Authors, Books and Writing Programs for Adults in October

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Library U: Never Stop Learning

#Adult Programs in October

Whether you're looking for tips on writing your next book, learning how to run a tabletop roleplaying game, building a small business website, or just looking for more book recommendations, the Library has a wide variety of programs for adults across Jacksonville. 


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History Chat: Women in Service

Deloris QuarnataLearn about the history of women in service with presenter Delores Quaranta, USAF (Retired) on Wednesday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library. Deloris Quarnata served in the United States Air Force from 1978 to 1998. She has served her Nation and the State of Florida honorably. She is a sought after expert on the status of women veterans.

She has traveled to the state capital as well as Washington DC to advocate on behalf of women veterans. Starting out, there was very little emphasis on women veterans. Her ability to deliver with passion and commitment has reached the ears of elected officials, even from other states.

Register for FREE!


Life Lab (workshops): Intro African American Genealogy

  • Genealogy Workshop (Hands-On Workshop) - Monday, Oct. 21 | 6 p.m. | Dallas Graham Branch
    • Learn about resources, research best practices, and more that you can use to research your family history.
  • Genealogy Workshop on Census Records - Saturday, Oct. 26 | 2 p.m. | Zoom 
    • C. Ann Staley, CG®, CGLSM introduces you to using census records to help research your ancestors, including those who may have been enslaved.

Grandmother with grandchildren and a photo album

These programs were made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. For a complete schedule of community programs related to this grant, visit: bit.ly/AfricanAmericanHistoryJax.

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#Writing & Publishing Workshops


Authors Roundtable: Think Like An Authorpreneur with Pat Council

Authors Roundtable

Got questions about getting your book sold? Want to turn your book into a successful business venture? This month's workshop will be filled with both active and passive income ideas. Presented by Authors Roundtable of Northeast Florida - a 501c3 that supports authors reaching their highest potential. All genres are welcome. 

Saturday, October 5, at 10:15 a.m. | Main Library (Conference Level)

Register now!


Writer's Lab: Antagonists that Drive the Story with Max Romans

Writer's Lab logo

In this two-hour workshop, professional game master Max Romans of Rough Magic Games will share his recipe for making monsters and villains for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) using the Dungeons & Dragons game system. Participants will learn how to make monsters and leave with one of their own design to use for their next game session or bring to November's Writer's Lab: Crafting Your Short Adventure.

Saturday, October 5 at 2 - 4 p.m. | University Park Branch Library

Register now! 

 

#Author Talks & Book Signings


Lit Chat Interview with Silvia Moreno Garcia

Silvia Moreno Garcia

Silvia Moreno Garcia is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow (Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, Ignyte Award), Mexican Gothic (Locus Award, British Fantasy Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, Aurora Award, Goodreads Award), Velvet Was the Night (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Macavity Award), and her newest book, The Seventh Veil of Salome, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick for August 2024.

Tuesday, October 15, at 7 p.m. | Southeast Library

Register for the FREE author talk!

Silvia will sign books after the program, and a limited number of books will be available for sale from The BookMark. This program is presented as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.


Lit Chat Interview with Morgan Jerkins

Morgan Jerkins

Morgan Jerkins's most recent book is the novel Caul Baby, an Amazon Best Book of 2021. Her other books are Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots, one of Time’s must read books of 2020, and This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America, a New York Times Bestseller. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair, among others. She’s won two National Magazine Awards and was a Forbes 30 Under 30 Leader in Media.

Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. | Main Library (Map Room)

Register for the FREE author talk!

Morgan will sign books after the program, and a limited number of books will be available for sale from San Marco Books and More. You can guarantee a book by preordering here. This program was made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.

 

#Other Programs


Life Lab: Improve Your Day-to-Day Life

Life Lab logoGrow your own garden or small business and take control of your health, career, and personal finances! Life Lit is now Life LAB - a series of free workshops offered by trained professionals and volunteers, aimed at improving your life. They cover a wide range of topics from gardening to financial literacy to small business needs. No need to bring anything but yourself to participate!

Coming up this month:

Composting Basics with UF/IFAS - Tuesday, Oct. 1 | 6 p.m. | Maxville Branch

Using Your Website to Boost Your Business with SBDC - Wed. Oct. 2 | 10 a.m. | Main Library

Financial Capability with EY - Saturday, Oct. 12 | 2:30 p.m. | University Park

See all upcoming programs!


Library Book Clubs

Join a Book Club

Library Book Clubs continue this October with some great book discussions. Are you a Scottish Mystery fan? Love True Crime stories? Read graphic novels? There are Book Clubs for all types of readers! And if you can't get enough reading and recommendations: There's also still plenty of time to finish the 2024 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. Or, find your next read with a personalized booklist from one of your librarians!

Join a Library Book Club!