Once I moved on from my career aspirations as a 6-year-old to become a professional ice skater someday, I decided I wanted to be an author and illustrator. In Mrs. Taylor’s class at Foster City Elementary we did a project that involved writing and illustrating our own books that we then shared with our classmates; mine was a saga about Beanie Babies coming to life.
The positive feedback and invigorating feeling from seeing my imagination take shape on the blank pages in front of me sparked a passion for writing that was a perfect companion to my voraciousness for reading. I wrote a letter to Ann M. Martin, author of “The Baby-Sitters Club” book series (and got a personalized reply!) and took a picture with Sarah Dessen at a book event as a teen. That childhood dream of becoming an author still lives on – I keep a running list of ideas just in case – but in the interim I love reading interviews with authors about how they take inspiration from their lives for their stories and what got them writing in the first place.
Kyla Zhao draws on real-life experience dealing with imposter syndrome in the tech world for her new fictional book, “Valley Verified,” which follows fashion columnist Zoe Zeng’s sudden move from New York City to head up marketing for a Silicon Valley fashion app startup. Zhao works as a marketing analyst at a South Bay tech company, a career in which she had to learn “a completely different skill set.”
“I had a lot of imposter syndrome and a massive confidence crisis, and that kind of inspired the book,” she said.
Read about Kyla’s efforts to diversify the ways Asian people are portrayed in the media and which local spots appear in “Valley Verified” in Karla Kane’s profile.
Leaping into March,
Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com
Author Kyla Zhao on battling imposter syndrome, championing Asian representation and maintaining a passion for fashion
While Stanford graduate Kyla Zhao’s new book “Valley Verified” is a work of fiction, there are some parallels to Zhao’s own real-life experience of feeling like a fish out of water in the Bay Area tech world.
SPONSORED
Bay Choral Guild presents Icons of the Baroque – March 2 & 3
Choral/instrumental masterpieces – J.S. Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude and G.F Handel’s Dixit Dominus, plus the lovely Magnificat by 17th-century nun Isabella Leonarda. Sat, March 2, 7:30 p.m. Campbell United Methodist Church, 1675 Winchester Blvd., Campbell. Sunday, March 3, 4:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto. > BUY TICKETS
Meet the new executive chef at Michelin-starred Chez TJ in Mountain View
Chez TJ’s new executive chef Stanley Michalski discusses his culinary style, what he aims to achieve in his new role and his interests outside of cooking.
SPONSORED
Fantastic Summer Camps located across the Bay Area
Explore all your interests this summer with Riekes Summer Camps! Enrolling now for camps in Nature, Music, Art, Digital Media, and more–there’s something for every camper! For ages 5-18 with locations at Filoli Gardens, Huddart Park, Stevens Creek, and the Riekes Center in Menlo Park. Let’s have an amazing summer! > LEARN MORE
SPONSORED
Registration for summer camp 2024 is now open!
Spartans Sports Camp offers a wide variety of sports and academic enrichment camps for kids entering grades 1-9. Experienced staff ensures everyone has fun. Daily on-site swimming is offered for all camps. Camps run weekly from June 10 – August 2 at Mountain View High School. The camp is run by MVHS coaches and student-athletes and all proceeds benefit the MVHS Athletic Department. Lunch and extended care are available. >LEARN MORE
Congrats to Sukumar Ramanathan of Menlo Park, who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s Sharon Park in Menlo Park!).
The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win swag from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!
SPONSORED
Registration for Summer 2024 now open! Get ready for another amazing summer!
Stratford infuses its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum into an innovative and enriching summer camp experience. Younger campers engage in hands-on learning projects, while elementary-age students collaborate to tackle real-world problems. At the middle school level, individual subject-based enrichment classes are offered and tailored for each grade level. >LEARN MORE
Kaki King and Tamar Eisenman: March 1-2 Renowned musicians Kaki King and Tamar Eisenman join forces for “SEI,” a performance piece that blends choreography and masterful guitar playing.
Wild & Scenic Film Festival: March 2 Catch the annual slate of environmental-themed short films, available either in person at Foothill College or virtually.
Ruddygore, or The Bruja’s Curse: March 2-3 Lamplighters Music Theatre presents a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Ruddygore” incorporating “folklórico dancing and Day-of-the-Dead style ghostly ancestors.”
Board Game Night: March 3 Red Rock Coffee hosts a board game night the first Sunday of each month, inviting participants to bring their favorite game and settle into the second-floor community space.
Library Book Sale: March 8-9 Calling all bookworms: Friends of the Menlo Park Library hosts a big two-day sale featuring tons of books of all sorts, plus CDs, DVDs, games and puzzles, with most items priced at $1-$2.
Lyle Lovett: March 13 Grammy-winning musician Lyle Lovett (and his acoustic group) come to Redwood City’s Fox Theatre.
Reaching Toward a Better World: March 15-16 Musical group Emma’s Revolution presents another collaboration with Palo Alto’s DanceVisions, with choreography by DanceVisions founder and activist Laura Zweig.
She Loves Me: March 15-31 Coastal Rep Theatre presents “She Loves Me,” the charming musical comedy set in a 1930s European perfumery, involving romantic letters and secret admirers.
St. Patrick’s Day 5K: March 16 Pacifica Runners, a nonprofit running club for all ages and abilities, hosts a 5K race on the coast.
Plan Ahead
Partners Speed Puzzle Competition: March 21 In addition to having fun with friends, teams participating in this partners speed-puzzling event get two glasses of wine per team and a keepsake wooden puzzle to take home.
One-Hit Wonders: March 23 The Pear Theatre’s monthly “Pear Pressure” cabaret show celebrates favorite one-hit wonders of the pop music world.
Park Picks Photo Contest: Through March 25 Taken any good nature photos lately? San Mateo County Parks Foundation invites the community to submit photos taken in county parks this winter to its photography contest.
Bunnies and Bonnets Easter Parade: March 30 Downtown Campbell hosts its 23rd annual Easter Parade, featuring community groups, marching bands and more.
Elephant Seal Walks: Through March 31 Año Nuevo Coast Natural Preserve offers docent-guided walks to view elephant seals in their natural habitat.
Mind Over Batter: April 11 Psychotherapist and baker Jack Hazan presents his book on baking as mindfulness and self-care, featuring 75 therapeutic (and tasty) recipes.
Fred Astaire Films: Through April 14 Grab your top hat, tails and dancing shoes to catch classic films starring Fred Astaire at Palo Alto’s glorious Stanford Theatre.
Called By The Trees: Through May 23 (artist reception March 3) Patricia Larenas’ solo art exhibition at Atherton Town Hall focuses on trees.
The overlooked women who saved the Big Basin redwoods
Driven by tales from her family history, Traci Bliss quit academia to document the overlooked female activists behind the founding of one of America’s most iconic parks.
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