Sedona Public Library is pleased to partner with Poetry and Prose Project for the upcoming 2019 season, beginning Friday, March 29, at 5:00 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room, with a show presenting three local and emerging authors:  Rose Moon, Iris Yang, and Melanie Lee. 
 
Rose Moon is an award-winning artist who paints and writes in the genre of magical realism. In her novel, “Unfathomable,” she uses her vivid imagination to weave an exciting tale about an art professor's magical experience of suddenly being kidnapped from her everyday life.  Moon's main character, Laurence—a woman with a man's name—is never sure the desert sorcerers she meets actually exist. Her journey into self-exploration takes her to new levels of awareness and into a life she could never have imagined.
 
Melanie Lee is an award-winning journalist and the author of "A Year in Sedona: Meeting the Muse at Wisdom’s Edge." Growing up in Texas in the 1950s, she dreamed of one day becoming a writer who would write the kind of stories that might inspire others to meet their muse. During her journalism career she was a features editor and business columnist. She now practices yoga and meditation, paints, hikes, and has begun writing poetry and fiction. Her writing workshop will be offered in Sedona next fall.
 
Iris Yang is an author of two historical novels, “Wings of a Flying Tiger” and “Will of a Tiger.” She is a scientist who was born and raised in China and has a passion for creative writing. After years attending writing workshops at both the Sedona and Cottonwood libraries, Iris achieved every writer’s dream—her novels were accepted for publication. Her books have received glowing reviews and have been featured in a dozen newspapers. She was recently interviewed on NPR’s The State of Things.
 
Musical guest for the March Poetry and Prose Project show is Devin Angelet.  Her passion for music radiates from the very core of her being and out into each word she utters. She placed first in the 2018 Prescott’s Got Talent competition and has also been a recipient of the National Choral Award and the John Philip Sousa Award for her performances in mallet percussion.
 
Poetry and Prose Project events were formerly held at Sedona’s historic Pumphouse location and are now presented at the Library on the last Friday of the month, from March through July.  Poetry and Prose Project shows have become community gathering places where people come together to listen to new ideas and written words, renew old acquaintances, and make new friends. 
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Wednesday, April 10, is Library Giving Day, and now through April 10 your gifts are matched up to $15,000 through a donation from a generous supporter. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org. Be sure to indicate that your donation is for Library Giving Day.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 29, 2019
Written by:  Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Journey along historic Route 66 with Sedona Public Library during Read Around Sedona 2019, the Library’s community reading project. This year’s featured book is “Arizona Kicks on Route 66,” by travel writer Roger Naylor. Copies of the book are available at Sedona Public Library. Please contact the Library if you need assistance placing a hold.
 
The Library has planned several events for Read Around Sedona 2019. These events will take place at various locations.
 
On the Road Since 1925: The Colorful History of Arizona Highways.  Wednesday, April 3, 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 55 Rojo Drive in the Village of Oak Creek. Win Holden, former publisher, will share the fascinating story of how a brochure produced by the Arizona Highway Department evolved into one of the most respected and revered travel publications in the world.
 
Meet author Roger Naylor. Friday, April 5, 10:30 a.m. to noon in the community room at Sedona Public Library.  Route 66 is one of Roger Naylor’s favorite topics, and he’s sure to be an engaging speaker. His books will be for sale following the program, and he will be available to sign them. Don’t miss this opportunity to chat with Roger, view classic cars courtesy of Sedona Car Club, and enjoy local pie.
 
Tour of La Posada Hotel in Winslow. Wednesday, April 10, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join tour leader Peggy Nelson, dressed in character as a Harvey Girl, to learn about the history of Cyrus K. Holiday, the Santa Fe Railroad, Fred Harvey, the Harvey Girls, Mary Colter, and La Posada. We will take a walking tour of the hotel. Cost is $5 per person. You must arrange for your own transportation to Winslow. To reserve your space, contact Cheryl Yeatts at 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. no later than Friday, April 5.
 
Photos and Hikes from “Boots and Burgers.” Monday, April 15, 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the community room at Sedona Public Library. Mike Koopsen of Trails Traveled Photography will show his photographs and explain how he collaborated with author Roger Naylor to provide images for Roger’s book “Boots and Burgers: An Arizona Handbook for Hungry Hikers.”

