August 10, 2008 in Features

Stay cool with political, spiritual selections

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Summertime and the livin’ is easy.

In the blazing heat of August, sometimes the best remedy for sunburn is a good, long read in the cool shade.

Local authors offer a bevy of choices this month, from political insights to health and spiritual advice.

If you follow politics, you might be interested in Whitworth University professor Jim McPherson’s take on the rise of conservatives, “The Conservative Resurgence and the Press: The Media’s Role in the Rise of the Right” (Northwest University Press, 272 pages, $24.95).

McPherson, an associate professor of communication studies, takes a critical look at the role that print and broadcast media have had in Republican political gains.

He suggests that perhaps the reason conservatives have held on to power has to do with Americans’ disgust with the political process (as played out on talk radio and on major broadcast news stations) and declining participation in elections. This, he argues, allows special-interest groups to mobilize large numbers of voters in support of Republican candidates.

McPherson also draws connections between the strategies Barack Obama and other Democrats have used in the 2008 election and those used by Ronald Reagan.

Will the Democrats prevail? McPherson cautions: “We may now just be in a period of dissatisfaction with the Bush administration and the war, but we may not be ready for a major political shift away from conservatism.”

Check back with him in November.

‘Law of Attraction’

Spokane author and professional speaker Deanna Davis presents her book, “The Law of Attraction in Action: A Down-To-Earth Guide to Transforming Your Life (No Matter Where You’re Starting From)” (Perigee, 224 pages, $13.95 paperback).

Davis is a professional speaker and has coached clients and audiences on topics such as the law of attraction, mind/body health, peak performance and positive psychology. Her book aims to keep people mentally, physically, socially and financially successful and healthy.

She will read from the book on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave.

Hiking and writing

If the summer heat has driven you indoors, come out, stretch your legs and join the Women’s Writing and Backpacking Expedition. Enjoy the beauty of Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 for four days of hiking, reflecting and writing.

The group will leave from Moscow, Idaho. Caroline Pechuzal, an AmeriCorps member at the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, where she works as an environmental educator, will lead the trip.

Washington State University professor Debbie Lee and instructor Andrea Mason will provide writing instruction throughout.

The cost is $70, which includes food and transportation. Deadline for registration is Aug. 18; there also will be a pre-trip meeting that day.

Visit www.pcei.org/explorewilderness.htm for more information or to apply, or call (208) 882-1444.

Writers corner

•Writers interested in meeting other writers for support and inspiration are welcome to join the Writers Club on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at On Sacred Grounds, 12212 E. Palouse Highway.

Participants will share and discuss individual short stories. Come, listen and get a feel for what the group has to offer. For information, call (509) 747-6294.

•The Tin Pencil Fiction Writers Group meets Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at Tinman Artworks, 811 W. Garland Ave., to work on writing exercises and peer reviews. Call (509) 325-1500 to find out how to participate.

Book talk

•Auntie’s Morning Book Group (“Blind Your Ponies,” by Stanley Gordon West), 11 a.m. Tuesday, Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington. Call (509) 838-0206.

•Auntie’s Evening Book Group (“Madonnas of Leningrad,” by Debra Dean), 7 p.m. Tuesday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

The reader board

•Deanna Davis (“The Law of Attraction in Action”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

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