Events: Doug Armstrong, Andrea-Teresa Arenas and Eloisa Gómez, just about sold out for Gail Honeyman

Thursday, May 31, 7:00 pm, at Boswell:
Douglas Armstrong, author of Life on the Sun

Douglas Armstrong, former reporter for The Milwaukee Journal and winner of the Council for Wisconsin Writers Anne Powers (now Edna Ferber) Award, was on the scene in the 1960s during the era of anti-war protests and the struggles for civil rights and women’s liberation. These turbulent times are the backdrop of his new series of dark humor mysteries, beginning with Life on the Sun.

Armstrong’s latest novel spans ten days of anger and confusion in that bygone era of love beads, tear gas, and manual typewriters. It’s July, 1967, and war is raging in Vietnam. Following a suspicious fire that’s killed a famous war protestor, three headstrong strangers – a rookie newspaper reporter, a veteran rewrite man, and the anti-war fugitive’s bereaved girlfriend – clash as the mystery of his murder unfolds in their revolving viewpoints.

The sometimes darkly comic novel, set against the eccentric inner workings of a metropolitan daily newspaper, is a remembrance of tumultuous times, when lives were disrupted or destroyed by war’s far-reaching consequences.

Douglas Armstrong is the author of the prizewinning novel Even Sunflowers Cast Shadows, and his short fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen. He serves on the board of the Whitefish Bay Library and school district, and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Council for Wisconsin Writers, and the Milwaukee Press Club.

Tuesday, June 5, 6:00 pm, at MPL's Mitchell Street Branch, 906 W Historic Mitchell St:
Andrea-Teresa Arenas and Eloisa Gómez, author of Somos Latinas: Voices of Wisconsin Latina Activists

Arenas, director of the Somos Latinas Digital History Project, and Gómez, former vice president of the Latino Historical Society of Wisconsin, share the inspirational stories of twenty-five Latina agents of change. The powerful narratives of these activists, from outspoken demonstrators to collaborative community-builders to determined individuals working for change behind the scenes, provide proof of the long-standing legacy of Latina activism throughout Wisconsin.

Somos Latinas draws on activist interviews conducted as part of the Somos Latinas Digital History Project, housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, and looks deep into the life and passion of each woman. Though Latinas have a rich history of community activism in the state and throughout the country, their stories often go uncelebrated. Somos Latinas is essential reading for scholars, historians, activists, and anyone curious about how everyday citizens can effect change in their communities.

Listen to Tess Arenas talk to Stephanie Lecci on a 2013 edition of Lake Effect about this project.

Andrea-Teresa Arenas, PhD, recently retired from her positions at UW–Madison as a Chican@ and Latin@ Studies Faculty Affiliate and the director of the Office of Service Learning and Community-Based Research in the College of Letters and Science. Eloisa Gómez is the director of the Milwaukee County UW–Extension Office. From 2008 to 2012, she was the vice president of the Latino Historical Society of Wisconsin, and she served on the Somos Latinas Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2015.

Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 pm reception, 7:30 pm talk, at Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 W Brown Deer Rd:
A ticketed event with Gail Honeyman, author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Gail Honeyman's event at the Lynden Sculpture Garden is close to capacity and remaining tickets are going fast. Tickets are $22, $18 for Lynden members, and include an autographed paperback copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine as well as refreshments from MKE Localicious. Tickets available online, at lyndensculpturegarden.org/gailhoneyman, or by phone: (414) 446-8794.

From Jenny Colgan in The Guardian: "Long after your chance has gone to make it as a professional gymnast, ballerina or violinist, there is and always still the chance to write your book. And here comes a debut novel discovered through a writing competition, by an author in her 40s, which has sold for huge sums worldwide. It does happen.

"And what a joy it is. The central character of Eleanor feels instantly and insistently real, as if she had been patiently waiting in the wings for her cue all along."

To the British, the discovery of Gail Honeyman was akin to the joy of hearing Susan Boyle sing "I Dreamed a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent. The book went on to win the coveted Costa First Novel Award. It's also a selection of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club.