Upcoming Events at the JCC

My very first educational experience was preschool at the Bureau of Jewish Education, part of the JCC. (I'm not Jewish, but it was just around the corner from our house.) So it's nice to come full circle and talk about adult continuing education opportunities at the center.

First up: From Oct. 29 to Nov. 20, the JCC is hosting its annual Katz Festival of Books, with a number of guest speakers and authors. Highlights include David Matthews, Robin Gerber, Jennifer 8. Lee and Louis M. Profeta.

Also coming up: "A Cultural History of Colonial Mexico," with Professor Mel Bloom. He'll discuss music, plastic and visual arts, dance and politics. It's a two-part lecture, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on both Oct. 23 and 30.

I've also added the JCC events calendar to my list of calendars to check regularly, so look for regular updates from this point on.

Author Lecture: Frances Mayes

Italy holds a special place in my heart, and no author has captured its essence as well as Frances Mayes, author of "Under the Tuscan Sun" and several similar books. Want to learn more about Mayes and her Italian experiences? She's speaking at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the IUPUI Campus Center (420 University Blvd.). Her lecture is titled "Writing in Place: Travels with My Notebook." I'd be there in a heartbeat, but I'm already signed up for a quilting class. Drat.

Upcoming Writing Conference

Are you hoping to become the next Great American Novelist? Well, who isn't? Here's a conference to get you on the right track: the Indy BookTalk Conference, Saturday, Oct. 11, at Lawrence North High School.

At sessions throughout the day, you'll learn how to improve your writing, get published or even just set up a great book club. General admission is $49, but there's a discount for groups of six or more, so get your whole book club signed up!

Update: Elizabeth Gilbert Lecture

I just tried to get tickets for tonight's Elizabeth Gilbert lecture, and I'm sorry to report that it's sold out. Drat! I'll have to console myself with my previously scheduled knitting class at the Knit Stop.

Fall Season: Butler University Cultural Calendar

I just flipped through Butler University's fall cultural calendar, and there are several intriguing lectures coming up this season. I'm most excited about several of the science lectures, but you may find something else that appeals to you. Here's the full schedule:

• Sept. 16: "Darwinism, Natural Theology and Moral Values," with speaker Robert Richards.
• Sept. 22: Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps and Sound Portraits.
• Sept. 25: "Community-Centered Leadership: Leading from the Heart," with speaker Wilma Mankiller.
• Oct. 21: "Darwinism and Political Thought," with speaker Carson Holloway.
• Oct. 29: Daniel Pink, author of "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future."
• Nov. 10: "Caring About Our Communities: A Dialogue on Urban Renewal and Social Change in America," with Greg Ballard and several other mayors.
• Nov. 13: Lee Keesler, president and CEO, Arts and Science Council (Charlotte, N.C.)

Here's the schedule for the Visiting Writers Series:

• Sept. 16: Frank Bidart, poet.
• Sept. 29: Sherman Alexie, author of "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian."
• Oct. 8: Thomas Lux, poet.
• Oct. 30: Lan Samantha Chang, author of "Hunger" and "Inheritance."
• Nov. 10: Honor Moore, author of "The Bishop's Daughter."
• Dec. 3: Chris Forhan, poet.

And, finally, here's the schedule for the J. James Woods Lectures in the Sciences and Mathematics:

• Sept. 18: "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)," with speaker Elliot Aronson, a psychologist best known for his work on cognitive dissonance and cooperative learning. The focus of his talk is his new book, "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts."
• Sept. 30: "A Naturalist and Other Beasts," with speaker George B. Schaller, a conservationist who will share his stories of trying to preserve endangered species.
• Dec. 3: "Ancient Fossil Hunters: The Grifin and the Monster of Troy," with speaker Adrienne Mayor, a folklorist and historian of ancient science. She will discuss how ancient fossils influenced Greek and Roman myths.

Author Lecture: Elizabeth Gilbert

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the book I was reading at the time, "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. And guess what? She's in town tomorrow (Wednesday) for a lecture at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. The topic is "Divine Sanity -- Rethinking the Origins of Creativity." Now I have to decide whether to attend the lecture, which will require re-scheduling my introductory knitting class at Knit Stop ...

Here's the rest of the info: 7 p.m. Wednesday, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 100 W. 86th St., $20. Call (317) 846-3404 to reserve your spot.

Author Lecture: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Who doesn't love "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"? That little guy ate through "one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon," all in one day. Everybody can relate to that.

Want to learn more about everybody's favorite caterpillar? The book's author, Eric Carle, will speak at 7 p.m. Friday at North Central High School. The talk is sponsored by the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library; for more details, call (317) 275-4099 or visit the library's events page. The lecture is free.

Visiting Writers

Two interesting events are coming up this month in Butler University's visiting writer series.

On April 9, the university is hosting Chris Abani, a Nigerian author who spent several years as a political prisoner in his war-torn country. His books include "Song for Night," "The Virgin of Flames" and "Becoming Abigail."

On April 16, Michael Chabon will be in town to discuss his books, which include "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," "Wonder Boys," "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" (which won the Pulitzer Prize) and "The Yiddish Policemen's Union."

Both lectures take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Atherton Union Reilly Room. Admission is free; no reservation required.