Las Vegas Book Briefs for Feb. 5-11, 2015

AUTHOR TO DISCUSS PERSEVERANCE OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN WEST LAS VEGAS

Author and filmmaker Trish Geran is set to present a program titled The Pride and Perseverance of African-Americans in West Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, visit lvccld.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 YMCA of Southern Nevada, The Toy Box in Downtown Summerlin and Splash Studios.

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 books off 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 Splash Studios, a paint-your-own pottery shop at 9700 W. Tropicana Ave., and get 20 percent off any purchase. 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.

LIBRARY TO HOST POETRY RECITATION COMPETITION

The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd. For more information, visit lvccld.org or call 702-507-3947.

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 to be scheduled to present a reading from their works at 7 p.m. Next up are Sean Critchfield and China Hudson on Feb. 6. For more information, visit lasvegaspoets.org.

POETS FROZE OUT OF JANUARY FIRST FRIDAY

Las Vegas First Friday Poets were planning to take poetry to the streets from 5 to 11 p.m. Jan. 2 during the monthly First Friday arts festival. But when First Friday organizers canceled all outdoor events due to frigid weather, the poetry gathering was put on hold for a month. Local poet and event producer Lee Mallory and local poet Lana Hanson now plan to host a gathering of bards during the Feb. 6 festivities on Colorado Avenue between Third Street and Casino Center Boulevard. For more information, contact Mallory at leewmallory3@gmail.com or 702-733-7734.

BOOKSORBOOKS TO HOST SIGNING

Local author Mary Crocco is set to sign copies of her new novel “In Kala’s Hands: A Lakota Sioux Proclamation” from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R.

For more information, visit mcrocco.wordpress.com.

PHOTOS FROM CUBA BOOK TO BE DISPLAYED AT BAKERY

Photographer Marcia Friedman plans to exhibit images from her travels in Cuba compiled in her book “Cuba: The Special Period” from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 8 at The Bakeshop, 2550 Anthem Village Drive, No. 190. For more information, visit marciafriedman.com.

WRITERS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA TO PRESENT PAINTED STORIES

Writers of Southern Nevada is set to present Painted Stories, an event packed with local writers reading accompanied by live literary-inspired painting by artist Mike Davies, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Bootlegger Bistro, 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Doors will open at 1 p.m. for guests who would like to arrive early for lunch. The event is free for Writers of Southern Nevada members and $10 for others. This is the first in a new mixed media series the group plans to present. Writers are invited to submit their work for possible future reading. For more information, visit nevadawriters.org. Space is limited, and organizers suggest that guests RSVP at nevadawriters@gmail.com.

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 starting Feb. 10 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 an introduction to creative writing on Feb. 10, poetry on Feb. 24, 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.

GATEWAY TO LOVE TO FEATURE ROMANTIC POETRY

Gateway to Love, an evening of romantic verse featuring performance poet Lee Mallory backed up by live music, is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 13 on the main stage at Ellis Island Casino, 4178 Koval Lane. Admission is free with the purchase of a drink.

LECTURE TO EXPLORE WRITING AS A MENTAL HEALTH TOOL

Stephanie Y. Evans, chair of African American Studies and the History Department at Clark Atlanta University, is scheduled to talk about how memoirs, poems and song lyrics have been used to improve mental health during a lecture titled “Healing Traditions in Black Women’s Narratives” scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 in the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. For more information, visit unlv.edu.

LOVE FOR LITERACY FESTIVAL SLATED FOR FEB. 21

The third annual Love of Literacy Festival is slated for 10 a.m. Feb. 21 at the West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Launched by local author and gallery owner Dana Satterwhite and artist and illustrator Joseph Watson, the event is designed to get kids excited about literacy, writing and illustration. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer or sponsor, visit loveforliteracylv.com.

PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL’S WORK INCLUDED IN NEW BOOK

Tami Belt, Owner/CEO of Blue Cube Marketing Solutions, contributed to the recently released “Selling On The Green: the art of building trusted relationships and growing your business on the golf course.”

