Book Events for Aug. 19

Tennessee Williams Festival extends poetry contest deadline

To give poets a bit more time to prepare and submit their poems, the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival is extending the deadline of its 3rd annual Poetry Contest to Saturday, Sept. 1. The entries are being judged by Ava Leavell Haymon. The contest has a $1,000 grand prize. The grand prize winner also receives a VIP all-access pass ($500 value) for the 27th annual Festival (March 20-24, 2013), publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine and a public reading on a literary panel at the 2013 Festival. Interested poets should submit two-four original, unpublished poems of any style or theme, with a combined length of up to 400 lines.

The top 10 finalists will receive a panel pass ($75 value) to attend the 2013 Festival. This pass admits to more than two dozen events designed to inspire, encourage, and educate writers of all genres. Additionally, their names will be published on http://www.tennesseewilliams.net. The contest accepts submissions by mail and online. Entry fee is $20.

Calling all Creole cousins

The first of a prospective annual Grand Reunion of descendants of Louisiana’s Founding Families will be held Feb. 15-17, 2013, at the Yambilee Building in Opelousas. This first reunion — begun as a relatively small family affair — has blossomed to include all descendants of the Andrepont, Aymond, Cormier, De Soto, Fontenot, Hargroder, Jeansonne/Johnson, Langlois, Louvière, Ortego, Pitre, Rivet/Rivette, Soileau, and Vidrine families. “Creole” is identified as descendants of families who were in the Province of Louisiana before the Purchase of 1803. “Creole” has to do with time and place — not with race. For information, contact [e-mail], or write Creole Cousins at 140 Stanyan St., Sunset, LA 70584.

EBR Parish Library

The Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., hosts a monthly discussion group who talk about Karen Armstrong’s Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. This month’s meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, and will cover steps 7 and 8. For more information, call [phone].

Book clubs:

n Carver Book Club will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at Carver branch, 720 Terrace St. Members will discuss In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White.

•  JCR Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at Jones Creek Regional branch, 6222 Jones Creek Road. Members will discuss any biography of John F. Kennedy.
•  Like it Or Not Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Pride-Chaneyville branch, 13600 Pride–Port Hudson Road. Members will discuss Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag.
•  Delmont Gardens Book Club will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Delmont Gardens branch, 3351 Lorraine St. Members will discuss Beloved by Toni Morrison.
•  Children’s Book Club will host its first meeting for the fall at noon Saturday, Aug. 25, at Greenwell Springs Road Regional branch, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road. Children should bring a book to discuss what they read over the summer. They will alternate turns reading the preview for the next read. For more information or to register, call [phone].

Livingston Parish Library

Laughter Lagniappe, an amateur comedy night will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. The event features six 10-minute acts full of hearty, wholesome chuckles. Amateur comedians interested in performing an original act must register by Monday, Aug. 20, and submit a copy of the script for review. Call [phone] or email [e-mail] for details or to register for the event.

Calling all young writers! The Denham Springs-Walker chapter of the Livingston Parish Library’s Young Writers Club meets 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. Open to anyone between the ages of 10 and 17, the goal of the club is to write for both publication and performance. The program also offers free workshops in poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction. For more information, call the library at [phone].

Book club:

n Eclectic Book Club will meet 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at Denham Springs-Walker branch, 8101 U.S. 190 in Denham Springs. Members will discuss Bless Your Heart, Tramp... by Celia Rivenbark.

Lafayette Public Library

Book club:

•  SRL Sleuths Mystery Book Club will meet 6:30-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, at South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St. in Lafayette. Members will discuss The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.

HeartLa meeting

HeartLa, the Baton Rouge Chapter of Romance Writers of America, will hold its monthly meeting 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug 25, at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library-Bluebonnet Branch, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd. Membership is open to writers of all genres. Guests may attend two meetings before joining. Motivational speaker and author Christee Atwood will be the guest speaker.

Writers’ Group

Barnes & Noble Westbank Centre, 1601B West Bank Expressway in Harvey, is hosting a writers’ group, 6-8 p.m. 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

Jennifer Lormand, author of Mommy Movement: New Baby, New Body, New Life, will sign copies of her book at 2 p.m. Sunday Aug. 19, 2012 at Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St. in New Orleans.

Marie Bookman, author of Breach of My Heart, will sign copies of her book 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Maple Street Book Shop Healing Center location, 2372 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans.

Angus Woodward, author of Americanisation: Lessons in American Culture and Language, will sign copies of his book 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, 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 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Maple Street Book Shop, 7529 Maple St. in New Orleans.

Katherine Howe, author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The House of Velvet and Glass, will sign copies of her books at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Maple Street Book Shop, 7529 Maple St. in New Orleans.

Cary Black, author of Katrina: A Freight Train Screamin and the children’s book French Quarter Tori and the Red Owl, will sign copies of his book 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the 1850 House Museum Store, 523 St. Ann St. in New Orleans.

Mary Theriot, author of The Hideaway, will sign copies of her book 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Aug. 24, at Klutt’s Jewelers, 924 7th St. in Morgan City.

Items for Book Events were provided by the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival, Winston DeVille, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Livingston Parish Library, Lafayette Public Library, HeartLa and Barnes & Noble.