Oregon Reads: Dozens of local authors to attend Authors & Artists Fair at Lane Events Center

Oregon authors have had time to write a lot of interesting new books during two years of pandemic isolation. Many of these books are hitting the shelves just in time for this year’s holidays. Here are some of my favorites — as well as, shamelessly, a new book of my own.

All of the authors whose books I’m featuring will be appearing at Eugene book-signing events in the next two weeks. The Authors & Artists Fair will host 39 authors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Lane Events Center. Admission is free. A portion of book sales goes to benefit the Lane Library League, a nonprofit volunteer group that recently raised $12,000 to help rebuild the burned library in Blue River. The event also will feature the works of nine local artists.

The following weekend, nine local authors will be at Authors in the Alley in the Fifth Street Market Alley in downtown Eugene from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.

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Ken Babbs

“It’s the truth, even if it didn’t happen”: This is how Ken Babbs starts his just-released memoir, "Cronies: Adventures with Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, the Merry Pranksters, and the Grateful Dead." All memoirs should probably be classified as “faction,” and this one is a hoot, recounting the hijinks of Babbs’ long friendship with Ken Kesey. Did Babbs really commandeer a pedicab at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, crash it into a pond and then coin a Prankster credo? Babbs' highly readable reminiscences follow the full arc of the counterculture movement that two literary Kens helped launch in the 1960s.

Related: Ed McClanahan, 'Merry Prankster' and Kentucky author, dead at 89

David Wagner

David Wagner may be the country’s foremost expert on liverworts, but most of us know him as the entertaining naturalist who publishes the Oregon Nature Calendar and the “It’s About Time” column for Eugene Weekly. Now he’s collected his writings in "A Lane County Almanac," with gardening tips, bird-watching advice, essays and scientific observations on the seasons. The book is gloriously illustrated with his pen-and-ink drawings of flowers, ferns, birds, frogs, mushrooms and, yes, liverworts.

Marli Miller

Marli Miller, the Eugene geologist who wrote the "Roadside Geology of Oregon," is back. This time she has an even more readable popular science book, "Oregon Rocks! A Guide to 60 Amazing Geologic Sites." Profusely illustrated with color photos and color geologic maps, the new book digs into the prehistory of Spencer Butte, Cape Perpetua, McKenzie Pass and more.

L.J. Sellers

Crime may not pay, but Eugene author L.J. Sellers’ two dozen novels demonstrate that crime writing might. This year, her beloved Eugene police detective Jackson is facing a puzzling new case that mirrors a real event. Sellers explains, “When I traveled to Costa Rica to visit my grandchildren, I ended up rescuing them from a dangerous cult and running through the jungle from armed men. The horrific conditions those kids were living under formed the characters’ background in my new thriller, 'The Black Pill.' ”

Valerie Brooks

Remember Val, the redheaded mom from Jan Eliot’s “Stone Soup” cartoons? Eliot based that character on a very real Eugene writer, Valerie Brooks. Brooks recently published the second in a trilogy of mystery thrillers about Angeline Porter, a criminal lawyer who runs afoul of the Boston mob and hides out in Kauai. Don’t be confused if the series seems to be numbered backwards. "Revenge in 3 Parts" came first, and "Tainted Times 2" is the latest.

Francesca Varela

With two degrees in environmental studies, it’s no surprise Francesca Varela’s new novel, "Blue Mar," is categorized as “cli fi” – climate fiction. The genre sounds depressing, but Varela is such a gifted writer that you fall for her characters, two spunky Latina sisters in a dusty Californian town, and only gradually realize how dystopian their climate-changed world is. One of them escapes to Blue Mar, an artificial island built of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, while the other tries her luck in El Salvador, the “paradise” of their grandfather. This book is likely to win even more awards than Varela’s last, "The Seas of Distant Stars." In that novel, a girl is abducted by aliens, grows up on another planet and returns to find that Earth seems weird.

Bob Welsh

Former Eugene Register-Guard columnist Bob Welch has turned his storytelling skills toward biographies of interesting people — a pole vaulter, a nurse who died in the D-Day invasion and now the World War II paratrooper made famous in the Steven Spielberg HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers." While interviewing Sgt. Dan Malarkey in Salem, Welch discovered a twist to that story. Malarkey had later formed an important friendship with a German soldier from the same battle. The result is "Saving My Enemy," where we relive the Battle of the Bulge and learn what came afterwards.

Valarie Anderson

Valarie Anderson tells a different World War II story in her new book, "Pearl Harbor’s Final Warning." She had always known that her grandfather ran a radiogram office in Honolulu during the Japanese attack. After his death, she discovered a suitcase in his house full of original documents — including the coded message that could have prevented the disaster. Years of additional research enabled her to write the complete story of the plots, codes, snafus and personalities surrounding what we now call Pearl Harbor Day.

