Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto will be read by thousands

San Jose, CA…A lyrical description of a year on a family farm in central California written by a third-generation Japanese American peach and grape farmer has been selected as the 2005 Silicon Valley Reads book.

In February, students and adults throughout Santa Clara County will be encouraged to read and discuss "Epitaph for a Peach" by David Mas Masumoto, who was called by the New York Times "a poet of farming and peaches." Multiple discussion groups and other activities will be scheduled at locations throughout Silicon Valley including schools, libraries and bookstores. The 2005 Silicon Valley Reads programming is made possible through a grant from Adobe Systems. Event information will be posted on www.siliconvalleyreads.org.

"I'm honored and excited to hear ‘Epitaph for a Peach’ has been chosen by Silicon Valley Reads for 2005," said Masumoto. "I hope to share the flavors of my stories and the taste of the land with another valley."

Masumoto divides his time between his organic orchards and vineyards located south of Fresno and writing. He is the author of seven books including "Letters to the Valley: A Harvest of Memories" that was published this fall. "Epitaph for a Peach" was published in 1995 and won the Julia Child Cookbook Award in the Literary Food Writing category.

"This book is beautifully written, and an easy-to-read book with many passages that are poetic and memorable. It is a wonderful book to help encourage people to read and appreciate literature," said Colleen Wilcox, Superintendent of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which sponsors Silicon Valley Reads with the Santa Clara County Library, the San Jose Public Library Foundation, and Adobe Systems.

"Talking about ‘Epitaph for a Peach’ is going to get people thinking about our environment, our agricultural heritage, and our dependency on nature. These are universal themes that will appeal to readers no matter their age or life experience," added Melinda Cervantes, Santa Clara County Librarian, who co-chairs Silicon Valley Reads with Wilcox and Jane Light, City of San Jose Library Director.

This is the third year of Silicon Valley Reads: One Book. One Community. Previous books selected for the program were "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jimenez and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury. The 2005 book was selected by the 30-member Silicon Valley Reads Community Advisory Board after dozens of books were reviewed by a book selection committee comprised of librarians, a bookstore representative, a media representative, and the Silicon Valley Reads program coordinator.

Further information on Silicon Valley Reads is available at www.siliconvalleyreads.org or from coordinator Diane McNutt at (408) 354-1242.