Las Vegas book briefs for Nov. 10-16, 2016
Mafia empires: Selwyn Raab plans to share inside stories and talk about the newly updated 20th anniversary edition of “Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires” at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The event is free with paid museum admission. Visit themobmuseum.org.
Las Vegas Writers Group: Freelance editor Toni Briegel is scheduled to talk about the role of editors in the writing process during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. The meeting fee is $5. Visit meetup.com/Las-Vegas-Writers.
Book art: The exhibit “Page by Page: Artist Books and Drawings by Karen Baldner” is scheduled to be on display through Nov. 19 in the College of Southern Nevada Artspace Gallery at the North Las Vegas campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. Visit sites.csn.edu/artgallery.
Literary Pin-ups: The opening for Joshua Weinberg’s art exhibit “Famous Literary Characters Reimagined” is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. Visit hendersonlibraries.com.
Pop-Up Poetry: The Las Vegas Poets Organization is accepting submissions for the 2017 Pop-Up Poetry Series presented in cooperation with Nevada Humanities. Poets interested in participating can visit lasvegaspoets.org/pop-up-poetry.
Cookbook dinner: Mario Batali plans to present recipes from his new “Big American Cookbook” during a dinner scheduled to feature passed appetizers, corn muffins, pierogies, cioppino, bison steaks, scalloped potatoes, Texas caviar, Boston cream pie and more at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at B&B Ristorante at The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Admission is limited to 40. Tickets are $135, which includes dinner, cocktails and an autographed copy of the book. Visit bandbristorante.com.
Neon Lit: A fiction, nonfiction and poetry series featuring writers from the UNLV Master of Fine Arts and Ph.D. program is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. one Friday a month at The Writer’s Block, 1020 E. Fremont St. Events are scheduled Nov. 18, Jan. 27, Feb. 24, March 31 and April 28. Visit thewritersblock.org.
Bob Newhart: The comedian and best-selling author is set to speak 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave. Tickets start at $29. Visit thesmithcenter.com.
Writing Workshop: A full-day publishing conference featuring instructor Chuck Sambuchino and agents Jennifer March Soloway, Carlie Webber, Thao Le, Patricia Nelson, Paul S. Levine, Jill Marr, Jamie Bodnar Drowley and Annie Bomke is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Embassy Suites, 4315 Swenson St. Visit lasvegaswritingworkshop.com.
Tellabration: Members of the Nevada Storytelling Guild plan to perform tales during a festival scheduled from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd. Visit lvccld.org.
Ballet bunny: Robert Beck is slated to sign copies of his children’s book “A Bunny in the Ballet” at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.
Pen & Palette: Local authors Eric James Miller, Stephen Murray, Nancy Nelson, Heather Silvio, Rena Winters and Dave Wollert are set to do short presentations on their books from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. followed by a signing from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Corner Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 220.
Silent Heroes: Kyril Plaskon is set to signs books from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 at Red Rock Visitors Center, 1000 Scenic Loop Drive. Plaskon’s book, “Silent Heroes of the Cold War,” is about the mysterious military plane crash on Mount Charleston’s peak and the families who endured silence for generations. Visit RedRockCanyonLV.org.
BMI Anniversary: Joshua Wolf Shenk is scheduled to host a 10th anniversary celebration for the Black Mountain Institute featuring Wole Soyinka, Cheryl Strayed, Charles Bock, Tom Bissell, Olivia Clare and Vu Tran from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov 21 in the Student Union & Event Services building at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. The event is free, but RSVPs are required. Visit blackmountaininstitute.org.
Wiseguy Speaker Series: Mob Museum director of content Geoff Schumacher, author of “Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue,” plans a multimedia presentation on the history of Hughes’ secret arrival into Las Vegas set to feature a rare recording of Hughes’ voice at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The event is free with paid museum admission. Visit themobmuseum.org.
Lenora McClellan: The author is scheduled to sign copies of her book “With My Father’s Blessing: Choosing Abstinence In A Lascivious World” at 4 p.m. Nov. 23 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.
Roger DeBlanck: The author of “The Destruction of Silence” is set to speak from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at Atria Sunlake, 3250 S. Fort Apache Road. Call 702-628-5963.
