By Samantha Ortiz
Hello everyone!! Hopefully everyone is having a good week so far. Make sure to get out after a long Thanksgiving break. There is a lot going on in the community this week from story time to poetry readings, from reading to dancing. There is something for everyone. And again engage in the Austin book world. Stay warm, read, and engage in the community. Until next week my friends.
Thursday, December 4 at 7 p.m. Book Woman will be welcoming author, Creative Writing Professor, and Editor-in-Chief, American Literary Review, Bonnie Friedman, for a reading and signing of her newest memoir Surrendering Oz. This is a memoir made up of essays about Friedman’s life and how she went from being a proofreader for Guinness Book of World Records to a Professor at a Texas university. Selected essays from the memoir have been selected for many awards including: The Best Buddhist Writing, The Best American Movie Writing, and The Best American Essays of 2013 and 2014.
Friday, December 5 at 7 p.m. Malvern Books is excited to welcome songwriter, photographer, and award-winning poet, Nathan Brown and poet, Jena Kirkpatrick. Along with a poetry reading from both of these wonderful poets, Brown will also be providing some musical entertainment. Both of these poets are well published. Brown has nine books published and Kirkpatrick has published 7 books of poetry.
Saturday, December 6 at 11:30 a.m. Book People will be having another one of their famous story times, but this weeks story time is extra special because it is with Women’s Storybook Project of Texas. This is an organization that helps children connect with their incarcerated mothers through books. The individuals who volunteer with this project go to the prisons and jails and record mothers reading books for their children and then they mail the recordings to the children. Join Book People to find out how you to can help or volunteer this holiday season. 
Sunday, December 7 at 4 p.m. Book Woman will be having their fourth annual Writergrrls Book Festival. This event will include hearings of works in progress, published works, and work that has been archived this past year. The event will include writers Cindy Huyser, Debra Winegarten, Marjorie Brody, Sarah Hackley, Kimber Pflaum, Blythe Jewell, Marcia Feldt Bates, Barbara Lazar, Seja Rachel, Cindy Phillips, and other soon-to-be award winning Writergrrls.
Tuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. Malvern Books will be having a Raw Paw Reading Series. Raw Paw is a series founded in Austin in 2010. The new title of the Raw Paw collection is Mind Maze and it is a new collection of twenty poems.
Wednesday, December 10 at 10:30 a.m. Book People is going to be having a fun story time with the famous Ms. Staci. She will be reading some of her favorite stories, singing some of her favorite songs, and dancing!! Bring the children out for a good time.
This Week at The Writing Barn: This week Sam Bond Photography will be at The Writing Barn for individual appointment sessions. Also our From Garbage to Glamorous, Giving Unwanted Books New Life.