Book Talk Book Talk (April 02, 2003)

AND THE WINNER IS . . . Palo Alto poet Rachel Loden is one of 17 poets statewide who has won a $5,000 fellowship from the California Arts Council. She was also a 2002 winner of a Pushcart Prize, and her work has been anthologized in several books, including, "Like Thunder: Poets Respond to Violence in America."
AND THE OTHER WINNER IS . . . MaryLee McNeal of Palo Alto, who writes fiction and poetry, has been awarded a fellowship by the Jentel Artist Residency Program. As a result, she will be at Jentel, near Sheridan, Wyo., for a four-week residency program.
AND THE WINNER COULD BE . . . A local company, Insight College Prep Centers is sponsoring a creative writing contest for high school students, "Musings of the Mind's Eye." There will be separate categories of 9th-10th graders and 11th-12th graders. Entries must be short stories no longer than 1,500 words. First prize is a gift certificate to Books, Inc. (Mountain View or Stanford Shopping Center). For more info, call (408) 252-5050, or go online at www.insightcollege.com Entry forms can also be picked up at Books, Inc.
OF LOCAL NOTE . . . Local writer Brent Powers has written "The Dog's Tooth," a novel partially set in Palo Alto. It is a tale of a spiritual quest. Palo Alto writer Marguerite Chiang has written "Demeter's Mysteries: The Secret Path to Happiness," a novel featuring Greek mythology and modern issues.
AUTHOR, AUTHOR . . . Author events at Kepler's in Menlo Park this month include short story writer John Murray ("A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies") at 7:30 p.m. April 8. Longtime broadcast journalist Wes "Scoop" Nisker ("The Big Bang, the Buddha, and the Baby Boom") appears at 7:30 p.m. April 18. Historical writer Marilyn Chase ("The Barbary Plague") appears at 7:30 p.m. April 22. And novelist Robert Stone ("Bay of Souls") appears at 7:30 p.m. April 25.
ALL ABOUT KIDS' BOOKS . . . Kepler's will again host, with the San Mateo County Reading Association, what's new in children's books, at 4 p.m. April 7.

Items for Book Talk may be sent by the last Wednesday of the month to Don Kazak, Title Pages editor, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto CA 94302, or e-mailed to dkazak@paweekly.com