A Brief on the Reading~and STEMPAC... Time To Fight Back!

Before I get to my really exciting announcement, the reading in San Francisco was lovely. What a fabulous bookstore, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books. Several booksellers commented on what a kick they got out of the fact that the store was mentioned on page 99 of the novel. And two very cool unexpected run-intos were my dear friend Trish, with whom I used to teach and who knows all my dirty little secrets. Haven't seen her for a couple of years now! And the other was the amazingly talented and supernice Stephen Elliott. If you have not read any of Stephen's books, I highly, HIGHLY recommend them, especially HAPPY BABY, which broke my heart. The reading was taped and will air on Writer's Voice Radio at 91.7 FM this Sunday between 6-6:30 pm and will repeat on Wednesday from 8-8:30 pm.

If you're in the Berkeley Oakland area I'll be at Cody's on Telegraph tonight at 7:30.

Don't forget about my contest (I've gotten some really funny entries so far!)...

Onto the nitty gritty, I am so, so, SO psyched about this story on Wired.com. It's reprinted in full on the STEMPAC web site, so I'll link there instead since that's where I really want you to go!

Gunning for Stem-Cell Naysayers
by Kristen Philipkoski
02:00 AM May. 25, 2005 PT

A pioneer of grass-roots internet movements is mobilizing a campaign to oust any legislator who opposes embryonic stem-cell research.

John Hlinko, the brains behind DraftWesleyClark.com, one of the most successful online grass-roots political movements so far, is creating a political action committee to raise funds and galvanize support for embryonic stem-cell research. Hlinko's new crusade is in response to President Bush's threat to veto legislation supporting embryonic stem-cell research

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 238-194 to fund embryonic stem-cell research using government money, and a similar bill looks likely to pass in the senate. But Bush promised that if the bill lands on his desk, he will kill it.

That got Hlinko's goat. Hlinko, vice president of marketing at PR firm Grassroots Enterprise in Washington, D.C., was already laying the groundwork for a pro-embryonic-stem-cell research PAC, but news of Bush's veto threat accelerated his efforts.

"If anyone really cares about this issue ... now is the time to put the 'ass' in 'grass roots' and get off their asses and do something," Hlinko said. "We want to very strategically do whatever is necessary to remove from office those extremists who are frankly blocking stem-cell research. Anyone putting theoretical possible life ahead of actual life is someone who should not be in office." ... {MORE}

I really really care about this issue, as I REALLY REALLY want a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I want that fucking disease which affects each and every moment of my family's life to be a DISTANT MEMORY for future generations. And, of course, there are many other diseases whose cures may be found through stem cell research.

Please folks, go to the site, donate if you can, and sign on to help. At the very least steal their ad like I did (look to your right). (STEMPAC wants you to!) And bloggers... PASS IT ON!