LOCAL

LOCAL
Events are setat Barnes & amp; Noble
BOARDMAN -- The Youngstown Executive Toastmasters will team up with author Sandra Gurvis to explore the 1960s Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes & amp; Noble in The Shops at Boardman Park. Gurvis is the author of "The Pipe-Dreamers," a fictional account of peace, love and happiness in the '60s. All speeches and impromptu discussions will be centered on this topic. All are welcome.
On Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m., there will be a special storytime with fun from Nick Jr.'s "Dora the Explorer" show. Dora will be at Powers Auditorium on Oct. 28 and 29, and the bookstore will have special giveaways and ticket opportunities for storytime guests. Dora will not appear at the special storytime.
On Thursday at 7 p.m., the store will host an Open-Mic Poetry Night. All are welcome and encouraged to bring their favorite original and/or standard selections.
On Saturday at noon, the costumed character Raggedy Ann will visit the children's department.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, author and editor Kimberly Blaker will discuss her new book, "The Fundamentals of Extremism."
Author to appearat bookstores
NILES -- David Lee Morgan, Jr., a former Vindicator reporter, will be signing copies of his book "LeBron James: The Rise of a Star" on Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at Borders Books & amp; Music, 2102 Cortland Rd. SE, Niles. Next Tuesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., he will be appearing at the Youngstown State University bookstore, 123 Spring Street, Youngstown.
Both events are free and open to the public.
Morgan, who is the NBA beat reporter at the Akron Beacon Journal, grew up in Warren and graduated from YSU. He has covered James for the Akron Beacon Journal since the player's freshman year. The book traces James' rise from a high school basketball phenom to professional basketball's hottest prospect.
Local author planscreative writing workshop
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Local author Susan Dexter will hold her monthly creative writing workshop Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Jerry Stigliano's Book Source on State Street in Hermitage, Pa. The topic for discussion will be "Pick Up the Pace," plus a general discussion as requested of writing, agents and publishing issues.
Participants may have up to 10 typewritten pages of their work evaluated by Dexter after a workshop and are encouraged to bring short selections to share with the group.
Fiction writers at all levels of experience are invited.
There is a $10 registration fee, and reservations are suggested because space is limited. They may be made by phone at (724) 981-0777 or at the front counter of the Book Source.
COMING SOON
Akron professor putsthe Bard in perspective
"Shakespeare's World," by Debra Johanyak (Prentice Hall, $21.33)
AKRON -- Debra Johanyak, a professor at The University of Akron Wayne College, recently wrote a book that accents Shakespeare's humanness and his global interests. "Shakespeare's World" is being released by Prentice Hall in 2004. Johanyak compiled 16th- and 17th-century research, and charts more than 150 references to geographical regions in Shakespeare's works. The book, which places an emphasis on diversity, includes plot synopses of Shakespeare's plays and a chronology of key events. Johanyak also uses period art and excerpts of texts written by Shakespeare's contemporaries to give readers a better understanding of everyday life in Shakespeare's world.