Vegas Valley Book Festival Announces Pre-Festival And Signature Events
Community Supporters Sponsor Literary Events Leading Up To Nov. 1-3 Festival
Community supporters of the annual Vegas Valley Book Festival are sponsoring several literary events leading up to this year’s Nov. 1-3 festival. In addition, the festival annually presents several signature events, including the Crystal Bookmark Awards; Las Vegas Writes project; FLASH! The Short, Short Fiction Contest; Spark! poetry contest; Illustrated Word exhibits, First Friday Poetry Brigade and costumed Steampunk Ball. The following are the remaining events that begin before Nov. 1.
Nominations Open For Crystal Bookmark Award
Through Sept. 21.
Free and open to the public.
The Vegas Valley Book Festival launches its annual awards project to honor a local individual and an organization for advancing the cause of literature in the Las Vegas Valley. Nominations from the public are requested. Nominations can be submitted online at www.vegasvalleybookfestival.org or call (702) 229-5431 for a nomination form. The deadline for submittal is 5 p.m. Sept. 21. Nominees must reside in Southern Nevada. The two awards will be presented at the festival at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, p.m. in the auditorium of the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. For more information, call (702) 229-5431.
Wish I Was There!…in Las Vegas, of course.
Through Nov. 3, 2012
Free and open to the public.
An international postcard project and exhibition, this pre-festival event calls on anyone on the planet who has ever visited Las Vegas, or would like to visit, to send a postcard with a picture (photograph or hand drawn) of where you are, including a short message or greeting on the back of the card. All postcards will be on display at the book festival, Nov. 1-3, in the gallery of the Historic Fifth Street School. All cards must be mailed (no Internet cards), not larger than 5” x 7,” and they must be suitable for general audiences. Selected cards will be featured, including the five cards sent from the greatest distance from Las Vegas. Mail cards to: Wish I Was There!, Vegas Valley Book Festival/RTZvegas Arts, 2550 E. Desert Inn Road, Suite 500, Las Vegas, NV USA 89121-3611. Deadline to receive cards is Oct. 25, 2012. For more information, call (702) 229-5431.
“Spark!” Poetry Contest (grades 9-12)
Submit entries Monday, Aug. 26, through 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5.
No cost to enter.
Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St.
Clark County high school students are invited to enter the free “Spark!” poetry contest sponsored by the Vegas Valley Book Festival (VVBF). Winners will receive a cash prize of $100, $200 or $300. Eligible students in grades 9-12 will be judged both on their poems and on their recitation. Finalists will recite their poems at the book festival Saturday, Nov. 3, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Poetry Fountain Courtyard at the Historic Fifth Street School, followed by the award presentations. Guidelines can be downloaded from the book festival website atwww.vegasvalleybookfestival.org, or picked up at the Nevada Arts Council office at 2755 E. Desert Inn Road, Suite 155, beginning Aug. 26. Submittal deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 5, 2012. For more information, call Maryjane Dorofachuk at (702) 486-3738.
“Create an Artist’s Sketchbook” (ages 3-12)
Sept. 1-2; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.
Programs are free with paid admission. $10 for adults; $8 for seniors, military and children 12 and over; $5 for ages 3-11; free for children 2 and under.
Las Vegas Natural History Museum, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. N., (702) 384-3466.
In this workshop inspired by the famed book series, “Dinotopia,” written and illustrated by James Gurney, kids ages 3-12 can create an imagined dinosaur utopia using watercolors and sketchbooks. Paleontology experts will answer questions on Saturday.
“Smart Chicks Kick It Tour” (ages 13+)
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 7 to 9 p.m.
Free and open to the public.
Shakespeare Las Vegas, Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
Seven best-selling young adult authors stop in Las Vegas as part of their six-city tour of North America. Authors Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Rachel Caine, Kim Derting, Kami Garcia, Richelle Mead and Veronica Roth will read excerpts from their own works, followed by a spirited question-and-answer session, book signings and reception. Call (702) 229-5431 for more information.
“The First Lady of Las Vegas” (all ages)
Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: $1 for ages 13+; free for ages 12 and younger.
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, 500 E. Washington Ave., (702) 486-3511.
Nevada author Carrie Townley Porter talks about the life of the pioneer heroine who helped found Las Vegas — and signs her book, “Helen J. Stewart: The First Lady of Las Vegas.”
An Evening with Cheryl Strayed
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 7 to 9 p.m.
Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.
