Come to the Thursday, Nov. 3 KWG meeting and enjoy a talk by Alan Gratz, acclaimed writer of young adult novels, television scripts and plays! Gratz will tell the audience ten important things he learned from writing books with his editors at Penguin. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. at the Laurel Theater on the corner of Laurel Ave. and 16th St. A $2.00 donation is requested. The building is handicap accessible.

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently featured three poems written by Donna Doyle, Consumer and Patient Health Information Specialist and Evening Supervisor in Preston Medical Library, including "The Kiss" in the June 22/29 issue, "Intensive Care" in the July 13 issue and "Storm Damage" in the July 20 issue. To date, JAMA has published four of Doyle's poems, publishing "Stroke" in the February 24, 2010 issue. According to Poet's Market, JAMA receives approximately 750 poems per year and accepts only 7 percent.Doyle first used poetry as a healing outlet several years ago when she wrote a poem about her father's terminal battle with cancer. Today, her poems in JAMA are still centered on a loved one's medical condition, this time reflecting as the wife of an aortic trauma patient.

Jo Ann Pantanizopoulos

Kay Newton and friends from the Knoxville Writers' Guild will read poetry at the opening reception for "Waxing Poetic Justice", encaustic paintings by Neranza Noel Blount, on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 2-4 p.m. The event will be at the Rose Center and Council for the Arts, 442 West Second North Street, in Morristown. The readings will be from 4-4:30. The events are free and open to the public. There will be a beekeeping exhibit by Andy Marathe in an adjacent gallery. The exhibits will run Nov. 6-23.

John McPhee

Pulitzer Prize-winning author John McPhee, frequent writer for The New Yorker, will give a rare public reading of "Adventures in the Ordinary." The event will be Saturday, Nov. 12, at 10 a.m. at the Main Nashville Pubiic Library. Ticket distribution begins around 9:00 a.m., and doors open at 9:45 a.m. Info: http://literaryaward.nashvillepubliclibrary.org/    

In a deal that will unite the country's two largest religion book publishers, HarperCollins, parent company of Zondervan, has reached an agreement to acquire Nashville-based Thomas Nelson. HC expects to close the purchase before the end of the year, according to a report in Publishers' Weekly.

HC CEO Brian Murray said the publisher was attracted to Nelson because of its "great content and great authors." He said Nelson is more broad based than Zondervan and is a leader in the inspirational market Nelson has had one of the bestselling books of the year in "Heaven Is for Real."

Nelson and Zondervan are the dominant Bible publishers in the Christian market.

The purchase of Nelson is the largest in the book publishing industry this year, and the largest in several years. HC will also be Nelson's third owner in 18 months.