Ed Madden will be reading from his latest book of poetry, Prodigal: Variations. Reading and book signing.

The poems in Ed Madden's second collection of poetry, Prodigal: Variations, explore relations between men--fathers, sons, brothers, lovers--as well as questions of home and exile, memory and longing, and the promises and compromises of any return. In poems that are at once both mythical and deeply personal, Madden asks how we define home, what stories impel us, what rituals and relationships sustain us in a world shaped by loss

Madden's first book of poetry, Signals, won the 2007 South Carolina Poetry Book Prize. His work also appears in Best New Poets 2007, Collective Brightness, and Notre Dame's The Book of Irish American Poetry from the Eighteenth Century to the Present. Madden is an associate professor of English at the University of South Carolina, where he teaches Irish literature, creative writing, and gender studies. Madden received his MA and PhD from the University of Texas.

Venus Illuminated: Diaries from the Underworld

Lover, Avenger, Avatar – trickster Venus is always changing form.  From innocent Persephone blithely picking narcissus to grieving Isis seeking her lost love to enraged Inanna banishing her beloved -- in ancient times the goddess’ travels in the Underworld were a source mystery and magic far removed from our modern saccharine image of Venus.

Astronomically speaking, shining Venus disappears from the night sky every 18 months on her voyage between the Earth and Sun. Viewed through the lens of mythology, this 40-day retrograde represents the Goddess’ descent into the Underworld.  But 2012 marks a rare celestial event that occurs in pairs once in a lifetime. Venus’ Underworld journey is illuminated: on June 5, Venus will be visible traveling across the face of the solar disk.

What does the uncloaking of Venus’ secret sojourn herald for us? Astrologer Donna Woodwell will explore Venus’ rich archetypal history, as well as reflect on the faces of Venus as she manifests in your life, and collectively in our changing word. 

A true Renaissance woman, Donna Woodwell is an astrologer, writer, hypnotist, and Internet entrepreneur. Her mission: to live creatively with passion, purpose, abundance and joy, and empower others to do the same. An active member of the astrological community, Donna teaches at Kepler College and serves as board member of the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR). She lives in Austin, Texas. Catch up on her latest projects at www.fourmoonsastrology.com.

Poet and novelist Ken Fontenot hails originally from New Orleans. He won the Austin Book Award for his collection of poems "All My Animals and Stars," and has just published a new book of poetry, "In A Kingdom of Birds." Ken holds an M. A. in German Language, and was awarded a DADD fellowship to study in Germany. His novel, "For Mr. Raindrinker," is set in 1970s New Orleans.

Cindy Huyser is co-editor of the Texas Poetry Calendar. Her poetry can be found in The Comstock Review, Borderlands, and Wild Plum, as well as numerous anthologies.

Every second Thursday. Bring some poems to share or just come and enjoy!  

Join host Liz Belile in a rollicking reading by moms, for moms, on the Secret Lives of Mothers...the Sex, Politics, and Religion edition! Tales from the dark side of mothering...and of course, movement toward the light. Etc. Refreshments and entertainment to treat yourself. It's a Spa Day...for the MIND and HEART.

Michelle Casto is the bestselling author of Destiny Diva, and a personal transformation expert dedicated to inspiring you to see the truth of who you are, release the resistance so you can shine your brightest light in the world. She knows there is a divine spark within you waiting to be ignited and that NOW is the time your gifts are needed. 

Michelle will share her proven six stage Destiny Discovery process that has helped to awaken to thousands of people all over the world. You will be able to ask any question you may have about Discovering Your Destiny. www.liveyourdivinedestiny.com <http://www.liveyourdivinedestiny.com>  <http://www.liveyourdivinedestiny.com>  for more information

Billie Woods, professional musician, certified sound practitioner, and sole proprietor of Sound Mandala  , will present a beautiful sound healing meditation using Tibetan bowls, Crystal singing bowls and Celtic harp. The beauty and warmth of these instruments provides a peaceful, healing journey into the heart of our truest self and a letting go of the superficial world all around us. Donations accepted, but not required. Visit <http://www.healingsoundmandala.com> for more information.

It's hard to imagine today what it was like for a woman to live in a time when she had never heard the word lesbian, when there were no lesbian organizations, and when she had to be careful what she wore to the bar because a woman could be arrested simply for wearing pants or the wrong shoes. These are just some of the experiences shared in Without Apology: Old Lesbian Life Stories.

Arden Eversmeyer is an 80 year old lesbian, Houston resident, and is the founder & director of the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project, which collects & preserves the life stories of lesbians 70 and older.

Without Apology shares the stories of 24 ordinary, yet remarkable, women. 

