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Today’s Email Announcements

 Glenn A. Bruce Drops Latest “Crazy” Novel, Book Signing July 9

Local author Glenn A. Bruce, MFA, will be signing copies of his eighth and latest novel Dear Me!: or The History of the End of the World as We Knew It, Told As I See It, or More Accurately, Saw It, by Daniel R. Olafson—a comedic “last man on earth” tale of the near future.

Titular character Danny Olaf(son) refuses to choose his best friend at the time, crazy Arthur Mencken (no relation) for intramural softball in 8th Grade due to his having “no collar bone connectivity whatsoever” (i.e., “Arthur, you throw like a five-year-old girl”). As a result, Arthur Mencken vows at that moment: “To kill everyone in world, Danny—everyone but you.”

He makes good on his promise.

Dear Me! is the rollicking, sprawling story of how Danny Olaf became the last man on earth—thanks wholly to Arthur Mencken’s brilliant insanity in ridding the world of all humanity. “It’s pretty dark,” Glenn says of his latest novel, “but pretty damn funny. And so me.” He says that anyone who knows him well will know what he’s talking about.

The book was a “long time coming,” he says. “I started writing Dear Me! in 2001 and finished the first draft sometime in 2003. But, “as with a lot of my material,” Glenn says, “it may have been a little ahead of its time. I guess it was too early to make fun of Donald Trump.”

That’s hardly all that Glenn took on. “The novel is really about the state of America at that time—which, I think we can all agree, has only gotten worse.”

He adds with a gleam, “As has Trump!”

The tie-in? “Arthur Mencken is a redhead, and insanely narcissistic.” What else would cause him to kill everyone else on the planet, including himself, just to get back at Danny for not picking him for intramural sports?

At almost 500 pages, the book is about much more, however. Glenn says of the novel: “I really let go and hit just about every hot-topic button for me, and the country, in the craziest way I could find to write about it all.”

Indeed, Dear Me! takes on religion, politics, marriage, divorce, cranky elderly parents, open relationships, LGBT issues, greed, traffic tickets, self-involvement, hypocrisy, even polio as a soul-searching form of pure enlightenment.

“Nothing is sacred here,” he says. “But nothing is taken seriously, either.”

One early reader asked why the book had to be “so vulgar,” Bruce recalls. “I just said, ‘Well, because the world is.’ Then I said, ‘It was funny thought, wasn’t it?’ And he agreed. Another very religious friend standing with us, who had also read the novel, nodded and said, ‘It’s funny as hell.’ He read it twice.”

So, almost 15 years later, Bruce feels that the time is right to release the novel. “My step-brother just read it and said it was the wildest thing he had ever read—and he reads a lot. He basically said that he was so constantly surprised—he may have said “shocked”—and laughed so hard, so many times about so many things, that he still didn’t know what to think!”

“That made me smile.”

Glenn will be signing copies of Dear Me!, with copies of his other novels also available, this Saturday, July 9th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at the Watauga Arts Council on State Farm Road at Shadowline (behind Harris Teeter).

Glenn A. Bruce has an MFA in Writing, was associate fiction editor for The Lindenwood Review, and has published seven novels as well as two collections of short stories. He wrote the movieKickboxer, as well as episodes of Walker: Texas Ranger and Baywatch. His short stories, poetry, and essays have been published internationally in Blue Crow (Australia), Alfie Dog (Great Britain), andEarthen Lamp Journal (India), as well as numerous American publications such as Flights (Sinclair College), RedFez (Illinois), Beat Poets of the Forever Generation (D.C.), and Carolina MountainLife (right here in Boone!). He recently won first place in the “Down and Dirty” short story contest at About That magazine, and is currently a finalist in the Defenstrationism annual short story contest for the second year in a row. He was final judge for the Brilliant Flash Fiction annual contest, and is currently working on three novels. Glenn teaches Screenwriting and Acting for the Camera at Appalachian State University.

