educationalist reasoned: Book Fair to bring readers, writers together

By Marilyn Forbes

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2012, 1:21?a.m.
Updated 4 hours ago

The Mt. Pleasant library will be offering readers in the Fay-West region an opportunity to meet several local authors and get signed copies of their books during a Book Fair this week.

?We?d like to make the community aware of the wealth of authors we have locally, and meeting and speaking to an author should not be an unusual event,? library employee and author Barbara Miller said. ?We have had many individual book-signings at the library in the past, but this will make lots of authors available at once. It also gives the authors a chance to communicate with each other.?

In addition to individual authors, there will be several members present from writing groups in the area, such as the Beanery Writers, Scottdale Writing Group and Greensburg Writing Group.

The authors will be set up at tables located around the library. Everyone is invited to stop and talk with each writer.

?We?re hoping every patron who comes to the library will stop and talk to some of the authors about their work or to writing group members,? Miller said. ?At every table each patron will get a free raffle ticket so they may possibly win the basket of their choice. We also will have cookies, snacks, coffee and soda available in the meeting room.?

Authors expected to attend include:

? Linda Ciletti, with copies of her books ?Draegon Lari? and ?Knightstalker.?

? Brad Clemenson, with copies of his book ?Murtha War Fighting: Fighting for the Soul of America.?

? Ed Kelemen, who co-authored ?The Haunted Foothills? with Mary Ann Mogus.

? Barbara Miller, with copies of her book ?Two Hearts.?

? Bill Potoka, with copies of his book ?Love in an Altered State.?

? Cassandra Vivian, who will have numerous books she wrote including ?The national road in Pennsylvania,? ?Post Cards of the Mid Mon Valley? ?Monessen: A Typical Steel County Town,? ?The Overseers Family,? ?A Tuscan American Kitchen,? ?Americans in Egypt: 1770-1915 and ?Flavors of Egypt.?

Miller said that if the fair is well received, it may become an annual event. She noted the day would be a great way to bring readers and writers together.

?Mount Pleasant Public Library seeks to provide programs of interest to all age groups,? Miller said. ?We think it?s special to be able to get a book personally autographed to you and we hope patrons and guests will think so as well. We know there are writers who come to use the computers for their work and we?d like them to make some contacts at the fair. Writing is about communicating. We are offering an open channel for readers to speak directly to writers and ask questions about the process.?

The Book Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the library.

Marilyn Forbes is a freelance writer.