Among them are: 

•  Saundra, who volunteered in rural Mississippi during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

•  Ellie, who at age 92, continues to work part-time as a substance abuse counselor.

•  Joann, who raised 17 children, five her own, five adopted, and seven fostered, many of whom were mentally and physically disabled, and now, with her partner, runs a group home.

•  Gloria, whose entertainment career began when she was seven and earned $5 a night dancing at clubs, went on to spend years as a “nightclub girl,” singing, dancing and doing comedy. 

•  Bessie, who was an incredible left-handed pitcher in the women’s fastpitch softball leagues in Texas.

•  Edie, who traveled on the Peace Train from Finland to Beijing, China, to attend the Fourth International Conference on Women.

•  Shaba, who journeyed through Judaism, Islam, and Kabbalah as a black-skinned woman raised in the midst of racial segregation and Jim Crow laws. 

•  Arden, who lived a closeted life for almost 40 years before the death of her long-term partner motivated her to begin a life of activism. 

•  Helen, who entered the convent when she finished high school in hopes of sublimating her love for women. 

•  Kittu, who was born in India and raised high in the Himalayas, became fascinated by the concept of nourishment and later went on to be an integral part of developing the Recommended Daily Allowance rating system as well as WIC, a nutrition program for women, infants and children. 

•  Louise and Ruth, who after falling in love in college, were forcibly separated by school authorities. They found each other again after more than 30 years, and remain together decades later. 

Patricia Austin, professional psychic, will be reading Tarot Cards, Palms and sharing other divination tools for BookWoman's clientele as a benefit for BookWoman.  Recommended donation is $25 for a 15 minute reading and $1 a minute over. Cash and checks are the preferred methods of payment.  Pat gives positive and constructive information.

Call (472- 2785) to get on the list, or take your chances and just drop by, although reserving a spot is recommended!

The BookWoman BookGroup usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month and we read and discuss a variety of genres. New members welcome! Come join us!  In May we will be discussing The Plague of Doves by Luoise Erdrich.

"Every so often something shatters like ice and we are in the river of our existence. We are aware.” Those are the moments Erdrich captures in this mesmerizing novel telling the quintessentially American story of a senseless, horirffic and unsolved murder of a farm family in 1911, which forever haunts several families living in and around the small, white town of Pluto, North Dakota, located on the far edge of an Ojibwe reservation.  

A multigenerational tour-de-force of sin, redemption, murder, and vengeance ("Publishers Weekly")

Patty Jo Sawvel—an award-winning investigative
reporter—brings you 10 researched-based tips that anyone can use to help
young people steer clear of drug use and underage drinking. The fact
is, young people have changed and so have the tools to help them.
Drawing on 15 years of hands-on experience working youth, Sawvel also
outlines the three Cs for accessing and then minimizing any child’s risk
for substance abuse, explains what young people really want from
adults, and demonstrates the power of positive peer influence. This is
more than a "parenting seminar"—it is program packed with practical tips
for any adult who cares about kids, including teachers, youth leaders,
coaches, parents of children of any age, mentors, and town officials.
Sawvel’s research was recently bound in a 394-page book titled, Under the Influence: The Town That Listened to its Kids. Take-home hand-outs will also be provided at the program.

To view a 5-minute Fox 8 video based on this book (seminar price is $20) visit

http://myfox8.com/2012/02/23/buckley-report-its-my-call/ For more information on Sawvel or the book visit www.ClassicWritingPR.com

A Reading by Julie Enszer

Author, Handmade Love, Editor, Milk & Honey: A Celebration of Jewish Lesbian Poetry, Co-Editor, Sinister Wisdom

Julie R. Enszer is the author of Handmade Love (A Midsummer Night’s Press, 2010) and Sisterhood, a chapbook (Seven Kitchens Press, 2010). 

She is the editor of Milk and Honey: A Celebration of Jewish Lesbian Poetry (A Midsummer Night’s Press, 2011), which is a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Poetry. 

She has her MFA from the University of Maryland and is enrolled currently in the PhD program in Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland. She is a regular book reviewer for the Lambda Book Report and Calyx. You can read more of her work atwww.JulieREnszer.com.

Color of Sound is a concept as much as it is an ensemble in the traditional sense. The ensemble practices a set of shared intentions for the co-creation of spontaneous music and embraces a diversity of styles, instruments, traditions, and players. While the ensemble members may change with each performance, the goal of creating coherent music through listening and honoring each others creativity is paramount. Color of Sound concerts push the boundaries of artistic disciplines and have included musicians, poets, electronics, laptops, and contact improvisation dancers.

Performers for this concert will include:

Jennifer Bernard, oboe

Seetha Shivaswamy, flute

Stephanie Phillips, viola

Tonya Lyles, percussion

Jessica Valls, bass