High Country Lifelong Learners Movie: Cabaret July 11

July 11th, 2016 – Watauga County Public Library – Meeting Room

High Country Lifelong Learners in association with the Watauga County Public Library invite you to join us for a movie viewing of Cabaret on July 11th from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

Director Bob Fosse’s 1972 film, Cabaret, tells the story of a female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin who romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.

Stars: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem

This film has an MPAA rating of PG and an approximate run-time of 124 minutes.

For more information please email: high.country.lifelong@gmail.com, Attention: Deb Gooch.

CCC&TI Celebrates New Class of Nurse Aides

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute celebrated a new class of Nurse Aides with a course completion ceremony on Wednesday, June 29 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. Those recognized during the ceremony include:

Watauga Nurse Aide 1:

Robin Prussat, Rachel Plott (Peer Award), Mariela Arita (Peer Award) and Margaret Teague (Merit Award); Ana Joyner, James Saunders, Melissa Lonas (Peer Award), Christian Acosta (Merit Award) and Olivia Kelly.

Caldwell Nurse Aide 1

Jasmine Powell, Jissell Gutierrez and Melissa Pearce (Merit Award); Joshua Philyaw, Anthony Bentley, Tylishia Stuckey (Peer Award) and Kisha Lovins.

Watauga Nurse Aide 2

William Michael (Peer Award), Shannon Ray (Merit Award) and Ruby Boisclair (Merit Award). Rashell Aunchmen, Ruby Coats, Michelle Potter, Jenna Reece, Daniel Riccio, Desiree Smith and Deahanne Woodring.

Caldwell Nurse Aide 2

Sylvia Corpening, Hailey Davidson, Heather Hart and Susan Curtis (Peer and Merit awards); Crystal Williams, Kayla Cook (Merit Award), Jarrett Robinson and Kathryn Nelson. Not pictured: Shaundria Horton, Ashley Miles, Kathryn Nelson, Stephanie Newton and Katie Summerow.

July Programs and Events at the Watauga Library

Summer Reading is in full swing… but it is not too late to register!
The program runs until July 31st — see more details here: Summer Reading Program
 
KINDLES AND HOTSPOTS
Going on vacation soon???

Did you know that adults, young adults, and children (with an adult) can check out
pre-loaded kindles?
Click on the following links for more information…
Additionally, we now have two T-Mobile Hot spot devices available for check out…

The hotspots will enable patrons to gain access to the internet through T-Mobile’s cell system where it is available. There is no cost to check out a hotspot for one week.
Contact the Circulation Department for more information at ext. 1.

Happy July and happy reading!!

— Monica Caruso
All Programs listed below are located at Watauga County Public Library in Boone.
 
Baby Lap Time
Tuesdays & Thursdays at 10:30 am
Family Story Time
Stories, songs, and crafts!
Daily at 11:00 am
Alphabet Ready by 5
Celebrate a different letter of the alphabet on Mondays!
Flow Circus
Wednesday, July 6th at 12:00 pm
Lego Club
All ages welcome!
Wednesday, July 6th at 3:30 pm
Little Sketchers with Ms. Julie
Funded by High Country 
Watermedia Society
Thursday, July 7th at 11:30 am
Music with Laura Donovan
Tuesday, July 12th at 11:00 am
JumpBunch Storytime
Wednesday, July 13th at 1:00 pm
Animals of the Constellations
NC Museum of Natural Science
Wednesday, July 13th at 1:30 pm
BrainGym Storytime
Wednesday, July 20th at 11:00 am
Angel Bear Yoga
Saturday, July 23rd at 11:00 am
Game Truck
Please sign up!!!
Wednesday, July 27th at 1:30 pm
Story Walks
Tot Lot – Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel
Blowing Rock Park – Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham
Scavenger Hunt
On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!
Find the clues to decode a new
sports-related title each week!
FANDOM Club
Teen Summer Fest!!! Expect games, outdoor activities, food, and more!
Thursday, July 14th at 4:30 pm
Financial Literacy for Teens:
Smart Investing @ Your Library
GAME$: Moneytopia and Gen I Revolution online games will be used as fun tools to introduce teens to real-life applications of financial skills, including: budgeting, saving, minimizing credit card use, and financial goals.
Please call 828-264-8784 ext 2 to RSVP or for more information.
Thursday, July 21st at 11:00 am
Game Truck
Space is limited so please call to sign-up or for more information. There will be a TEENS ONLY session so ask about it!
Wednesday, July 27th at 1:30 pm
FANDOM Club
End of Summer Party!!! Come out for the biggest prizes of the summer!
Wednesday, July 27th at 3:30 pm

