Las Vegas Book Briefs for Oct. 16-22, 2014

LAS VEGAS WRITERS GROUP TO WELCOME SCOTT DICKENSHEETS

Scott Dickensheets, deputy editor of Nevada Public Radio’s Desert Companion magazine, is scheduled to speak on freelancing for local newspapers and magazines during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. A $5 meeting fee is charged. For more information, visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

‘WOMEN OF VALOR’ AUTHOR TO PRESENT MEMOIR-WRITING WORKSHOP

Joanne D. Gilbert, author of “Women of Valor: Polish Resisters to the Third Reich,” is slated to present an introductory memoir-writing workshop during a meeting of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada scheduled at 1 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops and/or pens and paper to the session. After a 40-year career in education, Gilbert became a personal historian in 2008, and launched the business “Your Write Time!” to help members of the Jewish community commemorate their own life stories. For more information about the society, visit jgssn.org or email info@jgssn.org. Applications for membership are available at meetings, and dues are $18 for individuals and $25 for families.

CSN CREATIVE WRITING CLUB LAUNCHES CONTEST

The College of Southern Nevada’s Creative Writing Club, a group of students and alumni, meets twice a month on the Charleston campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd. Activities include workshop sessions, open mic readings, poetry slams and field trips. Once a year, the club, founded in 2010, publishes the literary journal “Neon Dreams.” The club recently announced plans to sponsor a contest open to any writer in the Las Vegas Valley. Stories must be 300 words or fewer, and Las Vegas must be a part of the narrative. Writers are also challenged to include the following words: neon, desert, gamble, dreams, casino and view. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 31. First prize is a $75 gift card. First-, second- and third-place entries are to be printed in the 2015 edition of Neon Dreams. For more information, email creativewriting.club@csn.edu.

BIG LIBRARY READ TO FEATURE ‘ANATOMY OF A MISFIT’

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District invites teens and their parents to take part in the Big Library Read, a program in which libraries worldwide give cardholders simultaneous access to a popular title for a two-week period, creating a virtual, global book club. Through Oct. 28 cardholders can visit lvccld.org to borrow ebook and audio versions of “Anatomy of a Misfit” by Andrea Portes. For more information, call 702-507-6300.

WADDIE MITCHELL PLANS POETRY PERFORMANCE

Nevada’s Sesquicentennial Poet Waddie Mitchell plans to perform works from his new album “Sweat Equity” and share his favorite stories from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in the jury selection room, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Admission is free. For more information, visit artslasvegas.org.

SIGNING SET FOR TONY SACCA BOOK

Tony Sacca and his biographer, Arlene Krieger, are set to promote the book “Tony Sacca: Las Vegas Ambassador of Entertainment A 50 Year Journey” from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the 8915 W. Charleston Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

POST BOOK FEST BASH PLANNED

“Killing Ruby Rose” author Jessie Humphries is set to team with Writer’s Block bookstore founders Scott Seeley and Drew Cohen to throw a post Vegas Valley Book Festival party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Golden Spike. The all-ages event is slated to include book signings, games, a costume contest and more. For more information, visit jessiehumphries.com.

VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL SET FOR OCT 16-18

This year’s Vegas Valley Book Festival is slated for Oct. 16-18.

The festival is set to offer interaction with more than 165 authors at 100 events including panel discussions, readings, book signings, workshops, vendor exhibits, art exhibitions, spoken word performances and more. Most events are free and offered at the Historic Fifth Street School and the Clark County Library.

B.J. Novak is scheduled to speak as the opening keynote for the festival at 7 p.m. Oct. 16, at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Novak is an actor, writer, director and executive producer, best known for his work on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series “The Office.” He is also known for his stand-up comedy performances and his roles in motion pictures such as Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks.” From a stored box of ideas collected over a 10-year period, Novak wrote the book “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories,” which debuted in February at No. 4 on the New York Times Best-Sellers List. “The Book With No Pictures,” his first endeavor into children’s books, hit stores Sept. 30.

Aimee Bender is slated to speak as the closing keynote for the festival at 4 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St.

Sylvia Day is set to have a conversation with Tracy Wolff at 9 a.m. Oct. 18 in the auditorium of the Historic Fifth Street School.

The festival is slated to offer events for all ages with activities for children and 108 young adult authors — the largest free gathering of young adult authors in the United States — for panel discussions and book signings starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 18 at the Historic Fifth Street School.

