Best-selling author and screenwriter Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter's Daughter) discusses her new illustrated birding book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Over five years, Tan filled nine journals and a dozen sketchbooks tracking the natural beauty and bird antics in her Sausalito backyard. Amy will be interviewed by birder and artist Keith Hansen, author of Birds of Point Reyes and Hansen's Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada.

In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.

"The drawings and essays in this book do a lot more than just describe the birds. They carry a sense of discovery through observation and drawing, suggest the layers of patterns in the natural world, and emphasize a deep personal connection between the watcher and the watched. The birds that inhabit Amy Tan’s backyard seem a lot like the characters in her novels.”—David Allen Sibley, from the foreword

“Unexpected and spectacular”—Ann Patchett, best-selling author of These Precious Days

Our bookseller for this program is Sausalito Books by the Bay. 

Photo of Amy Tan by Kim Newmoney