Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘Longmire’ author Johnson rides in Torah for teens
Writers LIVE! series wraps up with Boca event
Craig Johnson’s novels about Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire have made him an international best-selling author, and his novels have been adapted for a successful TV series. Johnson will make a rare South Florida appearance to support his novel, “The Highwayman,” in which Longmire and best friend Henry Standing Bear try to find out the source of radio calls from a patrolman who met a fiery death nearly a half-century prior. Johnson’s next hardcover novel, “The Western Star,” goes on sale in September, and the sixth and final season of “Longmire” returns in September on Netflix.
Johnson will discuss “The Highwayman” at 1 p.m. May 23 at the Glades Road Branch Library, 20701 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton, 561-482-4554, or pbclibrary.org/writers-live-2017, which wraps up the Palm Beach Library’s Writers LIVE! series. Johnson also will discuss his book at 8 p.m. May 23 at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, 305-442- 4408.
Unexpected poetry
Mike O’Mara, managing editor of the “South Florida Poetry Journal,” will lead the community outreach poetry workshop “Invite the Unexpected” at 12:30 p.m. June 3 at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; cost is $10 per person. The event is sponsored by the Palm Beach Poetry Festival; visit palmbeachpoetryfestival.org for more information.
Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin will discuss “JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary” geared to teenagers at 7 p.m. May 10 as the wrap-up event of the Diane & Barry Wilen Jewish Book Festival at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, 5850 S. Pine Island Road, Davie. Admission is free. Visit dpjcc.org for more information.
How Jerusalem was built
Adina Hoffman will discuss her book “Till We Have Built Jerusalem” at 10 a.m. May 16 at the Mandel Jewish Community Center, 8500 Jog Road, Boynton Beach, and at 7 p.m. at the Mandel JCC, 5221 Hood Road, Palm Beach Gardens. Hoffman’s book looks at three architects who helped shape modern Jerusalem and Israel. The presentation is free and is part of Israel Days: A Festival of Arts & Culture, presented by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. For more information, visit jewishpalmbeach.org/israeldays or contact Bar Sananes at 561-615-4974.
Secrets of fight club
Martial artist and self-defense instructor Tim Robertson will discuss how writers can bring authenticity to their fight scenes with his workshop “Myth Busting the Fight Scene for Writers” at the meeting of the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America beginning at 11:30 a.m. May 20 at the Embassy Suites, 661 NW 53rd St., Boca Raton. Cost is $25 for members; $30 for nonmembers. For information, visit mwaflorida.org or email harriet@ottenheimer.com.
Journey through Florida’s history
Take a tour of 500 years of Florida’s history as Eliot Kleinberg discusses “Florida’s Amazing History and Why You Should Care” during the Florida Romance Writers meeting beginning at 10 a.m. May 13 at the Tigertail Lake Recreational Center, 580 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. For reservations, contact Janet Little at janetfrankslittle@gmail.com
Authors honored at book awards
A variety of genres published during 2016 were honored during the 11th annual Florida Book Awards. More than 200 eligible publications were submitted across 10 categories. Authors must be full-time Florida residents, except in the Florida nonfiction and visual arts categories, where the subject matter must focus on Florida.
The awards are coordinated by the Florida State University Libraries. Visit floridabookawards.lib.fsu.edu for more information.
Young Children’s Literature: Gold/Reichert Award: “Big Cat” (Holiday House) by Ethan Long (Orlando)
Older Children’s Literature: Gold, “The First Last Day” (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin) by Dorian Cirrone (Davie); Silver, “Return Fire” (Scholastic Press) by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Coral Gables); Bronze, “Framed! A T.O.A.S.T Mystery” (Simon & Schuster/Alladin) by James Ponti (Maitland)
Florida Nonfiction: Gold, “Oh Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country” (St. Martin’s) by Craig Pittman (St. Petersburg); Silver, “White Sand, Black Beach: Civil Rights, Public Space and Miami’s Virginia Key” (University Press of Florida) by Gregory W. Bush (Miami); Bronze, “Music Everywhere: The Rock and Roll Roots of a Southern Town” (University Press of Florida) by Marty Jourard (Gainesville)
General Fiction: Gold, “The Other Traitor” (Churlish) by Sharon Potts (Miami Beach); Silver, “Sparrow in the Wind” (Bedazzled Ink Publishing, LLC) by S. Rose (High Springs); Bronze, “The Melting Season” (Burlesque) by Ira Sukrungruang (Tampa)
General Nonfiction: Gold, “Lassoing the Sun” (Thomas Dunne) by Mark Woods (Jacksonville); Silver, “Beyond Integration” (University of North Carolina) by J. Michael Butler (St. Augustine); Bronze: “Kingdoms in the Air” (Grove Atlantic) by Bob Shacochis (New York)
Poetry: Gold, “The Abridged History of Rainfall” (McSweeney’s) by Jay Hopler (Riverview); Silver, “Latest Volcano” (Marsh Hawk Press) by Tana Jean Welch, (Orlando); Bronze, “Hour of the Ox” (University of Pittsburgh) by Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello (Coral Gables)
Popular Fiction: Gold, “Storm Crashers” (Oaktree) by Richard Wickliffe (Coral Springs); Silver, “Passenger 19” (Oceanview Publishing) by Ward Larsen (Sarasota); Bronze, “A Murder of Crows” (Kingsbridge) by Tom Lowe (Windemere)
Spanish Language: Gold, “La Casa Viejo y Ortros Relatos” (The Old House and Other Stories) (Amancay Ediciones/Isabel Jakovljevic) by Isabel Garcia Cintas (Sunny Isles Beach)
Visual Arts: Gold, “Tropical Light: The Art of A.E. Backus” (Vendome) by Natasha Kuzmanovic (New York); Silver, “Saints of Old Florida” (self published) by Melissa Farrell, Christina McDermott, Emily Raffield (Port St. Joe); Bronze, “E.G. Barnhill: Florida Photographer, Adventurer, Entrepreneur” (University Press of Florida) by Gary Monroe (Deland)
Young Adult: Gold, “All We Have Left” (Bloomsburg) by Wendy Mills (Bokeelia); Silver, “Autofocus” (Harper-Collins) by Lauren Gibaldi (Winter Park); Bronze, “The Homecoming” (Sourcebooks Fire) by Stacie Ramey (Wellington)