When the Road Curves

Marianne Lonsdale’s debut novel, When The Road Curves, is an emotionally resonant story about the courage it takes to break free from destructive patterns. Set in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, it explores the strength of female friendship, the complexity of love and a hard-won journey to self discovery. During the 1980s, most of the medical community did not even acknowledge that women could contract AIDS. As a result, education and diagnosis of AIDS in women lagged for years. The CDC did not even include women in its official definition of AIDS until 1993. Marianne Lonsdale and Janine Kovac will discuss resilience in the face of illness and the impact on our relationships. How do our friendships compensate as networks of support for marginalized demographics that are pushed to the sidelines? What are the bonds that are formed in the wake of medical crises?

Marianne Lonsdale’s debut novel, When The Road Curves, was published by Sibylline Press in 2026. Her personal essays and poetry have appeared in several print anthologies and various online publications including The New York Times, Literary Mama and Pulse. She’s committed to youth literacy efforts, volunteering with 826 Valencia and the Oakland Literacy Coalition. She lives in Oakland with her husband and beloved dog, Ricky Ricardo.

Janine Kovac writes about power dynamics and women's bodies. Her memoir The Nutcracker Chronicles recently received The Writer's Choice Eyelands Award, Greece's international book prize. Her other distinctions include the Calderwood Fellowship from MacDowell and the Elizabeth George Foundation Fellowship from Hedgebrook. Janine is the co-director of LitCrawl San Francisco and curates Grotto Night in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library.