Presentation by Lois W. Stern

Author Tim Dorsey to Speak at SCF Venice

(Bradenton, Fla., February 12, 2014) – State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) Venice language and literature department will host a discussion and book signing by author Tim Dorsey at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, at SCF Venice, 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, building 800, Selby Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Dorsey, author of Florida-based mystery novels, will discuss his writing experience and his works, including his most recent novel, "Tiger Shrimp Tango." He will sign books following the event, and some books will be available for sale.

His novels chronicle the adventures of main character Serge A. Storms, an insane yet lovable serial killer, who tries to make Florida a better place to live.

A former newspaper journalist and editor who grew up in Florida, Dorsey combines his experience covering crime and courts with his knowledge of Florida history to create light-hearted mystery novels. His other novels include "Pineapple Grenade," "Triggerfish Twist," "When Elves Attack," "Hurricane Punch," "Atomic Lobster" and "Nuclear Jellyfish."

For more information, contact Beverly Brown at 941-408-1404 or Rich McKee, SCF language and literature instructor, atmckeer@scf.edu. Maps and directions are online at scf.edu/maps.

January 29th, 2014

“It was a dark and stormy night....” Apologies to Edward Bulwer-Lytton, but for Florida, it was a cold and rainy, if not really stormy, night and I was surprised to see 17 names on the sign-in sheet. I expected the turnout to be quite a bit smaller. Die hard writers, this group.

We greeted new guests Mary and Jim Hanna from San Francisco, and Dennis Quinn, from Massachusetts via Alabama, who is also a seasonal resident, but hopefully, they will be full time members while they are here in our odd little corner of paradise.

First, my sincere apologies to everyone for unintentionally skewing our calendar, and our schedule, by slipping everything back in January due to the scheduled meeting that would have been held on the 1^st! I wouldn't have made it to any writers meeting on New Years Day, and I'm sure there wouldn't have been as much of a turnout on the unofficial National College football day as we had this last meeting. I scheduled a meeting on January 29^th to fill the gap and everything scheduled behind that went in the proverbial dumper. We resume our regular schedule on Wednesday, the 5^th, and will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month as always.

Rod DiGruttolo handled the duties as MC and allowed me to make several announcements, including a reminder about the upcoming Dearborn Street Book festival in Englewood. While we are past he deadline for writing entries, table space may still be obtained at www.facebook.comDSBookFest.

Due to the short week turnaround, and my being out of town for three days, this blog will be uncharacteristically truncated. We opened with Bill Elam reading “The Physician”, Don Westerfield reading his “The Man Who Never Was – along with the poem “High Flight” – and George Collias, who has a screenplay in the oven, followed by the delightful Kathleen Schwartz and her bi-polar cat. 

Jim Kelly brought more than enough copies of his great poetry, and a story about the fifth graders he so diligently works with. “Lightning looks like a strip of death,” a marvelous comment from one of his young understudies, followed by Cathy Marine and her next chapter of her non-fiction “Wings in the Water.” Suzi Lynch read for only the second time, and once again enthralled the group. “Wonder what I would have thought of myself at that age?” and nuances – twenty-five at a time... Great stuff.

Jenny Oberg continued the reading with “Observations at a Red Light,” followed by George Mindling with an excerpt from a published Waterline article from years ago. We wrapped up the evening with the introduction to Rod DiGruttola's sinister character “Horace.” I have the advantage here of having read ahead, chapter 4 is a real change for Rod, and is outstanding stuff. I can't give anything away here, it'll come out at the next meeting, Wednesday, Feb 5^th.  If I left anything out, my apologies yet once again.

George