Author Visit - Jerry Apps

Jerry Apps will be at Apple Blossom Bookstore at 1 pm on Saturday, May 7th for a signing for his new books, “Horse-drawn days” and “Barns of Wisconsin” along with his fiction series set in Ames County. Pick up your copies early for great gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day too!

Buckstaff Observatory History Project

Mark Ferguson is collaborating with other members on creating a history of the Oshkosh Buckstaff Observatory. To learn more or volunteer please click here.

Author Visit - Kathleen Corley

UW-Oshkosh Professor Kathleen Corley, will talk about her latest book, "Maranatha : Women's Funerary Rituals and Christian Origins," a book about women's funeral rituals in the early Christian Church at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at the Oshkosh Public Library.

The event is free and open to the public.

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club meets at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. Pat K. is the featured author.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public.

Fox Cities Book Festival

I hope you get a chance to attend one or more events sponsored by the Fox Cities Book Festival, which begins today. Speakers include children, teen and adult authors, illustrators, poets, non-fiction writers and representatives from the publishing industry. For a schedule of events throughout the Fox Cities, please go to:

http://www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org/schedule/2011

Fox Cities Book Festival - Neenah Events

Fox Cities Book Festival Events at the Neenah Public Library, April 11-17, 2011:

Keynote events:
* Fox Cities Reads author, Luis Alberto Urrea (Wednesday, April 13, 1 p.m.)

* WLUK’s Amy Hanten with a cooking demo, talk & book signing (Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m.)

* Book Festival headliner, Annie Barrows, author of the Ivy + Bean children’s books and co-author of Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m. for children; 6 p.m. for adults)

Monday, April 11, 7 p.m.: Book Babes - Margo Hammond & Ellen Heltzel, authors of Between the Covers: The Book Babes’ Guide to a Woman’s Reading Pleasures.

Tuesday, April 12, 2 p.m.: Tech Talk Tuesday - Online Tools for Readers with Librarians Nicole Hardina-Wilhelm and Cheryl Neuwirth.

Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m.: Gordon Grice, author of Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous Animals. Stories of humans and other animals in conflict.

Wednesday, April 13, 1 p.m.: Luis Alberto Urrea, “Fox Cities Reads” author of The Devil’s Highway (non-fiction) and Into the Beautiful North (fiction).

Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 p.m.: Amy Hanten, WLUK’s Living with Amy show and author of the just-published cookbook, The Cooking Mom. Cooking demonstration, talk, book signing.

Friday, April 15, 2 p.m.: Sara Rath, author of H. H. Bennett, Photographer; His American Landscape (a biography on the early Wisconsin Dells photographer).

Saturday, April 16 10 a.m.: Nancy Carlson, accomplished author and illustrator of more than 60 children’s books, including I Like Me and the Loudmouth George books.

Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m.: Annie Barrows, author of the beloved Ivy + Bean series of children’s books. For children, parents, teachers & those who love Ivy + Bean!

Sunday, April 17, 6 p.m.: Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. For adults. (A special after-hours event!)

Events at the Neenah Public Library are free and open to the public. Free refreshments. Books available for purchase and signing at most events.

More events at venues throughout the Fox Cities! See www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org for information or call the Neenah Public Library adult information desk at 920-886-6315.

How to find an Agent

Pat K. recommends the following site to find an agent: agentquery.com

Meeting Reminder

The Oshkosh Area Writers Club will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 19 in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. Author Spotlight: Chuck and Janet.

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." ~Anaïs Nin

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club meets at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library. There is no Author Spotlight but upcoming Spotlights include Chuck on March 5th and Tom on March 19th.

As always, meetings are free and open to the public.

"The Power of the Pen" Writers Conference

"The Power of the Pen" Writer's Conference will be held Saturdays, March 19 and March 26, 2011, at the Fox Valley Technical College, Neenah. This conference is DIRT CHEAP ($15.65 per class) with talented, reputable instructors.

Course offerings include:

• Creating Imagery In Poetry
• Discovering Your Creativity
• Mastering Social Media: For Writers
• Self Publishing: A Whole New World
• The Power of Brochures and Ads
• Writing the Story Only You Can Tell
• Writing the Historical Novel
• Writing Dialogue in Fiction
• Writing to Transform Your Life

For more information and to register, please click here.

Congrats to Tom!

Tom recently had a short story and a poem accepted for publication. You go, guy!

Neenah Public Library - Events

Neenah Public Library is hosting the following events at part of Fox Cities Book Festival:

• Monday, April 11, 7 p.m.: The Book Babes, Margo Hammond and Ellen Heltzel, authors of Between the Covers: The Book Babes’ Guide to a Woman’s Reading Pleasures.
  
  
• Tuesday, April 12, 7 p.m.: Naturalist Gordon Grice, author of Deadly Kingdom: The Book of Dangerous Animals, a unique survey of animal behavior; a darkly funny, highly personal take on virtually every encounter with an animal that might pose bodily harm to humans.
  
  
• Wednesday, April 13, 2 p.m.: Luis Alberto Urrea, this year’s Fox Cities Reads author. Urrea is the author of the national bestselling nonfiction work, The Devil’s Highway and fiction work, Into the Beautiful North.
  
  
• Friday, April 15, 2 p.m.: Sara Rath, author of the biography of H.H. Bennett, the photographer famous for his early, dramatic photos of the Wisconsin Dells.
  
  
• Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.: Nancy Carlson, children’s author and New York Times bestselling author, Annie Barrows!
  
  
• Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m.: Annie Barrows’ children event – Ivy and Bean!
  
  
• Sunday, April 17, 6 p.m.: Annie Barrows’ special after-hours event for adults to talk about the international bestseller, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  
  

Other authors appearing at venues throughout the Fox Cities: Philip Gulley (Quaker minister/humorist), Will Allen (urban farmer), Lynda Barry (cartoonist), Jerry Apps, Michael Perry, poet Todd Boss, Hilary Jordan (author of Mudbound) and Elizabeth Cunningham (author of the Maeve Chronicles).

See www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org for more information about the Fox Cities Book Festival.

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Oshkosh Area Writers Club meets at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5th in the lower level of the Oshkosh Public Library.

We will start with guest speaker Mark Ferguson, who is looking for area writers/researchers to help him compile a history of the Buckstaff Observatory. For more information on his project, go to: http://tinyurl.com/5uml3g7

Because Mark's project has been widely publicized, I'm not sure what to expect but we will begin the Author Spotlight at 11:15; Pat K. is the featured author.

Community Civility

Dr. P.M. Forni, a recognized expert and author on the subject of civil behavior in society, will talk about the principles outlined in his books which are the basis for the UW-Oshkosh conference, “Civility in Everyday Life,” held Feb. 22-24. Dr. Forni is the author of "Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct" and "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude."

He will appear at the Oshkosh Public Library at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24.

Immediately following Forni, there will be a panel discussion, "Be a Good Sport: Civility On and Off the Field."

A panel of local coaches, sports journalists and youth sports coordinators answer questions and share their experiences related to sportsmanship on the field, on the sidelines and in the stands.

Panelists include:
Mike Woods – Appleton Post-Crescent
Lester Millette – Senior Youth & Family Director, Oshkosh YMCA
Chris Kujawa – Head Football Coach, Oshkosh North High School
Chris Guido – President, Oshkosh Youth Soccer Club
Chris Mehring, Director of media relations and radio broadcaster, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

For more information, please contact the Oshkosh Public Library at 236-5205.