Leigh Anne Jasheway

Leigh Anne Jasheway, the former Eugene Slug Queen and long-time Eugene Register-Guard humor columnist, has written two dozen hilarious books about dogs, feminism, politics and ping-pong balls. Her latest, "Excuse Me for Yelling!," is a collection of pandemic blogs focusing on “loud and funny thoughts,” mostly about feminism and politics. You’ve got to laugh when she replaces the word “books” with “boobs” in quotations by famous people, as when Jorge Luis Borges writes, “I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.”

Jesse Springer

You’ve chuckled at Jesse Springer’s political cartoons in The Register-Guard for years, but did you save them all? Just in time for the holidays, he’s published "Only in Oregon," a collection of 250 cartoons from the past 14 years. Wisely, Springer added commentary for each, so we can recall exactly how tumultuous the issues were. The amazing thing, in retrospect, is how carefully he threaded through the culture wars of timber, taxes and politicians, finding humor that everyone can appreciate.

Kenneth Helphand

Now that the U.S. has more than 6,000 brew pubs and craft brewers, interest in that magically bitter flavoring ingredient, hops, is so great that emeritus University of Oregon landscape architecture professor Kenneth L. Helphand is able to devote an entire book to historic photographs of the Oregon “hopscape.” From 1902 to 1940, Oregon was the nation’s leading producer of the viney crop, including at the Seavey farm outside Springfield. Tens of thousands of hop pickers — children, women, immigrants, Native Americans — filled tent cities each August. Hops is a gorgeous picture book showing those people amid the mesmerizing geometry of 18-foot-tall trellises.

Dorothy Brown Soper

After serving with the Peace Corps in the West African country of Ghana, Dorothy Brown Soper was so fascinated by the Akan tribespeople that she taught elementary school classes about African culture and history. Now she has woven that knowledge into an epic novel for middle schoolers, "We Are Akan: Our People and Our Kingdom in the Rainforest: Ghana, 1807." The book follows the daily lives of a chief’s son and a slave’s son as they grow up in an era when the dwindling European slave trade is still a very real threat.

Thomas Warner

Keeping Eugene weird is a minor goal compared to the task that native Eugenean Thomas Warner has undertaken. He traveled the country in search of quirky places with interesting stories. He’s illustrated his findings in a new, light-hearted book, "Have You Been to Blue Earth, Minnesota: An Offbeat Guide to the Fifty States." What secret does he reveal about Oregon? The high desert town of Plush was named for a gambling Paiute who couldn’t pronounce the poker term “flush.”

William Sullivan

As for myself (William Sullivan), you’d think I would have been kept busy updating my hiking guidebooks after all the local forest fires. I was, but the pandemic also gave me enough time to finish the third in my series of historical novels about Vikings. My wife’s background is Danish, so I’ve been writing books about ships excavated in Scandinavia. The first two dealt with Norway and Denmark. The latest, "The Ship in Woods," follows the Swedish Vikings who conquered Russia and besieged Constantinople. It’s one of many local books for a merry Yule.

Oregon's 'Dune': Sci-fi classic 'Dune,' now on the big screen, was inspired by Florence, Oregon

Authors at the Authors & Artists Fair

Thirty-nine authors will autograph their books at the Authors & Artists Fair at the Lane Events Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Here’s the complete list, arranged alphabetically.

• Debra Whiting Alexander: "A River for Gemma," a novel about a young woman who is pigeonholed as intellectually disabled.

• Valarie Anderson (only 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.): "Pearl Harbor’s Final Warning," nonfiction about a message that arrived too late to avoid the surprise attack, and "Money Eater: Bernard Otto Kuehn," a nonfiction account of the German who spied for the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.

• Dan Armstrong: "The Jewel Case," a novel based on Sigmund Freud’s famous psychoanalysis patient. Also, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and other historical novels.

• A. Lynn Ash: "Dark Canyon Diary," the third in her series of adventure memoirs, finds her camping alone in the Southwest in search of “her dark canyon.”

• Ken Babbs (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): "Cronies: Adventures with Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, the Merry Pranksters, and the Grateful Dead."

• Joe Blakely: "William Lovell Finley: Champion of Oregon’s Wildlife Refuges," and other books about Oregon history.

• Valerie Brooks: "Tainted Times Two," book two in the Angeline Porter mystery series.

• Tyler Burgess: "Watercolors of Eugene Homes: A 2022 Calendar," "Diary of Prince William Forest Park Days" and other sketchbooks of cycling and walking adventures.

• Carola Dunn (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): "The Corpse at Crystal Palace" and many other cozy murder mysteries set in England.

• Pat Edwards: "The Life and Letters of Captain John O’Brien," "The Baileys of Bailey Hill" and other nonfiction books about Lane County history.

• Michael Foster: "Life Is . . ., Eden Found," "Through Time: Stories" and other works of fiction about the future or the pioneer West.

• Penelope Freed (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): "Toe to Toe" is the first of five books in her “On Pointe” series of novels about ballet for young adult readers. "Crossed Stars" is the first in a new young-adult romance series.

• Patsy Hand: "Concussion" (a thriller set in Italy), "The Last Black Horse" and "The Lost Dogs of Rome."

