Every month, new records are being set for the sale of paintings and other art and decorative artworks – millions of dollars, some of it for what the market calls “untested” work, some of it for masterpieces or cultural icons. But where is all this money coming from, and are there players with less than aesthetic, business, or patriotic motives in the game? The event is free, sponsored by the Friends of the Sausalito Library, and takes place in the City Council Chambers at 420 Litho Street. Plenty of free parking.

Ann Parker, award, LCC co-chair Robin Burcell

Ann Parker, award, LCC co-chair Robin Burcell

Congrats to all the nominees and winners, and cheers to the organizers for a fantastic conference!

• Cara Black’s latest Aimee Leduc mystery, Murder at the Lantern Rouge, appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle Fiction Bestsellers list.
• Rhys Bowen’s new book in the Molly Murphy series, Hush Now Don’t You Cry, made the New York Times extended bestsellers.

Congratulations to both!

Saturday, April 21st, Noon to 3pm

Thirsty Bear 661 Howard Street at Hawthorne (near 2nd)

San Francisco, CA 94105

http://www.thirstybear.com/

BART: Montgomery St. station

$25 members, $30 nonmembers

Lunch buffet includes sandwiches, salad, potatoes, fruit, and coffee or tea.

RSVP by April 13th to norcalmwa@gmail.com

David S. is a licensed private investigator specializing in cults, crime, and undue influence. Conversant in several languages, he’s lived and worked around the world, and currently divides his time between Brazil and the Bay Area. If there’s a big case making news, chances are good he’s involved in the defense, and not just involved— the sort of investigative work he does behind the scenes turns cases. His insight, daring, and initiative have earned him a growing national reputation, particularly for his expertise in cults and psychopaths. In recent years, he’s been sought out as a consultant for television and film on the topics of cult activities, psychological manipulation, and criminal behavior. In the course of his career, he’s interviewed notorious favela gangsters, spent two years dealing with one of California’s most dangerous psychopaths, and been shot at, kidnapped, and threatened repeatedly. Fortunately, he’s been blessed, empowered, awakened, and born again numerous times. He continues to work on some challenging and high-profile criminal cases. What’s more, he’s a passionate reader and friends with a Who’s Who of writers and filmmakers from around the globe. David could tell stories for a week without repeating himself. We’ll hear some of his favorites on Saturday, April 21st, at noon at the Thirsty Bear in San Francisco.

From the site:

This year’s “Authors on the Move: The Plot Thickens, The Future of Libraries” presents keynote speakers, John Lescroart and Lisa Lutz and their current works, The Hunter and the Trail of the Spellmans respectfully. This year marks our 10th annual presentation of the Authors on the Move gala and we are looking forward to a lovely literary evening.

Paul Robins, tv host and anchor for “FOX40 Live”, and avid reader, will be moderating what promises to be a lively dialogue about current trends in book publishing and how those trends could affect libraries, With witty antics and charming torts, Lescroart, Lutz are sure to fill the room with laughter.

In addtion to our guest speakers, we will have 45 local and regional authors visiting guest tables during the evening. We are incredibly excited to present regional authors of this caliber to our guests and look forward to a magical evening. Our book sponsor this year will be The Avid Reader and will have all 45 books for sale the night of the event.

David Sobon is coming back as our auctioneer and we promise to have once in a life time opportunity auction items! And because last year’s Summer Reading Fund-an-Item was so successful, the Library would like us to do it again.

The evening’s meal will be prepared by Executive Chef Ian Libberton of the Hyatt Sacramento and Shenandoah Vineyards and Sobon Estate has generously stepped in as our wine sponsor for the evening. Authors on the Move sells out every year, so reserve your tables early. Reserve your table today

Link to reservations page.

Event info:

Where: Mechanics’ Institute, 57 Post Street, San Francisco

When: 3/22/12, 6-8 pm

Cost: $12/Free to Mechanics’ Institute members

RSVP: rsvp@milibrary.org / (415) 393 – 0100

When: Friday, February 24, 2012, 6:00-8:00pm

Where: Morrison Library (inside Doe Memorial Library), University of California, Berkeley

Map: http://www.berkeley.edu/map/3dmap/3dmap.shtml?doe

Featured Authors:

• Mark Coggins: http://markcoggins.com/

• Janet Dawson: http://www.janetdawson.com/

• Diana Orgain: http://dianaorgain.com/

• Sheldon Siegel: http://sheldonsiegel.com/

• Simon Wood: http://simonwood.net/

Download the reception flyer: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/sfmystery/extras/batb_flyer.pdf

“Bullets Across the Bay” exposes the richness of the University Library collections for the study of detective narrative and genre fiction set in the San Francisco Bay Area. From 19th-century dime novels to today’s bestsellers, the exhibit features examples of novels both iconic and obscure that provide commentary on topics such as cultural diversity and historical events represented in popular literature. It also highlights resources for the academic study of the mystery genre and chronicles the careers and influence of some of the titans of the Bay Area mystery scene: Dashiell Hammett, Anthony Boucher, Marcia Muller, and Bill Pronzini—as well as the work of many other authors whose writing contributes to the wealth of fiction on either side of the Bay Bridge.

The exhibit is on display in the Bernice Layne Brown Gallery through February 29, 2012.

Questions? Contact: rbrandt@library.berkeley.edu

• March 6: the second Professor Sophie Knowles mystery by Ada Madison, THE PROBABILITY OF MURDER, from Berkley Prime Crime.

• April 2: the sixth miniature mystery by Margaret Grace, MIX-UP IN MINIATURE, from Perseverance Press.