All Programs listed below are located at Western Watauga Branch Library in Sugar Grove.
 
Book Club
Cozy Mystery Writer Gayle Trent visits!
Wednesday, July 20th at 2:30 pm
Flow Circus
Wednesday, July 6th at 10:00 am
Animals of the Constellations
Please sign up!!!
Wednesday, July 13th at 11:00 am
Buzz OFF Game Craft
Please sign up!!!
Wednesday, July 20th at 1:00 pm
Arts, Books, & Children
Please sign up!!!
Thursday, July 21st at 10:30 am
Game Truck
Please sign up!!!
Wednesday, July 27th at 3:30 pm
Story Walk
Chicken Big by Keith Graves
Walking Path at Old Cove Creek School
Online Self Defense
Learn to defend your privacy online in this ongoing ‘belt’ series of summer programs. RSVP at 828-264-8784.
Tuesday, July 5th at 10:00 am – Brown
Tuesday, July 5th at 2:00 pm – White
Thursday, July 7th at 2:00 pm – Green
Tuesday, July 12th at 2:00 pm – White
Monday, July 18th at 2:00 pm – White
Tuesday, July 19th at 10:00 am – Black
Tuesday, July 19th at 2:00 pm – Green
Free Concert: Blessed Assurance
Join the Charlotte-based Bluegrass Gospel Ensemble at the library!
Saturday, July 9th at 11:00 am
Genealogy Gathering
Guest speaker Jill Privot
Saturday, July 9th at 2:00 pm
High Country Lifelong Learners
Film: Cabaret (1972) PG
Monday, July 11th at 2:00 pm

Cook the Books
Mystery Book Club
And Then There Were None by
Agatha Christie
Tuesday, July 12th at 4:00 pm

High Country Writers
Joseph Bathanti, NC Poet Laureate
Thursday, July 14th at 10:00 am
Thursday, July 28th at 10:00 am

Local Children’s Book
Author Daphne Petrey
How to Publish a Children’s Book
Local author of “I Have a Brother – My Brother is in Heaven” will share her journey of self-publishing, including topics on organizing your book, finding an illustrator, choosing graphic designers and printing companies, and registering with the Library of Congress.
Friday, July 15th at 2:00 pm

Guest Speaker Roger Reynolds
Summer Stock Seminar – ‘Trading for a Living: When to Buy, When to Sell’
Please RSVP at 828-264-8784 ext 2
Saturday, July 16th at 1:00 pm

Book Brewers Book Club
Heathen Valley by Romulus Linney
Wednesday, July 20th at 6:30 pm
At Pepper’s Restaurant

Legal Aid: Divorce
Space is limited so please call 828-264-8784 extension 2 for more information!
Thursday, July 21st at 2:30 pm

Third Thursday
Film: Tea With Mussolini (1999) PG
Thursday, July 21st at 6:30 pm
Book Bunch Book Club
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
Tuesday, July 26th at 1:30 pm
Watauga Reading Challenge
If you haven’t already, check out this year’s challenge categories!
New Books in June & July!
Browse the list of new books we have in the library and call 828-264-8784 to place a hold on any of the titles!