DigitalLit

Anna Krushinski, also known by her pen name, Marie Krushing, will be signing her first novel, Dream Maker in the Desert, at the Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St, Hudson) on July 31  from 1 to 4 p.m.

 The book chronicles the adventures of Emmet Watts, an awkward 15 year old. Little does he know he is destined to join a secret society of men and women who fight the powers of darkness in order to restore balance between good and evil. The Dream Maker in the Desert is part of a projected three book series of sci-fi/fantasy fiction aimed at young adult readers.

 Krushinski is a 2005 graduate of Hudson High School as well as an alumna of The University of Akron. She and her fiancé reside in Northeast Ohio. Her parents, Joy and Lee Krushinski, live in Hudson.

For more information, contact the Learned Owl Book Shop at 330-653-2252.

Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness, by Nahoko Uehashi. 2010 Batchelder Honor Book. OK, this book wasn’t so depressing, although it is serious. Balsa is back, and she heads to her native Kanbal hoping to lay rest her personal demons of guilt regarding her foster father Jiguro and her past. What she finds is a brain-pretzel of a political plot involving Jiguro, and the stories spread to discredit him. Balsa quickly discovers that not only is her life in danger, but the whole of Kanbal is in jeopardy. In this story, the reader finds out more about Balsa’s past and her family. Balsa is a wonderful heroine — tough, smart and human. The book is rounded out nicely by several secondary characters, including Kassa, a young spear-holder whom Balsa rescues early on, along with his sister. The details in this world are wonderful — the history, the lands and the personalities there, the different people and creatures. The who’s who at the end, along with the definition of the terms used, helps.

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. 2010 Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers. Incredibly layered and nuanced. Clay one day finds a box of cassette tapes. He discovers they are a recorded message from Hannah, a girl from his class who committed suicide. She left 13 stories for 13 people, each who were tied to her reason for wanting to end her life. There are few villains in this, just people being people. Hannah’s reasons turn out to be her own guilt connected to a couple of tragic events as well as the actions — often unknown — of those she talks about. The story alternates from Hannah’s narration to Clay’s thoughts and feelings as he listens, but the story remains easy to follow (Hannah’s dialogue is set in italics). The reader is drawn into the story as Hannah’s narrative slowly unfolds. An excellent debut book from the author, and highly recommended for both teens, parents and teachers.

Neil Zurcher, known for his “One Tank Trips,” recently added another book to his personal bookshelf with “Tales from the Road.” 

For details, visit Gray and Co.’s website.

Stefanie Wass, a local Hudson resident, has a story, “Coach,” which is featured in the recently released Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad. 

As a freelancer, Wass’s essays have been published in The Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Christian Science Monitor, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron Life and Leisure, Cleveland Magazine, The Writer Magazine, Cup of Comfort for Mothers, Cup of Comfort for a Better World, and seven Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. Stefanie is a member of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators and is a writing instructor at the University of Akron’s continuing education program. www.stefaniewass.com.

The Kent State University Press recently reprinted “The Bruiser” and “Beggars of Life,” both by Jim Tully, and both include an introduction from Cuyahoga Falls resident Mark Dawidziak. 

The Bruiser is the story of Shane Rory, a drifter who turns to boxing and works his way up the heavyweight ranks. Like Tully, Shane starts out as a road kid who takes up prizefighting. While The Bruiser is not an autobiographical work, it does draw heavily on Tully’s experiences of the road and ring. Rory is part Tully, but the boxers populating these briskly paced chapters are drawn from the many ring legends the writer counted among his friends: Jack Dempsey, Joe Gans, Stanley Ketchel, Gene Tunney, Frank Moran, and Johnny Kilbane, to name a few. 

Jim Tully left his hometown of St. Marys, Ohio, in 1901, spending most of his teenage years in the company of hoboes. Drifting across the country as a “road kid,” he spent those years scrambling into boxcars, sleeping in hobo jungles, avoiding railroad cops, begging meals from back doors, and haunting public libraries. Tully crafted these memories into a dark and astonishing chronicle of the American underclass—especially in his second book, Beggars of Life, an autobiographical novel published in 1924. Tully saw it all, from a church baptism in the Mississippi River to election day in Chicago. And in Beggars of Life, he captures an America largely hidden from view.

Visit  http://upress.kent.edu/books/Tully_J3.htm for details.

Author Janis Froelich will be signing copies of her memoir, My Life Looking Back at a Murder, at the Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St, Hudson) on July 25 from 1 to 3 p.m.

In 1974, Janis Froelich and Linda McLain were young homemakers. Both took temporary jobs with the 57th PGA Championship at Firestone Country Club in Akron. People still talk about that tournament and the miraculous 16^th - hole play by Jack Nicklaus.

After McLain was murdered the following February, Froelich used her 40 years’ experience as a newspaper reporter to retrace what happened in McLain’s life prior to the tournament, behind its scenes, and after. What she found was an inspiring finish to a violent case still deemed “shocking” by the defense attorney.

Froelich has written for the Akron Beacon Journal, the St. Petersburg Times, the Des Moines Register and the Tampa Tribune. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with her husband, Ray Bassett.

For more information, contact the Learned Owl Book Shop at 330-653-2252.

Gary Palmer will sign and discuss his new novel, The Palatine, to the Learned Owl Book Shop on Saturday, July 24^th at 3 p.m. Palmer is a local writer and Life Management Coach. His first book, Chagrin Falls, is a popular memoir of growing up in the area.

The Palatine is set in an 18^th century Germany. It chronicles the journey of a young man from his home on a feudal farm, through combat and struggle, to his decision to immigrate to North America. The novel was inspired in part by Palmer’s research into the experiences of his Swiss and German immigrant forbearers.

Palmer lives with his wife, Barbara, in Northeastern Ohio.

For more information, contact the Learned Owl Book Shop at 330-653-2252.

Pilgrim United Church of Christ’s Diversity Committee is sponsoring a Town Hall Discussion on Immigration Policy and Conditions in the USA on Thursday, July 22 at 7pm at Pilgrim UCC, at 2592 West 14th St. in Cleveland.

The screening of the movie A Day without A Mexican will be followed by a town hall discussion moderated by Cleveland immigration attorney and nationally acclaimed author Richard T. Herman along with Pilgrim UCC Diversity Committee co-chairs Bill Avery and Molly Holland, principles of ChooseDiversity.org – Organization for Cultural Competency, LLC.  This program is open to all that wish to attend and all perspectives on this issue are welcomed.

Richard Herman is the co-author of Immigrant, Inc. — Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy and is the founder of Richard T. Herman & Associates, an immigration and business law firm in Cleveland.

Chad Murphy with the Record-Courier has recently launched a blog version of The Weekender, which you can find here. I’ve also included a permanent link in my RPC Blogs page. So go take a look, especially if you are looking for the latest entertainment news, or for a diversion during the week.