Las Vegas Book Briefs for Oct. 2-8, 2014

UNLV LAUNCHES ALUMNI READING SERIES

Poet Sasha Steensen is scheduled to be the first guest speaker in the UNLV Creative Writing Program Alumni Reading Series at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Greenspun Hall Auditorium at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

Steensen earned her Master of Fine Arts degree at UNLV in 2000 and her Ph.D. from SUNY-Buffalo. She is the author of three books, “House of Deer,” “The Method” and “A Magic Book.” She teaches at Colorado State University, where she serves as a poetry editor for Colorado Review.

For more information, visit english.unlv.edu/creativewriting.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘ROOKIE COP’ BOOK

Author William G. Palmini, now chief of the Department of Public Safety at UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, plans to sign copies of his book “Rookie Cop Vs. the West Coast Mafia: Breaking Up the ‘Best in the West’ Gang” from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 4 in the retail store at the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. Retail store access is free. For more information, visit themobmuseum.org.

SIGNING SLATED FOR JANITORS BOOKS

Tyler Whitesides is set to sign books from his Janitors series at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble. The young adult books follow kids on a quest to thwart a secret, janitorial society that wields wizard-like powers.

AUTHOR TO DISCUSS ‘72 YEARS IN LAS VEGAS’

Dr. Sarann Knight-Preddy invites the community to celebrate the real story of “72 years in Las Vegas,” during a free book signing and discussion at Oct. 4 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd. The signing is set to begin at 11 a.m. and the discussion at 2 p.m. Preddy has spent 72 years in Las Vegas as a mother, a businesswoman, a community advocate and a philanthropist. For more information, visit artslasvegas.org or call 702-229-4800.

SPORTSWRITER TO SIGN ED O’BANNON BOOK

Sportswriter Rob Miech is set to sign his book “Eleventh Heaven: Ed O’Bannon and the 1995 National Basketball Champion UCLA Bruins” at 1 p.m. Oct. 4 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

SIGNING SET FOR ‘12 O’CLOCK’

Local author Rima Zbida is set to sign copies of the children’s book “12 O’Clock” at 1 p.m. Oct. 4 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

JEDI SCOUTS TO LAUNCH STAR WARS READS DAY ACTIVITIES

Celebrate Star Wars Reads Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at BooksOrBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, with the Henderson-based Jedi Scouts. The free event is set to feature story time activities, crafts and surprise visits from Star Wars characters from 10 a.m. to noon. Proceeds from Star Wars books purchased during the event are slated to go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It should be a lot of fun” Jedi Scouts executive director Glen Toussaint wrote in a media release. “We hope it increases interest in reading.”

For more information, visit jediscouts.com.

Star Wars Reads Day is an international event launched in 2012 by Lucasfilm and its publishing partners.

Events are also planned at area Barnes & Noble bookstores. For more information, visit barnesandnoble.com.

ANNIE MEADOWS PLANS BOOK LAUNCH EVENT

Local Christian singer/songwriter and author Annie Meadows is set to launch the newest book in her children’s series “The Stingy Little Squirrel” during a signing from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

ROMANCE WRITERS TO WELCOME MICHELLE C. REILLY

Michelle C. Reilly, author of science fiction romance novel “Variants,” is slated to lead a presentation on social media during a meeting of the Las Vegas Romance Writers scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 11 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. For more on the event, visit lvrwa.org. For more on Reilly, visit michellecreilly.com.

BRUCE COVILLE PLANS HENDERSON VISIT

Best-selling children’s author Bruce Coville is set to speak and meet with readers from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. Coville is the author of more than 100 books from “Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher” and “Into the Land of the Unicorns” to “My Teacher is an Alien.” For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com.

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.

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.

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. 11. For details, search for 5/5+ on Facebook.

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.

ARTS CENTER CLUB TO READ FRIDA KAHLO BIO

Local book lovers are set to meet and discuss “Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo” by Hayden Herrera during book club meeting scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. In addition to the book discussion, the group is invited to a Page to Screen: Stories of Hispanic Heritage and Culture free screening of the film “Frida” scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at the center. For more information, call 702-229-6383 or visit artslasvegas.org.

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 Oct. 3-31 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.

VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL SET FOR OCT. 16-18

B.J. Novak is scheduled to speak at the opening keynote for the Vegas Valley Book 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. It’s a collection of 64 comic short stories, all about the human inability to find perspective. “The Book With No Pictures,” his first endeavor into children’s books, is set to hit stores Sept. 30. Novak is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in English and Spanish literature.

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.

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 in conversation with Tracy Wolff is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 18 in the auditorium of the Historic Fifth Street School.

The festival is slated to offer programming 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.

For more information, call 702-507-3459 or visit vegasvalleybookfestival.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.

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” at 1 p.m. Oct. 18 at the 8915 W. Charleston Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

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.

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.

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.

‘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 a family membership.

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 Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

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.

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 Road. 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.

EMERGING WRITERS SERIES TO FEATURE JENNIFER PASHLEY

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.

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.”