Long Beach author Jan Bono’s reaction to her latest literary publication reflected her personality.

“The worst thing about ‘finishing’ this book is I immediately began thinking of all the other stories I could have, should have, might have, put in it,” she said. “Will there be a sequel next year? We’ll have to wait to find out.”

The latest work, “The Freedom of the Day,” subtitled “Everyday Silver Linings,” will be launched at a party at the BOLD Gallery, 711 N. Pacific Ave, Long Beach. The event runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26 and features free cookies.

She was inspired to put her 18th published book together after hearing another regional author speak.

“I was at a book reading at the Warrenton Community Library in early March to hear Dr. Robert Michael Pyle speak at their ‘Library After Dark’ monthly event. It was the right place and the right time for me to hear his inspiring message. On the way home I began thinking about all ‘The Freedom of the Day stories I could tell — or write. It surprised me how many anecdotes I had loosely fitting the definition of the phrase as Bob had described it.”

She noted that as a child, the expression “the freedom of the day” referred to having a whole day ahead for activities, often without adult supervision. “We had to be home by dinner, or dark, but other than that, there weren’t many restrictions on where we went and what we did —within reason, of course,” she recalled.

“And I began wondering why we stopped having such wonderful adventures. I wondered if that’s what happens when you become an adult — do you become less inclined to have fun just because it’s fun? It made me stop and think about ‘aging out’ of spontaneity and becoming stodgy and boring.”

List

Bono, who is 70, started making a list, which she divided by decades. “The real fun began when I started writing the stories — they were coming out a lot like my humorous, personal experience newspaper column back in the 1990s, but without word-count limitations.”

While still a teacher, Bono’s humorous “Through My Looking Glass” columns were published in the Chinook Observer. Over the course of 10 years, they won 11 awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Two stories describe how being “hired” as a columnist was an affirmation of her worth, but when she was “fired” it proved to be a blessing because it spurred her to different writing. “Maybe writing that column was actually holding you back,” a prescient friend told her.

Her first published books after retirement were compilations of these columns plus her poetry. She later published a six-part cozy mystery series and more recently a heavier novel about a serial killer. More recently she has been writing screenplays, “pursuing the ever-present hope of production.”

For the new book, the bleak tone of today’s headlines sparked her enthusiasm for sharing positive stories. “I felt, clear down to my toes, that focusing on the joy, the hope, and silver linings of our everyday lives might be just what we need in this rather unsetting political climate,” she said.

Revelations

The books reveal much about Bono, including relationships, her weight-loss journey, which was the subject of a separate book, her hiring at Ocean Beach Schools in Ilwaco, her love of her school cheers and her fascination with Lipizzaner performing horses. It features cherished moments, like bonding with a street musician as she sat on the Astoria waterfront absorbing a disturbing medical diagnosis. 

The pages are illustrated with Internet memes, family photos and other art, including her sea turtle tattoo. One meme admonishes, “Age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell.” Bono noted that her stories are designed to trigger readers’ memories of their own adventures. The book ends with questions designed to prompt readers to share their own stories.

Like many authors, Bono collects testimonials from early readers. One, Stephanie Frieze of Tacoma, Wash., noted, “Anyone who was growing up during the 50s and 60s, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, is going to identify with these stories and be transported back to those days.”

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Book launch party with free cookies

“The Freedom of the Day: Everyday Silver Linings”

By Jan Bono

BOLD Gallery, 711 N. Pacific Ave, Long Beach

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26

$25, cash only. Those attending will receive a free chapbook of Bono’s poetry for every beverage bought at BOLD during the event. Two other recent books by Bono will be available.

Books available afterward at Time Enough Books in Ilwaco or online at https://janbonobooks.com