Author Events, Aug 26 to Sept 1

Through intimate interviews, Nancy Mullane shares the story of 5 convicted murderers and their second chance after parole. She reads from her book on Thursday, August 30 at Point Reyes Books.

For more events or to list author events in our calendar, visit the Press Democrat’s events listings at pressdemocrat.com.

SUNDAY (Aug 26)

Gerald and Janice Haslam, “In Thought and Action: The Enigmatic Life of S.I. Hayakawa,” 1 p.m.
A detailed and synaptically stimulating biography of the one-time Mill Valley resident and eminent linguist, semanticist, writer, professor, President of San Francisco State University, controversial public figure, United States Senator and organizer the Anti-Digit Dialing League.
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. (415) 927-0960, bookpassage.com.

MONDAY (Aug 27)

Bodega Poetry Reading, Story Telling, & Open Mic with Sher and John Christian, 2:30p.m.
Under the trees behind the Organic Cotton Fabric Shop, 17175 Bodega Highway, Bodega. lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/sherlianne

TUESDAY (AUG 28)

Robert Hartstein, “A Place in Life,” 6 p.m.
A fictional memoir about the life of a boy told through a series of catastrophic events and failed relationships. Hartstein has written a fine “time” piece in which he captures the turmoil of the 50′s and 60′s, navigating those incredibly complex decades, their feelings and emotions, with tenderness and insight. This is an unflinching commentary on the best and worst that we are capable of, and the tenderness that keeps two people together in the face of all odds.
Redwood Cafe, 6240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, www.redwoodcafe.com.

Robert Hass, “What Light Can Do: Essays on Art, Imagination, and the Natural World,” 7 p.m.
A wide-ranging collection of considerations on topics including writers (ranging from Jack London to Allen Ginsberg); on the art of photography; on California, and much else.
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. (415) 927-0960, bookpassage.com.

WEDNESDAY (Aug 29)

Speakeasy Literary Saloon hosted by Susan Bono and Ransom Stephens, 7 p.m.
Featured readers include Rebecca Lawton, “Reading Water: Lessons from the River” and Robin Beeman, “A Minus Tide, The Lost Art of Desire”.
Aqus Cafe, 189 H St., Petaluma, 778-6060, aquscafe.com.

THURSDAY (Aug 30)

Flash Fiction writing class, Deb Carlen, 6 p.m.
Readers’ Books, 130 E. Napa St., Sonoma. 939-1779.

Nancy Mullane, “Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption,” 7 p.m.
On assignment to report on the exploding costs of incarceration, Nancy Mullane met men behind the walls who astonished her with their remorse, introspection, determination, and unshakable hope for freedom and forgiveness. Life After Murder is an intimately reported story of five convicted murderers sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, who discover after decades in prison that their second chance, if it comes at all, is also the challenge of a lifetime. The book follows their struggle for redemption, their legal battles to make good on the state’s promise of parole, and the lives they found after so many years inside.
Point Reyes Books, 11315 Shoreline Highway, Point Reyes Station. More info, www.ptreyesbooks.com.

FRIDAY (Sept 1)

Louise Penny, “The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel,” 4 p.m.
The brilliant new eighth novel in the New York Times bestselling, Agatha Award-winning, and critically revered mystery series from one of the most acclaimed crime fiction writers of our time.
Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. (415) 927-0960, bookpassage.com.

To submit book events for consideration in this column, contact Sara Peyton at sara.peyton@gmail.com at least three weeks in advance of the event.