Las Vegas Book Briefs for May 28-June 3, 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 adviser 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 400 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.

WRITERS ORGANIZATION PLANS PAINTED STORIES II

Writers of Southern Nevada plans to present Painted Stories II featuring local authors Holly Mack, Nancy Nelson, W. Darrah Whittaker and Morgan St. James reading from their work as local artist David Veliz uses their words as inspiration to turn blank canvas into unique works of art from 1 to 3 p.m. May 31 at The Writers Block, 1020 Fremont St. Admission is free to Writers of Southern Nevada members or a donation of $5 for nonmembers. For more information, visit nevadawriters.org.

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS TO LAUNCH

Summer reading programs are set to launch in libraries all over the valley starting the first weekend in June. For details on Las Vegas-Clark County Library District programs, visit lvccld.org. For more on Henderson Libraries, visit mypubliclibrary.com. For more on North Las Vegas programs, visit nlvld.org.

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 reading with UNLV historian Michael Green, author of “Nevada: A History of the Silver State,” at 7 p.m. June 4; a reading with D. McKinney, author of “Morrissey FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About This Charming Man,” at 7 p.m. June 5 and a reading by Marcia M. Gallo, author of the true-crime book “No One Helped: Kitty Genovese, New York City and the Myth of Urban Apathy,” at 7 p.m. June 9. For more information, visit thewritersblock.org.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘THE CRISIS OF OUR TIME’

John Carvalho plans to sign his philosophical book “The Crisis of Our Time” at 1 p.m. May 31 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

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. June 6. 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.

EVENT SLATED FOR ‘THE HIKE’

Local author Charles Leonard Hill is set to sign copies of his book “The Hike” at 1 p.m. June 6 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

AUTHOR TO SPEAK ABOUT RUNNING INJURY PREVENTION

Dr. Donald A Ozello, owner of Championship Chiropractic and author of “Running: Maximize Performance & Minimize Injuries,” plans to speak on preventing running injuries at 7 p.m. June 2 at the Boca Park REI, 710 S. Rampart Blvd.; at 7 p.m. June 4 at the Henderson REI, 2220 Village Walk Drive, Suite 150; and at 2:30 p.m. July 12 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. For more on the book, visit championshipchiropractic.com.

EVENT TO EXPLORE MOB’S HIDDEN HAND IN DEVELOPING LAS VEGAS

Author and Mob Museum director of content Geoff Schumacher plans to speak on the mob’s hidden hand in developing Las Vegas during Las Vegas Stories session slated for 7 p.m. June 4 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

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. The next date is set for June 1.

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

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.

LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING SLATED

The 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble plans a local author book signing featuring at least eight local writers at 1 p.m. May 30.

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.

ROMANCE WRITERS TO MEET

A meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon June 20 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. The June event is set to feature a publishing success workshop led by romance novelist Melissa Cutler. For more on the event, visit lvrwa.org.

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.

FIERCE READS SPRING FLING TOUR TO VISIT

The Fierce Reads Spring Fling tour featuring young adult authors Courtney Alameda, Anna Banks, Emmy Laybourne and Jennifer Mathieu in a panel moderated by Sara Vela from Girls With Books is scheduled at 6 p.m. June 5 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. For more on the tour, visit fiercereads.com/tour/.

SIGNING SET FOR YETTA YVETTE

Local author Yetta Yvette is set to sign copies of her book “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” at 1 p.m. June 13 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R.

READER MEET THE AUTHOR SERIES EVENTS SCHEDULED

Donald Averitt, author of “Franchise Validator - Questions You Should Ask to Avoid Financial Ruin,” plans to meet with readers from 1 to 3 p.m. June 13 in the lobby of the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, as part of the library’s Reader Meet the Author series. The series is set to feature Vivian Jones, author of “Decisions,” from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 20. Jones is also slated to speak on intimate partner abuse at the library at 3:30 p.m. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

EVENT PLANNED FOR ‘YOU ARE NOT ALONE’

David Hershwitzky is set to sign copies of his book “You Are Not Alone” at 2 p.m. June 14 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

JOHN HILL TO SPEAK TO WRITERS GROUP

Screenwriter and novelist John Hill is scheduled to speak about writing short stories during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. June 18 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. A $5 meeting fee is charged. For more information, visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

SIGNING PLANNED FOR ‘THE LYIN KINGS’

Local author Irene Petteice is set to sign her book “The Lyin Kings” at 1 p.m. June 13 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

SIGNING TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION

A book signing to support the local Alzheimer’s Association is slated from 1 to 4 p.m. June 20 at BooksorBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R.

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 DISTRICT TO LAUNCH CLUB READ

The Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s Club Read free summer reading program offers teens, toddlers, school-age children and their families an opportunity to have fun while keeping track of their reading June 1 through Aug. 15. To participate, just pick up a reading log at any branch and start reading. Special programs are planned for kids of all ages. Visit lvccld.org for more information or call 702-734-7323.

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 copies of her book “Miracles and Murder: Love Lost and Found” at 1 p.m. June 14 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

FANTASY AUTHORS PLAN VISIT

Deborah Dorchak and Wendi Kelly plan to sign their Bonds of Blood and Spirit fantasy series books at 1 p.m. June 20 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

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.