As the parent of four children, Berkeley author Michael Chabon has had the unfortunate opportunity to use the emergency room at Children’s Hospital in Oakland a number of times. Every time, the hospital took care of his kids. Now he is returning the favor.
On April 28, Chabon will be one of a number of high-profile writers and musicians who will appear at Notes & Words, a benefit for Children’s Hospital and Research Center. From the stage of the Art Deco Fox Theater, Chabon, Anne Lamott, Kelly Corrigan, and John Hodgman will talk about their lives and work. The band Cake will also perform.
“As a parent of four children, I have had to visit that portal of the emergency room a few times,” Chabon told Diablo Magazine in a recent interview. “The extremely high-quality and thoughtful and sensitive care that my family has directly received at Children’s Hospital is consistent with everything I have heard from other parents in the community. When I drive by the hospital on Highway 24, or fly over the hospital into Oakland Airport, I always find a sense of comfort when I see the rubber ducky on top. It’s a place that radiates comfort and promise.”
Organizers of the third annual Notes & Words hope to raise $1 million for the hospital, which serves children up to 18 regardless of their ability to pay. The hospital, which this year is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding, opened its doors in 1912 as “Baby Hospital.” It now has 191 beds and sees 200,000 patient visits a year, according to the hospital website. Children’s is one of only 45 freestanding children’s hospitals in the country.
To increase interest in the April 28 event, Kelly Corrigan, who has been the emcee for Notes & Words since its inception, interviewed Anne Lamott. Watch a video of their very amusing conversation about mothers-in-law above.
View more information on Notes & Words.
To find out about more events in Berkeley and nearby, visit Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. We also encourage you to submit your own events.
