Book of Hands & Theft of Trust – Authors in Conversation

When: Sunday October 5th 2:30PM
Where: 269 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Join us for an afternoon of storytelling, reflection, and discovery as we celebrate the release of two powerful new books by Brooklyn-based authors.

Tasha Paley’s Book of Hands is a poignant exploration of the invisible threads that connect us all. Through stories of family, friendship, love, dysfunction, and compassion, Paley examines the ways we make amends, honor the past, and navigate the fragile terrain of human relationships.

Lujira Cooper’s Theft of Trust is a gripping mystery that follows Detective Moore into a web of corruption, betrayal, and questions of justice. When a high-profile case takes a sinister turn, Moore must confront not only the truth about the crimes but also her own sense of morality.

Come meet the authors, hear excerpts from their books, and join in a thoughtful discussion about love, trust, resilience, and justice.

About the Authors:
Tasha Paley, an expressive arts therapist and social worker, has used the arts- -writing, visual art, drama, playwriting– as an instrument for healing– herself, others and as a means of building a sense community. Tasha has written and illustrated two children’s books and recently published “Tasha’s Book of Hands” in which she describes key people throughout her life through the lens of theur hands, Tasha performs in, and teaches, Playback Theatre ( a form of theatre where the actors enact, on the spot, the real life stories that volunteers from the audience offer). Tasha has worked with all ages.and, for 20 years, practiced in public schools in the S Bronx. She is now retired but continues her work in both Mexico and NYC.

Lujira Cooper is an African American lesbian activist living on New York’s Upper Westside. Her interests include writing, photography, and advocating for LGBTQ persons of all ages. She facilitates a writing playshop at SAGE, an advocacy organization for the elder LGBTQ population. Spoke at the SAGE gala in 2016 and the World Pride opening ceremony in 2019 as a SAGE member. She has been featured in two coffee table photography books: Grace Bonney’s COLLECTIVE WISDOM: Lessons, Inspiration and Advice from Women Over 50 and THE WATERMARK’s NOT ANOTHER SECOND, which speaks of the lives of fourteen LGBTQ seniors and is a touring exhibit. She has published one book, Theft of Trust, and is currently working on a space saga and a second book in the Theft of series about strong women. Two notable aspects of her career are that she returned to school in 2016 and, by 2020, had earned a BA and MA in English and Creative Writing, as well as a BS in Criminal Justice. She also presented a paper in 2022 to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) on the topic of creativity as a means to support LGBTQ seniors. Is on Brooklyn’s Board of Trustees.