Book Events for May 13, 2012

Casa Azul will offer readings, signings and music

Nicholas Spark

New Orleans author Ben Sandmel will read from his new book, Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans, from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at Casa Azul Gifts, 232 Martin Luther King Drive in Grand Coteau. The evening includes a book signing. A musical performance by Yvette Landry will follow. The evening concludes with an open mic in which writers and musicians are welcome to participate.

Sandmel is a New Orleans-based journalist, folklorist, drummer and producer. His articles about Louisiana music have appeared in national publications, including the Atlantic and Rolling Stone, and have been anthologized in such collections as Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000 and From Jubilee to Hip Hop: Readings in African American Music. He is also the author of Zydeco!, a collaborative book with photographer Rick Olivier. Sandmel is enrolled in the Masters Program in Musicology at Tulane University.

Country/folk artist Landry’s debut CD is titled Should Have Known. Landry has toured the world as a multi-instrumentalist, performing with Pine Leaf Boys, Dirk Powell and Donna the Buffalo and many others. She is a founding member of the all-woman Cajun group BonSoir Catin. She won Offbeat Magazine’s “Best Country/Folk Artist” and “Best Country/Folk Album” award for 2012.

On Saturday, May 19, Casa Azul Gifts hosts a poetry workshop 2-4 p.m. and a performance at 6 p.m. The events are held as a fundraiser for the Baton Rouge Slam Team. Both events welcome all ages.

The 2012 team comprises Jonathan Brown, Chancellor Skidmore, Desireé V. Dallagiacomo, Donney Rose and Roderick Minor, all seasoned poets and performers. They are raising money to compete in the Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam in Tampa, Fla., June 6-9, and to compete at the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 7-11.

The poetry writing workshop will include inspiration and instruction on writing poems that reflect personal experience. They will also touch on poetry performance. The workshop is accessible to all ages and is appropriate for all levels of ability.

That evening, the slam team will perform original poems individually and in groups. While all events are free, donations are requested to help launch this group which will represent Louisiana into regional and national competitions.

More details are available at http://festivalofwords.org/weeklyevents.html. These events are sponsored by the Festival of Words Cultural Arts Collective and The Eclectic Truth (or Baton Rouge Poetry Alliance). For more information, call Patrice at [phone] or email [e-mail].

Sparks to speak at Runnels

Award-winning author Nicholas Sparks will deliver the commencement address at the Runnels High School 2012 graduation ceremony, to be held in the Runnels Theater at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17.

The author of 16 best-selling novels, including The Notebook, The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Night in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember, Safe Haven, and, most recently, The Best of Me, Sparks is one of the most popular writers in the world today. More than 80 million copies of his books have been sold and his work has been translated into more than 40 languages. Sparks’ novels are part of the high school English curriculum in all 50 states, and he is one of only five living authors whose books are available as Cliff’s Notes.

To date, seven of his novels have been made into films, including The Lucky One, with Zac Efron, now in theaters.

EBR Parish Library

Jill Rigby Garner, author of Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World, Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World, and founder of Manners of the Heart, will give two presentations in May at the Bluebonnet Regional branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. The first, beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, will focus on parenting in an increasingly selfish world, and Rigby will discuss measures parents may take to encourage pro-social behavior in their children. The second talk, beginning at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, will discuss steps to raise the level of civility and respect in the workplace.

For more information, call [phone].

Book clubs:

•  Monday Morning Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 14, at Baker branch, 3501 Groom Road. Members will discuss The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
•  Carver Book Club will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Carver branch, 720 Terrace St. Members will discuss Red River by Lalita Tademy.
•  JCR Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Jones Creek Regional branch, 6222 Jones Creek Road. Members will discuss The Fall of Giants by Ken Follett.
•  Zachary Book Club will meet at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Zachary branch, 1900 Church St. Members will discuss Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand.
•  Bluebonnet Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, Bluebonnet Regional branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. Members will discuss The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luis Zafon.
•  Delmont Book Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at Delmont Gardens branch, 3351 Lorraine St. Members will discuss The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow.
•  Eden Park Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at Eden Park branch, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road. Members will discuss A Person of Interest by Ernest Hill.
•  Children’s Book Club will meet at noon Saturday, May 19, at the Greenwell Springs Road Regional branch, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Children ages 7 to 11 are invited to discuss the books they’ve recently read. For more information or to register, call [phone].

