Welcome to the electrifying underworld of San Diego’s Depression-era taxi dance halls, where a dance could cost you a dime, a chance at romance, or a bullet in the back!
Library Shop SD and the San Diego Central Library are proud to welcome Marivi Soliven, in conversation with Lee Ann Kim, for an author presentation and book signing of her exciting new novel Taxi Dancer, based on a true story set in San Diego’s downtown historic Stingaree District.
San Diego swing masters and jazz band, Zzymzzy Quartet, will be slinging Prohibition-era hot swing music to make you dance from 5:30 to 6:30. Period attire encouraged.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Taxi Dancer reveals the hidden world of Depression-era Filipino taxi dance halls, weaving a forbidden interracial romance with a high-stakes murder mystery to explore race, desire, survival, and the Filipino American experience in 1930s California.
In response to Depression-era California laws that criminalized interracial marriage, Filipinos established taxi dance halls where they could mingle with American women. Men buy 10-cent tickets for one song, hence taxi, since the women are rented like cabs. When Filipino farmworker Eli and white taxi dancer Lucinda fall in love, they hope to move to Washington State, where they can legally wed. Their plans are derailed when Eli is arrested for murder. As Lucinda fights to exonerate Eli, she uncovers a murder conspiracy orchestrated by a rival dance hall owner. What abhorrent secrets concealed by the conspirators will be revealed at the capital punishment trial?
ABOUT THE EVENT:
• Registration preferred but not required •
• Refreshments served •
• Period Dress Encouraged •
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Marivi Soliven has authored 18 books, including The Mango Bride, which won the grand prize at the 2011 Palanca Awards, the Philippine counterpart of the Pulitzer Prize. Her short story “Talunang Manok” was adapted to a short film titled “Recipe” by Marissa Aroy. “Pandemic Bread,” a nonfiction story about interpreting end-of-life calls during the Covid pandemic, was adapted to an award-winning short film directed by Zeinabu irene Davis. Pandemic Bread has screened at numerous film festivals across the United States, London, Manila, and Tepoztlán. She drafted Taxi Dancer, a historical novel during a 2012 Hedgebrook writing residency, then spent a dozen years revising, editing and submitting the novel until Red Hen Press offered it a home. Taxi Dancer is inspired by an actual 1935 murder in San Diego’s Stingaree District.
Lee Ann Kim is a first-generation Korean American who reported and anchored the news for KGTV-10 news, the ABC affiliate in San Diego where she earned an Emmy for her journalism. She also founded the San Diego Asian Film Festival and its presenting nonprofit, Pacific Arts Movement. A long-time community servant, Lee Ann has expanded her service into the wellness space as a yoga teacher, breathworker, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, and plant medicine practitioner.
PARTNERSHIP
Library Shop is proud to join in partnership as the bookseller for this event, produced by the Humanities Department at the San Diego Central Library. Browse the Event Calendar for more SDPL literary programming.
