Attend the free creative writing workshop this Saturday, Dec.1 from 1-3pm at the South Natomas library branch located at 2901 Truxel Road . This workshop is an introduction to the genres of creative writing (creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry). All materials will be supplied and snacks available. Teens (13-18) will be eligible to submit their writing to the "Heroes" anthology. This workshop is taught by Trina L. Drotar, local poet, writer, editor, and artist. She is the former editor "Poetry Now" and "Calaveras Station." She is active in the Sacramento literary and arts community and received her MA from CSUS. Registration is requested. To register, please click here.  

“Telling stories without shame” is the goal of a new digital magazine published by Sacramento writer and editor Janna Marlies Santoro. The premiere issue of Under the Gum Tree was released this month, and Santoro said she asked contributors to write creative nonfiction that showcases important moments in people’s lives, as told by them. One writer, Sarah Heffron, wrote about her own unplanned pregnancy. “It’s a snapshot of the days just before and the moments after finding out I was pregnant,” she said. While the “creative nonfiction” genre leaves some question as to how much is true, Santoro said all of the stories are true, but sometimes dialogue is written from memory and timelines

Dave Eggers spoke about his book, “Zeitoun,” at the Crest Theatre Wednesday in the feature event of the sixth-annual One Book Sacramento: Connecting Our Communities. In her opening remarks, Sacramento Public Library Director Rivkah Sass mentioned the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (Aug. 29) and the flood threat to the Sacramento region as reasons the library selected “Zeitoun.” Eggers took the stage in hiking boots and a pinstripe jacket. He was joined by interviewer Joseph Palermo, associate professor of American history at Sacramento State. Palermo has written two books on Robert F. Kennedy and blogs at The Huffington Post. “Zeitoun” narrates the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun,