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Las Vegas Book Briefs for Feb. 26-March 4, 2015

‘WESTSIDE SCHOOL ALUMNI STORIES’ AUTHOR TO SPEAK

Author Brenda Williams plans to talk about her book “Westside School Alumni Stories: Our School, Our Community, Our Time (1923-1967),” a collection of firsthand experiences and photographs from former students, teachers and employees of the historic school, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Williams is slated to be joined by several contributors, including co-author Tisha Harris. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

‘TUSKEGEE LOVE LETTERS’ BRINGS BOOK TO THE STAGE

Based on a book by Kim Russell, the play “Tuskegee Love Letters” is slated to be presented at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., followed by a book signing and discussion. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

SIGNING SET FOR FRONTIER NOVEL

Robert Lee Murphy is set to sign copies of his historical frontier novel “Eagle Talons, The Iron Horse Chronicles — Book One” from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble. For more information, visit robertleemurphy.net.

AUTHOR SERIES TO FEATURE ROBERT MIECH

Sports writer Robert Miech, author of the books “The Last Natural: Bryce Harper’s Big Gamble in Sin City and the Greatest Amateur Season Ever” and “Eleventh Heaven: Ed O’Bannon and the 1995 National Basketball Champion UCLA Bruins,” is scheduled to chat with readers from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 in the lobby of the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, as part of the Reader Meet Author series. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

‘WHISPER IN THE BLOOD’ AUTHOR PLANS BOOK LAUNCH EVENT, SIGNINGS

Author S.H. Montgomery plans to host an event celebrating the launch of her book, “Whisper in the Blood,” from 3 to 5 p.m. March 4 at Tuscany Gardens in the Tuscany, 255 E. Flamingo Road. The event is open to the public. Book signings are planned for: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 14 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association; and 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 28 at Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway.

OBERT SKYE PLANS LAS VEGAS VISIT

Obert Skye is set to sign copies of the young adult novel “Witherwood Reform School” at 6 p.m. March 5 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. Skye is best known for his Leven Thumps series.

CHILDREN’S AUTHOR STEVE JENKINS TO SPEAK

Steve Jenkins, author of award-winning books for children, including “What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?”, the selection for the fifth annual Each One Read One community reading program, is set to speak to families from 5 to 6 p.m. March 5 at the Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane. For more information, visit lvccld.org and stevejenkinsbooks.com.

AUTHOR JENNIFER DEBS PLANS SESSION

Jennifer Debs plans an author session at 2:30 p.m. March 8 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave.

Debs is the author of “Back in Two Weeks,” about her experiences in the Air Force and being deployed overseas.

For more information, call Marcela Chiarandini at 702-507-3631.

BRANDEIS LUNCHEON TO FEATURE JON RALSTON, ARLENE KRIEGER

Jon Ralston is set to talk about his book “The Anointed One: An Inside Look at Nevada Politics” during a Brandeis National Committee Summerlin branch author luncheon set to begin with boutique shopping at 10:30 a.m. March 8 at the Tournament Players Club Summerlin, 1700 Village Center Circle. Arlene Krieger, who has published several biographies of Las Vegas entertainers, is also slated to talk about her book “Tony Sacca: Las Vegas Ambassador of Entertainment.” Admission is $70. For more information, email evelyn.brunner@cox.net.

THE CENTER TO HOST BOOK RELEASE PARTY

A book release party for Las Vegas author Jeremy Wallace’s new book, “Taking the Scenic Route to Manhood,” is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. March 12 at The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway. The book follows Wallace’s transformation from woman to man and the challenges he faced since childhood. Suggested admission is a $20 donation, which includes a signed copy of the book. Wallace plans to donate 25 percent of the proceeds to The Center. For more on the book, visit takingthescenicroutetomanhood.com.

SPRING FLING BOOK FAIR TO INCLUDE FREE WORKSHOPS

The Spring Fling Book Fair is set to feature writers signing and free workshops from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 14 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Workshop instructors are slated to include Brian Rouff, Roger DeBlanck, Jonathan Sturak, Jami Carpenter, Lauren Stokes and Lee Mallory. For a schedule, visit lvccld.org or call 702-507-3459.

AUTHOR TO TEACH WRITERS TO REVISE

Moriah Densley, author of the Rougemont historical romance series, is set to present a program titled How To Revise Like a Pro during a meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon March 21 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more on the event, visit lvrwa.org.

MAC KING TO SWAP SHOW TICKETS FOR BOOK DONATIONS

Comedy magician Mac King is offering incentives to encourage book donations throughout February for his annual Magical Literacy Tour. This year’s partners include the YMCA of Southern Nevada, The Toy Box in Downtown Summerlin, Egg Works and Egg & I restaurants and Splashville.

Donate three or more new or gently used books and get a free pair of tickets to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Drop off books at any area YMCA and get a free one-week family pass. Visit lasvegasymca.org for locations. Drop books off at The Toy Box, 1980 Festival Plaza Drive., No. 175, and receive 15 percent off any one regular-price item. Drop books off at Splashville, a paint-your-own pottery shop at 9700 W. Tropicana Ave., and get 20 percent off any purchase. Drop books off at any Egg Works or Egg & I restaurant and get half off a second entree. For locations, visit theeggworks.com. Books can also be turned in at Preferred Public Relations, 2630 S. Jones Blvd. King plans to distribute books to children in at-risk schools during Nevada Reading Week, March 2-6. For more information, visit facebook.com/mackingshow.

