Laura Rafaty lives in California’s Napa Valley. She is an author and columnist, formerly writing her award-winning Up the Valley Column, which appeared regularly in the St. Helena Star newspaper from 2010 to 2014. She was the co-author, with Rob Hopcke, of the book Straight Women Gay Men, Absolutely Fabulous Friendships published by Wildcat Canyon Press (previously published as A Couple of Friends). She was formerly a big-firm lawyer, a corporate executive for a large nonprofit, and a Tony-nominated theatrical producer, having produced plays on and off Broadway as well as national tours (and one legendary fiasco in suburban Canada). Laura served on the board of New York’s The Drama Department, and has worked with several Napa Valley nonprofits including the Napa Valley Opera House, Friends of the Cameo Cinema and the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Napa Valley Museum Yountville, and is the Founder & Artistic Director of NapaShakes (www.napashakes.org).
Laura’s email is: lrafaty@yahoo.com
Up the Valley with Laura Rafaty 
November 7, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Hi Laura–
Your posts are great, by the way. You have that effortlessly witty, conversational voice that almost has to come naturally. Some writing styles are fake-able or shall we say “assumable” (that’s less harsh), but I think one like yours has to be natural. Fun to read.
Paul Moser