Kathi Kamen Goldmark facts for kids

Kathi Kamen Goldmark (born August 18, 1948 – died May 24, 2012) was an American writer, music producer, and musician. She wrote books, columns, and helped authors with their book tours. Kathi was also a radio producer and a talented songwriter.

She was a member of the San Francisco band Los Train Wreck. Kathi also helped start a famous rock band made up of authors called Rock Bottom Remainders. Through her company, "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Productions, she produced many music and spoken-word CDs.

Early Life and Education

Kathi Kamen was born in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Her parents were photographers who later became writers and teachers about health. She had two brothers, Paul and Michael.

Kathi went to Antioch College in Ohio, where she earned her first degree in 1971. She then got a master's degree from Goddard College in Vermont in 1974. She also earned a teaching credential in California that same year.

Kathi's Career Journey

In 1972, Kathi moved to Los Angeles. She worked as a drama teacher at a private school. Later, in 1974, she started directing a project called The Rock Project. This project used media to teach teenagers about important health topics. She moved the project to San Francisco in 1976.

In 1981, Kathi married Joe Goldmark. Their son, Tony Goldmark, was born two years later. Kathi and Joe later divorced in 2002. In 2009, she married author and musician Sam Barry.

Helping Authors and Starting a Band

In 1983, Kathi started her own company, Goldmark Media Escorts. This company helped authors with their book tours in San Francisco. She made sure authors had everything they needed when they traveled to promote their books.

A big moment in Kathi's career happened in 1992. She gathered a group of famous authors to perform a rock and roll show at a book convention. This was meant to be a one-time event, but it became the famous band, Rock Bottom Remainders. The band kept performing for many years, raising almost two million dollars for charity.

Music Production and Her Own Band

After the Rock Bottom Remainders started, Kathi met author Jessica Mitford. This led to Kathi producing recordings of Jessica Mitford and Maya Angelou singing. This was the beginning of Kathi's own record label, "Don't Quit Your Day Job Records." She was also a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

In 1994, a song she wrote, "Heartaches for a Guy," was used in the TV miniseries The Stand. Another popular song she performed with the Rock Bottom Remainders was "Older Than Him." Kathi also hosted monthly music jams in San Francisco with her band, Los Train Wreck. The band included her husband, Sam Barry, and other talented musicians.

Writing and Literary Work

Kathi's first published writing was an essay in a book about the Rock Bottom Remainders in 1994. In 1997, she co-wrote The Great Rock & Roll Joke Book. Her first novel, And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, was published in 2002. She also wrote essays for several other books.

Her last book, Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now, was co-written with Sam Barry in 2010. Kathi also helped organize literary events for the San Francisco Public Library and Book Group Expo.

Passing Away

Kathi Kamen Goldmark passed away on May 24, 2012, from breast cancer. She was survived by her husband, Sam Barry, her son Tony Goldmark, and her stepchildren Daniel and Laura Barry. Her mother, Betty Kamen, and her brothers, Paul and Michael, also survived her.

Published Works

• And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You (a novel: Chronicle Books)
• Her Wild Oats (a novel: Untreed Reads Publishing)
• Write That Book Already! (co-author, Adams Media)
• The Great Rock & Roll Joke Book (co-author, St. Martin's Press)
• The Face in the Mirror (contributor—Prometheus Books)
• Feed Me! (contributor—Ballantine Books)
• Single Woman of a Certain Age (contributor – Inner Ocean Press)
• My California: Journeys by Great Writers (contributor – Angel City Press)
• How I Got Published (contributor—Writer's Digest Books)
• Instant City: A Literary Exploration of San Francisco (contributor, Volume 1)
• Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude (contributor, Viking/Signet)
• Food that Rocks: Favorite Recipes from the Hottest Kitchens in Music (contributor, Conari Press)
• He Said What?: Women Write about Moments When Everything Changed (contributor – Seal Press)
• Exit Laughing: How Humor Takes the Sting Out of Death (contributor - North Atlantic Books)

Charitable Work

Kathi Kamen Goldmark was very dedicated to helping others. She founded the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose concerts raised money for programs that teach people to read. She also volunteered her time for many other events and committees in the publishing world, including:

• Selection Committee member, San Francisco's One City One Book campaign
• Advisory Committee member, San Francisco Writers Conference
• Litquake Board of Directors member
• Legal Services for Children's "Words, Wine, and Wit" event committee member

Awards and Special Honors

Kathi Kamen Goldmark received many awards for her work supporting literacy and the arts:

• Leadership Award, Literary Volunteers of America, 1993: Given to all members of the Rock Bottom Remainders.
• Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, April 25, 2003: For being a champion of literacy and supporting a creative writing program for kids.
• Certificate of Commendation from the California Arts Council, 2006: For her contribution to the book My California.
• Honored as a San Francisco Library Laureate, 2007.
• Recipient, Women's National Book Association Award, 2008.
• Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, November 8, 2008: For her amazing work promoting reading and women's careers in books.
• November 8, 2008: Declared "Kathi Kamen Goldmark Day" in San Francisco by the Mayor.
• Certificate of Recognition from the California Legislature, November 8, 2008: For her great achievements in arts and literature.

Don't Quit Your Day Job Records Releases

Music Albums

• Decca & the Dectones, featuring Jessica Mitford (1995)
• There is a Moral to It All: Musical Duets by Maya Angelou and Jessica Mitford (1995)
• Lit-Rock Sampler #1 (various author/artists, 1996)
• You Bug Me!: Songs Guaranteed to Annoy Your Parents (Tony Goldmark, 1996)
• Potty Animal: funny songs about potty training (Auntie Poo and the Porta-Potties, 1997)
• Stranger than Fiction (The Wrockers—an assortment of 40 authors singing their favorite songs, 1998)
• Masterpiece Weirder (Tony Goldmark, 2001)
• Rage Against the Mundane (Tony Goldmark, 2004)
• Goldmark After Dark (Tony Goldmark, 2014)

Spoken Word Albums

• Required Reading and Other Dangerous Subjects (Amy Tan, 1996)
• A Celebration on the Occasion of Guy Johnson's 50th Birthday (Maya Angelou, Guy Johnson, Janice Mirikitani, 1996)