Las Vegas book briefs for May 14-20, 2015

BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE NAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Black Mountain Institute at UNLV has appointed Joshua Wolf Shenk as executive director to succeed Carol Harter.

Shenk is the author of “Powers of Two: How Relationships Drive Creativity” and “Lincoln’s Melancholy.” A founding advisor to The Moth storytelling series, Shenk served on the organization’s board of directors, where he played a lead role in developing The Moth Radio Hour, now on nearly four hundred stations worldwide.

“I’m delighted and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Black Mountain Institute and build upon the remarkable work done by my predecessor, Carol Harter, with the generous support of many donors, including especially Beverly Rogers and the Rogers Foundation,” Shenk said in a press release. “We’re going to solidify and grow BMI’s role as a center where writers can create, teach, collaborate, and innovate, creating a vibrant community of world-changing ideas and literary excellence.”

For more information, visit blackmountaininstitute.org.

VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES KEYNOTES

Brad Meltzer and Colum McCann have been selected to be keynote speakers for this year’s Vegas Valley Book Festival, Oct. 15-17.

Meltzer, author of “The Inner Circle,” “The Book of Fate” and seven other best-selling thrillers, is set to open the festival Oct. 7 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

McCann is the author of two story collections and six novels, including the National Book Award-winning “Let the Great World Spin.”

Other festival events are set to include vendor booths, panel discussions, readings and workshops for adults, teens and children. All events are free. Volunteers are needed, and vendors must sign up for booths before July 1. Watch for a full schedule to be released on the festival website at vegasvalleybookfestival.org.

UNITED WAY PLANS FREE FLIP THROUGH SUMMER READING KICKOFF

The United Way of Southern Nevada’s Flip Through Summer reading kickoff is set to return from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 16 at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. The annual event is set to feature six book nooks with live readings and activities. Children are invited to explore favorites such as “The Cat in the Hat,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “Stuart Little,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Dora the Explorer” and the Harry Potter series.

Families can also participate in a book swap where each individual can bring two books and swap them for two new ones.

For event details, visit uwsn.org/flipthroughsummer.

MCDONALD’S TO COLLECT BOOKS FOR SPREAD THE WORD NEVADA

McDonald’s Southern Nevada locations are partnering with nonprofit Spread the Word Nevada to host the I’m Lovin’ It summer book drive May 16 and 17. Community members will receive a free vanilla cone in exchange for donating new or gently used children’s books to any participating location. All book donations will support Spread the Word Nevada’s literacy programs and students in the Clark County School District. Ronald McDonald and local celebrities also plan to volunteer their time to conduct live children’s book readings during the drive.

For locations, visit mcdonalds.com.

‘THE CHAPEL OF ETERNAL LOVE’ AUTHOR TO SPEAK

“The Chapel of Eternal Love” author Stephen Murray is set to speak at 2 p.m. May 16 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. For more information, visit thechapelofeternallove.com.

LEE MALLORY HEADS UP SEVENS LIVE!

Poet Lee Mallory plans to present Sevens Live!, a new poetry, music and comedy showcase, from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays inside the Cantina at the Silver Sevens, 4100 Paradise Road. Upcoming dates are May 18 and 25 and June 1.

Admission is free with a one-drink minimum. For more information, call 702-733-7300.

CHILDREN’S AUTHOR PLANS EVENT

Sarah Hoover is set to sign her children’s picture book “If My Dirty Shoes Could Fly” at 1 p.m. May 16 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

BOOKSTORE TO HOST WORKSHOP

Gini Koch, T.L. Smith, Sharon Skinner, Alan Black, Marsheila Rockwell and Jeffrey J. Mariotte are slated to discuss writing and publishing during their Amazing Wyked Writers’ Workshop scheduled at 1 p.m. May 17 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

THE WRITER’S BLOCK PLANS EVENTS

The downtown bookstore The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., offers a full schedule of literary events, including readings and signings for adults and free workshops for students ages 5 to 18. Upcoming events include a presentation by “Call Me Home” author Megan Kruse at 7 p.m. May 14, a presentation by “The CSA Cookbook” author Linda Ly at 7 p.m. May 16, a reading with “Fed, White, and Blue: Finding America With My Fork” author Simon Majumdar at 7 p.m. May 22 and an afternoon of punk rock storytelling with Eric Weiss of the independent zine Rumpshaker at 2 p.m. May 23. For more information, visit thewritersblock.org.

POETRY TO BE FEATURED 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. May 23. 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.

ROMANCE WRITERS TO MEET

A meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon May 16 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. This month’s meeting is set to feature a program titled “Amping Up Your Stories with Character Objectives” with Gabe Denning, author of the Warlock Holmes Trilogy. For more on the event, visit lvrwa.org.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘WHISPER IN THE BLOOD’

Author s.h. Montgomery plans to sign copies of “Whisper in the Blood” from 1 to 3 p.m. May 16 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R.

WRITER’S BLOCK CO-OWNERS TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

The Writer’s Block co-founders Scott Seeley and Drew Cohen are scheduled to speak about the independent bookseller’s mission and role in the community during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. May 21 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. A $5 meeting fee is charged. For more information, visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

‘DISCOVERY ISLAND’ SIGNINGS SET

Mary Elizabeth plans to sign her book “Discovery Island” from 5 to 7 p.m. May 19 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble and from 2 to 4 pm. May 20 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘THE CRISIS OF OUR TIME’

John Carvalho is set to sign copies of “The Crisis of Our Time” at 1 p.m. May 15 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. Part memoir, part philosophy, the book is focused on what Carvalho sees as the world’s most pressing problems.

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 publishing options on May 26. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

RONDA ROUSEY TO SIGN BOOKS

Olympic medalist in judo, UFC women’s bantamweight champion and actress Ronda Rousey plans to sign copies of “My Fight/Your Fight,” a memoir written with Maria Burns Ortiz, at 1 p.m. May 23 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

SIGNING SET FOR THEME PARK MYSTERY

Mark S. Bacon, a UNLV master’s degree graduate, tapped his early jobs as crime reporter and Knott’s Berry Farm advertising copywriter as fodder for his theme park mystery “Death in Nostalgia City.” He plans to sign copies of the novel from 1 to 3 p.m. May 30 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R. For more information, visit baconsmysteries.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 11:30 p.m. Mondays at The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway. Participants 18 or older are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/humanexperiencelasvegas.

WRITING ADVENTURES STUDIO TO OFFER CAMPS

Summer camps are scheduled from June 8 through Aug. 14 at the new Writing Adventures studio, 3227 E. Warm Springs Road. Camp fees are $199 a week, with classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional extended care is available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The studio also offers ongoing tutoring and classes. For more information, visit writingadventuresusa.com or call 702-413-6199.

HEALTH FILMMAKER PLANS LAS VEGAS VISIT

An event featuring Joe Cross, the filmmaker behind “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” and author of “Reboot with Joe: Fully Charged: 7 Keys to Losing Weight, Staying Healthy and Thriving,” is scheduled at 7 p.m. June 1 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

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.

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 participants, purchases made at amazon.com can help the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. The district benefits not only when customers 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘MIRACLES AND MURDER’

Jet Arnett plans to sign “Miracles and Murder” at 1 p.m. June 14 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.