MARY L. STEPHENS LIBRARY. Meet and listen to local author Lisa Montanaro discuss her novel, “Everything we Thought was True,” a story of family and identity, and the corrosive nature of secrets—those we keep from ourselves, from each other, and from society. Lisa will do a reading from her novel, and be in-conversation with writer and editor, Cerrissa Kim. Copies of the novel will be available for sale and signing. 6p—8p. Free
MARY L. STEPHENS LIBRARY. Join us for a discussion of Manvir Singh’s debut release, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion. From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism, from its beginnings to the present moment, for readers disaffected with organized religion who seek a more personal approach to spirituality. 6:30p—7:30p. Free
THE AVID READER. Alice Rothchild will speak about her remarkable autobiography, Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician. Written entirely in free verse, it tells of her journey from 1950’s good girl to irreverent, feisty, feminist obstetrician-gynecologist forging her own direction in the contradictory, sexist world of medicine. 6p—7p. Free
AVID READER. Avid Reader is honored to host Brian Selznick in conversation with David Levithan in celebration of the release of Selznick’s latest novel: Run Away With Me. Run Away With Me is a stunning creation, weaving words & illustration to tell the story of a transformative love. Danny is sixteen & spending his summer in Rome. As his mother works all day in a mysterious museum, he wanders the city’s ancient, streets. Then one day a voice calls to him, & a strange, beautiful boy steps into his life. Angelo. Soon Danny is in love for the first time, but he’s also painfully aware that when the summer ends, he’ll have to return to America. Angelo seems to know all of Rome’s twisting corners & hidden histories . . . even as he holds his own secrets just out of Danny’s reach. 7p – 8p. $10.
MARY L STEPHENS BRANCH LIBARY. Briana Loewinsohn author of Ephemera: a memoir and Raised by ghosts and Thien Pham author of Family style : memories of an American from Vietnam will be in conversation about making comics. 2p – 3p. Free.
MARY L. STEPHENS DAVIS BRANCH LIBRAY. The Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library announces author Claudia Krich will deliver a book talk, “Those Who Stayed: A Vietnam Diary,” at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, in the Blanchard Room. The event is free and open to the public.
THE AVID READER. Join authors Jen Soong, Luis Avalos, José Vadi, & Reyna Grande to celebrate the release of Sacramento Noir on March 10th at 6:00 PM. They will be joined in conversation by John Freeman. Jack Freeman writes in his introduction: “Here is Sacramento in all of its splendor & deep, not-at-all-buried contradictions. A frontier city that quickly used its wealth to gather power. A locale that is somehow not quite sure it is still urban. Darkly compelling, canopied, gusted by river smells, Sacramento emerges from these thirteen stories like a character itself.” 6p – 7p. Free.
THE AVID READER. With increased compression, every word, every sentence matters more. A writer must learn how to form narratives around caesuras and crevices instead of strings of connections, to move a story through the symbolic weight of images, to master the power of suggestion. With elegant prose, deep readings of other writers, and scaffolded writing exercises, The Art of Brevity takes the reader on a lyrical exploration of compact storytelling, guiding readers to heighten their awareness of not only what appears on the page but also what doesn’t. Grant Faulkner is the executive director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the cofounder of 100 Word Story. 6p – 7p. Free.
THE AVID READER. Set authentically in the High Sierra, The Trail is a moving story of how nature helps us find what’s missing in our lives. The Trail is fused with humor, philosophy, & trail lore. Woven in is a back story detailing the origins of the John Muir Trail: a 211-mile trail spanning the rooftop of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States. 6p – 7p. Free.
DAVIS VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM. Come join us for the launch of Jessica Guerrieri’s debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Winner of the UC Davis Maurice Prize for Fiction, Guerrieri will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author and Oprah’s Book Club Pick, Lara Love Hardin. Together, they will discuss the novel’s themes of motherhood, family, and addiction. Each ticket includes a signed copy of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. 7p – 9p. $25
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