Book Events for Jan. 29, 2012

Former Commission on Civil Rights chair to address SULC Speakers Series

Mary Frances Berry, former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania, will speak on the topic, “Making A Difference Where You Are: The Value and Challenges of Local Change Agents,” as part of the 2011-2012 SULC Speakers Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in Room 130, A.A. Lenoir Hall at Southern University.

Berry has had a distinguished career in public service, including membership on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1980 to 2004, serving as chair from 1993-2004; and as assistant secretary for education, in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) from 1977-1980. She has also served as provost of the University of Maryland and chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Berry teaches History of American Law and History of Law and Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. She also advises students in African American History.

Berry has received 35 honorary doctoral degrees and many awards, including the NAACP’s Roy Wilkins Award, the Rosa Parks Award of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Ebony Magazine Black Achievement Award.

A Fellow of the Society of American Historians and of the National Academy of Public Administration, Berry earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan and J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She is the author of 10 books.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

National History Day

The West Baton Rouge Museum 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen, has been selected by the National World War II Museum as a regional sponsor for the state of Louisiana’s National History Day competition. National History Day is an academic program for middle and high school students supported by institutions such as History, The Smithsonian and the National World War II Museum. Each year, more than half a million students nationwide participate in the National History Day competition. The competition is designed to cultivate an interest in history and encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Participation in National History Day can be done as a school project under the direction of a teacher, or students may work independently as an extra curricular activity. Students are invited to research topics related to an annual theme. This year the theme is “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” After researching and drawing conclusions about their topic’s significance in history, students present their work in one of the following ways: as a paper, as an exhibit, a performance or a website.

Students attend regional competitions with the goal of advancing to the next round. The Baton Rouge Regional Competition hosted by the West Baton Rouge Museum is on March 24. Students from 11 surrounding parishes will compete. The state contest will be at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. From there, students can earn the right to represent Louisiana at the National History Day Contest in College Park, Md. Grant funds to assist with the cost of the trip to Nationals are available. For more information on assistance, visit http://www.nww2m.com/2011/12/travel-money-available-for-louisiana-students/

This competition is open to public, private, parochial and home school students. For more information about National History Day, visit http://www.louisianahistoryday.org or http://www.westbatonrougemuseum.com.

West Baton Rouge Museum staff are available to meet with teachers for a short meeting to promote the program, answer any questions and distribute materials such a the 2012 Rule Book and the Teacher’s Guide. A visit may be scheduled by calling [phone], ext. 14 or emailing [e-mail].

Authors to speak

The LSU Chapters of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta announce that Thomas J. Durant Jr., Ph.D., and Jonathan Roberts, Ph.D., will be the guest speakers for the 2nd Annual “Evening with Great Authors” to benefit Baton Rouge Adult Literacy Advocates, a non-profit United Way volunteer organization. For more than 44 years, Adult Literacy Advocates has been serving Baton Rouge, offering one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction in Adult Basic Literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), pre-GED, GED and Basic Employment Skills. The authors will discuss their recently published book A History of the Charity Hospitals of Louisiana: A Study of Poverty, Politics, Public Health and the Public Interest. The event will take place 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the LSU Energy, Coast & Environment Building-Auditorium/Rotunda, corner of Nicholson Drive and Nicholson Drive Extension. A reception and book signing will follow the authors’ remarks. Tickets are $30 for general public, $20 for senior citizens (older than 65), and $10 for students and may be purchased online at: http://www.pkp.lsu.edu, http://www.adultliteracyadvocates.org/, by calling Adult Literacy Advocates at [phone], or at the door.

EBR Parish Library

The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow will be offered at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the meeting room of the Scotlandville branch, 7373 Scenic Highway. The series takes a comprehensive look at race relations in American between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. This definitive four-part series documents the context in which the laws of segregation known as “Jim Crow” originated and developed. Seating is limited. To register, call [phone].

Spanish Storytime will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Bluebonnet Regional branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. Children ages 1 to 5 are invited to listen to stories and songs in Spanish.

Book clubs:

•  Book Buffs will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Baker branch, 3501 Groom Road. Children are invited to participate in the book club. There’s no need to read the book ahead of time. The group will be reading aloud from selected parts of Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce.

Then, you’ll get a chance to play some old fashioned Victorian parlor games, like Charades and Pass the Slipper. This program is for ages 8-11. For more information or to register, call [phone].

•  The Saturday Book Club will meet 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the meeting room of the Baker branch, 3501 Groom Road. Members will discuss Language of Secrets by Dianne Dixon. Call [phone].

Livingston Parish Library

Midwinter Night’s Dream, a special program, will be held 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190, Denham Springs. This event is a fantasy program filled with enchanting entertainment to warm up a cold winter night with magic acts and a special performance by Zack Davis, a young amateur in mime entertainment. Midwinter Night’s Dream — A short southern, modern and even merrier adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed by Denham Springs-Walker Branch’s Writers Circle and Young Writers Club members. Solo performances will be given by Laurel Junda, a member of the Baton Rouge Youth Ballet, and other ballerinas.

Young Writers Club will meet 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs.

Adult Writers Circle will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs.

Book club:

•  Teen Book Club will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Albany-Springfield branch, 26941 La. 43, Hammond. Members will discuss realistic fiction. Call [phone] for details.

Lafayette Public Library

NRL Teen Poetry Night will be held 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at North Regional branch, 5101 N. University Ave. in Carencro. This event is for all young poets out there who would like to speak their minds. Join the spoken word group, Project SOUND, for a night filled with reading, writing, and expressing yourself through poetry. This poetry night is for ages 13-18. Call [phone].

Book launch

The public is invited to a special book launch event for Humanus Diabolicus: A Postmodern Prophecy by James Houk, to be held 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at BREC Park, 8133 Jefferson Highway.

Armstrong to speak

Annabelle Armstrong, author of Historic Neighborhoods of Baton Rouge, will be speaker for the Woman’s Club, 259 East Boulevard, at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2.

Signings

Diane T. Martin and Linda V. Thomas, authors of Education: Roast & Toast, 60+ Years of Education Anecdotes, will sign copies of their book at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at A&E Gallery, 335 W. St. Peter in New Iberia.

Nevada Barr, author of The Rope, will sign copies of her book at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St. in New Orleans, and 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans.

Joshilyn Jackson, author of A Grown-Up Kind Of Pretty, will sign copies of her book at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St. in New Orleans.

Mark Tuschel, author of Living Sober Sucks (But Living Drunk Sucks More), will sign copies of his book at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Barnes & Noble, 2590 Citiplace Court.

Johnette Downing, author of Amazon Alphabet, Today Is Monday In New York, and Why The Oyster Has The Pearl, will be in concert at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at New Orleans Jazz Park Visitor’s Center, French Market in New Orleans. Downing will sign copies of her book at noon Friday, Feb. 3, at A Tisket A Tasket Book Shop, 910 Decatur St. in New Orleans.

Anna Allen, author of Diamond Del’s Search for the Crown Jewels, will sign copies of her book 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Santa’s Toy Emporium, 8210 Jefferson Highway.

Dr. Levi Harrison, author of The Art of Fitness: A Journey to Self Enhancement, will sign copies of his book at noon Saturday, Feb. 4, at Barnes & Noble, 2590 Citiplace Court.

Cornell Landry, author of Happy Mardi Gras, will sign copies of his book at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St. in New Orleans.

Items for Book Events were provided by Southern University Law Center, West Baton Rouge Museum, LSU Chapters of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Livingston Parish Library, Lafayette Public Library, James Houk and Annabelle Armstrong.