Book Notes: Cowboy poet Baxter Black lands at Auntie’s
His deep Western drawl is familiar to millions of National Public Radio listeners and his cowboy poetry is known around the world.
On Wednesday at 7 p.m., Baxter Black will fill Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave., with his homespun stories and verses.
He’ll read from and discuss his latest book, “Lessons from a Desperado Poet” (Two Dot, $22.95), which he describes as part memoir, part manual for success.
The former self-described “large animal veterinarian” has subtitled his book, “How to Find Your Way When You Don’t Have a Map, How to Win the Game When You Don’t Know the Rules, and When Someone Says It Can’t Be Done, What They Really Mean Is They Can’t Do It.”
A ‘Bugs’ book alert
Early warning: Another national best-selling author, Amy Stewart, is scheduled for an Auntie’s appearance on June 23, 7 p.m. to discuss her latest book, “Wicked Bugs” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $18.95).
Stewart has made her reputation by writing funny and informative books about the perils of nature, including “Wicked Plants” and “Flower Confidential.”
This latest book is a compendium of nasty insects, from the brown marmorated stink bug to the Oriental rat flea. Yes, it’s a lot of fun.
Willow Springs release party
Willow Springs 68, Eastern Washington University’s literary journal, will be released on Friday and you can help celebrate it.
There will be a reading at Auntie’s Bookstore at 7 p.m., with a cash bar reception afterward at Hill’s Restaurant and Lounge, 401 W. Main Ave., right across the street.
Contributors to Willow Springs 68, including Nance Van Winckel and Sarah Hulse (winner of the Willow Springs Fiction Prize), will read from their work.
This issue also features an interview with Pulitzer-winning author Richard Russo.
Youth Summer Reading kickoff
Wednesday is the launch day for the Youth Summer Reading programs, sponsored by the Spokane city and county libraries.
Programs include “Get Medieval at the Library,” “Birds of a Feather,” and “Tesselations – Artist or Mathematician?”
There will be lots of activities, programs and reading lists at every library branch. Go to www.spokanelibrary.org/summer or www.scld.org/kids_summer_ reading.asp for complete schedules.
The goal? To promote a love of reading and literature in kids.
‘The Harrison Area’
The history of Harrison, Idaho, is on display in the latest offering from Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, “The Harrison Area” (Arcadia, $21.99).
This paperback volume is jammed with photos from the area’s Crane Historical Society, showing steamboats, sawmills, logging operations and town scenes.
The book is available at area bookstores and online booksellers.
‘Creed’s Honor’
Spokane’s best-selling romance novelist, Linda Lael Miller, is releasing her latest cowboy saga, “Creed’s Honor” (HQN – Harlequin, $7.99) on Tuesday.
It’s the second installment in the Creed Cowboys trilogy, about the men in a Colorado ranch family and the women who love them.
Expect to see this one hit the New York Times best-seller list, like many of Miller’s other books.