Between the Lines: 'Tarzan' turns 100

If you're a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs' stories, get ready for the centennial celebration of his first Tarzan novel, "Tarzan of the Apes" (1912).

The jungle bash is being sponsored by the Sacramento Public Library and the Northern California Mangani, a national chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles. BB is a "worldwide organization of aficionados who share a love for the works and characters of … Burroughs" (www.burroughsbibliophiles.com).

The celebration-conference will include discussion panels, presentations, movies and Tarzan memorabilia.

Speaking will be Burroughs historians Richard and Pat Lupoff (he wrote "Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs"); Tom Yeates, the "Tarzan" comic book artist who draws the syndicated "Prince Valiant" comic strip; Burroughs authority David Lemmo, who will speak on Tarzan's place in modern mythology; and other historians and collectors.

The free two-day event will be noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Central Library, 828 I St., Sacramento.

Bonus: An assortment of "Tarzan" books, comics, collectibles and memorabilia is on display in the Central Library's first-floor lobby and second-floor Sacramento Room, through Sept. 30.

Information: (916) 264-2920, www.saclibrary.org.

A varied list from a reader

Gayman Wong of Elk Grove addressed his long list of summer reading recommendations to "my fellow bookworms," with brief comments. This is a sampling of the many titles he wishes to share:

• "Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West – One Meal at a Time" by Stephen Fried: "A delicious biography!"

• "Thunderstruck" by Erik Larson: "Guglielmo Marconi's new telegraph system, juxtaposed with an almost perfect murder. If you liked Larson's 'The Devil in the White City,' you'll like this one."

• "One From the Hart" by Stefanie Powers: "A memoir, with interesting information about the William Holden Wildlife Reserve in Africa."

• "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat" by Gwen Cooper: "A delightful true story for anyone who has ever loved an animal."

• "Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe" by Laurence Bergreen: "A wondrous, terrifying adventure."

• "84 Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff: "A charming classic. See the movie with Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench."

• "The Moonflower Vine" by Jetta Carleton: "Not one misplaced word."

• "Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly: "Very good history of events before and after Lincoln's assassination. Not political."

And some picks by Al

Add these eclectic titles to your nightstand, e-reader, library or coffeetable:

• "The Saga of Lake Tahoe" by E.B. Scott (Sierra-Tahoe Publishing Co., $58 plus shipping, 519 pages): First published in 1957, this is a fascinating look back at Lake Tahoe before its development. With 280 photos and 51 chapters that take readers on a historical journey. Available from the publisher at (510) 635-7233.

• "Skygirls" by Bruce McAllister and Stephan Wilkinson (Roundup, $49.95, 240 pages): This campy "photographic history of airline stewardesses" takes you back to the glory days of commercial airline travel, when the job of flight attendant was glamorous and flying was fun.

• "Gone" by Randy Wayne White (Putnam, $25.95, 336 pages): The Florida fishing guide-turned-novelist, known for his Doc Ford thriller series, creates a new protagonist. Hannah Smith is a fishing guide turned reluctant PI when a client hires her to track his missing niece.

• "The Dog With the Old Soul" by Jennifer Basye Sander (Harlequin, $12.95, 192 pages): Twenty-seven pet owners – including many from the Sacramento area – tell their true stories of the "love, hope and joy" that animals have brought to their lives. Sacramento-based Sander is the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing" and leads the Write by the Lake retreat.

• "Tahoe Trap" by Todd Borg (Thriller Press, $16.95, 351 pages): Lake Tahoe-based Borg returns with the 10th title in his Owen McKenna PI series. This time out, McKenna must save a young boy targeted by two killers.

• "Coloma" by Betty Sederquist (Arcadia, $21.99, 127 pages): The history of the Gold Rush town, as told in vintage photographs and text blocks.

• "Misfit" by Adam Braver (Tin House, $15.95, 304 pages): In the last week of her tragic life, Marilyn Monroe stayed at Frank Sinatra's Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe. Former Sacramentan Braver imagines that scenario, plus scenes from Monroe's marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.

• "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway (Scribner, $27, 352 pages; with a forward by Patrick Hemingway): Hemingway often said that he had written 39 alternative endings to this tragic love story. This special edition has them all.

• "Have Mother, Will Travel" by Claire and Mia Fontaine (William Morrow, $24.99, 320 pages): The mom is 51, the daughter is 25, and their relationship is about to sink. Perhaps a five-month global adventure will help get things back on keel.

• "Dancing in the Fountain" by Karen McCann (Cafe Society, $13.95, 232 pages): The author has visited 30-some countries and has lived in Seville, Spain, since 2004. McCann shares her tips for self- reinvention, telling others "how to enjoy living abroad."

• "A Wilderness of Error" by Errol Morris (Penguin, $29.95, 544 pages): Morris has spent 20 years investigating the case of Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald, convicted of murdering his wife and daughters in the 1970s. Morris' conclusions are startling.

• "Second Chance" by Stephen J. Weiss (Military History, $39.95, 408 pages): In his excellent memoir, the highly decorated Army veteran recalls his intense experiences during and after the liberation of France in World War II, from 1943 to 1946.

AUTHOR APPEARANCE

FRIDAY

Michael Panush is a busy guy. He has long been a contributor to a variety of e-zines, supplemented by his books "Clark Reeper Tales: The Truthful Telling of the Adventures of the West's Wildest Bounty Hunter" and two volumes of the "Stein and Candle Detective Agency" series. Wild stuff.

Now the 22-year-old Sacramentan has published Volume 1 of "Dinosaur Jazz," set on Acheron Island, "a world lost to time, home to prehistoric creatures from Earth's savage past" (Curiosity Quills, $12.99, 322 pages).

Also living on the island is Sir Edwin Crowe, the "last of the world's gentleman adventurers." When corporate exploiters invade the island, Crowe and his "small band of cohorts" become "the last hope for a lost world."

You can catch Panush at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Avid Reader, 617 Second St., Davis; (530) 758-4040.

Panush is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Among other awards and honors, he was named a California Arts Scholar in 2007 and attended the Innerspark Summer Writing Program at the CalArts Institute.

• Read more articles by Allen Pierleoni

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