August 2014 – book-lover and writerly events at Eugene Public Library
All events FREE.
Summer Reading for All Ages at Eugene Public Library Through August
Sign up and join in the fun at Eugene Public Library with this year’s Summer Reading theme, “Fizz! Boom! Read!” All summer, visit any Library location — Downtown, Sheldon, or Bethel — to sign up and enjoy free events. Each child and teen gets a free book; each adult gets a free book bag and a coupon for a free coffee or $1 off books at the Friends of the Library book store. Plus: a free raffle for kids to win passes to City of Eugene pools and local museums, and for teens and adults to win gift cards to local stores. Information: 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library<http
Writing About Animals workshop
Thursday, August 7, 6:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
Melissa Hart will lead this fun, lively writing workshop for adults. First, participants will examine a variety of published poems and prose about animals, exploring the techniques of description, motivation, figurative language, and even dialogue that writers use to characterize the furred and feathered. Then, they will write about an animal in their lives, with guidance and inspiration from Hart.
Melissa Hart is the author of the memoir “Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Brought One Family Together.” Her animal-related essays have appeared in Orion, High Country News, Horizon Air Magazine, Oregon Quarterly, The Christian Science Monitor, Animal Wellness, The Writer, and Cat Fancy. A contributing Editor at The Writer Magazine, Hart teaches at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Free. Information: 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Jump-start! Poetry Writing Workshop
Monday, August 18, 6:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
Get your poetry engine running at a workshop led by Toni Hanner. The session will include free-writing and structured writing exercises aimed at generating new first drafts in a friendly, safe, and playful environment. Beginning and experienced poets are welcome. Bring something to write with and an open mind.
Admission is free, but due to limited space, pre-registration is required: starting August 1, call Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450.
Hanner’s “Gertrude” was a finalist for a 2013 Oregon Book Award. She has been encouraging poets and leading writing exercises since moving to Eugene in 2000. A member of the Lane Literary Guild’s Red Sofa Poets and the Madrona Writers of Pt. Townsend, Washington, she facilitates a weekly free-writing group.
Tween Scene Book Group
Thursday, August 28, 4:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
This month’s book is “The Merchant of Death – Pendragon Graphic Novel Book One,” by D.J. MacHale, adapted and illustrated by Carla Speed McNeil. The hero, Bobby Pendragon, is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old. But there is actually something unusual about Bobby: he is going to save the world. For grades 4 through 6. Pre-register and pick up the book at the Children’s Center starting August 1. Free. Information: 541-682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Teen Book Group
Thursday, August 28, 4:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
This month’s book is “Paper Towns,” by John Green. In this novel, a high school senior’s predictable life is turned upside-down when he’s pulled into a mysterious adventure with his childhood crush. For middle and high schoolers. Visit the Downtown Teen Desk to pre-register and pick up your copy of the book starting August 1. Free. Information: 541-682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library<http
Write the Perfect 10-Minute Play
Saturday, August 30, 1:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
What’s a 10-minute play? How is it different from a skit, sketch, or vignette? How does a writer handle structure, character, dialogue, and theatricality in such a short piece? Learn the answers to all these questions and more at this three hour workshop.
Instructors Paul Calandrino and Connie Bennett have produced the annual Northwest 10 Festival at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in Eugene for the past 6 years.
Calandrino is an award-winning playwright who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. His work “Big Life” was a finalist in the 2011 National 10-Minute Play Contest. He regularly teaches playwriting and screenwriting at Oregon Contemporary Theatre.
Short plays by Bennett, the Director of Eugene Public Library, have been produced in a number of U.S. states and Canada. Her work “Gray Reflections” was a finalist in the 2010 National 10-Minute Play Contest. Free. Information: 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.