POETS CAN SEEK FEEDBACK AT 5/5+

Poets are invited to share original work for five minutes followed by attendees offering comments for five minutes during 5/5+, a workshop series put on by Nick Marco, Lana Hanson and Lee Mallory, scheduled every two weeks at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R. The next session is planned from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 28. For more information, call 702-754-5971, email jtjmarco@live.com, raisewomenup@gmail.com or leewmallory3@gmail.com or search for 5/5+ on Facebook.

POP-UP POETRY SERIES SLATED

The Las Vegas Poets Organization, in conjunction with Nevada Humanities, plans to present a monthly series in the 18b Las Vegas Arts District every First Friday at the Nevada Humanities offices at Art Square, 1017 S. First St. Each month, featured poets are set to present a reading from their works at 7 p.m. Next up are James Joseph Brown, Gregory Robinson and Joan Robinson on March 6. For more information, visit lasvegaspoets.org.

WRITING COACH TO OFFER FREE WORKSHOPS

Writing coach Liz Ozi is set to offer free workshops for creative writers from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays in March at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. Register at mypubliclibrary.com or call 702-207-4261.

FREE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS PLANNED AT LIBRARY

A free Creative Writing @ Your Library series is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at the Gibson Library, 100 W. Lake Mead Parkway. Writers 18 or older are encouraged to participate and share.

Members of the Henderson Writers’ Group are slated to facilitate workshop sessions on a variety of topics, including novels and short stories on March 24, memoirs on April 14, screenwriting on April 28, editing your own work on May 12 and publishing options on May 26.

For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

The Henderson Writers’ Group also plans to host its 2015 Las Vegas Writer’s Conference April 23-25 at Sam’s Town, 5111 Boulder Highway. For more information, visit lasvegaswritersconference.com.

UNLV WRITERS WELCOME ALL TO NEON LIT

Neon Lit, a public reading featuring writers from UNLV’s Master of Fine Arts and Ph.D. writing programs, is scheduled the fourth Friday of most months at The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., No. 100. For more information, visit neonlit.org.

STORE TO HOST GIRLS GONE SCI-FI

A Girls Gone Sci-Fi event is set for 7 p.m. March 18 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. Authors Jessica Brody, Claudia Gray, Jessica Khoury and Melissa Landers are slated to participate.

MERCEDES YARDLEY TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

Mercedes Yardley is scheduled to speak on using a blog to build readership during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. March 19 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. A $5 meeting fee is charged. Yardley is the author of the short story collection “Beautiful Sorrows” and “Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy.” For more information, visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE PLANS LITERARY EVENTS

Literary events planned for the Black Mountain Institute’s 2015 winter and spring season include Jamaica Kincaid and Caryl Phillips in a discussion titled Crossing the Black Atlantic on how each examines the Caribbean diaspora, the history of the Atlantic slave trade and questions of racial and national identity in their work at 7 p.m. March 19 in the Philip J. Cohen Theatre in the UNLV Student Union, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway; poet, editor, painter and filmmaker Richard Siken speaking at 7 p.m. April 30 in the Greenspun Hall Auditorium; and Easy Rawlins mysteries series author Walter Mosley delivering a Jim Rogers Contrarian Lecture on higher education at 7 p.m. May 7 in the Student Union Ballroom.

For more information, visit blackmountianinstitute.org.

DATES SELECTED FOR 2015 VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL

The 2015 Vegas Valley Book Festival is set for Oct. 15-17. Authors and volunteers interested in participating can register at vegasvalleybookfestival.org/2015-interest-form. Submissions will be taken through March 31. For more information, visit vegasvalleybookfestival.com.

SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY GROUP UNDERWAY IN LIBRARY

Readers, writers and editors of science fiction and fantasy are invited to check out a new group scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Saturdays in meeting room two at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more information, call 702-334-0204.

BARNES & NOBLE TO HOST WRITING GROUP

The 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble plans to host 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.

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 and third Tuesday of each month at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Way. For more information, email facilitator Glory Wade at glorywadewriter@gmail.com.

SHARE POEMS AT HUMAN EXPERIENCE

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

ARTS CENTER TO HOST POETS CORNER

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

LIBRARY CAN BENEFIT FROM AMAZON PURCHASES

At no cost to you, purchases made at amazon.com can help the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. The district benefits not only when you buy books but also movies, CDs, electronics, appliances and more. To start, visit wowbrary.org/lasvegas and the online retailer will donate roughly 7.5 percent of your purchases to the district.

For more information, email ask@lvccld.org or call the Virtual Library section at 702-507-6300.

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.

HENDERSON WRITERS GROUP MEETINGS SET

The Henderson Writers Group plans to meet 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.

MEMOIR-WRITING WORKSHOPS SLATED

An ongoing series of free four-week memoir-writing workshops is scheduled at noon Wednesdays and 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.

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.”

NEVADA STATE MUSEUM COLLECTING PHOTOS FOR BOOK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF NORTH LAS VEGAS

The Nevada State Museum is looking for photos for a book about the history of North Las Vegas.

Photos are sought that document regular life and special events, from family barbecues to award ceremonies, or show what the city looked like back in the day. Photographs from the 1930s and 1940s are of particular interest.

Museum professionals are set to scan photographs, and the originals will remain with the donors.

For more information, call Crystal R. Van Dee at 702-822-8751.

HIKING AUTHOR PLANS EVENT

“Hiking Las Vegas” author Branch Whitney is set to speak from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 16 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave.

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