• David Hascall (only 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.): "The Angel’s Backbone," a pioneer history of the Barlow Road portion of the Oregon Trail, "What Could You Be?," a children’s book about a pioneer Oregon girl, and several novels about Oregon history.

• Kenneth Helphand: "Hops," an illustrated history of hop-growing in Oregon.

• Ann Herrick: "Stuck in a Boys Camp!" and many other novels for middle-grade readers.

• Evelyn Searle Hess: "Shoulder to Shoulder: Working Together for a Sustainable Future," "To the Woods" and "Building a Better Nest."

• Nina Kiriki Hoffman (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): Many fantasy and science fiction novels, and "The Short Story Cookbook," a how-to guide to creating stories using dice and lists of ingredients.

• Leigh Anne Jasheway: "Excuse Me For Yelling! Loud & Funny Thoughts on Being a Woman in the 21st (Going on 13th) Century," "Show Us Your Wits" and other humor books by the former Register-Guard humor columnist.

• Lauren Kessler (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): "A Grip of Time: When Prison Is Your Life" and many other nonfiction books, often about pathbreaking women.

• Donna McFarland: Don’t Be Like Debbie: A Guide to KDP Formatting for Authors and Illustrators, a how-to guide for self-publishing print and eBooks.

• Marli B. Miller: "Oregon Rocks! A Guide to 60 Amazing Geologic Sites" and "Roadside Geology of Oregon."

• Diana Lynne Nadeau: "Pola’s Flower," an award-winning children’s book about a girl growing up in Tibet during the Chinese takeover.

• Gregory Nokes (only 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.): "Breaking Chains: Slavery on Trial in the Oregon Territory" and other books about Oregon history.

• Cynthia Pappas: "Gather," a memoir of life on a family farm, and “Homespun,” essays about farming and friendship.

• Danuta Pfeiffer: "Libertas," an award-winning historical novel about two runaway slaves seeking freedom on the Oregon Trail.

• Jerry Rust: "The Covered Bridge Murders," a mystery involving Opal Whitely by the former Lane County commissioner.

• L.J. Sellers: "The Black Pill," the latest in her series of Detective Jackson murder mysteries set in Eugene. “No Consent” is the first in a new Conner & Hitch mystery series.

• Dorcas Smucker (only 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.): "Tea and Trouble Brewing" and other collections of her columns about Harrisburg farm life from The Register-Guard.

• Dorothy Brown Soper: "We Are Akan: Our People and Our Kingdom in the Rainforest: Ghana, 1807," historical fiction for middle schoolers, with illustrations by Eugene artist James Cloutier.

• Jesse Springer: "Only in Oregon," a collection of cartoons and commentary by the Eugene Register-Guard political cartoonist.

• William Sullivan: "Hiking Trails of the Pacific Northwest," a coffee-table picture book, "The Ship in the Woods," the third in his series of Viking historical novels, and the new edition of "100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades," updated since the fires.

• Janis Thompson: "Bundle, Steam, Print! Edo-Print & Botanicals Recipe Book," a guide to making decorative prints with leaves and flowers.

• Tom Titus: "Dancing With an Apocalypse," essays on the natural world and the pandemic.

• Francesca Varela: "Blue Mar," a novel of the near future about an artificial island built on a garbage patch in the Pacific, "Listen," an eco-romance abut music, and "The Seas of Distant Stars," a science fiction novel about a girl abducted by aliens.

• David Wagner: "A Lane County Almanac," nature notes, gardening tips and essays about local natural history, and "Oregon Nature Calendar 2022."

• Thomas Warner: "Have You Been to Blue Earth, Minnesota: An Offbeat Guide to the Fifty States."

• Herb Wisner: "My Life and Then Some: A Memoir? "The 99-year-old Eugene conservationist, birdwatcher, and emeritus UO professor proves his memory and wit are as sharp as ever with these entertaining reminiscences from a long life well lived.

• Ken Woody: "After Further Review: An Inside Look at What’s Really Happening on the Football Field" by The Register-Guard football columnist.

Local library hours

• All three Eugene Public Library locations return to pre-pandemic hours

• Springfield Public Library announces extended weekday hours

Artists at the Authors & Artists Fair

Nine artists also will be displaying their work at the Dec. 11 fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lane Events Center.

• Kay Beckham: ornaments, cards, and prints

• Sue Bradley: fused glass night lights, ornaments and functional artwork

• Dune Erickson: blank books, coloring books and cards

• Ellen Gabehart: calendars, cards and prints

• Dave Imus: maps and cartographic art

• Debbie McDaniel: kiln-formed glass art

• Lynn Peterson: tiles, ornaments, cars and whimsical clay birds

• Janell Sorensen: paintings, prints, watercolors and cards

• Valley Calligraphy Guild: calligraphy, note cards, gift tags and quotations

$250,000 gift: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library expand to more Lane County kids

William L. Sulllivan is the author of 22 books, including “The Ship in the Woods” and the updated “100 Hikes” series for Oregon. Learn more at oregonhiking.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Reads: Dozens of local authors to attend Authors & Artists Fair