Presented by Republic Coffee

June 17-August 19, 2010

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Reading, Writing and Republic Republic Coffee kicks off series of writers forums June 17 Republic Coffee will kick off “Reading, Writing and Republic,” a series of forums beginning this Thursday evening. First up is Memphian Cal Bray, author of If Those Shoes Could Talk, Thursday, June 17 from 7:30 pm until 8:30 pm. Other writers in the series include Rebecca Skloot, New York Times best-selling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Memphis music legend George Klein, writer of Elvis: My Best Man.

The forums are open to the public and attendees are encouraged to come with questions for the authors. The full slate of authors is below. Each forum will be held at Republic Coffee and will begin at 7:30 pm.

Thursday, July 15—Latrivia Nelson, Dmitry’s Closet. Urban Fiction and Interracial Romance readers nationwide immediately flocked to the bestselling multicultural phenomenon released in January of 2010, Dmitry’s Closet, a racy action-adventure about a Russian mobster and an African-American virginal heroine battling for their love in the Southern city of Memphis, Tennessee. Author Latrivia S. Nelson sat on internet bestseller lists across the country for over 4 weeks as people talked about the fusion of two popular but distinct genres. Now Nelson is dropping the second book in the Medlov Crime Family Series, Dmitry’s Royal Flush: Rise of the Queen on July 5, 2010 and fans nationwide are excited.

Thursday, June 17—Cal Bray, If Those Shoes Could Talk. If Those Shoes Could Talk is a toe-twitching story of a man who discovers a smelly truth; his shoes are talking to him. Slip on your favorite slippers and jump feet-first into this hilarious tale of wacky shoes and a man’s quest to discover why on earth he can communicate with footwear. You will laugh, cry, scream, and gasp in fear as you discover what your shoes might be saying about you. One thing is for certain; you will never look at your shoes the same way again.

Author Cal Bray has been a teacher, songwriter, and worship leader and is the writer of Growing with God Together as well as the inspirational song, ‘Follow Me, I heard Jesus Say.’ Cal presently lives in Tennessee with his wife and continues to travel and share more experiences for all to enjoy.

Thursday, June 24—Rebecca Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot is a science writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, Discover, Prevention, Glamour, and others. Ten years in the making, her first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (forthcoming Feb. 2, 2010), is a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick. A starred Publishers Weekly review called it, “A remarkable debut … recalls Adrian Nicole LeBlanc’s Random Family … A rich, resonant tale of modern science, the wonders it can perform and how easily it can exploit society’s most vulnerable people.” Thursday, July 1—Off for holiday weekend.

Thursday, July 8—Dennis McDougal, Five Easy Decades. With the publication of the Jack Nicholson biography Five Easy Decades, Dennis McDougal has authored a total of nine books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles in a career that has spanned over 40 years. Currently, he is working on The Acid Chronicles, a documentary film about the history and renaissance of LSD as a powerful tool in the treatment of mental illness. Before he began covering movies and media for the Los Angeles Times in 1983 and, more recently, the New York Times, McDougal was a staff writer at the Riverside Press-Enterprise (1973-1977) and the Long Beach Press-Telegram (1977-1981). A UCLA graduate, McDougal holds a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in Journalism.

Thursday, July 22—Jennifer Chandler, Simply Salads. Author and Chef Jennifer Chandler, delivers over 100 creative recipes you can make in minutes-showing that anyone can create a gourmet salad by simply picking up salad mix and adding your favorite ingredients. Chandler’s salad masterpieces also include dressing recommendations, recipes, menu ideas and nutritional information. All the recipes are accompanied by stunning photos of each salad. From the Classic Caesar Salad with Herb Croutons to the Mandarin Chicken Salad with Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette, these recipes are guidelines to getting you started on creating your own satisfying salads with your favorite ingredients. Chandler’s new book, Simply Suppers, will be available September, 2010. A contributing writer to several magazines such as MidSouth Magazine, Nashville Home & Garden, Memphis Magazine, Edible Memphis, Real Food, Pilates Style and Delta Magazine, Jennifer has also been a contributing food columnist for The Commercial Appeal (Memphis’ newspaper). In addition, Jennifer has been featured on the Food Network in two episodes of Dinner Impossible as well as on Martha Stewart’s Every Day Food XM/Sirius Radio Program. Thursday, July 29—Taylor Grey, A Wig for Ally. When Ally is diagnosed with leukemia, her entire world changes. She is forced to deal with mature issues at a young age- being stuck in a hospital, chemotherapy and the psychological effects of hair loss. With the help of her parents, a new friend, and a wig shop owner named Miss Harriet, Ally begins to fight back. She begins visualizing new, creative ways to fight the rogue cells causing her harm. When Ally goes into remission, she knows she is very different from the girl she was before cancer. She has become someone completely different, something even better. By keeping her promises to Harriet, Ally learns to believe in her own strength and the gift of giving back. Memphis’s own Taylor Grey earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. In addition to psychoanalyzing her friends and writing children’s books, Taylor is also an accomplished pilot, avid runner and occasional triathlete. Thursday, August 5—George Klein, Elvis: My Best Man. When George Klein was an eighth grader at Humes High, he couldn’t have known how important the new kid with the guitar—the boy named Elvis—would later become in his life. But from the first time GK (as he was nicknamed by Elvis) heard this kid sing, he knew that Elvis Presley was someone extraordinary. During Elvis’s rise to fame and throughout the wild swirl of his remarkable life, Klein was a steady presence and one of Elvis’s closest and most loyal friends until his untimely death in 1977. In Elvis: My Best Man, a heartfelt, entertaining, and long-awaited contribution to our understanding of Elvis Presley and the early days of rock ’n’ roll, George Klein writes with great affection for the friend he knew—about who the King of Rock ’n’ Roll really was and how he acted when the stage lights were off. This fascinating chronicle of boundary-breaking and music-making through one of the most intriguing and dynamic stretches of American history overflows with insights and anecdotes from someone who was in the middle of it all. From the good times at Graceland to hanging out with Hollywood stars to butting heads with Elvis’s iron-handed manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to making sure that Elvis’s legacy is fittingly honored, GK was a true friend of the King and a trailblazer in the music industry in his own right. Thursday, August 12—G. Wayne Dowdy, Hidden History of Memphis. Step inside the fascinating annals of the Bluff City’s history and discover the Memphis that only few know. G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner’s most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I, the Memphis radio station that pioneered wireless broadcasting and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former mayor E.H. Crump, giving us new insight and a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century. Founded in Midtown Memphis in 1993, Republic Coffee is a privately owned and operated café whose main goal is to bring to market world class coffees and exceptional food. We are purveyors of the world coffee markets and roast bean varieties locally. Republic Coffee is dedicated to the community, striving to support charities and organizations through service in our spaces. Among the numerous organizations Republic Coffee has supported are The Memphis/Mid-South Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, BRIDGES Inc., Shelby Farms’ Down to Earth Day, The Memphis Farmers Market and The Neighborhood School.