received her undergraduate degree in biology from Scripps College before going on to study writing at USC. She was a resident of the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony in 2017 and attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers in 2018.
Davila is also a mindfulness meditation instructor certified by the Greater Good Science Center at USC Berkeley and co-founder of A Very Important Meeting, which hosts virtual meetings for mostly writers and writing students seven days a week. Davila said she and co-founder Paulette Perhach have plans of building out their schedule until writers can hop on any time of day, in any time zone, to focus their minds and write with like-minded individuals.
In 2019, Davila’s short story “Ultra” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. In 2020, “142 Ostriches” was published by Kensington Books.
A fourth-generation Californian, she lives in La Cañada Flintridge with her husband and two children. She is a practicing Buddhist, half-hearted gardener, and occasional runner.
To watch Authors and Their Journeys, visit the Pasadena Public Library’s calendar page, www.cityofpasadena.net/
For more information, call (626) 744-4066.