Attendees are encouraged to donate new or gently used children’s books at Mac King’s booth, kicking off his annual book drive. Attendees who donate three new or gently used books are to be rewarded with two passes to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show, or for five books they’ll get four passes. King is set to sign books, read and perform at the festival. For a full schedule, visit vegasvalleybookfestival.org or call 702-507-3459.

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 scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 25. 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.

CLUB TO WELCOME AUTHOR OF WEDDING CHAPEL BOOK

Local author Stephen Murray is set to discuss his book “The Chapel of Eternal Love” during a meeting of the Desert Hearts Readers Book Club scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. For more on the author, visit the chapelofeternallove.com.

GRAPHIC NOVEL EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY

“BAM! It’s a Picture Book: The Art Behind Graphic Novels,” an exhibit featuring illustrators such as Matthew Holm, Lincoln Peirce, Mark Crilley, Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Raina Telgemeier, is set to be on display through Nov. 25 in the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO BE ON DISPLAY IN TRAVELING SHOW

“Illustrators 56,” a traveling exhibit featuring 58 pieces by book, magazine and newspaper illustrators such as Scott Bakal, Kali Ciesemier, Eleanor Davis, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Victo Ngai and Sam Weber is scheduled to be on display through Oct. 31 in The Studio at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. A free reception is slated for 7 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 17. The Society of Illustrators-produced show is co-sponsored by Mark Fine, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Foundation. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

MOB MUSEUM TO HOST AUTHOR TALK WITH BINION BIOGRAPHER

Doug J. Swanson plans to discuss his book “Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker” at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The presentation is free with paid admission. For more information, visit themobmuseum.org.

AUTHOR EVENT SLATED FOR ‘ENDGAME: THE CALLING’

An author event for James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton’s “Endgame: The Calling” is slated for 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. The book is slated to incorporate mobile game elements and clues to winning real-world treasures including $500,000 worth of gold, set to be on display at Caesars Palace starting Oct. 17. For more information, visit thisisendgame.com.

ASTRONAUT TO SIGN BOOK OF PHOTOS FROM SPACE STATION

Astronaut Chris Hadfield, author of “You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes: Photographs from the International Space Station,” is slated to visit with readers at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. In addition to his writing, Hadfield is known for his online videos, including a zero-gravity version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” which have received more than 50 million views.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘THE VAMPIRE STATE’

Las Vegas author James R. Hinds plans to sign copies of his novel “The Vampire State” from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 in the conference room of the Rainbow Library, 3150 N. Buffalo Drive. The book explores challenges faced by an orphaned vampire brought up in a brothel as he faces a storm of vampire politics.

APPALACHIAN TRAILBLAZING WRITER TO SPEAK AT LIBRARY

Jennifer Pharr Davis shares her tale of hiking the Appalachian Trail, 2,181 miles in 46 days, in her book “Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph.” The 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year is scheduled to speak on becoming the fastest person to hike the trail and the first woman to set the mark from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

EVENT SLATED FOR ANIMAL ACTOR BOOK

A book event for “Animal Stars: Behind the Scenes with Your Favorite Animal Actors,” written by American Humane Association CEO Robin Ganzert and Allen and Linda Anderson, the husband-and-wife founders of the Angel Animals Network, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the 2191 N. Barnes & Noble. For more on the book, visit animalstarsbook.com.

AYAANA HIRSI ALI TO BE HONORED AT GALA

The Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Educational Campus plans to honor global human rights activist, author and politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali with the Pursuit of Excellence Award at the 11th annual In Pursuit of Excellence Gala scheduled at 6 p.m. Nov. 22 at The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The award is the campus’ highest recognition. Tickets are $250 or $125 for university students, educators, military personnel, retirees, nonprofit employees and Adelson Educational Campus parents. Proceeds from the event will benefit the school’s scholarship program. To purchase tickets or to make a donation, visit adelsoncampus.org or contact Davida Sims at 702-515-8203.

LOCAL AUTHOR TURNS TO KICKSTARTER.COM TO FUND BOOK

Local author Michael Lukach has launched a crowdfunding campaign to publish his book “Louie the Leprechaun.” The book and toy combo would share the Lukach family tradition of welcoming a playful leprechaun, who visits and plays pranks on St. Patrick’s Day. For more information, visit kickstarter.com and search projects for Louie the Leprechaun.