Livingston Parish Library

The Livingston Parish Library is hosting Fine Free Month through Tuesday, May 15. Patrons will not be charged overdue fines on books and other materials returned during this period. Patrons are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to clear their library accounts. The purpose of Fine Free Month is to encourage the return of library materials and to promote the use of the library’s services. Materials must be returned in good condition. Fine Free Month does not apply to older fines and fees.

Patrons can check their library accounts at http://www.mylpl.info. For more information about Fine Free Month or eligibility, call any of the branches to speak to a library staff member.

Young Writers Club will meet 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. The club is open to anyone between the ages of 10 and 17. The goal of the club is to write for both publication and performance. Young writers are encouraged to explore their writing interests and develop their voice and style through exciting collaborative exercises.

Edward Livingston Historical Association will meet 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at the Main branch, 20390 Iowa St. in Livingston.

Book Club:

•  Eclectic Book Club will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. Members will discuss Dance Hall of the Dead by Toni Hillerman.

Ascension Parish Library

You may have heard that the library now offers eBooks. You may know that these books are available for your iPad, Kindle, or Nook but have no idea how to access them. Maybe you have tried to download one or two but ran into trouble. Whatever your issue, call the library at [phone] and schedule your free individual instruction session at the Dutchtown Branch, 13278 La. 73 in Geismar. Bring in your device on Thursday, May 24, for a 30-minute tutorial on the eReader-friendly services and personal instruction on how to use them with your reader. There are a limited number of sessions available. All instruction sessions are free but are by appointment only. Instruction sessions last for half an hour. Sessions will start and end promptly.

W. Feliciana Parish Library

Friends Of The West Feliciana Parish Library will meet 10-11 a.m. Monday, May 14, at the library, 11865 Ferdinand St. in St. Francisville.

Advanced Readers’ Club will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday May 17, at the library, 11865 Ferdinand St. in St. Francisville.

Call [phone] for more information.

Lafayette Public Library

Sleuths Mystery Club will meet at 6:30-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St. in Lafayette.

Members will discuss Chasing the Devil’s Tail by David Fulmer.

Signings

Jennifer Barnes Maggio, author of Overwhelmed: The Life of a Single Mom, will sign copies of her book at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 13, at Re-vision Church, 118 N. Scanlan St., Hammond.

Kerri McCaffety, author of New Orleans New Elegance, will sign copies of her book at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at Octavia Books, 413 Octavia St. in New Orleans.

John Barry, author of Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul, will sign copies of his book 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at the Maple Street Book Shop, Healing Center location, 2372 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans.

Ken Budd, author of The Voluntourist: A Six-country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem, will sign copies of his book 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans.

Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow, will sign copies of her book 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at the Maple Street Book Shop, Healing Center location, 2372 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans.

The George P. Shultz Forum on World Affairs will feature Dominique Lapierre, author of A Beautiful Franco-American Epic: The Second World War Miracle that Saved Paris from Hitler’s Apocalyptic Order, in a reception, lecture and book signing 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at the National World War II Museum, 945 Magazine St. in New Orleans. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call [phone].

Carolyn Turgeon, author of The Next Full Moon, will read from and sign copies of her book at 7 p.m. Friday, May 18, at Barnes & Noble, 2590 CitiPlace Court.

Lawrence Powell, author of The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans, will sign copies of his book at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, in the Dominion Learning Center at Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St in New Orleans.

Michelle Hirstius, author of Juju The Good Voodoo, will sign copies of her book 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Maple Street Book Shop, 7529 Maple St. in New Orleans.

West Freeman, photographer of The Garden District Of New Orleans, will sign copies of his book 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 19, at Octavia Books, 413 Octavia St. in New Orleans.

Items for Book Events were supplied by Casa Azul, Runnels School, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Ascension Parish Library, West Feliciana Parish Library and Lafayette Public Library.