Festival of Words begins Kickstarter fundraising campaign

To help combat a drop in income from state-funded arts organizations, the Festival of Words literary event in St. Landry and surrounding parishes has initiated a Kickstarter campaign to raise $3,500. Funds raised by the Kickstarter campaign will help fund this year’s festival in Grand Coteau and other locations in St. Martin and St. Landry parishes.

The Festival of Words began five years ago in the open mic studio space of Casa Azul Gifts in Grand Coteau, embracing the beauty of the written and spoken word. The Festival of Words founders knew from the start that poetry is for everyone, and the adrenaline-driven, starry-eyed organizers ignited an outreach program to reel in the cautious bystanders who thought they didn’t like or couldn’t address the art of poetry. The Fifth Annual Festival of Words — featuring author readings, public readings, community and school creative writing workshops, drive-by poetry in the streets and more — will take place Nov. 8-10, in Grand Coteau, Sunset, Arnaudville and surrounding communities. The event includes well-known authors Jarvis DeBerry, Kelly Harris, Randall Kenan, Patrice Melnick, Bonny McDonald, Chancellier “Xero” Skidmore and Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane.

To help make the annual literary event happen, organizers need to meet their Kickstarter goal of $3,500.

To make a donation to continue the work of Festival of Words, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/909037597/the-festival-of-words.

Banned books exhibit

LSU Libraries is commemorating Banned Books Week with a month-long exhibit Sunday, Sept. 30, to Wednesday, Oct. 31. The exhibit is housed in the libraries’ Education Resources department, located in Room 227 of Middleton Library on the LSU campus.

Banned Books Week, Sept. 30-Oct. 6, is an annual celebration of the freedom to read observed by libraries, bookstores, schools and others concerned with freedom of speech. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, with the theme for this year’s observance being, “Banned Books Week: Celebrating 30 Years of Liberating Literature.”

The LSU Libraries exhibit is a month-long celebration of intellectual freedom. Visitors are invited to browse the materials and learn the difference between banned and challenged books, as well as the most challenged books of 2011, including award winners and books challenged in Louisiana. There will also be a map on display that illustrates censorship efforts across the country, as well as information on the number of challenges by year, reason, institution and initiator between 1990 and 2010. Also, the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom timeline highlights one book banned or challenged from each year between 1982 and 2012. Visitors can pick up a bookmark as well as a list of banned or challenged books.

LSU Libraries’ Banned Books Week exhibit will be on display 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-10 p.m. Sundays. Call [phone] or [phone], or by visit the LSU Libraries website at http://www.lib.lsu.edu.

BR Gallery reading

Women’s Week and BREC’s Baton Rouge Gallery “Sundays@4” are sponsoring a reading and panel discussion by eight area female writers on the topic of “Women Writers on … Women’s Work.” Each of the writers will read a short original piece on a topic of her personal choice. This free event takes place 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive.

Readers will include Amy Alexander, Renee Bacher, Claire Boudreaux Bateman, Jamey Hatley, Ava Leavell Haymon, Andrea Neighbours, Jacqueline Dee Parker and Maggie Heyn Richardson.

Lunch hour lecture

Lunchtime Lagniappe, the free, lunch-time lectures about Louisiana history, will continue at the Capitol Park Museum in downtown Baton Rouge at noon Wednesday, Oct. 3. The topic is with “New Roads and Old Rivers — Louisiana’s Historic Pointe Coupee Parish.” Randy Harelson will present photographs of more than 70 antebellum structures still standing in Pointe Coupee Parish and 32 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Harelson, a graduate of University High School and LSU, is the president of the Pointe Coupee Historical Society and the owner of the LeJeune House, often called the oldest house in New Roads. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch and may come and go as their schedules require. The Louisiana State Museum Friends will have refreshments available for a small donation. The Capitol Park Museum is located at 660 N. Fourth St. The museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information, visit http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum.

EBR Parish Library

Children’s author Avi will be at the Bluebonnet Regional branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, for the Thirty-fifth Annual Author/Illustrator Program. The event will be in meeting room 1.

With dozens of books for children and young adults to his name, Avi has won numerous awards including the Newbery Award, Newbery Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award, and the Anne Zarrow Award. Admission is free at the Thursday evening program for children, teens, and their parents. Call [phone].

In addition to the Thursday evening program, there will also be a workshop featuring Avi at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Bluebonnet Regional branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. The Friday workshop is for teachers, librarians, parents and writers. Registration fee is $25 for adults and $10 for students. Friday’s workshop will include a book sale and autograph session.

Armchair Genealogy, a free history/genealogy seminar will be offered 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct 6, at Jones Creek Regional branch, 6222 Jones Creek Road. Attendees will learn how to start genealogy research any time in the comfort of their homes and take a look at some of the best free genealogy websites on the Internet today, find out how to use them and what they can do. Registration is required; call (25) 756-1150.

Book club:

•  The Evening Book Club will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Baker branch, 3501 Groom Road. Members will discuss The Visitation by Frank Peretti. Call [phone].

Livingston Parish Library

Young Writers Club will meet 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs.

Adult Writers Circle will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, U.S. 190 in Denham Springs.

W. Feliciana Parish Library

Genealogy Guild will meet 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the library, 11865 Ferdinand St. in St. Francisville. Call [phone].

Lafayette Public Library

NRL Teen Poetry Night will take place 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at North Regional branch, 5101 N. University Ave. in Carencro.