Norman Finkelstein: A poetry reading by Finkelstein is scheduled at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in the Rogers Literature & Law Building at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Visit blackmountaininstitute.org.
Library Tree Lane: The annual Friends of Henderson Public Libraries benefit set to feature guest author William Kent Krueger is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 in Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. Board members say this event may be the last Library Tree Lane. Visit hendersonlibraries.com.
Sharon Olds: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sharon Olds is scheduled to visit Las Vegas as part of Clark County Poet Laureate Bruce Isaacson’s Poets of National Stature series. Olds is set to lead a writers’ workshop at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Building D theater at the College of Southern Nevada Charleston campus, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd. She is also scheduled to read from her work at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.
Delectable Intellectual: Jennifer Rennels, Michael Borer and Rebecca Gill are set to speak during a lunchtime chat at noon Dec. 2 in the Rogers Literature & Law Building at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Sack lunches are welcome. Visit blackmountaininstitute.org.
Critique event: Trident Media Group agent Mark Gottlieb is slated to participate in a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators One Agent At a Time manuscript critique event scheduled from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. Dec. 4 at the Sperling-Kronberg-Mack Holocaust Resource Center, 4794 S. Eastern Ave., Suite A. Critiques are $55 and are available only to SCBWI members. Members can attend without a critique for $30. Nonmember registration is set to open Nov. 14. Space is limited, and critique requests must be in by Nov. 1. Visit tinyurl.com/agentattime.
Tom Lutz: Author and founder of the Los Angeles Review of Books, Lutz is slated to read from and sign “And the Monkey Learned Nothing: Dispatches from a Life in Transit” at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St. Visit thewritersblock.org. Lutz is also slated to present a craft talk on publishing at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 in the Black Mountain Institute Library in the Rogers Literature & Law building at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Visit blackmountaininstitute.org.
Copper Black Mystery: Local author Megan Edwards is slated to launch “Getting Off on Frank Sinatra: A Copper Black Mystery,” her new book about aspiring journalist Copper Black, with a reading and signing at 7 p.m. March 14 at The Writer’s Block, 1020 E. Fremont St. Visit thewritersblock.org.
ONGOING EVENTS
Rainbow Writer’s Group: A new LGBTQIA+ writers group designed to provide a safe place to critique each other’s work without judgment or censorship is set to meet at 3:15 p.m. Saturdays at La Maison de Maggie, 3455 S. Durango Drive, Suite 112. Visit lvrainbowwriters.com.
Books for Louisiana: Nevada Oral and Facial Surgery, with offices at 6950 Smoke Ranch Road, Suite 200, and 1525 W. Warm Springs Road, Suite 125, is hosting a book drive to help restock school library shelves in flood-stricken Louisiana. Books can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Visit nevadaoralandfacialsurgery.com or call 702-360-8918. Lexus of Las Vegas, 6600 W. Sahara Ave., and Lexus of Henderson, 7736 Eastgate Road, are also collecting books for flood victims. Donations can be dropped off in the parts departments.
Online fiction: Overton resident Elizabeth Trombley offers free short stories for readers 12 or older at her website, authorinwaiting.com.
Writers club: The Aliante Library Writers Club is scheduled to meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Way. Email facilitator Glory Wade at glorywadewriter@gmail.com.
Poets corner: The West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., plans to host poets corner readings with Keith Brantley at 7 p.m. the first and third Friday of each month. Call 702-229-4800.
Science fiction and fantasy writing group: Readers, writers and editors of science fiction and fantasy are invited to check out a new group scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Saturdays in meeting room two at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. Call 702-334-0204.
Barnes & Noble writing group: The 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble plans to host a writing critique group at 5:15 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month. The group is limited to the first 20 participants per meeting. Sign up at meetup.com/las-vegas-creative-writing-class.
Henderson Writers Group: The Henderson Writers Group plans to meet from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Mondays in Room C-2 at Community Lutheran Church, 3720 E. Tropicana Ave. Meetings are typically canceled on holidays. Visit hendersonwritersgroup.com.
Memoir-writing workshops: An ongoing series of free four-week memoir-writing workshops is scheduled at noon Wednesdays and 10 a.m. Fridays at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Genealogy Library, 509 S. Ninth St. Four-week sessions are set to begin the first week of every month. Call 702-382-9695.