Thursday's special edition of the Sacramento Bee Book club will offer readers the rare opportunity to discuss the U.S. Constitution and the notion of a new constitutional convention – and do so with a constitutional scholar.

The Bee Book Club has partnered with the Sacramento Public Library's One Book Sacramento program to present Christopher Phillips and his "Constitution Cafe."

To research and write the book, Phillips "set off on a rollicking cross-country junket to engage Americans of all classes to rewrite the Constitution. Those 'framers' weigh in with wild and worthwhile ideas about how our nation should be governed" (W.W. Norton, $15.95, 336 pages).

Phillips is a senior fellow in the critical writing program at the University of Pennsylvania. Thursday, he will discuss his goal to "generate a new constitutional convention to help Americans better understand and challenge our most fundamental freedoms."

The author's appearance will highlight the library's eighth annual One Book Sacramento program at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I St., adjoining downtown's Central Library.

One Book Sacramento, continuing through October, asks the community to read "Constitution Cafe," as well as a second title – the annotated "Penguin Guide to the United States Constitution" by University of Pennsylvania history professor Richard Beeman (Penguin, $12, 224 pages).

Families are encouraged to then participate in Constitution-related events online and at library branches, schools and other venues.

The free "One Book Sacramento Program Guide" to all activities and events is available at all 28 library locations. For a complete schedule and more information: www.saclibrary.org.

Barnes & Noble booksellers will be on site to sell both titles for 30 percent off the list prices.

Heeere's Danny!

As wife Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) clutches a butcher knife and screams her head off, husband Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) chops through the bathroom door with heavy whacks from an ax. "Heeere's Johnny!" the demented Nicholson yells, just before Duvall swipes the blade of the knife across the top of his hand.

That scene took place in the fictitious Overlook Hotel in the 1980 film version of Stephen King's psychological horror novel "The Shining." In the end, mom Wendy and young son Danny escape to safety.

Now King has announced the sequel to "The Shining," titled "Doctor Sleep," which follows the subsequent life of son Danny Torrance. Publication is set for Sept. 24, 2013.

Grimly, the adult Danny has become a hospice worker who specializes in helping his patients painlessly enter the next world – all the while waging war against psychic vampires. Then he meets a "very special" 12-year-old girl and vows to save her from "the tribe of murderous paranormals." We can barely wait.

Stanley's 'Late Peaches'

Bob Stanley's three-year term as Sacramento's poet laureate ends Thursday, but he'll go out on a high note as editor of "Late Peaches," Sacramento's first regional poetry anthology in 11 years. The book features works by 117 area poets "using poetry to describe the many facets and diversity of our region."

Local poets and fans of poetry can also thank the Sacramento Poetry Center and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission for "Late Peaches" (Sacramento Poetry Center Press, $20, 226 pages). The cover art is by Sacramento artist Wayne Thiebaud.

In celebration of the book launch, a gala reading and book-signing will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Antiquité, 2114 P St., Sacramento; (916) 706-0886.

Two other readings are also planned: 6 p.m. Thursday at the Rancho Cordova Library, 9845 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 264-2700; and 4 p.m. Nov. 8 at the California State University, Sacramento, Library Gallery, on the campus at 6000 J St., (916) 278-4189.

Stanley, an English professor and poet at CSUS, is passing his poet laureate title to Jeff Knorr, an English professor and poet at Sacramento City College.

Author appearances

Upcoming author appearances include:

• Wednesday: Social and political activist and politician Tom Hayden for "Inspiring Participatory Democracy: Student Movements From Port Huron to Today," 7 p.m. at Avid Reader at Tower, 1600 Broadway, Sacramento; (916) 441-4400.

• Thursday: UC Davis professor Maceo Montoya for "The Scoundrel and the Optimist," 7 p.m. in the Blanchard Room at the Davis Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis; (530) 758-4337.

• Friday: Noted biographer Peter Collier for "Political Woman: The Big Little Life of Jeane Kirkpatrick," 5 p.m. at the Book Seller, 107 Mill St., Grass Valley; (530) 272-2131.

LET US KNOW

If you have information on author appearances or other book-related special events, email it to bookmarks@sacbee.com at least two weeks before the event.

To read the online calendar, go to www.sacbee.com/books

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