Teen Poetry Night is for young poets who would like to speak their mind. Come and join the spoken word group Revolution Theory for a night filled with reading, writing and expressing yourself through poetry. This poetry night is for ages 13-18.

Jefferson Parish Library

The Fiction Writers Group will hold a critique session 7-9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at East Bank Regional branch, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The Fiction Writers Group is a weekly meeting for serious writers of fiction; those whose goal is to be published. Sessions involve critiques of group members who have made submissions, as well as presentations by local authors who are published. Poetry, essays and nonfiction are not discussed. Call [phone]

As part of Banned Books Week, library staff at East Bank Regional branch, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, will discuss banned books and library customers will read from books that have been banned. The event is 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2. Call [phone]. Also, Tulane University History Professor Christina Vella will discuss books that have been banned and why, 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at East Bank Regional branch, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Call [phone].

Teens at the Teen Center at East Bank Regional branch, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, will discuss their favorite banned books 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3. Teens are encouraged to talk about their favorites as well, and they can even bring them to the library. The library will also will also have a variety of banned books available for checkout.

Sal Serio, curator of the Italian American Research Center at the East Bank Regional branch, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, will sponsor a series of genealogy courses during November and October. All courses are free of charge and are open to the public. No registration is required. Courses will focus on the basics of genealogy and genealogical research. Call [phone].

The monthly meeting of the World War II Discussion Group will be 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at East Bank Regional bank, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. Sessions usually consist of a presentation led by a guest speaker who discusses some aspect of the conflict. Call [phone].

Book club:

n Popular Fiction Book Club will meet 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Lakeshore branch, 1000 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie. Members will discuss The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice.

New Orleans Public Library

Writing Workshops Led By Youths meets 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Norman Mayer Branch branch, 3001 Gentilly Blvd. in New Orleans. The group encourages member to think outside the box and inspire creative arts exploration through reading, engaging discussions, and group activities. Youths ages 12-17 are invited. Call [phone].

St. Tammany
Parish Library

As part of the library’s celebration of Family History Month, patrons are invited to Save Your Family Treasures: Preservation Advice and Techniques, a preservation workshop with LaToya Devezin, a trainer with the Archival Training Collaborative. The event will take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Slidell branch, 555 Robert Blvd. in Slidell. By the end of the workshop, attendees will learn the following skills: Define and differentiate between the terms preservation and conservation; describe and apply basic preservation techniques for photographs, paper, documents, textiles, and home videos; identify when to consult a professional conservator; and start developing a plan on how to share research with the community.

Devezin works as a Library Associate in the African American Resource Center at the New Orleans Public Library. She has a B.A. in music from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va., and an M.A. in museum studies from Southern University at New Orleans. She is a trainer for the Archival Training Collaborative and a member of the American Association for Museums and the Society of American Archivists.

The event, which will feature a light lunch, has a limit of 20 adults. Registration is required. Call [phone], ext. 107.

The concluding discussion of the Big Read Book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, will be led by Dr. Susan Blalock, 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Causeway branch, 3457 U.S. 190, Mandeville. Seating is limited to 25 adults. Topics will include discussion of the last 11 chapters of the book. The event is free and open to the public, and registration is required. Stop by the branch library hosting the event to register. Call [phone]

Book clubs:

•  Abita Springs Book Club for ages 8-11 will meet at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at Abita Springs branch, 71683 Leveson St. in Abita Springs. Members will discuss Extra Credit by Andrew Clements. Registration is required. Visit the branch to register and to check out a copy of the book. Call [phone].
•  Pearl River Book Browsers Book Club will meet 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Pearl River branch, 64580 La. 41 in Pearl River. Membership is free and open to all adults with an interest in reading and discussing books. Call [phone].
•  Black River Book Club will meet 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at Black River branch, 1519 La. 22 West, Suite 9, Madisonville. Members will discuss Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. Membership is free and open to all adults with an interest in reading and discussing books. No registration is required. It is the responsibility of the attendees to acquire copies of the books. The library has copies of each title, but they may not be available when needed. Call [phone].
•  Rookie Reader Book Club for ages 5-7 will meet at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Causeway branch, 3457 U.S. 190 in Mandeville. The club is for beginning readers. Children will listen to a book, participate in a discussion and do an activity. No registration required. Call [phone].

Book Club for ages 8-11 will meet 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Causeway branch, 3457 U.S. 190 in Mandeville. Members will discuss The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco. Call [phone].

Writers’ group

Westbank Barnes & Noble, 1601B West Bank Expressway, Harvey, is hosting a Writers’ Group 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays. This is a networking and critiquing forum for writers of all skill levels. Be prepared to read what you are working on, to take constructive criticism and to give it.

Signings

Kresley Cole, author of Poison Princess, will sign copies of her book 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans.

Sonpri Gray, author of Kept, will sign copies of her book 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Maple Street Book Shop, 7529 Maple St. in New Orleans.

William J. Cooper, author of We Have The War Upon Us: The Onset of the Civil War, November 1860-April 1861, will sign copies of his book 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans.

Cornell Landry, author of The Tiger and the Honey Badger Take on the Zoo!, will sign copies of his book at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Barnes & Noble, 3721 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie.

Phil Sandusky, author of New Orleans: Impressionist Cityscapes, will sign copies of his book 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St. in New Orleans.

Items for Book Events were provided by Festival of Words, LSU Libraries, Baton Rouge Gallery, Capitol Park Museum, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Livingston Parish Library, Jefferson Parish Library, New Orleans Public Library, St. Tammany Parish Library and Barnes & Noble.