Book notes: Nunemaker’s Spokane story hits local shelves
Carolyn Hage Nunemaker’s new book, “Spokane and the Inland Northwest During World War II” (Gray Dog Press, $14.95) is now in local bookstores.
Her previous book, “Downtown Spokane Images: 1930-1949” was a hot local seller and a significant contribution to Spokane history. This second book is equally interesting and useful.
It tells the story of the region’s World War II military bases, including Fort George Wright, Geiger Field, the Galena Depot and the Farragut Naval Training Station. It also has sections on the Hanford Energy Works, Baxter Hospital (which evolved into the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center) and the USO clubs in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. And it doesn’t shy away from the topics of Japanese internment camps and the region’s POW camps.
Nunemaker is a Spokane native and former music teacher with a longtime interest in local history. She has a reading scheduled at Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main, on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
Gonzaga Visiting Writers
The lineup for the Gonzaga University Visiting Writers Series has now been set for 2010-11:
• Sam Green, former Washington state poet laureate, Oct. 6.
• Jimmy Santiago Baca, poet, novelist, playwright, Oct. 26.
• Naomi Shihab Nye, poet, songwriter and novelist, Nov. 16.
• Keya Mitra, fiction and nonfiction writer and new hire in Gonzaga’s English department, Feb. 9.
• Rick Moody, acclaimed novelist (“The Ice Storm”), March 2.
• Daniel Orozco, short story writer, March 30.
All events are at the university’s Cataldo Globe Room, 7:30 p.m. and are free.
‘Star Myths’
A Spokane writer with the felicitous name of Eileen M. Starr will read from her new book, “Star Myths of Northern Cultures,” on Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Auntie’s Bookstore.
Starr will talk about many of the great celestial myths of the Norse, the Greeks, the Celts, the Mayans, the Egyptians, the Chinese and the Babylonians. The book includes a star chart for each culture.
The book is based on a planetarium series presented at Eastern Washington University in the 1980s. Starr taught at EWU and at Valley City State University in North Dakota for many years.
A plethora of poetry
Several significant poetry readings are on this week’s schedule, including:
• The Zone 4 Reading Series will feature two Yakima poets, Terry Martin and Dan Peters. There will also be an open mike for poets. It takes place today, 3 to 5 p.m., at the John Thamm Gallery, 11 S. Washington. It’s free and the “famous poetry brownies” will be provided.
• Local poet M. Kienholz’s new volume “Adventures in Poetry” will be launched at a special event at Lincoln Heights Community Church, 3527 E. 29th Ave., today from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Poems will be read by multiple volunteer readers and music will be provided. The public is invited. It’s free, but donations will be accepted to the church’s roof fund.
• The excellent Beacon Hill Reading Series continues Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with “An Evening of Poetry,” featuring Bellingham poets Rachel Mehl and Caleb Barber and local poet Christopher Howell. It’s free and refreshments will be provided. It’s at Spokane Community College’s Hagan Foundation Center For the Humanities (second floor of the library, building 16), 1810 N. Greene St.
‘Lebensborn’
Inland Northwest author Jo Ann Bender will read from her historical fiction book, “Lebensborn” (Eloquent Books, $16.95) which is about a French girl in one of the notorious Nazi maternity homes for women. The program’s goal was to produce new Aryan children.
By the way, Bender reports that “Lebensborn” has just been added to the library collection of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
She’ll read at Auntie’s Bookstore on Wednesday, 7 p.m.
The Atticus connection
Here’s a place that Spokane book-lovers should know about: Atticus Coffee and Gifts, 222 N. Howard St.
No, it’s not exactly a bookstore. It’s a literary themed coffee and gift shop (as you can guess by the “To Kill a Mockingbird” name).
But it carries a large table full of contemporary fiction and nonfiction, reflecting the shop’s eclectic yet discerning tastes. Owner Andy Dinnison said he has recently increased his book selection because they have been selling so briskly.
Print, apparently, isn’t dead.