Join the conversation with bestselling author and essayist Cheryl Strayed, whose runaway hit, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” sits atop the New York Times Bestseller list and inspired Oprah Winfrey to restart her book club and Reese Witherspoon to option the film rights. Strayed is also the author of the popular “Dear Sugar” advice column at the Rumpus online literary magazine. The conversation will be moderated by local author Maile Chapman, whose novel, “Your Presence is Requested at Suvanto,” was a finalist for the PEN Center USA literary fiction award. A book signing and reception will follow. For more information, call (702) 507-3459.
“Readings in the Pumpkin Patch” (all ages)
Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free for the first 300 cars; $3 per car for additional vehicles.
Gilcrease Orchard, 7800 Tenaya Way.
A celebration of books, readings and music in the community’s historic orchard, with kids’ bookmaking projects, local children’s authors, book signings, and more. Peruse the pumpkin patch for an autumn jack-o’-lantern, try the homemade apple cider and listen to an array of children’s stories. For more information, call (702) 229-5431.
“Uncensored Voices: Celebrating Literary Freedom”
Saturday, Oct. 6, 7 to 9 p.m.
Free and open to the public, with reception following program.
Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, (702) 507-3459.
Attend the third annual installment of “Uncensored Voices,” a celebration of words and ideas and a call to action for anyone who cares about free speech. The event features dramatic readings and an interactive discussion with experts on literary censorship in the United States, on the Internet and around the world, all in recognition of National Banned Books Week. Moderated by Las Vegas Review-Journal Political Columnist Steve Sebelius, the event features Eva Galperin, International Freedom of Expression Coordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Professor Jeanne Price, Director of the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law; Auggie Romero, ACLU of Arizona Board Member and activist; and self-described book smuggler Tony Diaz, leader of Librotraficante, the underground library movement. Cosponsored by the Vegas Valley Book Festival, the ACLU of Nevada, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Las Vegas Review-Journal and UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute. For more information, call (702) 507-3459.
“An Evening with Brandon Mull”
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public, with reception and book signing following program.
Galleria Library, Galleria at Sunset, 1300 W. Sunset Road.
Children’s author Brandon Mull (“Pingo,” “Candy Shop War,” the “Fablehaven” series) reads from his works with an informal discussion, “meet and greet” and book sales/signing. The event is a collaboration with Apple Partnership, the city of Henderson, Henderson Libraries District, and the Clark County School District. For more information, call (702) 207-4275.
The Tell: “I Fought the Law / I Am the Law”
Thursday, Oct. 18, 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $10 ticket; more information will be provided: www.vegasvalleybookfestival.org.
The MOB Museum (The National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement), 300 Stewart Ave., (702) 229-2734.
Local author and poet Dayvid Figler hosts an evening of tall tales and true stories as told by six local storytellers in the famed courtroom of the MOB Museum. Stories are inspired by being on one side of the law or the other. Seating is limited. Co-presented by Vegas Seven magazine and co-sponsored by the MOB Museum.
“Wish You Were Here: The Las Vegas Writes Project”
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 to 9 p.m.
Free and open to the public, with reception and book signing following program.
Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.
The postcard is a brilliant piece of pop culture. These simple, lightweight rectangles of good cheer serve many functions at once – they are glimpses of a special place, vessels of memory, fragments of story, and, for those that survive, little capsules of history. That’s especially true of postcards from Las Vegas. For this year’s “Las Vegas Writes” anthology, inspired by iconic Sin City postcards, eight of the city’s best writers delve deep into their imaginations to conceive short stories and essays that cast a fresh eye on a place you only think you know. Join writers Quentin Bufogle, Maile Chapman, Maxwell Drake, Lindsey Leavitt, Corey Levitan, Greg Blake Miller, Kristen Peterson, Lissa Townsend Rodgers and editor Scott Dickensheets as they talk about their work and experience creating this year’s project, “Wish You Were Here.” A book signing and reception will follow the panel talk. For more information on any of the “Las Vegas Writes” anthologies, visit LasVegasWrites.com. Cosponsored by Stephens Press and CITYLIFE BOOKS. For more information, call (702) 507-3459.
The Vegas Valley Book Festival, now in its 11th year, will take place Nov. 1-3, with most programs scheduled at the Historic Fifth Street School and the Clark County Library. The festival is produced by the city of Las Vegas; Las Vegas-Clark County Library District; UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute; American Institute of Graphic Artists, Las Vegas chapter; Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Nevada Humanities, a festival founder. A schedule of events and a roster of featured authors will be posted online at vegasvalleybookfestival.org and updated as information becomes available. For more information about the Vegas Valley Book Festival, please call (702) 229-5431 or go online to www.artslasvegas.org.
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Editor’s Note: High-resolution photos are available to download at ftp://ftp.lasvegasnevada.gov/ls/2012_Vegas_Valley_Book_Festival/. No password is required.
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