A Nostalgic Journey Along Route 66, Main Street of America. Diorama display during April at Sedona Public Library. Take time to view the themed diorama and hand-painted map display of Route 66 by Wendy Jack, a Sedona resident. Wendy holds a B.F.A. in the visual arts.

Culture Pass. Now, are you ready for a road trip? Check out a Culture Pass from Sedona Public Library for two free admissions to the Route 66 Museum, the Mohave Museum, and the Bonelli House in Kingman.
 
Read Around Sedona will continue during May. Check the events calendar on the Library’s website at www.sedonalibrary.org and watch for announcements of additional programs.
 
For more information, please contact Cheryl Yeatts at 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org.  Thank you for participating in Read Around Sedona.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Wednesday, April 10, is Library Giving Day, and now through April 10 your gifts are matched up to $5,000 through a donation from a generous supporter.  Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.  Be sure to indicate that your donation is for Library Giving Day.

Sedona Public Library gives you tools and resources to help you learn the history of Sedona and Northern Arizona.  Through lectures and the Culture Pass program, which offers free admission to cultural attractions in Arizona, we hope you’ll become better informed about the place you call home or visit.
 
Local history will be featured in a special presentation in the Library’s Si Birch Community Room on Wednesday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m.
 
Clancy Sage, a docent at the Sedona Heritage Museum and board member of the Sedona Historical Society, will be presenting “The Early Settlers of the Sedona Area.” The lecture will cover the earliest pioneer settlers who came to our region in the late 1800s. Sage will focus on the stories of how they came here and what contributions they made to begin the settlement of Sedona.
 
The talk will also cover the arrival of the Schnebly family in 1901, their story, and how we got our town name. This presentation will be the first is a series of lectures Clancy will deliver at the Library on Sedona history.
 
Be sure to also visit the Sedona Heritage Museum, which was once a homestead for the Jordan family and is focused on the lifestyles and works of the people who pioneered this community, from 1876 to the present  Here you’ll also learn about the former orchard industry and movies made in Sedona.  Check out a Culture Pass at the Library for free admission to the museum.
 
Join us on Friday, April 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the community room to hear author Roger Naylor speak on Route 66’s fascinating history. His book “Arizona Kicks on Route 66” is the featured book for the Library’s Read Around Sedona 2019 initiative.  Naylor’s books will be for sale following the program, and he will be available to sign them.
 
To learn more about Route 66, check out the three-in-one Culture Pass, giving you admission to the Route 66 Museum, the Mohave Museum, and the Bonelli House. These museums explore the diverse history of Northern Arizona, from the artwork and history of the Hopi, Hohokam, Hualapai, and Navajo tribes to the history of the early settlers and ranchers.  Whether you make it a day trip or a special stop on your way west, there is a lot in store for you in Kingman.
 
In addition to the passes already mentioned, we offer Culture Passes to other venues in Northern Arizona and in the Phoenix area.  In order to take advantage of the program, you’ll need to have a library card.  Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of one pass per cardholder at a time.
 
Please visit our website, sedonalibrary.org, for complete Culture Pass program details and restrictions, to see which passes are currently available, and for links to participating locations.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Programs like the Culture Pass program are made possible thanks to the generous donations of individuals and foundations.  To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit our website.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for March 15, 2019
Written by:  Virginia Volkman, Library Director

StoryWalk is ready and waiting for you at Sunset Park.  Come celebrate with us!  On Tuesday, March 12, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., visit the park for family fun when Sedona Public Library officially opens its permanent and public early literacy project: StoryWalk.
 
The upcoming Tuesday event will include simple craft activities, face painting, games and snacks for young children and, of course, a chance to experience a StoryWalk firsthand.  It also gives us an opportunity to thank those who made this Sedona Public Library project possible.
 
StoryWalk at Sunset Park could not have happened without a fantastic partnership with the City of Sedona Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments, an early donation from Goldenstein Gallery, and grants from not only the awesome Arizona Community Foundation but also the generous Langston Family Foundation. Thank you for helping bring StoryWalk to Sedona!
 
