Guest Author Don Brown

Meet author and illustrator Don Brown at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10 in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Book sales and signing will follow. Brown's appearance at the Library is part of Bookfest 2005.

Don Brown is a professional illustrator/author. His first children's book, “Ruth Law Thrills a Nation,” was a Reading Rainbow feature selection and an NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. His second book, “Alice Ramsey’s Grand Adventure,” received starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal.

School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." His most recent book, “Rare Treasure,” was selected as a NCSS-CBC Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

Books Written and Illustrated by Don Brown:

Ruth Law Thrills a Nation. Ticknor & Fields, 1993

Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure. Houghton, 1997

One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong. Houghton, 1998

Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries. Houghton, 1999

Uncommon Traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa. Houghton, 2000

For more information, visit his official website.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club meets at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library.

General critiques will be held the first hour; the second hour will focus on member Frank F. as part of the "Author Spotlight" series.

Michael Perry Recap

It was standing room only at Michael Perry’s reading Sept. 22 at the Oshkosh Public Library. A wonderful storyteller, Mike entertained over 135 attendees with readings from “Population 485” and “Off Main Street,” as well as a few side stories. Intimate, warm, and often hilarious, Mike’s 75-minute presentation was frequently interrupted by alternating applause and laughter. And, it's not too late to get an autographed copy of either book - limited copies are available for sale at the Paper Tiger, downtown Oshkosh.

Prior to his appearance at the Library, Mike met with a dozen members of the Oshkosh Area Writers Club for dinner at the Roxy. We were able to ask questions about the writing process, tips on how to get published, the importance of an agent, etc. Mike shared a few stories “behind the stories” and was able to tell us what happened to the people he wrote about in his previous books.

My heartfelt thanks to Stacie, Bethany, Tom and Bob for serving as Mike’s escort, helping set up additional chairs, and assisting with book sales. I'd also like to thank Friends of the Library and Library staff Vicki, Joan, Laurie and Sharon. Thank you all for making the night a huge success!

~ Ruth

Guest Author Michael Perry

Wisconsin author Michael Perry will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Oshkosh Public Library; a book signing will be held at the end of the evening. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Perry is the author of "Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time" and has published in magazines including Newsweek, Salon, Utne and Esquire. His essays can be heard on Wisconsin and Minnesota public radio. When he's not writing, Perry contributes humor to the local fire department by being the first volunteer fireman in village history to miss the monthly meeting because of a poetry reading.

His newest title, "Off Main Street: Barnstormers, Prophets & Gatemouth's Gator," contains essays about life in small towns, on the road, and around the world.

Perry's book are available for purchase at The Paper Tiger or from his website: sneezingcow.com. And of course, you can check them out for free from the Oshkosh Public Library.

Oshkosh Lifestories

The Oshkosh Public Library is seeking submissions for its online “Oshkosh Stories and Snapshots,” anecdotes of everyday experiences (past and present) of Oshkosh residents. Previous subjects include crab fishing at South Park; a woman’s recollections of the two years she lived at Sunnyview Sanitarium as a tuberculous patient; and the tornado of 1974.

Prose or poetry will be accepted; submissions can be as short as you like but please, nothing more than 1000 words. Written, typed and electronic submissions accepted. Multiple submissions are encouraged.

To read current stories or obtain complete submission guidelines, please visit Oshkosh Stories and Snapshots.

A new kind of book club

Check out Booksfree.com, a new kind of book club similar to Netflix. Paperbacks are delivered right to your home. When you’re done, return the books in a prepaid envelope. Free round-trip shipping; no due dates or late fees; over 40,000 titles to choose from. And the best part is, if you really like the book you can purchase it at a discount!

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the OAWC is 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, in the lower level meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library. Items on the agenda include final preparations for Michael Perry's visit and signing up for the new Saturday "Author Spotlight."

Author Spotlights are a new feature of the Saturday morning critique sessions, where the last hour of the meeting is devoted to the work of a single author. Author Spotlights are designed for those who are working on a novel or a compilation of shorter pieces.

Dinner with Michael Perry

I need a count of those interested in attending an author dinner with Michael Perry on Sept. 22. If you would like to attend, please call me by Friday, Sept. 16 at 231-6182 or 236-5205 so I can get your name and provide you with the when and the where.

~ Ruth

We got a winner!

Bethany K. Warner won the first place prize in adult fiction at the Aestival Festival, held Sept. 10 at Menasha Public Library for her story, "Iron Clad." Those who attended the Sept. 3 OAWC meeting got to hear the story, which is about a witness to the execution of a Florida killer.

Bethany took home the same award last year.

Congrats Bethany!