Since John F. Kennedy's presidency, Helen Thomas has covered more presidents as a member of the White House Press Corps than any journalist working today. The recipient of more than thirty honorary degrees, she was honored in 1998 with the inaugural Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, established by the White House Correspondents' Association. From her long and illustrious vantage point, she has seen presidents succeed and fail, and has now collected that knowledge in her new book (co-written with Craig Crawford), 'Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do.' At this special event, cosponsored by Michigan Radio, Helen shares her candid views about the White House and discusses her new book of Presidential advice. The event, which will include a booksigning, will be held at The Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty, Ann Arbor). Books will be on sale at the event, courtesy of Nicola's Books.

Pierette Domenica Simpson will share her up-close and personal account of surviving the most catastrophic ship collision in history between the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm, in July of 1956, when she was 9 years old. Now an outspoken proponent of safety at sea, she is the only survivor in history to have written a complete shipwreck account, investigating and reporting on both the human and technical aspects that lead to the collision. This event will include a book-signing, books will be on sale courtesy of Nicola's Books.

Interested in writing and publishing for youth audiences? Do you have an idea for a book you want to write, and you're not sure how to start? Celebrate Children's Book Week with a special event featuring children's author Shutta Crum as she discusses the craft of writing, submitting manuscripts, working with an agent, earnings, and the issues facing today's authors. She will also cover aspects of writing for, and winning, the hearts of today's young readers.

What could be more scenic than a bike ride in Washtenaw County in the Spring? If biking is one of your passions then this is the event for you. Start the season right with two of the most knowledgeable local experts. Joel Howell will present highlights from his book- Washtenaw County Bike Rides: A Guide To Road Rides In And Around Ann Arbor- and Jon Kieft will display new models of many styles of bikes and discuss choosing the right one for your needs. This event will include a book signing and books will be on sale courtesy of Nicola's Books.

This special event is an excellent opportunity to meet three of the best-loved writers of the mystery genre! Authors Elmore Leonard and Peter Leonard will discuss their careers and their new mysteries as they are interviewed by the mystery writer Loren Estleman. All three authors will be on hand to sign copies of their books (books will be on sale courtesy of Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookshop, co-sponsor of this event).Elmore Leonard has written more than three dozen books during his highly successful writing career, including the bestsellers Be Cool, Get Shorty and Rum Punch. He has been a successful screenwriter as well and many of his books have been made into films. Once called the greatest living crime writer by the New York Times, his newest mystery, Road Dogs, will be released on May 12, just weeks before this event.Peter Leonard, Elmore's son, made his mystery debut with the critically acclaimed novel Quiver. In 1980, he established the advertising firm of Leonard, Mayer & Tocco Inc. in Birmingham. In his second novel, Trust Me, he crafts a classic noir thriller loaded with double- and triple- crosses.Since the appearance of his first novel in 1976, Loren D. Estleman has written over 60 books, including the famous Amos Walker mystery series, and hundreds of short stories and articles. All of this on a manual typewriter, no less. He has acquired a loyal cult readership across the United States and in Europe, and his work has appeared in 23 languages.

Learn what's in store for the future of Science Fiction when three of today's best science fiction writers - Tobias S. Buckell, Steven Harper Piziks and Sarah Zettel -- join forces for a discussion and book signing in conjunction with The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2009, which this year focuses on the theme The Universe: Yours To Discover. Books will be on sale at the event, courtesy of Barnes & Noble.Tobias S. Buckell is a Caribbean-born speculative fiction writer who grew up in Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Nationally-known architect Fritz Haeg is the recipient of Avalon Housing's 2008 Community Stewardship Award. As part of their activities surrounding Mr. Haeg, he will visit AADL to discuss his work and book Edible Estates: Attack On The Front Lawn. The Edible Estates project proposes the replacement of the domestic front lawn with a highly productive edible landscape. It was initiated by Haeg in 2005, with the planting of the first regional prototype garden in the geographic center of the U.S., Salina, Kansas. The event will include a book signing and books will be for sale.

In celebration of the season, Thomas C. Foster, author of "How To Read Literature Like A Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide To Reading Between The Lines," will offer his humorous and insightful remarks on the role of dining, parties, and community in books, poems, plays, and the arts. Literature provides us with myriad examples of eating, celebrating holidays, and gathering to enjoy friends and family. Those occasions, in books as well as in life, range from the dismal to the sublime.

AADL and the University of Michigan Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies invite you to spend an evening with acclaimed writer and historian Timothy Tyson. He will discuss his memoir - soon to be made into a major motion picture - of the South and civil rights. Mr. Tyson will be accompanied by musician and singer Mary Williams, who will perform at this event. The event will include a book signing, with books available for purchase. Timothy Tyson is an American writer and historian from North Carolina, currently serving as Senior Scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, with secondary appointments in the Duke Divinity School and the Department of History. He is also adjunct professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His narrative of the fiery summer of 1970 in Oxford, North Carolina, brings gritty blues truth, soaring gospel vision, and down-home humor to a shocking episode of our history.

Acclaimed author Timothy Ferris made a special appearance at this key event of Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2009. The theme of 2009's Reads program is The Universe: Yours To Discover, and Mr. Ferris' book, "Seeing In The Dark: How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering The Wonders Of The Universe," has been chosen as the focus of the program. Mr. Ferris discussed his book, as well as his thoughts on astronomy and the universe around us. Timothy Ferris has received the American Institute of Physics prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.