17 th Annual San Diego Open Air Book Fair
06.17.05 by Jan Hedlun

Are you one of the people out there that like the weighty feel of a book in your hands? Enjoys the whiff of ink on paper? Loves to walk the world through other people's words? Then you would have liked the 17 th Annual San Diego Open Air Book Fair this last Saturday, June 12 th on 5 th Avenue between University and Robinson Avenue . Sponsored by the San Diego Booksellers Association there was everything and anything you would have wanted if you were an novice or acknowledged bibliophile.

Old mingled with new, children with adult books, non-fiction with fiction, and graphic novels, illustrated art and comics - all represented in the 50 exhibitors booths that stretched down the block.. An individual was there to appraise books but I was too busy checking everything else out to see what the three books I brought were worth.

My primary interest was the Author Readings and Signings. I arrived to hear the end of Jack Scheffler Innis reading from his new book San Diego Legends: The Events, People and Places that Made History and will be ordering the book from my local library to peruse.

Who I really came to see was Luis Alberto Urrea, a San Diego local. His career began with Across the Wire (1993), a compelling story of his volunteer work in 1978 to 1982 with the undocumented immigrants who don't cross the border into the United States and scrape out a living in the dumps of Tijuana . It was my introduction to his writing and I haven't stopped reading his work since.

His latest is The Hummingbird's Daughter, based on stories and historical documentation on his own Great-Aunt Teresita, or Saint Teresita of Cabora, a Yaqui woman who, legend has it, could heal with the touch of her hand. Listening to Luis describe the 20 year path to publication was riveting. His good-natured sense of humor came out when at one point, as he was speaking about Teresita, the sign board in front of his podium fell to the ground and he laughingly announced, "she's here," and looked over his shoulder, drawing laughter from the standing-room-only crowd.

I can't do Luis justice for all the acclaim he's received for his writings.  If you want to know more about him and the eleven books he's written visit his website at

www.luisurrea.com . You won't be disappointed. There is a page dedicated to Saint Teresita that will tell you more of this remarkable woman, but I wish you'd been there to hear his own personal journey of discovery.

Jim Miller followed with readings from his new book Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear him to learn what his book is about.

Steve Kowit, a renowned poet and teacher at Southwestern University read a few of his poe ms . Steve has been a poetry workshop teacher for over 20 years.  He's written a wonderful book called In The Palm Of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop . Also The Dumbbell Nebula, The Maverick Poets and eight other books. Check out http://home.gwi.net/~tilbury/kowit.htm or just put his name in the address slot and see what pops up. His natural wit, kindness and generous spirit comes comes across in his writing and in person.

I ended up checking out some of the shops that were surrounding the event. There was Bluestocking Books and Bindery, Bountiful Books, 5 th Avenue books (like I wasn't getting enough books from the event). There;s also an excellent coffee shop, Jane Iris Designs, Inc (a wonderful jewelry store), some eateries, a card store and more. This meant I missed hearing Hector Martinez and Donna Watson. Nor did I get to hear Dave Hurwitz who wrote Wasting the Dawn, a serialized novel , or Andrea Naversen, a local TV news anchorwoman who's written San Diego: Coming of Age - A Modern History

To find out more about Hillcrest and what they have to offer check out http://www.gothere.com/sandiego/Hillcrest for yourself and prowl.

The participating exhibitors and business will have one or more of these books I've mentioned and more information about their services. These included:

Torrey Pines Rare Books

Maxwell's House of Books

Adams Avenue Books

IDW Publishing

Comickaze Comic Books and More

San Diego Union-Tribune

Robinson's Books

Elizabeth Brown Books & Collectibles

William Burgett Books

Westside Books

Broz Books

Fifth Avenue Books

Pacific Shore Maps

Bountiful Books

Mary Mason Bookseller/Legends

Russell's Bookstore

Lew Moats, Bookseller

Charlotte E. Thompson

Lehmann Bindery

Wahrenbrock's Book House, Inc.

Gaslamp Books and Prints

Friends of the Central Library

Mike Cates Books

Scott Emerson Books

The Lily Pad Store

Moondance Books

Sunbelt Publications

Tom Leech

Premier Publishing

East West Discovery Press

Camelot Books

Upstart Crow Trading Company

Usborne Books

Andrae & Associates

Culturelink Press

Bookwarren Publishing Services

San Diego Writers/Editors Guild

Pacific Rim Press

Veronica Lane Books

Sand Diego Council on Literacy

Sisters in Crime

Captain Fitch's Mercantile

Bluestocking Books

The Book Cellar

E. Nicholls Lee Books

and Parmer Books

Remember - if you don't have the ability to purchase all the books you'd like, there is the marvelous San Diego Public or County Library system at your disposal.  Some of the booths even had a 10 % discount if you showed your library card. 

So - keep an eye out next year for the 18 th Annual Event and I'll see you there.