Granddaughter writes history of Nepenthe

Granddaughter writes history of Nepenthe:

"As the October moon rose over the Big Sur coast, a belly dancer with gold Iris wings twirled with the dancing ghosts of parties past at Nepenthe restaurant.

The release of 'My Nepenthe' is celebrated at the restaur...The release of 'My Nepenthe' is celebrated at the restaur...The release of 'My Nepenthe' is celebrated at the restaur... View More Images

There was a big reason to celebrate.

After six decades of nurturing artists, writers and singers, someone had finally written the story of the fabled restaurant's magical past.

That someone is an expert - Romney 'Nani' Steele, granddaughter of Bill and Lolly Fassett, creators of Nepenthe in 1949. 'My Nepenthe' details Steele's childhood growing up under her grandmother's wing at the iconic restaurant, where her aunt Dorcas belly danced for literary crowds that included writer Henry Miller, actress Kim Novak and singer Joan Baez.

At her Oct. 24 book-release party, Steele watched her 16-year-old daughter, Nicoya, continue the belly dancing tradition for generations of family members who were quick to claim the book as the quintessential tapestry of the bohemian happening that was, and in some ways still is, Nepenthe.

'Nepenthe was at the center of Big Sur - if not was Big Sur to many people,' Steele said between bites of salad on the deck overlooking the Pacific. 'Nepenthe acted as a stage bringing writers, poets and musicians to speak and perform. Growing up there, the world came to us.'" Sphere: Related Content