Local businessman and former high school coach Leroy Nelson will be discussing his book, Where Do We Go From Here? at the next WordFest on Tuesday, July 9, beginning at 6:00 pm, at the Cassava Coffeehouse, 1333 Broadway in Longview.
The book is subtitled “How to Prepare in This Life for the Next.” In his late seventies, Leroy began a serious study of the end-of-life. An uncanny experience accompanying the death of a dear friend prompted him to explore the literature and accounts of death and the possibility of personal consciousness surviving the physical demise of the body.
Now 84, he has produced a book of his research and thoughts. The result is not a religious book, he says, nor is it anti-religious. It reflects different spiritual traditions, East and West, as well as findings from the psychological and sociological disciplines.
Through his studies, he hopes that others will benefit from what he has learned. “It’s all about calming unsettled souls and dealing with unhealthy fears,” says Leroy. At WordFest, he will read and discuss his personal explorations that resulted in the book and take questions from the audience.
Steve Anderson will be reading from the third book of his trilogy, Book of Hours, which centers on the modern restoration of a fourteenth-century prayer book that has been mysteriously hidden away since its creation.
In this final volume, the Book of Hours is complete and sent for binding and presentation to Pope Gregory, but Brother Alphaios is summarily locked out of the scriptorium where he has done his master work. He finds himself exiled to the cold, colorless monastery that lies at the center of the cacophonous, irrepressible city he has come to love.
Steve “wages his battles with sentence construction and sequence” in Longview.
Tania Spaulding, a teacher and writer who has worked in public education and law enforcement, will be reading a selection of her poetry and memoirs, recounting her spiritual journey and struggles. She enjoys art, music, gardening, cooking, and water sports.
There will be an open mic period following the presentations.
The monthly gathering of readers and writers meets the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 PM, at Cassava. The events are free and open to the public.
Cassava offers a dinner menu for those who wish to enjoy a meal with the readings, as well as local wines and brews.
For more information, contact Alan Rose at www. Alan-rose.com.