Saturday Social & Keynote Benefit:
Keith Hansen in Conversation with Amy Tan on Backyard Birds
April 26th, 2025 | 4:00 - 7:30 PM
Dance Palace Community Center, Point Reyes Station, CA
Ticket Price: $150 per person | $190 per person with a pre-order of Amy Tan’s The Backyard Bird Chronicles.
Recommended ages 21+ | Dress code: trail chic, flat shoes, and warm wraps | Zero waste event
Get ready for an inspiring night! Join us for a memorable evening with renowned author, and newly budded illustrator, Amy Tan, and celebrated wildlife illustrator and birder Keith Hansen. Connect with fellow birding enthusiasts, enjoy a delicious meal, and enjoy live music, all while contributing to a fantastic cause – all set against the beautiful backdrop of Point Reyes.
Social
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 PM | Outdoors, weather permitting
Book Signing: 5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Our afternoon kicks off with an exciting outdoor social on the back lawn of the Dance Palace Community & Cultural Center! It’s the perfect chance for our vibrant festival community—guides, attendees, staff, and volunteers—to come together for a wonderful evening over an outdoor dinner (menu) with drinks, games, and live music from the fabulous Desi & The Mish!
Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to get your books signed during this festive gathering, and after the keynote It’s going to be a fantastic time connecting with friends old and new! Don’t miss it!
Keynote
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 PM | Indoors
Book Signing: 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Our incredible evening will transition indoors for our keynote conversation featuring the legendary Marin-based novelist and birder, Amy Tan, alongside our long-time festival friend, the talented illustrator, birder, and author Keith Hansen! Together, they’ll dive into Amy’s latest masterpiece, The Backyard Bird Chronicles—a stunning exploration of birding, life, and the beauty of the natural world, all beautifully illustrated by Amy herself!
In this engaging and casual conversation, we’ll discover what birding means to these two Bay Area icons and how they capture the wonders of nature in their backyards. This is a fantastic opportunity for both seasoned birders and newcomers alike to learn, connect, and be inspired! Plus, we’ll have coffee, tea, and delightful desserts waiting for you inside. Don’t miss it!
About The Backyard Bird Chronicles
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight, written and illustrated by the best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club • With a foreword by David Allen Sibley
Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world. 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.
Additional Ways to Engage with Our Keynotes
Join Amy and Keith in the field on Sunday, April 27 for Backyard Birding in Bolinas (Event #51)
About Amy & Keith
Amy Tan is the author of several novels, including The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter. She is a co-producer and co-screenwriter of the film version of The Joy Luck Club and is on the board of American Bird Conservancy. Her latest book is The Backyard Book Chronicles, a #1 New York Times Bestseller and the Barnes & Noble Gift Book of the Year. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Letters, was given The National Humanities Medal, and was profiled in a PBS American Masters documentary, “Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir.” In 2024, her bird art was on exhibition at the Roger Torey Peterson Institute, and a future exhibition is being planned for the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. She lives in Sausalito, California.
Keith Hansen is an internationally known birder and wildlife illustrator in Bolinas, Marin County, California, specializing in bird illustrations with scientific accuracy. He has illustrated a dozen books, including The Birds of the Sierra Nevada: Their Natural History, Status, and Distribution, authored by Ted Beedy and Ed Pandolfino for the Yosemite Association, his first solo project, Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada, and his latest book, Birds of Point Reyes which was released in June 2023. He and his wife Patricia Briceño lead birding tours to Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Yucatan. His workspace and backyard, The Wildlife Gallery is located in Bolinas, California (behind the Bolinas Museum) where people are welcome to visit.
"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
