Las Vegas Book Briefs for March 4-10, 2014

FREE LECTURE TO EXPLORE CINEMATIC DEPICTIONS OF HOLOCAUST RESCUERS

San Diego State University professor emeritus Lawrence Baron is slated to present a free University Forum lecture titled “The Reluctant Rescuer: From Schindler’s List to Hotel Rwanda” at 7:30 p.m. March 4 in the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Baron is the author of several books, including “The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema” and “Projecting the Holocaust into the Present: The Changing Focus of Contemporary Holocaust Cinema.”

For more information, visit unlv.edu.

AUTHOR TO SIGN COPIES OF HER BOOK ‘IF MY DIRTY SHOES COULD FLY’

Henderson author Sarah Hoover plans a signing for her book “If My Dirty Shoes Could Fly” at 1 p.m. March 4 at Lake Mead Christian Academy, 540 E. Lake Mead Parkway.

EVENT SLATED FOR JAY SARNO BOOK

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 6 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. 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.

‘EVERYDAY LAS VEGAS’ AUTHOR SCHEDULES WEEKEND OF EVENTS

Assistant professor of geography at Illinois State University Rex Rowley is slated to sign copies of his book “Everyday Las Vegas: Local Life in a Tourist Town” 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. For more information on the book, visit everydaylv.com.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR SCHEDULES VISIT

Monica Brown, author of the award-winning bilingual children’s book “Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match,” is set 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.

RETIRED FIRE CHIEF AND DAUGHTERS PLAN FAMILY BOOK SIGNING

Retired Las Vegas Fire Chief David L. Washington plans a book signing event at 2 p.m. March 8 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

Washington’s book “The Power of P’s” shares his life journey embracing the strength of prayer, possibilities, productivity, planning, persuasion, patience, perseverance and more.

Washington is scheduled to be joined by his daughters April, author of “Fire Safety in the Washington Home,” a book based on her father’s fire safety tips for kids, and Angel, author of the Always Remember, You are Loved series, books designed to encourage children to seek guidance from responsible adults when faced with difficult situations. For more information, visit artslasvegas.org or call 702-229-4800.

MOB MUSEUM TO HOST AUTHOR SIGNING

Local author and historian Su Kim Chung, the head of special collections public services at UNLV, is scheduled to sign copies of her book “Las Vegas Then and Now” from 6 to 8 p.m. March 7 at Bosses and Bulbs in the Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St., and from 1 to 5 p.m. March 8 at the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. There is no charge to attend either signing event. For more information, visit themobmuseum.org.

BOOK ASKS, WHAT IF JESUS HAD A DOG?

Local author Donald Hart is slated to sign copies of his book “If Jesus Had a Dog,” a book that explores the life of Jesus through the eyes of his fictional canine companion, at 1 p.m. March 8 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

‘KOKOPELLI’ AUTHOR TO SIGN AT BOOKSTORE

Don Ensenbach is set to sign copies of his books “Kokopelli” and “Shadows Through a Spirit Window” at 11 a.m. March 8 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

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.

WRITERS OF SOUTHERN NEVADA PLANS WRITING FOR LOVE MIXER

Lovers of romantic and erotic fiction are invited to Writing for Love, a free Writers of Southern Nevada-sponsored mixer, scheduled at 6 p.m. March 12 in the Downtown Cocktail Room, 111 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Authors London Porter and Moriah Densley are slated to read from recent works, and other local writers are scheduled to be on hand to meet with readers and sign books. Treats are set to be provided by Sugar Factory.

Authors interested in promoting books at the event can email tdcowden@tamicowden.com for information, or register at tinyurl.com/writingforlove.

VICKI-ANN BUSH TO SIGN BOOKS

Local author Vicki-Ann Bush is slated to sign copies of her books “The Dusk Chronicles” and “The Queen of IT” at 11:30 a.m. March 15 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

LOCAL AUTHOR TO GIVE TIPS ON CONTESTS

Local young adult author Tera Lynn Childs is slated to speak on participating in writing contests for fun and profit during a meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon March 15 at the group’s new meeting site at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more information, visit lvrwa.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.

SAVE A DIFFERENT DATE FOR VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL

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.

The Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival (vegasvalleycomicbookfestival.org) is scheduled to remain on the first weekend in November at the Clark County Library.

Author to sign nursing memoir

Lynn Jones, a Las Vegas resident who writes under the pen name Ima Great Physician, is set to sign copies of the book “I’m Just a Stupid Nurse” from 4 to 7 p.m. March 8 at The Spirit Within U, 4780 W. Ann Road.

EBOOK COACH TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

Ebook consultant Peggy Richardson is scheduled to speak during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled at 7 p.m. March 20 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. The meeting fee is $5. For more information, visit meetup.com/lasvegas-writers. For more on Richardson, visit her blog at wizardofebooks.com.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

BRAVO TV’S JENNI PULOS PLANS BOOK SIGNING

Jenni Pulos from Bravo’s “Flipping Out” and “Interior Therapy” is scheduled to sign copies of “Grin and Bear It: How to Be Happy No Matter What Reality Throws Your Way,” a memoir-advice book she wrote with Laura Morton, at 7 p.m. March 19 at the 2191 Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

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 has started posting 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.