JCLC--The Reader, Spring 2001

	ALABAMA BOUND! 2001	by Leslie West
	ALABAMA BOUND! 2001 is coming soon. The Birmingham Public Library’s annual fair to celebrate Alabama authors and publishers will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2001, at the Central Library in downtown Birmingham. The celebration begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m. As in previous years, ALABAMA BOUND! will coincide with Operation New Birmingham’s Magic City Art Connection, making the city center a great place to be on April 28. ALABAMA BOUND! brings writers and publishers together with readers and book lovers of all ages to share their love of reading, writing, and books. This year more than 50 authors will be on hand in the Library to autograph their books, chat with readers, and seize upon the rare opportunity to meet and talk with other writers. Distinct from any other event of its type in the state, ALABAMA BOUND! speaks about writing and publishing with an Alabama accent. At this unique book and author fair, the authors were born or raised in Alabama, they live and work here, or they look to the state’s people and places for their inspiration, imagery, backgrounds, topics, and themes. Alabama publishing will also be featured at ALABAMA BOUND! A number of publishers will represent their books and promote some of the wealth of literary material that is coming out of Alabama today. The third edition of ALABAMA BOUND! promises to continue the success of its predecessors by welcoming both veteran writers and first-timers in the daylong celebration. In the previous two years the event spotlighted a number of popular authors who will be back in 2001 for an encore engagement. Returning authors include Rick Bragg (All Over but the Shoutin’), Vicky and Dennis Covington (Cleaving), Anne George (the Southern Sisters mysteries), and Charles Gaines (The Next Valley Over). Among the many other authors expected this year are Robert Inman (Coming Home), Charles and Debra Ghigna (Christmas is Coming), and Marvin Whiting (Vestavia Hills, a Place Apart). Throughout the day in the Fiction Department on the first floor of the Library, some of the writers will take to the "author stage" to talk about their latest books, read excerpts of their work aloud, speak candidly about their own writing experiences, or recall their efforts to get published. The authors will take questions from the audience in a Q&A session that has become one of the most popular features of the day. In addition to interacting with the authors in these scheduled talks, book lovers will have numerous opportunities to mingle and talk informally with authors and other readers in gatherings throughout the building. ALABAMA BOUND! is a great place for people to meet favorite authors, discover new ones, and learn how writers master their craft. It appeals to people of all ages and interests and honors authors of all sorts. The honorees include fiction and non-fiction writers, children’s book authors, romance writers, African-American authors, and, this year for the first time, some authors who write primarily for magazines, newspapers, and the World Wide Web. The atmosphere is lively and fun. During the festivities books will be available for purchase and autographs. Souvenir canvas bags and tee shirts with the colorful and distinctive ALABAMA BOUND! logo will be for sale as well. Library staff members will sell coffee and snacks under the trees in the Library’s Atrium Café-for-a-day. Outside the Library in Linn Park, the Magic City Art Connection will host artists from around the southeast. Now in its 18^th year, this art show has become one of the premier annual art events in Birmingham. ALABAMA BOUND! is a one-day event on the last Saturday in April at the Birmingham Public Library. The event begins at 10:00. It is open to the public with no applications to fill out, no reservations to make, and no fees to pay. Like all of the best things in life, ALABAMA BOUND! is free.	An Interview with GAYLE WILSON, Alabama Author Tell us a little about your background. I'm a retired high school English and world history teacher. I taught for 27 years in several schools around the Birmingham area. The last half of my career was spent in gifted education. I was born in Hueytown, and I've lived here all my life except when I followed, my then army aviator, husband to a variety of military posts in the early 70's. When did you start writing seriously and how did you break into the ranks of published novelist? I started writing in 1991 or early 1992. In 1993 I sold the first book I wrote, a Regency-set historical, to Harlequin. I knew nothing about publishing, but I had been a life-long reader and as an English teacher, I had some knowledge of story structure. After I had completed the book, I did research in the local libraries on how and to whom to submit my manuscript. I found the library's copy of THE WRITER'S MARKET and other reference guides to be invaluable. As an award-winning novelist, tell us a little bit about the Romance Genre and why do you think it is so popular? Romance is by far the most popular of the non-literary genres, having nearly a 60% share of all mass market paperback sales. I think romance appeals to women because it reflects our core values. It chronicles the developing relationship between two people who are, by the end of the story, committed to one another. Romance is the most positive type of popular literature because its very definition requires an emotionally satisfying ending. That's a guarantee to the reader, and I think women respond to that. Yes, there's plenty of gloom and doom in the world and a lot of broken relationships, but there are also hundreds of thousands of strong, successful marriages like mine. It's the possibility of those partnerships that romance celebrates. What books have you read recently that you would recommend? There's truly something for everyone in the romance genre. The novels run the gamut from dangerous thrillers to inspirational love stories in which faith plays a major role. There are those that evoke laughter and ones that make us cry. For a good sampling of the range in romance, read the RITA winners for this year. These are the best of the best according to the members of Romance Writers of America-and I'm very honored to have a book on that list this year. The RITA winners can be found at http://www.rwanational.com/ or as a special insert in the August issue of PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. Gayle Wilson RITA Winner: Best Romantic Suspense 2000 for THE BRIDE'S PROTECTOR MIDNIGHT REMEMBERED from Intrigue in November
		Looking for Something WILD?
		Managing Wildlife: Managing wildlife on private lands in Alabama and the Southeast books are being placed in every public library and junior/high school in Jefferson County. The Alabama Wildlife Federation and Alabama Power Company have teamed up to donate over 100 books to public libraries and schools. Managing Wildlife is a 600 page hardback book that combines detailed information, prolific photography, illustrations, and quick reference material in an easy to use format. This excellent resource can be used to heighten understanding and appreciation of the fundamental principles of wildlife management and conservation. Topics such as attracting backyard habitat, fish pond management, threatened and endangered species, and managing forest and farm land for wildlife benefit are all are all included. For more information check out Managing Wildlife at your local public library or contact the Alabama Wildlife Federation.

Dial
A
Story
Telephone
Need a quick, pick me up? Check out the Dial-A-Story for a wonderful new story each week.
Call (205) 226-3650

Babies Are Born Learning…..Make Every Moment Count
A Special Project through Childcare Resources

The library system now has available a new video that focuses on early brain development. This video is an excellent resource for new and/or expecting parents as well as those of you who care for Alabama's youngest children.

Provided by Childcare Resources' Birth to Five Initiative and produced by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, the Ten Things Every Alabama Child Needs video is 10 minutes in length and discusses 10 very important daily activities that parents and caregivers need to do with children in the first three years of life. These "Ten Simple Things" are described and demonstrated by a diverse group of parents and caregivers through narration and visual example.

The video also links these daily activities to the latest brain development research. Included in the video are clips of a PET scan that shows neuron (brain cell) connections being formed. The development of these neurons is enhanced when children get the right stimuli during the first three years of life.

Check out this new video. Find out what all parents and caregivers can do to strengthen these connections and ultimately improve a child's brain development, learning ability, and overall changes of succeeding in life.