R. Derek Black to speak as part of the JCC's Book Fest and Visiting Author Series

AT THE JCC

R. Derek Black will talk about their book “The Klansman’s Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque.

Black’s father was a Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and David Duke was a close family friend. The author traces their insider account of the rise of white nationalism and how a child indoctrinated with hate and prejudice can become an antiracist and a transgender adult. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Black’s talk is part of the JCC Book Fest and Visiting Author Series.

The JCC is located at 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE.

R. Derek Black to speak as part of the JCC's Book Fest and Visiting Author Series

AT GERONIMO BOOKS IN SANTA FE

Moriarty resident Vivian Mary Carroll will read from and discuss her debut poetry collection “Talking Leaves Scrapbook” at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Geronimo’s Books.

Carroll, whose mother is Cherokee, grew up near an Air Force base in Sacramento, California.

“Primarily, I was raised to know my culture and to succeed in the white world,” she said.

She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees of fine arts, both in creative writing, from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

“It wasn’t until I got to IAIA that I began to embrace my culture and begin to write about it openly,” Carroll said. “At IAIA I found out I was better at poetry than fiction.”

While at IAIA, she attended the Tony Hillerman Writers Conference and met writer Jimmy Santiago Baca at workshops he led.

She remembered showing Baca a batch of her poems. He liked them and in turn showed them to Zach Hively, owner of Casa Urraca Press in Abiquiú. Hively published them under the title “Talking Leaves Scrapbook.”

“I’m 72, so I have a lot of life to talk about,” Carroll said, “childhood, culture, relationships, travel. It’s all connected.”

Carroll retired as attendant (unarmed bailiff) at the Sacramento Superior Court.

Geronimo’s Books is located at 3018 Cielo Court, Suite D in Santa Fe.

AT COLLECTED WORKS IN SANTA FE

Julia Cameron will discuss her new book “The Artist’s Way Toolkit” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Collected Works.

Cameron’s new book is billed as a practical, accessible collection of tools, published for the first time. It includes instruction manuals and an Artist’s Way glossary in a streamlined edition. It also offers updated insight into Cameron’s popular creativity program The Artist’s Way that has inspired millions of writers.

She lives in Santa Fe. Collected Works is at 202 Galisteo St., Santa Fe.

AT BOOKWORKS

Sharon Niederman will discuss and read from her recently published book “Ungentrified: Poems of the North Valley and Beyond” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW.