Harvard author at UC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The author of "Spark: The Revolutionary New science of Exercise and the Brain" will speak at the University of Charleston.

Dr. John J. Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Riggleman Hall auditorium on the UC campus. His talk is sponsored Dow Chemical Foundation and is part of the free UC Speaker Series.

Ratey will discuss the mind-body connection and how "exercise can be the most powerful tool to combat everything from obesity to depression to ADD and Alzheimer's," according to a UC news release.

Recordable storybook

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- You can read to your grandchild this Christmas and not even be together.

Hallmark cards is producing recordable storybooks. For instance, you can record each page of "The Night Before Christmas," then give it as a gift so the reader can hear your voice each time they open the book.

The book is $29.95. For military families, Adams Hallmark Stores is offering a $10 discount and will mail the book free to any APO address.

Adams Hallmark stores are located in Charleston Town Center Mall and Dudley Farms in Charleston and in the Nitro Market Place in Cross Lanes.

Appalachian memoirist

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Writer Linda Tate will read from her work at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in Room 2W16 of the Memorial Student Center at Marshall University.

Harvard author at UC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The author of "Spark: The Revolutionary New science of Exercise and the Brain" will speak at the University of Charleston.

Dr. John J. Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Riggleman Hall auditorium on the UC campus. His talk is sponsored Dow Chemical Foundation and is part of the free UC Speaker Series.

Ratey will discuss the mind-body connection and how "exercise can be the most powerful tool to combat everything from obesity to depression to ADD and Alzheimer's," according to a UC news release.

Recordable storybook

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- You can read to your grandchild this Christmas and not even be together.

Hallmark cards is producing recordable storybooks. For instance, you can record each page of "The Night Before Christmas," then give it as a gift so the reader can hear your voice each time they open the book.

The book is $29.95. For military families, Adams Hallmark Stores is offering a $10 discount and will mail the book free to any APO address.

Adams Hallmark stores are located in Charleston Town Center Mall and Dudley Farms in Charleston and in the Nitro Market Place in Cross Lanes.

Appalachian memoirist

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Writer Linda Tate will read from her work at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in Room 2W16 of the Memorial Student Center at Marshall University.

Tate is the author of two books: "A Southern Weave of Women: Fiction of the Contemporary South," and "Power in the Blood: A Family Narrative."

Tate taught at Shepherd University for 15 years. She lives in Boulder, Colo., and teaches academic writing at the University of Denver.

The reading is free and open to the public.

Foster carelessness

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- JR Thompson of Spencer has announced the release of his latest novel, "Revenge Fires Back!" based on his 13-year-old adopted son.

Thompson said the book is based on his experiences with the adoption and foster care system in West Virginia.

He may be reached at 304-590-2460 or writ...@juno.com.

Families and friends

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sare Helmick Fulks has had a novel published by Xlibris. "Town of Dalton: The Courtships" is a story about the lives of two close-knit families in a thriving farm town. The families each have their own sets of adventures and misadventures, courtships and weddings, and other encounters.

A news release from the publisher said the book "is a rewarding read for those who enjoy stories that speak of family values, cherished friendships and lasting bonds." For more information on the book, visit www.xlibris.com.

The book is $20 paperback and $30 hardback.