Book Briefs for Feb. 18-24, 2014

JOHN L. SMITH TO ADDRESS 55 plus GROUP

The Active Adult 55 Plus group plans to host columnist and author John L. Smith as its guest speaker at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane. For more information, call 702-233-3785 or 702-382-6456.

SCRIPT CONSULTANT TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

Top Hollywood script consultant Michael Hauge is slated to speak about the 10 essential elements of every story at 7 p.m. Feb. 20. at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. The meeting fee is $5.

Ebook consultant Peggy Richardson is scheduled to speak during the group’s 7 p.m. March 20 meeting.

For more information, visit meetup.com/lasvegas-writers. For more on Hauge, visit www.storymastery.com. for more on Richardson, visit her blog at wizardofebooks.com.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘WHY I’M RIGHT’

Jeff Adler is slated to sign copies of his book “Why I’m Right: An Average Guy’s View on Politics” at 1 p.m. Feb. 22 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

BOCA PARK STORE TO PARTICIPATE IN BOOK SIGNING AND JUICING DEMO

Runner, nurse, cancer survivor and author Helen Neville is slated to sign copies of her book “One on the Run: 93 Days Across America” from 1 to 5 p.m. and host a juicing demo at 2 p.m. Feb. 22 at Eccoci Boca Park, 750 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 8. For more information on Neville, visit oneontherun.com.

HENDERSON LIBRARIES TO SPONSOR TEEN WRITING CONTEST

Henderson Libraries is slated to host a teen writing contest for writers in grades 6 through 12. Works of poetry, one-act plays, short stories or essays up to 2,000 words will be accepted for consideration. Entries can be made online through Feb. 28. All work must be original and unpublished. Entries are limited to three per teen. No school assignments will be accepted. Selected entries may be published in a digital literary magazine. A reception and unveiling of the magazine is expected in April. Writers are to be notified by March 31 if their piece has been selected for publication. A writers’ reception and unveiling of the literary magazine is slated for April to honor those selected. Teens do not have to live in Henderson to take part. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.org.

TEEN WRITING CLUB PLANS MEETING

A teen writing club is scheduled to meet from 4 to 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more information, visit my public library.org.

MAC KING TO SWAP SHOW TICKETS FOR BOOKS TO TAKE ON LITERACY TOUR

Comedy magician Mac King is swapping show tickets for books to give to kids in at-risk schools during his Magical Literacy Tour Nevada Reading Week visits scheduled for March 4-7. Donate three new or gently used books and get two tickets to King’s show at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Book drive partners include:

• Grimaldi’s Pizzeria plans to collect books throughout February. Donors there are also to receive a $5-off card for the pizzeria. For locations, visit grimaldispizzeria.com.
• Galaxy Cannery Luxury+ Theatre, 2121 E. Craig Road, and Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ Theatre, 4500 E. Sunset Road, plan to collect books throughout February. Donors there are also to be given a free large popcorn.
• Donations can also be taken to Preferred Public Relations, 2630 S. Jones Blvd. Donation perks are limited to one per person. For more information, visit mackingshow.com.

HENDERSON AUTHOR PLANS SIGNING

Henderson author Anna Mae Zuccari-Teitelbaum is scheduled to sign copies of her book “You’ll Never Know or Will You?” at 3 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Desert Willow Community Center, 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway in Sun City MacDonald Ranch.

LOCAL AUTHORS TO BE SHOWCASED AT GREEN VALLEY LIBRARY

A Local Author Showcase Launch Party is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 8 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway.

The event is expected to feature more than 40 authors and include a book publishing workshop, an author meet-and-greet session and a discussion panel. A new collection by local authors is also slated to be unveiled.

For more information, call 702-492-6581.

‘THE AVIATOR’S WIFE’ AUTHOR TO VISIT

Melanie Benjamin is set to discuss her novel “The Aviator’s Wife,” which follows the story of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, during a free program scheduled at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

AUTHOR TO GREET READERS AT PASEO VERDE LIBRARY

Peter Okeleke Nzeogwu, author of “The House of Bug Representatives and Bug Immigration Reform,” is slated to greet readers from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the lobby of the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, as part of the READ Local Authors Series. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.org.

LOCAL AUTHOR SHARES ‘ZULU DREAMS’

Henderson author Richman Bongani Mahlangu plans a signing for his book “Zulu Dreams: From Apartheid To The Ivy League” at 1 p.m. Feb. 22 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble. The book traces the author’s path from growing up in South Africa during apartheid to escaping poverty through tennis and pursing higher education for himself and then sons. For more on the book, visit zuludreams.com.

LIED LIBRARY TO HOST EVENT FOR ‘BRIGHT LIGHT CITY’

Larry Gragg is scheduled to present his book, “Bright Light City: Las Vegas in Popular Culture,” an insight into Las Vegas’ appeal through popular culture depictions and famed historical residents from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 23 in the UNLV Lied Library’s Goldfield Room, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Gragg is chair of the department of history and political science at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Seating is limited and RSVPs are suggested. To RSVP, visit http://www.library.unlv.edu/gragg-rsvp.