What is StoryWalk?  StoryWalk is an idea first developed by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, to promote literacy and a healthy lifestyle.  StoryWalk basically consists of a deconstructed picture book that is reassembled and laminated, page by page, to be displayed along an outdoor walking path.
 
Walking and reading—favorite Sedona activities—make StoryWalk a perfect match for a Sedona Public Library outreach project.  Also, as we strive to enrich lives by fostering lifelong learning, the StoryWalk experience may inspire young parents, letting them know that they are their child’s first and best teacher.  StoryWalk programs have inspired children and adults to read together in all 50 states and 11 other countries.
 
Recently a local parent said it was as if his kids were on a treasure hunt. “They couldn’t wait to find the next set of pages.” Overall, he said, “It’s beautiful.”
 
With page one starting at Sunset Park toddler playground, young and old are encouraged to enjoy reading a children’s story book while following a half-mile, paved, accessible path where every thirty feet you will find another framed display showing two more pages of the story.  Frames also offer early literacy skill-building activities in English and Spanish, to encourage further engagement with the book.
 
The current StoryWalk book is How Big Is the World?, by Britta Teckentrup. Everyone can enjoy StoryWalk year round, with new story exhibits four times a year.  When a new exhibit goes up, the previously displayed pages may be checked out with your library card!
 
StoryWalk serves as an extension of the Library, and our target audience is in-home child care providers and families with small children. We also strongly encourage local schools, businesses, and other groups to visit StoryWalk.  Share your experience directly with the Library or on social media.  Your input is vital to the growth and success of this project.
 
See you at Sunset Park, located at 655 Sunset Drive in Sedona!
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for all of our volunteers, and for the support we receive from Friends of the Sedona Library, City of Sedona, the property tax dollars we receive from Yavapai and Coconino Counties, and the gifts we receive from businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 8, 2019
Written by Karen Mack, Youth Services Librarian

Sedona Public Library is pleased to announce the return of Read Around Sedona, the Library’s community reading project. The goal of Read Around Sedona is to promote reading and discussing a specific book to bring the community together.
 
The featured book for Read Around Sedona 2019 is Arizona Kicks on Route 66, by travel writer Roger Naylor. Established in 1926, Route 66 was one of the original U.S. highways. During the Great Depression, it became the major path by which people migrated west seeking work, warm weather, and new opportunities.
 
Today, Arizona contains the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66 still in existence, and exploring it is a trip not to be missed. As Naylor explains, “this is where you’ll find the world’s best-preserved meteor crater, one of the largest dry caverns in the U.S., remnants of ancient civilizations, and scenery that can’t be matched by any other state.
 
Route 66’s fascinating history and present-day attractions are all detailed in Naylor’s book.  Written as a travel guide, Arizona Kicks on Route 66 captures the astounding landscapes, small-town getaways, and homemade pies along the Arizona portion of the “Mother Road.” For people who remember traveling Route 66 when they were younger, it’s also chock-full of memories. The stunning images in the book are from Larry Lindahl, a longtime photographer for Arizona Highways and a Sedona resident.
 
Copies of Arizona Kicks on Route 66 are available at the Library. As part of Read Around Sedona, the Library has planned programs based on Naylor’s book. Please check the events calendar on the Library website at www.sedonalibrary.org 
 
The kick-off event, featuring author Roger Naylor, will take place on Friday, April 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the community room at Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road. Route 66 is one of the author’s favorite topics, and he’s sure to be an engaging speaker. His books will be for sale following the program, and he will be available to sign them.
 
A Cottonwood resident, Roger Naylor is one of Arizona’s premier travel writers. In 2018, he was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame. He has contributed to dozens of regional and national publications. He is the author of The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon and Boots and Burgers: An Arizona Handbook for Hungry Hikers.  Look for his new book about Arizona state parks to be released soon. For more information about Roger Naylor, visit his website at www.rogernaylor.com.
 
We are excited about this opportunity for our community and hope you will participate in Read Around Sedona 2019.  Please contact Cheryl Yeatts at 928.284.1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org for more information.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for all of our volunteers, and for the support we receive from Friends of the Sedona Library, City of Sedona, the property tax dollars we receive from Yavapai and Coconino Counties, and the gifts we receive from businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for March 1, 2019
Written by: Cheryl Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village