THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13
9:15am | PHOENIX | FAMILY EVENT | BABY TIME | Babies (accompanied by a favorite adult) enjoy songs, activities to promote movement, rhymes, books, and playtime in each lively session. Baby Time gives your baby the opportunity to hear lots of language while you get to know other families with young children.
Also join us in Phoenix at 9:15am on Thursdays, February 20 and 27. More »
10am | PHOENIX | FAMILY EVENT | STORYTIME | Join us for interactive storytime for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners.
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7pm | PHOENIX | CRAIG CHILDS | VIRGA & BONE: ESSAYS FROM DRY PLACES | Writer and adventurer Craig Childs presents a night of storytelling, music, and a reading from his new collection of desert essays. From the author of
The Secret Knowledge of Water and
Atlas of a Lost World comes a deeply felt collection focusing on a vivid series of desert icons: a sheet of virga over Monument Valley, white seashells in dry desert sand, boulders impossibly balanced, bones rolling on a skeleton coast. Childs delves into the primacy of the land and the profound nature of the more-than-human, drawing on a lifetime of experiences in desert landscapes. Each essay is accompanied by an illustration from Utah artist Claire Taylor.
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7pm | TEMPE | PIERRE O'ROURKE | FREE THE PUDDLES | Pierre O'Rourke presents his independently published novel. After eight years, many would assume that Brian and Allison have it all: a flourishing business, a stunning home, an amazing little boy. And yet, as they head for a "friendly divorce," they don't know why they failed. Meanwhile, as the storm clouds of divorce loom, two men leave the dry heat of Arizona to deliver a vintage '65 Mustang from the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction. Traversing what remains of Route-66, they pass through the cool rains of Hinsdale, Illinois, where they accept temporary work with Brian and Allison's remodeling company. We often find we talk better with strangers than with people we know, and sometimes that's when the adventure begins.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 | HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
8pm | PHOENIX | VALENTINE'S DAY ADULT DRAG QUEEN STORYTIME | Top off your Valentine's Day festivities with the Queens! Join the legendary Miss Gay Arizona America 2015 Nevaeh McKenzie and friends for our inaugural V-Day Adult Drag Queen storytime. Whether you're a diehard romantic or think V-Day is as cheesy AF, it'll be fifty shades of funny. Plus: don't miss your chance to win a massage gift prize from Lighten Up Laser to celebrate a little self love and pampering!
Regular and VIP ticket packages available. Register online. Ages 18 and up. Perfect for couples, singles, and galentines. More »
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15
3pm | TEMPE | TEEN EVENT | TEEN ADVISORY BOARD (T.A.B.) | LIFE IS SHORT AND THEN YOU DIE | Teens meet to discuss
Life Is Short and Then You Die, the Mystery Writers of America's first teen anthology, edited by #1
New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong. Adolescence is a time of “firsts.” First kiss. First love. First loss. First job. The first taste of adult responsibilities, and the first look at an independent life away from both the restrictions and the security of home. And in this case, a very different type of “first”—murder. This short story collection of murder mysteries adds a sinister spin to the joy and pain of firsts that have always been a major part of life, whether it be high school cliques who take the term “backstabbing” too seriously, stumbling upon a body on the way home from school, or receiving a Snapchat message that promises something deadly. Contributors include Barry Lyga, Caleb Roehrig, Emmy Laybourne, Jonathan Maberry, R.L. Stine, Rachel Vincent, Y.S. Lee, and more!
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5:30-8pm | TEMPE | WRITERS, INK. | Share and critique two to four pages of writing with a group of peers.
RSVP (required) at janiemae1083@gmail.com.
5:30-8:30pm | TEMPE | TAROT READINGS | Tarot readings by Sonya Lee Stockhaus, a.k.a. “The Joy Detective.”
Cost: $20 for 15 minutes. Registration at 480.730.0205. More info: actualizejoy.com.
7pm | PHOENIX | WOMEN IN JAZZ CONCERT | Hear the culmination of a year of hard work promoting women in jazz through a grant provided by the AZ Commission on the Arts. From the organizers: "Claudia Bloom and Mary Petrich have spent the year researching and performing the music of women in jazz. They have also reached out to the female jazz community in Phoenix, some of whom will be performing at this concert. Also featured will be members of Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising, an exciting new project that supports young female musicians learning to improvise. They are swinging!"
Cost: $20. Buy your tickets online. More »
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17
9:30am-4:30pm | PHOENIX | TEEN EVENT | WRITING WORKSHOP | SHOO FLIES BOOK CAMP | From the creators of the popular monthly reading series "Bar Flies" comes "Shoo Flies," a chance for teens to write and read their own true stories on stage—and hone personal essay writing skills for college essay season. This workshop will give participants a chance to brainstorm, write, workshop, revise, rehearse, and perform, all in a single day. Participants must be teens. No prior writing or performing experience is necessary. Drinks, snacks, and lunch will be provided by First Draft Book Bar. We’ll also provide plenty of instruction on everything from inspiration to writing to delivery from Bar Flies curators and contributors. Space is limited.
