Nancy McKinley, Prize-winning writer & founding member of the Fiction Faculty of the Wilkes University Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing, speaking about--and reading from--her new novel-in-stories, "St. Christopher on Pluto", which is set in northeastern PA and was issued by West Virginia University Press in December 2019.

Nancy McKinley will read from her work on Thursday, January 9, 2020, at the Darte Center on the Wilkes campus, 239 South River Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre. Admission is free and the program begins an 7:00 p.m., as part of the Maslow Foundation Salon Reading Series.

www.wilkes.edu www.mckinleywrite.com

Dr. Robert Wolensky, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point, Author and Coordinator of Anthracite Mining Heritage Month, speaking about the events scheduled to take place throughout January 2020 around northeastern PA and the Lehigh Valley.

Most of the events are free and all are open to the public. A complete listing of the activities can be found on the website of the Anthracite Heritage Foundation--www.ahfdn.org

Nancy McKinley, Author & a Founding Fiction Faculty Member of the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, speaking about her new novel-in-stories, "St. Christopher on Pluto," released in December 2019 by West Virginia University Press. Nancy McKinley will read from her work on Thursday, January 9, 2020 as part of the Maslow Foundation Salon Reading Series at the Darte Center, 239 South River Street on the Wilkes campus, beginning at 7:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

www.wilkes.edu www.mckinleywrite.com/

Dave Jacobson, Board Member of the organization Days of Remembrance based in the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania, speaking about the group and its annual essay writing contest for high school students in Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, or Union counties. The focus each year is the Holocaust.

The deadline for entries is March 14, 2020. Cash prizes will be awarded, and all the details and the entry form can be found on the website www.daysofremembrance.org/

Dr. William Irwin, Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor & Chair of the Philosophy Department at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, speaking about his recent novel, "Little Siddhartha: A Sequel" issued by Shanti Arts Publishing. The book is a sequel to "Siddhartha" by German writer Herman Hesse.

www.kings.edu www.shantiarts.com

Violinist John Michael Vaida & Violist Amy Iwazumi, Co-founders of the Northeastern PA Chamber Music Society, speaking about "A Bohemian Winter", the group's Second Annual Benefit Concert at the Hayfield House on the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman, on Friday, January 10, 2020, at 7:00 pm. Featured will be Dvorak, Haydn, Schoenfield & Pineno. There will be a reception to follow.

Seating is limited and available only online at www.nepacms.org/

Rachael Goetzke Hughes, Writer and Teacher from Schuylkill County, speaking about her writing life and her recent memoir, "Us Girls: My Life Without a Uterus", released by Big Table Publishing.

For information: https://rachaeljhughes.wixsite.com/shewritesforyou or

www.bigtablepublishing.com.

Mary Therese Biebel & David Martin, members of the Dance Committee of the Wyoming Valley Contra Dance, speaking about the tradition of New England Contra Dancing and the first dance of 2020 on Saturday, January 4, at the Church of Christ Uniting, 776 Market Street in Kingston, PA, just across the River from Wilkes-Barre. Dancing starts at 7:00 p.m. with a beginner's run-through at 6:45 pm.

There is a requested admission fee at the door.

For more information on Facebook or www.folkloresociety.org/

Mark Stavish of northeastern PA, authority on Western spiritual traditions, speaking about the Winter Solstice and winter holiday traditions. He is author of 26 books including "The Path of Alchemy," "Kabbalah for Health & Wellness" and "Egregores".

For more information: facebook.com/mark.stavish.5

Susan Morelock, Assistant Professor of Photography & New Media at Moravian College in Bethlehem, speaking about the exhibition, "Light From the End of the Earth", which she curated. The show features work of 7 artists from across the US, and it will run at the Payne Gallery, 346 Main Street in Bethlehem through January 11, 2020.

Open by [email protected]

www.moravian.edu www.susanmorelock.com