Newly-published Y.A. novelist K.A. (Kelly) Barson visits AADL to announce the winners of the 2014 “It’s All Write” Teen Short Story Writing Contest and discuss the craft of writing – and her journey to become a first-time novelist. Her novel, 45 Pounds (More or Less) was released by Viking Juvenile (Penguin) this past July.

This event includes a reception – join us to meet Kelly and to celebrate the art of writing and this talented group of writers!

Kelly Barson is from Jackson, Michigan and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. In her spare time, she teaches writing at Spring Arbor University.

The ‘It’s All Write’ teen short story contest is held annually by the Library. A total of $1,500 in prizes (funded by the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library) will be distributed to the short story contest winners. This year, 358 students from this area as well as worldwide, participated in the contest – which the all-time submission record.

Join author and journalist James Mitchell to celebrate the release of The Walrus and the Elephants: John Lennon’s Years of Revolution. A reading and discussion on John Lennon’s special relationship with Ann Arbor will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Books will also be for sale at the event.

The opening chapter of the book takes place in Ann Arbor and details the historic benefit concert that Lennon headlined that was held for poet-activist John Sinclair to challenge his ten year prison sentence for possessing two joints.

Based entirely on new interviews and research, "The Walrus and the Elephants" is the first book about John Lennon to show how his emergence as a solo artist, his embrace of radical politics and feminism, and his love affair with New York City coincided. From controversial television appearances, to benefit concerts, to his new, post-Beatlemania band, the book is Lennon’s story told by a cast of close friends and fellow activists who got to know the man behind the legend.

James Mitchell is the author of "But for the Grace: Profiles in Peace from a Nation at War," the story of an orphanage in Sri Lanka's war-torn northeast, rock biography "It Was All Right: Mitch Ryder's Life in Music," and tales from a rural newspaper, "Applegate: Freedom of the Press in a Small Town." A reporter and editor for more than twenty years, his writing has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The Humanist, and Starlog.

To kick off another year of the Forum we have guest artist Joshua Buchanan who believes bringing characters to life is an art form in and of itself. Josh says, “As cartoonists and storytellers, we strive to give that life to our character so our readers will feel a part of the world and narrative in a personal way.” During his presentation he will shed light on the basic principles you can use to create lively anthropomorphic characters.

Joshua Buchanan is a graphic designer by day, comic artist by night. His latest work includes his self published comic book The Rocket, and the recent releases of the all ages comic Scratch9.

Get fresh ideas for your next graphic novel or comic creation at the Forum. Drop in to draw, learn and network with other cartoonists. Drawing supplies are provided.

Note: Cartoonist Jay Fosgitt originally scheduled for September 8 will present at the January 5 Comic Artists Forum.

Join us for an evening with Luis Carlos Montalvan, the bestselling author of Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him. Accompanying him will be Tuesday, the golden retriever mentioned in the title of Luis' compelling memoir. The event includes a book signing and books will be for sale.

Captain Luis Montalvan, a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Army, including multiple combat tours in Iraq, was decorated with numerous awards including two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, and the Combat Action Badge. After returning home from combat, the pressures of his wounds, traumatic brain injury, and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. Haunted by the war and in physical pain, he soon found himself unable to climb a simple flight of stairs or face a bus ride to them hospital. Alienated and alone, he began to wonder if he would ever recover.

Then Luis met Tuesday, a beautiful and sensitive golden retriever trained to assist the disabled. Tuesday had lived amongst prisoners and at a home for troubled boys; he could turn on lights, open doors, and sense the onset of anxiety and flashbacks. But because of a unique training situation and sensitive nature, he found it difficult to trust in or connect with a human being--until Luis.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the infamous Daisy Zick murder, which remains one of the most puzzling unsolved murders in Michigan's history.

On a bitterly cold morning in January 1963, Daisy Zick was brutally murdered in her Battle Creek home. No fewer than three witnesses caught a glimpse of the killer, yet today, it remains one of Michigan's most sensational unsolved crimes. The act of pure savagery rocked not only the community but also the Kellogg Company, where she worked.

Join us as author Blaine Pardoe (recipient of the 2011 State History Award by the Historical Society of Michigan) discusses this shocking crime and his new book Murder In Battle Creek: The Mysterious Death Of Daisy Zick. This event includes a book signing and books will be for sale.

In 2011, two-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis wanted to test her limits.

With the support of her husband Brew and a dedicated group of volunteers dubbed the "Pit Crew," she hiked, stumbled, and sometimes crawled the rugged 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days (an average of 47 miles per day), becoming the fastest person to hike the trail and the first woman to ever set the mark. But Jen's story is not about records or numbers; it's about endurance, faith, and most of all, love.

Join us as Jennifer Pharr Davis (the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer Of The Year) discusses the many challenges and lessons that presented themselves along the trail of this difficult hike. She will share photos from the over 12,000 miles of long-distance hiking that she has completed on six different continents and will also answer questions about her hiking exploits. After her presentation, Jennifer will sign copies of her new book Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph, which Kirkus Reviews has called "an inspired exploration of the meaning of commitment." Copies of her book will be for sale at the event.

This is sure to be an exciting and inspiring presentation from this world class athlete and wilderness adventurer.

Once a fringe topic, permaculture is now moving to the mainstream! Gardeners who are ready to take their organic gardening to the next level are discovering the wisdom of a simple system that emphasizes the idea that by taking care of the earth, the earth takes care of you.

Find out more when permaculture expert Christopher Shein discusses his new book The Vegetable Gardeners Guide to Permaculture: Creating an Edible Ecosystem. This 2013 bestseller teaches gardeners of every skill level -- with any size space -- how to live in harmony with both nature and neighbors to produce and share an abundant food supply with minimal effort. This event will include a book signing and copies of the book will be for sale.

Former Michigan resident Ruta Sepetys discusses her international bestseller Between Shades of Gray, the book selected for Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2014.

Ruta Sepetys is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. The nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990. As this is a story seldom told, Ruta wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during Stalin's cleansing of the Baltic region.

Her 2011 debut novel "Between Shades of Gray" is the story of fifteen-year-old Lina, a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life—until Soviet officers invade her home and send her family to Siberian work camps, where they must fight for their lives.The book was the recipient of many national and international awards. Based on survivor stories of the genocide of Baltic people, it is an international bestseller and has been translated into more than 27 languages.

Copies of the book will be for sale, courtesy of Barnes & Noble, and the event will include a book signing. Doors open at 6 PM for light refreshments and a chance to talk with local community agencies.