CAREER SUCCESS AUTHOR PLANS SIGNING

Local author PJ Sheldon plans to sign her career strategy books at 10 a.m. Feb. 7 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

BOOK EVENT SLATED FOR DARCY FARTHING ADVENTURE BOOKS

A book event is slated for Arleen Alleman’s Darcy Farthing adventure books at 1 p.m. Feb. 7 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

LITERARY GUILD TO WELCOME ‘BEG 4 MERCY’ AUTHOR

The Sun City MacDonald Ranch Literary Guild plans a literary event featuring “Beg 4 Mercy” author Gregory Allen, who writes under the pen name Miles Felony, at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Desert Willow Community Center, 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway. A portion of book sales are to be donated to veterans groups. For more information, email richemilie@earthlink.net.

MOB KING’S DAUGHTER TO SHARE MEMOIR

Sandra Lansky Lombardo, only daughter of the late mob boss Meyer Lansky, plans to talk about her memoir “Daughter of the King: Growing Up in Gangland” and sign books from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. Admission is $25 with a 10 percent discount for museum members. For more information, visit themobmuseum.org.

HEIDI KYSER TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

Heidi Kyser is scheduled to speak on launching a freelance writing career during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. Kyser is a staff writer for Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion magazine, but from 2010 to 2012, she made her living as a freelancer. A $5 meeting fee is charged. For more information, visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

S.P. GROGAN TO LAUNCH TIKI NOIR NOVEL

Local author and Las Vegas Arts Commission Chairman S.P. Grogan is slated to launch his new tiki noir novel, “Atomic Dreams at the Red Tiki Lounge,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 19 at The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St. The book, featuring cover art by Brad “Tiki Shark” Parker, is a historic action romance set in 1946 Honolulu. Atomic Liquors, 917 Fremont St., is set to offer retro Tiki cocktails found in Grogan’s novel Feb. 19-21. For more information, visit spgrogan.com.

BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE PLANS LITERARY EVENTS

The Black Mountain Institute literary events for its 2015 winter and spring season include “The Miniature Wife and Other Stories” author Manuel Gonzales speaking at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Greenspun Hall Auditorium at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway; Jamaica Kincaid and Caryl Phillips in a discussion titled Crossing the Black Atlantic at 7 p.m. March 19 in the Philip J. Cohen Theatre in the UNLV Student Union; poet 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.

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.

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. 14. 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.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘A RUBY CIRCLE’

Vampire Academy author Richelle Mead is set to sign copies of her newest book “The Ruby Circle” at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. Numbered wristbands are required for admission to the signing line. For details, visit barnesandnoble.com or call 702-631-1775. For more on the author, visit richellemead.com.

AUTHOR/SCREENWRITER PLANS BOOK EVENT

A book signing for “Edison’s Alley,” book two in Neal Shusterman’s Accelerati Trilogy written with Eric Elfman, is scheduled at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. Shusterman created scripts for the “Goosebumps” and “Animorphs” television series and wrote the Disney Channel original movie “Pixel Perfect.” For more on the author, visit storyman.com.

JG COSGROVE TO PROMOTE NEW BOOK

Author JG Cosgrove plans a signing for “The Children: The Goldberg Effect” at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

WOMEN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO HOST BOOK DISCUSSION

UNLV historians, archivists and some of the subjects of “Changing the Game: Women at Work in Las Vegas, 1940-1990,” a book by Women’s Research Institute of Nevada director Joanne Goodwin, are scheduled to participate in a free panel discussion at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 in UNLV’s Lied Library, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

Parking on campus is free on Saturdays. Admission is free, but space is limited and those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP at 702-895-2277 or at library.unlv.edu/wrin-rsvp.

SIGNING SLATED FOR ‘ERDEN FLAME OF THE CREATOR’

Phillip Cook plans to sign his book “Erden Flame of the Creator” at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

ANNIE MEADOWS PLANS BOOK RELEASE EVENT

Singer and songwriter Annie Meadows’ book “Homer The Library Mouse” is set to be released with an event from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble. The book, fifth in her series for children, teaches readers to never give up their hopes and keep on dreaming. For more information, visit anniemeadows.com.

ROBYN CARR TO RELEASE ‘ONE WISH’

Henderson best-selling romance novelist Robyn Carr is slated to release “One Wish,” the newest book in her Thunder Point series, Feb. 24. Carr also plans to re-release her 2006 novel “Never Too Late” in March. For more information, visit robyncarr.com.

HIKING AUTHOR PLANS PRESENTATION

Branch Whitney, author of “Hiking Las Vegas,” plans to share his expertise at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

‘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 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.

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 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.

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, your 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 get started, visit wowbrary.org/lasve gas 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.”