Calendar

Nov
8
Thu
Michelle Wright: Physics of Blackness @ 2021C Tisch Hall
Nov 8 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Emory University (Atlanta) English professor Michelle Wright reads from Physics of Blackness, her 2015 book about how different cultures and historical moments define blackness.
4-6 p.m., 2021C Tisch Hall, 435 S. State. Free. 763-2351

Writing Interactive Fiction @ AADL Downtown
Nov 8 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

All grade 8-adult invited to learn how to write a digital “Choose Your Own Adventure” story using a simple coding language. You can then play through the stories you and others have written.
6-8 p.m., AADL Downtown Training Center. Free. 327-4200.

Ann Arbor Storytellers Guild: Story Night @ Crazy Wisdom
Nov 8 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Ann Arbor Storytellers Guild members host a storytelling program. Audience members are encouraged to bring a 5-minute story to tell.
7-9 p.m., Crazy Wisdom Tea Room, 114 S. Main. Free. 665-2757.

 

 

Open Mic and Share: Sharon H. Chang: Hapa Tales and Other Lies @ Bookbound
Nov 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Seattle writer Sharon H. Chang reads from Hapa Tales and Other Lies, her new memoir that explores her Asian American and mixed race identity through the prism of a Hawaii vacation that turns into something more when she gets involved with the Native Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement. The program begins with an open mike for poets, who are welcome to read their own work or a favorite poem by another writer.
7 p.m., Bookbound, 1729 Plymouth. Free. 369-4345.

Susan Orlean: The Library Book @ AADL
Nov 8 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Literati Bookstore is thrilled to welcome Susan Orlean to the lobby of the Ann Arbor District Library in support of her latest, The Library Book. Copies of this new book and Orlean’s other titles will be available for sale, courtesy of Literati Bookstore.

About The Library Book: Susan Orlean, hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and the acclaimed bestselling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief, reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution–our libraries.

On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual false alarm. As one fireman recounted later, “Once that first stack got going, it was Goodbye, Charlie.” The fire was disastrous: It reached 2,000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. Investigators descended on the scene, but over thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library–and if so, who?

Weaving her life-long love of books and reading with the fascinating history of libraries and the sometimes-eccentric characters who run them, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean presents a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling story as only she can. With her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, she investigates the legendary Los Angeles Public Library fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives. To truly understand what happens behind the stacks, Orlean visits the different departments of the LAPL, encountering an engaging cast of employees and patrons and experiencing alongside them the victories and struggles they face in today’s climate. She also delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from a metropolitan charitable initiative to a cornerstone of national identity. She reflects on her childhood experiences in libraries; studies arson and the long history of library fires; attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and she re-examines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the library over thirty years ago. Along the way, she reveals how these buildings provide much more than just books–and that they are needed now more than ever.

Filled with heart, passion, and unforgettable characters, The Library Book is classic Susan Orlean, and an homage to a beloved institution that remains a vital part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country and culture.

About Susan Orlean: Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award-winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in upstate New York.

Nov
9
Fri
Storytelling Event: Shelter Association of Washtenaw County Homelessness Awareness Week @ Ypsilanti Freight House
Nov 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Poetry readings, testimonials, and storytelling by people who have experienced homelessness. Also, an art display and information from area agencies that address homelessness.
6-8 p.m., Ypsilanti Freight House, 100 Market Pl, Ypsilanti. Free. 662-2829, ext. 226.[map]

Poetry Night featuring Caroline Johnson and Tara E. Jay @ Nicola's Books
Nov 9 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join us for a moving poetry night. Caroline Johnson’s first full-length publication, The Caregiver, includes 50 poems that were inspired by the 15 years she devoted to taking care of her aging parents. Midwest Book Review deemed it “very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary American Poetry collections.” Joining her will be UofM MFA candidate Tara E. Jay.

The Caregiver is Caroline Johnson’s first full-length publication. The gathering includes free verse, lyrical poems, prose poetry and some formal verse. Many of the poems won contests and have been previously published in online print journals and anthologies. The poems touch on the topic of grieving but go beyond and focus on the many difficulties a caregiver experiences―both emotional and physical―yet also recognize the spiritual gifts that come with helping a loved one. Caregiving is a significant issue for our times and will only become more important as our population ages.

Caroline Johnson observed both of her parents suffer crippling illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the 15 years she spent as family caregiver. During that time she wrote poetry as a way to grieve and celebrate their lives. This book is the culmination of that effort. She has published two poetry chapbooks, My Mother’s Artwork and Where the Street Ends, and more than 70 poems. Her awards include winning the 2012 Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Poetry Contest, nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and prizes in state and national competitions. A former English teacher, she works as an academic advisor for a Chicago area community college. One of her favorite activities in the past was watching James Bond movies with her father, who served in the U.S. Air Force as a bomber pilot during the Cold War in the 1950s as part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Please visit www.caroline-johnson.com.

Ann Arbor Storyteller’s Guild: Storyfest @ Trinity Lutheran Church
Nov 9 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Premiere storytelling event of the year – filled with laughs, memories, truth and an occasional tear. Great snacks, door prizes and free parking come with admission. “The Moth” storytelling winners are featured tellers. Not to be missed by adventure-seekers or fun-lovers!
Trinity Lutheran Church, 1400 W. Stadium Blvd. $15/person. 734-662-4419. www.annarborstorytelling.org and www.facebook.com/annarborstorytellers

Nov
10
Sat
David Zinn Book Signing Party: Underfoot Menagerie @ 16 Hands
Nov 10 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

16 Hands is proud to host a book signing with one of our most popular local artists. David Zinn’s “Underfoot Menagerie” is a brand new assortment of the latest, greatest creatures from the not-quite-underground world of David Zinn! This full-color collection includes not only 134 photos of pareidolic & anamorphic sidewalk drawings, but also useful explanations of what those words mean. It’s a great gift for your inner child – or your outer ones, or just anyone who needs a little cheerful whimsy in their lives.
Join us for the Book Signing
Saturday, November 10th, 2018
from 11am – 4pm at 16 Hands
Located on the 2nd Floor of the Kerrytown Shops
https://www.facebook.com/events/166077314322733/
https://youtu.be/nW-MbHbLpBE
16 Hands, 407 N. 5th Ave, 2nd Floor. Free. 7. 16handsinfo@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/events/166077314322733/ 

NaNoWrMiMo Free Write Session @ AADL Westgate
Nov 10 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Nov. 10 & 17. All adults and teens in grade 9 & up invited to work on their novel for this nonprofit promotion (also known as National Novel Writing Month) challenging teens and adults to write a 50,000-word novel by the end of November.
1-3 p.m., AADL Westgate. Free. 327-4200.

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