The Artsy Bookworm

Your Independent Community Bookstore

Recent Author and Artist Events

Tom McKay & Lauren Hall – August 5

After having published a number of books that offer poignant short stories and a look at life in the Midwest in several forms, Tom McKay has attempted and succeeded at a stunning bi-racial relationship story. The book offers so much, that I hesitate to box it into that and only that concept. But the key relationship is between a highly successful Black woman and a slightly less successful white man. The third important character, the woman’s daughter, often highlights the experience of being Black and female in America in this day and age. What makes the book remarkable is the stunning turn of events that makes it thought-provoking and raises inescapable questions for the reader. The same is true of its ending.

Tom was joined by Lauren Hall, local educator and community activist, whose reading of some of the book’s passages and perspective on the story were invaluable to the discussion. And that discussion continued until well after the scheduled time and brought about new connections/collaborations among participants.

Joel Lorentzen & Misty Urban, July 29, 2023

Do you ever wonder how authors of science fiction create the worlds where their stories are set? This was among the most fascinating aspects of the discussion with Joel Lorentzen and Misty Urban, both of whom have created very relatable worlds but come at that process somewhat differently. Both agreed that substantial amounts of research may be needed and that the elements of the worlds they create must fit well with each other. Internal consistency was mentioned but also the headlong jump into something fascinating and new to get started. If you wonder what the results might look like, I recommend Proles and My Day as Regan Forrester.

Jannifer Powelson – July 22, 2023

As a naturalist and the author of now ten cozy mysteries, Jannifer had lots to share with the group. All her mysteries have a relationship to nature, whether it is by location or by season, and the covers of her books and the illustrations she offers are photos she herself has created and included in the work. Being someone highly familiar with our native flora, she also brought us a bouquet of prairie grasses and flowers and told us about them, much to the delight of the gardeners present.

Daniel Flosi & Nadine M. Roth – July 15, 2023

Many don’t know what a Zine is and Daniel Flosi and Nadine M. Roth not only explained that to us but also taught us how to make one. Their approaches to their Zines are very different. Daniel edits and publishes a Zine that showcases the work of other authors as well as his own, and he very much experiences his role as that of a writer and editor. Nadine primarily creates her Zines in conjunction with her book publications and has a standard format she uses. It is one she showed us how to use if we want to try something of the sort, and we had the good fortune of having some younger visitors who are good writers already and look forward to trying their hand at this new format.

Saadia Faruqi – July 12, 2023

Through a collaboration with Quad City Arts and the Davenport Libraries, we were able to bring internationally known children’s author Saadia Faruqi to the Artsy Bookworm for a delightful conversation. Many of Saadia’s books are for elementary school readers, with several meant for middle-school readers and above. When we advertised the event, we claimed that if the recipients had children in our school system, they probably know Saadia’s books. A conversation with an author who is sought after by publishers, who has contracts well into the future, for whom there is no question whether her books will be published – all this was a glimpse into a different world from the one we are most familiar with, but one to which many of our local authors aspire.

Melissa Conway & Daniel Drake – July 8, 2023

Two accomplished young authors very much in tune with the younger crowd, and somewhat unconventional in their approach and work – what fun! We learned a little about their history, they read some of their work, and Melissa Conway also discussed the behind-the-scenes work she brings to her publications as a graphic artist. A very refreshing, enjoyable afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere that also was the perfect setting for listening to excellent poetry.

Carolyn Krueger & Tara Malnar – July 1, 2023

Ceramic artist Carolyn Krueger & jewelry designer Tara Malnar offered a very practical, detailed workshop on how they make their creations. Carolyn showed how her vessels are built around an inverted form, finished on the bottom yet retaining the beautiful structure on the open side. We learned much about clay, which is also a medium Tara uses in her jewelry pieces, along with other materials. We also heard about what is involved behind the scenes in this work, such as the operation of kilns and what may go wrong for the novice attempting pottery for the first time. Carolyn teaches pottery classes, and a number of our audience members were delighted to hear that.

Jason Platt – June 24, 2023

Not everyone will publish highly sophisticated graphic novels for young readers like those of Jason Platt, but he did give us a taste of how to think about the task, how to start a drawing with a few simple shapes based on the alphabet and numbers, and what to watch out for when creating memorable characters. The audience greatly enjoyed his demo as well as the enthusiastic participation of our youngest guest, Rowan, who is a budding artist himself.

Mary Davidsaver, Mike McCarty, and Amanda McNeill – June 17, 2023

These authors got started very differently in their writing careers and take different approaches to their multi-volume publications. Mary Davidsaver’s mysteries, set in our own Bishop Hill, highlight elements of the town history many of us probably don’t know but can easily follow by tracking the streets, locations, and events she mentions. Mike McCarty has been publishing about three books per year and has been working at break-neck speed in his research and writing. And Amanda McNeill had meant to write a trilogy. The books were much longer than any published wanted to commit to, so she published them on her own. And her trilogy now is a series, because she has already published five volumes. If you’re looking for a winter reading project to start a little later this year, perhaps this would be a good choice.