AUTHOR’S PRESENTATION ON BIRDS OF PREY TO INCLUDE GOLDEN EAGLE

Author Martin Tyner, of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation, is slated to speak about birds of prey in the American West during a free University Forum lecture scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Barrick Museum Auditorium at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

Expect slides, video clips and a live golden eagle to supplement Tyner’s presentation.

For more information, visit unlv.edu.

BOOK FESTIVAL SET FOR OCT. 16-18

Readers accustomed to attending the Vegas Valley Book Festival the first weekend in November won’t have to wait as long this year. This year’s main festival and the Vegas Valley Children’s Book Festival are slated for Oct. 16-18. For more information on the festival or to apply to be a volunteer or visiting author, visit vegasvalleybookfestival.org. Festival organizers are slated to collect author submission forms through April 15.

‘EVERYDAY LAS VEGAS’ AUTHOR PLANS WEEKEND OF EVENTS

Assistant professor of geography at Illinois State University Rex Rowley is slated to sign copies of his book “Everyday Las Vegas” at 7 p.m. March 7 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. In the University of Nevada Press title, Rowley, who grew up in Las Vegas, examines topics such as why people chose to live in Las Vegas and the benefits and perils of living in a 24-hour primarily tourist-centered town.

Rowley also plans to participate in a book event at 1 p.m. March 8 at the Nevada State Museum, 309 S. Valley View Blvd. For more information, visit museums.nevadaculture.org.

Rowley is also slated to be featured alongside authors John L. Smith and Jo-Ann Gilbert at Brandeis University Las Vegas Chapter’s annual Book & Author Luncheon scheduled for 10:30 a.m. March 9 at Tournament Players Club, 1700 Village Center Circle. Tickets to the luncheon start at $70. For more information on the luncheon, visit bnclv.org or call 702-255-6667. RSVPs are due Feb. 28. For more information on the book, visit everydaylv.com.

‘KING OF CASINOS’ AUTHOR PLANS PRESENTATION

Andy Martello is slated to give a presentation and sign copies of his book “The King of Casinos: Willie Martello and the El Ray Club” from 1 to 3 p.m. March 1 at the Nevada State Museum at the Springs Preserve, 309 S. Valley View Blvd. For more information, visit museums.nevada-culture.org.

AUTHOR PLANS MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION ON JAY SARNO

UNLV Center for Gaming Research director and author of “Grandissimo: How Jay Sarno’s Wild Life Changed Las Vegas” David G. Schwartz plans a multimedia presentation on Sarno’s impact on Las Vegas at 7 p.m. March 3 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

For more information, visit lvccld.org.

Schwartz is also set to moderate a discussion of Sarno’s life and legacy with panelists former Las Vegas Mayor and Sarno’s attorney Oscar Goodman, casino executive Burton Cohen, former Circus Circus vice president Mel Larson and Sarno’s children. Seating is limited at the event which is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. March 2 in the UNLV Lied Library’s Goldfield Room, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. RSVPs are suggested. Visit http://www.library.unlv.edu/gragg-rsvp.

MEMOIR-WRITING WORKSHOPS SLATED

An ongoing series of free four-week memoir-writing workshops is scheduled at noon Wednesdays and at 10 a.m. Fridays at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Library, 509 S. Ninth St. Four-week sessions are set to begin the first week of every month. For more information, call 702-382-9695.

BARNES & NOBLE TO HOST WRITING GROUP

The 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble hosts a writing critique group at 5:15 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month. The group is limited to the first 20 participants per meeting. Sign up at meetup.com/las-vegas-creative-writing-class.

SHARE POEMS AT HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Polish up a poem or two and try them out at Human Experience, a free spoken word event, from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays in The Beat Coffeehouse inside Emergency Arts, 520 Fremont St. For more information, visit lasvegaspoets.org.

SUN CITY MACDONALD RANCH LITERARY GUILD PLANS AUTHOR EVENT

The Sun City MacDonald Ranch Literary Guild plans a literary event featuring David L. Berger, author of “Case Book of a Private Investigator,” at 2 p.m. March 9 at the Desert Willow Community Center, 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway. Admission is free, and guests receive a 20 percent discount in the center’s restaurant the day of the event.

ALIANTE LIBRARY TO HOST WRITERS CLUB

The Aliante Library Writers Club is scheduled to meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Road. For more information, contact facilitator Glory Wade at glorywadewriter@gmail.com.

BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR PLANS VISIT

Monica Brown, author of the award-winning bilingual children’s book “Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match,” is slated to visit with young readers from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 7 at the West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

NEW SERIES TO FEATURE POP-UP! POETRY

Pop-Up! Poetry: A Las Vegas Poetry Feature Series is set to present poets reading at 7 p.m. every First Friday in the Nevada Humanities offices at Art Square, 1025 S. First St. Upcoming poets to be featured include: Andrew Clark Hall on March 7, Vogue R. on April 4, A.J. Moyer on May 2 and Harry Fagel on June 6. The series is part of Las Vegas Poets Organizations’ celebration of 10 years of service to the community. For more information, visit lasvegaspoets.org.