Cost: $125 per person. Register online. More »
7pm | OFFSITE | CATANA CHETWYND | SNUG: A COLLECTION OF COMICS ABOUT DATING YOUR BEST FRIEND | Bestselling author Catana Chetwynd (
Little Moments of Love) presents her latest collection of comics that captures the honest, playful, and relatable snapshots of romantic life. Why bother getting out of bed when you could stay bundled up with that special someone and a book of cozy, cute comics? Chetwynd’s second book has the same charming and inviting style as her first and includes 50 percent new, never-before-shared comics.
Snug is a celebration of the quirks and peculiarities of every one of us—and the magic that happens when we find our matching puzzle piece.
Location: Dobson High School Auditorium 1501 W Guadalupe Rd, Mesa, AZ 85202. More »
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
10:15am | TEMPE | FAMILY EVENT | STORYTIME | Join us for interactive storytime with Mr. Tom for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners.
Also join us in Tempe at 10:15am on Tuesday, February 25. More »
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
7pm | OFFSITE | KRISTINA KUZMIC | HOLD ON, BUT DON'T HOLD STILL | YouTube superstar Kristina Kuzmic, winner of “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” visits with her new book, one woman's story of ditching her fairytale dreams and falling in love with her unpredictable, chaotic, imperfect life. With a refreshingly unpretentious, funny, and galvanizing voice, Kuzmic goes behind the scenes to reveal how she went from broke and defeated to unshakably grounded and brimming with thankfulness. Illuminating the hard-won wisdom from a life always spent one step behind—whether it was as a high school student new to America, a suddenly single mother to two kids, remarried and juggling two teens and a toddler, or the unexpected recipient of Oprah's attention and investment—
Hold On, But Don't Hold Still is the book every mother needs to reassure her that she's not only fine just as she is, but that she already has more tools and support than she can possibly imagine.
Location: Orpheum Theatre 203 W Adams St, Phoenix 85003. More »
7:30pm | OFFSITE | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! WITH KAKANI KATIJA | DESIGNED BY NATURE | Bioengineer and research diver Kakani Katija takes you deep into the midwaters of the ocean—one of the least explored ecosystems on our planet—and shares how its inhabitants could lead to breakthroughs in bio-inspired design. Katija’s work led to energy efficient jellyfish-inspired robotics. Now, she studies little-known sea creatures that have the potential to make a big impact on some of our world’s most critical problems.
Tickets available at mesaartscenter.com. More »
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20
9:15am | PHOENIX | FAMILY EVENT | BABY TIME | Babies (accompanied by a favorite adult) enjoy songs, activities to promote movement, rhymes, books, and playtime in each lively session. Baby Time gives your baby the opportunity to hear lots of language while you get to know other families with young children.
Also join us in Phoenix at 9:15am on Thursday, February 27. More »
10am | PHOENIX | FAMILY EVENT | STORYTIME | Join us for interactive storytime for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners.
More »
7pm | TEMPE | SANDIE TROUP | JOURNAL YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS | The local author shares her self-published guide to organize your life with intention. "Mindful self-care is the key to success at work or at home! It helps individuals prioritize self-care by taking one hour a day to engage in six activities and journal about the experience, plans, and ideas they inspire. The goal is to become more organized, more successful in your career, stronger physically, and find more balance and peace in both your personal and professional lives."
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
6-8pm | TEMPE | CREATIVE NON-FICTION REVIEW | First meeting of a non-fiction critique group.
RSVP to Al Fournier, algahman@gmail.com.
7pm | TEMPE | PENELOPE JEAN HAYES | THE MAGIC OF VIRAL ENERGY | Penelope Jean Hayes presents her book
The Magic of Viral Energy and hosts a discussion about contagious energy and how to utilize this phenomenon for your best life. While meditating in 2007, Hayes experienced the contagious nature of energy and a phenomenon she calls “osmotic-energy-balancing.” Over the next decade, she intuited “viral energy” and a system of creation involving seven levels of energy ascending from dense and heavy upward to enlightenment. At this presentation, she'll also offer a sneak peek of her upcoming series Do Unto Earth, which deals with our environmental crisis and more.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
10am | TEMPE | FREE WORKSHOP WITH MADHURI BAPAT | RANGOLEE ART | Author and educator Madhuri Bapat leads a free workshop on the ancient Indian folk art rangolee, based on her book
Rangolee Art.
This workshop is free. Please RSVP online. More »
5:30-8:30pm | TEMPE | TAROT READINGS | Mystic Journeyz with Suzi Coggins. “Your Angels Are Waiting.”
Cost: $20 for 15 minutes. Registration at 480.730.0205. More info: mysticjourneyz.com.
