Her mother fled to Taiwan with her parents. And her father stayed on, enduring beatings and job loss during different phases of the revolution, since the regime targeted the intelligentsia. Shauley's mother came to this country before bringing over her children, so Shauley was separated from her for five years, from ages 11 to 16.

Her mother eventually became an adjunct professor in the Asian studies program at Stonybrook College in New York. Meanwhile, her father, whom Cheng didn't know while growing up, stayed in China and remarried after 17 years.

Now Shauley has re-connected with him and he is sending her the letters written by her mother during their years of separation. These letters will form the basis of a story Shauley is determined to write. The wealth of the material is so great her parents seemed to have packed three lifetimes into one, she says.

Lynn Rogers teaches the memoir class which meets on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. She stresses the intuitive, and Shauley calls the class relaxing and fun, as writers push aside the critic within them to pour out their feelings and remembrances. The class is multi-ethnic and for all ages, even though it's listed in the seniors section.

Memoir writing is proving to be more correct than standard academic histories, Rogers comments. The author of Born in Berkeley, the memoir teacher has just come out with a new book, based on her master's thesis, called Edgar Cayce and the Eternal Feminine. The book deals with gender justice, a Rogers' theme.

The book examines the ancient roots of our current religious and spiritual heritage, as one reviewer has it. Rogers describes it as a reference book that connects traditions that have never before been connected. For dates of the next memoir class series, call Rogers at 408.559.5995.

AUTHORS, AUTHORS: Because there are so many authors in Los Gatos, as seen above, the Los Gatos Library will inaugurate a new book section called "Los Gatos Reads What Los Gatos Writes." Local authors are encouraged to donate one or more copies of their books to the library.

All the author donations will be treated like any other material--kept on the shelf, and checked out. It's expected that locals will take up a full shelf. If interested in taking part in the program, authors should contact Linda Dydo, assistant director, at 408.354.6897.

Then sit back and see how fast this shelf of home-grown chapters fills up.

MOLLY MAID HONORED: David Hampton, owner of Molly Maid of Los Gatos, was named to the President's Circle at the firm's national convention recently. Consistent quality and superior customer service were cited for his business. Molly Maid operates the Ms. Molly Foundation, which collects money and goods for shelters for victims of domestic violence.

AT MONTALVO: If you haven't been to see the installations of nature art at Montalvo you're missing out. It's fleeting, you know. That's the very nature of environmental art. On the estate's front lawn is a piece made of supple branches called A Cappella by Patrick Dougherty of North Carolina.

This piece was slated to come down in June, but its life has mercifully been extended, at least through the summer. Because of its impermanence, it's hard to maintain, says Michele Rowe-Shields, visual arts director. Dougherty used nothing but clippers, scaffolding and his hands to create this low-tech installation. You can go inside and imagine yourself in a tree house, or sheltered in a cocoon.

The latest installation on the hiking trail behind the box office is a woven vortex that spirals around and up near the top of one redwood. The work of Chris Drury of England is set among a forest of redwoods. From inside the ever-circling willow lengths and poplars, it's dizzying to look up, since it's so high--60 feet.

On the floor of the art gallery is yet another vortex--this one made of detritus of the forest floor. It's patterned on the design of the human heart, the cardiac twist, first identified by Leonardo da Vinci. It's a beautifully beguiling piece of ephemera.

FOR TEEN PARENTS: The Spa of Los Gatos, in cooperation with other local businesses, raised $3,289 at its April in Paris event. Those funds will go to the Junior League to assist the Family Learning Center for teen parents, a program that provides child care for teen parents so they can complete their high school education.

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