43
Poland library hosts showcase for local authors, musicians and artists
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Cindy Mawhinney of Austintown put her handmade cards, calendars and candy tins on display before the start of the Local Authors, Musicians and Artists event at the Poland library. Mawhinney puts on monthly card making classes at the Austintown library.
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Thomas Welsh of Youngstown spoke to Cindy Mawhinney about his book, "Classic Restaurants of Youngstown," which he was selling during the Local Authors, Musicians and Artists event at the Poland library.
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.Chris Yambar of Austintown displayed his new book, "Midnight Nursery," during the Local Authors, Musicians and Artists event at the Poland library. Yambar has been working on the Simpsons comic book for the past 14 years.
Photo
Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.People gathered around the various tables at the Poland library to look at and perhaps buy the products sold during the Local Authors, Musicians and Artists event.
By TIM CLEVELAND
For the fifth consecutive year, the Poland library hosted an event called Local Authors, Musicians and Artists that gives creative area residents a chance to show off and sell their wares.
The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
“We want to give local folks in our community an opportunity to expose their books to the community and have a chance to sell them and sign them and talk about what they’ve done,” PLYMC development director Debbie Liptak said. “The same thing applies to some of these artists that are here and the things that they’ve created.”
The event is free of charge, both to the vendors and to the public.
There were eight vendors who signed up for the event. They were Cindy Mawhinney of Austintown, who displayed her handmade cards, calendars and candy tins. She also puts on monthly card making classes at the Austintown library; Lynn Anderson of Youngstown, who was selling her handmade greeting cards and Youngstown T-shirts; Jeanne Adams of Poland, who displayed her book “Happiness Hidden in Plain Site,” and who writes for the web site, writingthatnurtures.com; Nancy Christie of Austintown, who showed off her new book, “Traveling Left of Center.” She was also hosting a Celebrate Short Fiction Day on Dec. 21 at Barnes and Noble in Boardman; and Youngstown’s Carol Weakland, who displayed a pair of books, “Land of the Twilight Mist” and “Morgan of Avalon: Dreamspell.” She also does one-woman shows bringing literary classics to life.
The three others were Chris Yambar of Youngstown, Lori K. Marchand of Austintown and Thomas Welsh of Youngstown.
Yambar was showing off his new book, “Midnight Nursery,” which is the first in a series, as well as some of the rare Simpsons comic books he’s worked on over the past 14 years.
“This year I’ve released my very first children’s book, “Midnight Nursery,” and I’m super excited,” he said. “It’s a place where adult monsters take their baby monsters when they have to work the graveyard shift. It’s all about getting along with other little monsters, and that’s what kids need to do.
“There’s a nice message about getting along with people who are different. That’s all in there.”
Yambar said the future books in the series will deal more heavily with bullying in the series.
Marchand’s book, “Time With My Uncle,” is the story of the relationship and bond between an uncle and his nephew. Marchand said the story is based on the real relationship between her great nephew and his uncle, although it’s been generalized. Marchand, a poet, wrote the story in rhyme.
“My book is about the relationship bond that developed between a nephew and his uncle,” she said. “I just took them from birth to two years old and the things that they did and the bond at the end.
“I was so inspired by how close they were and I hadn’t seen that much in my life, this bond.”
Welsh and his co-author, Gordon Morgan, wrote a book called “Classic Restaurants of Youngstown,” a look at restaurants both gone by and current in Youngstown from 1945 to the present.
The Historical Press originally asked Welsh and Morgan to call the book “The Lost Restaurants of Youngstown,” just dealing with eateries no longer in existence.
“We considered that to be utterly depressing, so we expanded the project to include not only those restaurants that were popular in Youngstown’s past, but also the newer restaurants that have opened up in recent years,” Welsh said.
Welsh called the book “A social history of Youngstown,” and said due to the ever-changing demographics of Youngstown, he and Morgan had to do more research after completing the manuscript due to new restaurants coming into existence.
Welsh said despite the changes, the influence of Italian, Greek and Lebanese cuisine is still evident.
“You’re starting to see elegant restaurants in the downtown once again,” he said. “I see plenty of reasons to be hopeful in the trends of the restaurant industry.”
Despite the many changes, Welsh said there were several restaurants that are still around that started in the 1950s and before, such as Cassese’s MVR, Kravitz Deli, Boulevard Tavern and Golden Dawn.
Yambar said this was his first year attending the Local Authors, Musicians and Artists event, but it was a great chance for locals to get exposure for their projects.
“This is perfect,” he said. “Any time that local people can get into the spotlight I think that’s a real gain for the community. That’s a plus because people don’t realize how much talent is in this area.”