Monica Leff serves as the current chair of Literary Women of Long Beach, which she's been a member of for 20 years. The group hosts an annual Festival of Authors, of which the Foundation is a sponsor, to highlight the work of exceptional women authors. She is a board-certified OB/GYN and menopause specialist who has practiced in Long Beach since 1983. Monica was the chief of staff of the Women's Hospital at Miller Children's and Women's for 10 years and is now working for a federally qualified health center.
Monica says that it's impossible for her to choose only one favorite book, but this Women's History Month, she wants to highlight one of her favorites: Reading Like A Writer. “I love this book and go back to it time and time again to appreciate the beauty of language, specifically words, sentences, and paragraphs. It truly is a celebration of the pleasures of reading, which is an important tool in building empathy.”
Book: Reading Like A Writer
Author: Francine Prose
“The chapter (in the book) on sentences rang a loud bell in my head and validated how I fell in love with reading in the third grade. This book provides reassurance that while storytelling is fundamental to our process as humans, the ‘how’ in many ways is more important than the ‘what.’”
The Literary Women of Long Beach Festival of Authors is on March 7, 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center. You can learn more about the festival and featured authors here.
