Carolyn Lamberson

Once again, a Timothy Egan book is headed to PBS. Egan, the National Book Award-winning author of “The Worst Hard Time” who was raised in Spokane, saw Ken Burns bring his Dust Bowl history to PBS stations in 2012. Next month, the series “American Experience” will pick up the topic of Egan’s 2009 book “The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America.”

The original “The Addams Family” comics sprang from the pen of Charles Addams in the late 1930s, and went on to pop culture immortality with a popular 1960s television series and two movies in the 1990s. Thus, we’ve always known they were creepy and kooky. Turns out they can sing, too.

Spokane has been selected to be one of 15 U.S. cities to host the National Geographic Live series. The series, which brings scientists, photographers, filmmakers and explorers to town to show their work and discuss it, will begin Oct. 7. The series is being produced locally by West Coast Entertainment, with support from STCU, and all events will be held at the INB Performing Arts Center.

The Minimalists are coming to Auntie’s. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus were 30-something corporate types working 70 to 80 hours a week and buying a lot of stuff. In 2011, they decided to chuck it all in, downsize and write about it.

The Coeur d’Alene Symphony is readying five weekends of music in the coming season, in addition to the group’s traditional free Labor Day concert. The season officially will kick off on Labor Day, Sept. 1, at 1 p.m. in Coeur d’Alene’s City Park. This annual event, featuring classical, pops and patriotic tunes, is always a good excuse for a picnic.

Bruce Holbert’s second novel, “The Hour of Lead,” opens with an epic snow storm. And into it walks a father, Ed Lawson, looking for his twin sons, Luke and Matt, who are on their way home from school. The year is 1918, and this epic storm caused much damage in Lincoln County but took only two lives, the elder Lawson and one of the twins, Luke.

Lost Horse Press is hosting a writing workshop, reading and signing on Saturday in Sandpoint featuring the writer and novelist Claire Davis and Spokane’s Shann Ray. The deadline for the workshop registration has passed; however, the public is invited to attend the signing and reading if they don’t attend the workshop.

The big question when watching a new production of “My Fair Lady” is always: Are the actors up for it? All those famous songs. The classic story. The pedigree that includes George Bernard Shaw, Lerner and Loewe, Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn.

Used to be when Opera Coeur d’Alene set sail for its annual cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene, patrons could enjoy lovely arias and duets along with hors d’oeuvres and the gorgeous scenery. When organizers starting talking about this year’s show, someone suggested doing music from Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance.” They went with it, the boat sold out almost immediately.

Spokane Symphony supporters Sherry and Frank Knott are opening up their wallet to help the symphony, and are encouraging others to do the same. The Knotts have issued a matching challenge: They will match donations made between now and June 30 – up to $50,000.

Ink auctioning off notable local books

Spokane Symphony conductor and music director Eckart Preu often talks about blending blockbusters with more eclectic pieces when he’s creating the symphony’s program each year. It seems his penchant for mixing things up has hit the right note. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers – ASCAP, the national organization that deals with rights and royalties for performed works – has awarded the Spokane Symphony a first place award for adventurous programming.