EVENT SLATED FOR GOLFING BOOK

Christopher Warner is set to sign copies of his book “Golf Swing From the Ground Up,” written with Gwendolyn Lemmons Warner, at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

VEGAS VALLEY COMIC BOOK FESTIVAL SET FOR NOV. 1

The seventh annual Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 1 inside and around the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Comic book artist and writer Howard Chaykin is slated to be the featured guest at this year’s event, joined by numerous comic creators, including Spencer Brinkerhoff III, Russell Lissau, Nick Mamatas, Brian and Kristy Miller and Chris Staros. The event is also set to include live music, face painting, food trucks, vendors and publishers and an artist alley. Admission is free. For more information, visit vegasvalleycomicbookfestival.org.

GEOFF SCHUMACHER TO DISCUSS LAS VEGAS HISTORY

Writer, editor and Mob Museum executive Geoff Schumacher plans to discusses highlights in Las Vegas history from 1844 to 2014 during “Las Vegas Stories: Paradise Palms – Key Turning Points in Las Vegas History,” a free program scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, visit lvccld.org.

CONVERSATION WITH STEPHEN GREENBLATT AND GERALDINE BROOKS SLATED

The Black Mountain Institute’s “To Swerve or Not to Swerve: How Literature Navigates the Past,” a conversation with Stephen Greenblatt and Geraldine Brooks, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Philip J. Cohen Theatre in the UNLV Student Union, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. For details, visit blackmountaininstitute.org.

ROMANCE WRITERS TO WELCOMEANGELA BREIDENBACH

Angela Breidenbach, author of “A Healing Heart” and “Eleven Pipers Piping,” is slated to lead a presentation during a meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 15 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more on the event, visit lvrwa.org. For more on the author and editor, visit angelabreidenbach.com.

AUTHOR TO DISCUSS JFK ASSASSINATION

Walt Brown, author of “Master Chronology of JFK Assassination,” plans to discuss little-known facts about the assassination during a book event scheduled on the anniversary of the shooting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The program is free to members or with regular museum admission. For more information, visit themobmuseum.org.

THE SMITH CENTER TO HOST AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS

National Public Radio humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris is set to speak in celebration of his newest release “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave. Tickets start at $46. For more information, visit thesmithcenter.com.

SIGNING SET FOR MOON WOLF SAGA SEQUEL

Author Carol Wolf is set to sign copies of her fantasy book “Binding: Book Two of the Moon Wolf Saga” at 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble. For more on the author, visit thecarolwolf.com.

NEVADA WRITERS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR EXCHANGE

Poets & Writers magazine has selected Nevada as the state to draw entries for the 2015 Writers Exchange Award. Nevadan writers of fiction and poetry are invited to apply for the exchange — which includes a $500 honorarium, a trip to New York City and a one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming — by Dec. 1. For details, visit pw.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.

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.

ART 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.

EMERGING WRITERS SERIES TO FEATURE JENNIFER PASHLEY

Jennifer Pashley is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Greenspun Hall Auditorium at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, as part of the Black Mountain Institute’s Emerging Writers Series. Pashley is the author of the short story collections “States” and “The Conjurer.” For more information, visit blackmountaininstitute.org.

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.

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 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.

AUTHOR EVENT SLATED

Don Barnhart, author of “The Sweet Talkers,” “Crooked Road Straight” “Jacks and the Jills” and more, is set to sign books at 1 p.m. Nov. 1 a the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

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.

AUTHOR TO SIGN ‘DONALD’S STORY’

Gina Moreno Wilson plans to sign “Donald’s Story: One Family’s Journey Through the Tangled Darkness of Alzheimer’s” at 1 p.m. Nov. 8 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

RECEPTION TO CELEBRATE LIBRARY EXPANSION’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Clark County Library’s 1401 E. Flamingo Road facility expansion during a free reception scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 13.

Built in 1971, after nearly two years in a storefront across the street in the Mission Center, the Clark County Library reopened on Nov. 13, 1994. Designed by architect Michael Graves, with assistance from local architectural firm JMA Associates, the library almost doubled in size to 120,000 square feet and now includes a 399-seat theater, a “black box” theater space and conference rooms.

For more information, visit lvccld.org.

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 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.”