SPRING FLING BOOK FAIR TO FOCUS ON STATE SESQUICENTENNIAL

The Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, plans a Spring Fling Book Fair - Sesquicentennial Edition for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 29. A panel of local authors is set to discuss their experiences writing about Nevada in celebration of the state’s sesquicentennial anniversary. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

ART CENTER HOSTS POETS CORNER

The West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., hosts poets corner readings with Keith Brantley at 7 p.m. the first and third Friday of each month. For more information, contact the center at 702-229-4800.

BESTSELLING AUTHOR TO SIGN ‘NIGHT BROKEN’

Patricia Briggs, New York Times bestselling author of “Frost Burned” is set to sign copies of her the newest novel in her Mercy Thompson series “Night Broken” at 7 p.m. March 14 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

SALTMAN CENTER TO HOST TALK BY KENNETH CLOKE

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution plans to host a talk by Kenneth Cloke on his book “The Dance of Opposites: Explorations in Mediation, Dialogue and Conflict Resolution Systems Design” from noon to 1:30 p.m. March 3 in room 112 of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. For more information, visit unlv.edu.

FREE READ TO ME PROGRAM OFFERED

Celebrity storytellers Oscar Goodman, Rita Rudner, Clint Holmes, Terry Fator, Carrot Top, The Scintas and others have donated their talents to the Clark County Education Association Community Foundation’s Read To Me program. Children can view more than 15 videos of celebrities reading books on the website at readtomelv.com. Stories also can be accessed by calling 702-240-2665. Both databases are frequently updated with fresh stories. Parents and teachers can download lesson plans for each book on the website.

DOWNLOAD BOOKS AND MORE FROM YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY

Virtual Branch websites make it easy to browse, check out and download digital books and more to a home computer for free. All patrons need is a valid library card and an Internet-connected PC. Virtual Branch download websites feature a digital catalog of downloadable audio books, e-books, music and video titles. Each site is meant to look and feel like the library’s main site, and it has many easy-to-use features similar to an online store. Digital book downloads are borrowed just like print materials. Once patrons select the title or author they want, they follow the steps to check out and then download the title to their home computer. Patrons can transfer most titles to portable media players, such as MP3 players, PDAs, Kindles or smart phones. Each title that is downloaded has a designated lending period. When the title expires, it is automatically returned to the Virtual Branch, so there are no late fees. For more information, visit search.overdrive.com.

ZINE LIBRARY OPEN IN EMERGENCY ARTS

Grab a cup of coffee and check out the independently crafted magazines at the Las Vegas Zine Library inside The Beat Coffeehouse in Emergency Arts, 520 Fremont St. The library is more of a collection on display for reference and on-site reading than a checkout repository. Contributions of zines are appreciated. For more information, visit lvzinelibrary.blogspot.com.

HENDERSON WRITERS GROUP MEETINGS SET

The Henderson Writers Group meets from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Mondays in room C-2 at Community Lutheran Church, 3720 E. Tropicana Ave. Meetings are typically canceled on holidays. For more information, visit hendersonwritersgroup.

FREE STORYCORPS TOOLKIT HELPS COLLECT MEMORIES

The national StoryCorps’ Memory Loss Initiative encourages people with memory loss to share their stories with loved ones and future generations. To make that task easier, a free step-by-step toolkit is available to download at storycorps.org/mli. The Commemorate toolkit offers an individual reminiscence program that family members can initiate or memory loss care facilities can add to activities. The initiative has collected more than 1,800 interviews with 180 partner organizations. For more information, visit storycorps.org or call 646-723-7027.

ACCESS RECORDED BOOK PROGRAMS ONLINE

Too busy to get out to book programs? The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District posts videos and podcasts of many of its programs online. Selections available include: “An Afternoon with Tony Curtis,” John L. Smith’s presentation “Amelia’s Long Journey: The Challenge of Writing What You Know,” “Batman” movie producer Michael Uslan’s presentation at the 2009 Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, Jami Carpenter’s “ABCs of Editing” workshop and Brian Rouff’s “Getting Published: A Long Strange Trip.” To access the programs, visit lvccld.org, select “Books, Movies & More” and then “Video and Podcasts.”

The Black Mountain Institute has offered recordings of its programming since 2006. To access recordings of a gamut of writers from E.L. Doctorow to Alissa Nutting, visit blackmountaininstitute.org and select “multimedia.”

POET LYNN XU PLANS UNLV VISIT

Poet Lynn Xu is scheduled to speak as part of the Black Mountain Institute Emerging Writers Series at 7 p.m. April 8 in Greenspun Hall Auditorium at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

The Shanghai-born poet is the author of the collection “Debts & Lessons” and the chapbook “June.” She is an editor at Canarium Books.

For more information, visit blackmountaininstitute.org.

UNLV PROFESSOR’S VERSE DRAMA TO DEBUT

A debut performance of “O, Heart,” a verse drama by local poet Claudia Keelan, is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 24 in the UNLV Student Union Theatre, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Keelan, whose books include “Refinery” and “Utopic,” is a creative writing and English professor at UNLV and the editor of Interim magazine.

For more information, visit blackmountaininstitute.org.