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Mayor's Book Talk

For those who love books, “Mayor’s Book Talk” has something for everyone. Join Mayor Pam Iorio as she examines today’s literary environment.

View Guest Author | View Kids Book Description | View Kids Book Discussion Questions

June's Mayor's Book Talk Description

  • Segment one pairs Mayor Iorio up with students from Sam Rampello Downtown Partnership School to engage in group discussions about books relevant to today’s youth.
  • During segment two, Mayor Iorio and experts from Inkwood Books discuss some of today’s most engaging reads and what is popular on the shelves. This month's recommendations include:
    • The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen
    • Black Out by Lisa Unger
    • Clapton by Eric Clapton
    • The Downhill Lie by Carl Hiaasen
    • I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
    • Five Skies by Ron Carlson
    • Gimp by Mark Zupan
    • Magic City by James W. Hall
    • Marley & Me by John Grogan
    • Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
    • The Marriage of True Minds by Stephen Evans
    • The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg
    • Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
    • The Well and the Mine by Gin Phillips
  • Segment three brings local writers into the CTTV studio to discuss their literary works.

June's Guest Author is Enid Shomer

Enid Shomer Mayor Iorio’s guest author on the June episode of “Mayor’s Book Talk” is Enid Shomer, winner of State of Florida’s Gold Medal in Fiction award for her novel Tourist Season: Stories. Tourist Season is a collection of ten brilliant tales of resilient women aged seventeen to seventy, each at a pivotal point in her life. Shomer is also the author of four poetry collections and another collection of stories entitled Imaginary Men.

 

June's Discussion Group Book: Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

by: Betty G. Birney

Betty Birney graduated from Webster College in Webster Groves, Missouri with a major in English. After working in advertising for several years, she eventually moved to Southern California where she has written more than 200 episodes of animated and live-action television programs.  She has received a Writer's Guild of America Award and three Humanitas Prizes for her writing. In 2002, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Madeline. More recently, she received the Christopher Award for Friendship According to Humphry, many children's choice awards for The World According to Humphry and was inducted into the Affton (MO) School District Hall of Fame. In Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, twelve-year-old Eben McAllister dreams of faraway places after he reads a book about the Seven Wonders of the World. He feels doomed to stay on the farm and in his small community of Sassafras Springs until he grows up.
 
The Seven Wonders of Sassalras Springs - Betty Birney

Discussion Questions for At-Home Participation.


1. What do you know about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Which ones would you like to be able to see?

2.What wonders exist in your community? How could you go about uncovering them?

3. Do you think you would like living in Sassafras Springs? Why or why not?

4. If you could accompany Eben on his search for wonders, which person would you spend the most time with?

5. On July 7, 2007 the following were announced as the NEW Seven Wonders of the World:

Great Wall of China
Petra
Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Machu Picchu
Chichen Itza
Colosseum
Taj Mahal

Have you ever visited any of these places?  Which would you most like to?  What do you know about any of these wonders of the world?
 

 

 

 Replay Times:

Sundays at 3:30 p.m.
Mondays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 5 p.m.
Saturdays at 8 a.m.
 

The Mayor’s Book Talk is also available on the online Video/Media Library.


Previous Book Talk Descriptions

 

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