Two cat-related book events

A tale of two felines Charles Dickens was a cat person. He loved his cat, Bob, so much that after the feline’s death in 1862, the author had one of his paws stuffed and affixed to a letter opener. Dickens’ preoccupations in this area may or may not be discussed in “Charles Dickens in the 21st Century,” a lecture by Robert L. Patten, emeritus professor of English at Rice University and co-editor of The

Oxford Handbook of Charles Dickens, a brand-new compendium of scholarly essays forthcoming in November. Essays — including “Oliver Twist: Urban Aesthetics and the Homeless Child,” by Galia Benziman, and “Dombey and Son and the Question of Reproduction,” by Michal P. Ginsburg — look at Dickens’ writings through a modern lens. Topics covered include environmental degradation in the industrial age, law, and charity.

Nine-year-old Philomena, a resident of Lamy and the protagonist of Marc Romanelli’s The Imagination Warriors (Little Roman Press), is also quite fond of cats — especially Daisy, a talking cat who takes the train to the Lamy depot from New York City to help her solve important mysteries. Daisy can do more than talk: She also has extrasensory perception and a passion for novels about the West — and she is ready to use every skill she has to aid her determined friend. The novel, meant for readers ages nine to fourteen, features illustrations by Odessa Sawyer. — Jennifer Levin

Renesan Institute for Lifelong Learning presents “Charles Dickens in the 21st Century” at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at St. John’s United Methodist Church (1200 Old Pecos Trail). Admission is $15. For more information, call 505-982-9294 or go to renesan.org.

Marc Romanelli reads from and signs copies of The Imagination Warriors at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at Collected Works Bookstore (202 Galisteo St., 505-988-4226). For more information, go to collectedworksbookstore.com.