ANGELA HARRELSON: Minnesotan talks about her newly published memoir “Lift Your Voice: How My Nephew George Floyd’s Murder Changed the World.” 6 p.m. Monday, May 23, Wescott Library, 1340 Wescott Road, Eagan. Free, registration required at: dakotacountylibrary.local.com/event/9148725.
EVELYN KLEIN: Minnesotan discusses her most recent poetry collection, “Fear and Promise, Remember the Year 2020.” 2 p.m. Sunday, May 29, Barnes and Noble, 2100 N. Snelling Ave., Roseville.
TOM WEBER: Journalist who was most recently with Minnesota Public Radio reads from and signs copies of the third edition of his book “100 Things to Do in the Twin Cities Before You Die.” 9:30.-11 a.m. Monday, May 23, Thompson Park Activity Center, 1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON
In publishing news:
Coffee House Press announced the new NVLA series, to be published biannually, debuting in spring 2023. In a release announcing the series dedicated to novellas, the Minneapolis-based literary press said the program is “conceptualized as an artistic playground for authors (consisting of) novellas that challenge and broaden the outer edges of storytelling, from longtime Coffee House authors, debut writers, and others whose novellas may not fit in their usual publishing homes.” The series will launch with “The Plotinus” by Rikki Ducornet, and “We’re Safe When We’re Alone” by Nghiem Tran, followed by “Sound Museum” by Poupeh Missaghi.
Also next spring, Lerner Publishing Group and Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of business information services, are partnering to raise the voices of diverse authors in children’s books. The new publishing program will launch with one young adult nonfiction book and will continue for a year, with at least four additional young adult nonfiction books written by debut and emerging authors, artists, and creators of color. Lerner will develop, publish, and distribute the books, and Thomson Reuters will provide printing services. The first book will be “Reimagining Police: The History and Future of Law Enforcement,” written for a teen audience by Artika Tyner, educator, author, speaker and founding director of the Center on Race, Leadership and Social Justice at the St. Thomas School of Law.
A silver medal from Midwest Independent Publishers Association’s Midwest Book Awards went to Minnesota physician, author and public speaker Courtney Barnett, for her book “Difficult Gifts: A Physician’s Journey to Heal Body and Mind,” which explores the concept of living mindfully and joyfully despite unexpected suffering which, for her, was a brain tumor.
Those witty Friends of the St. Paul Public Library have sent a Save the Date for their annual celebration of books, Opus & Olives, titled — drum roll — A Benefit with Friends. If you don’t appreciate that pun, you need to get out more. It’s Sunday, Oct. 9, at St. Paul River Centre, with a 5 p.m. cocktail reception and 6:15 p.m. dinner, followed by author presentations. The announcement of guest authors and ticket information will be later this summer.
