Ron Hansen will discuss his new book Exiles and his writing May 15, 2008

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 7 p.m.

Ron Hansen was born and raised in Nebraska and educated at Creighton University, the University of Iowa’s Writers Workshop, and at Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellow. He is the author of the novels Desperadoes, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Mariette in Ecstasy, Atticus, Hitler’s Niece, the screwball comedy Isn’t it Romantic? and his newest novel Exiles, on the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins and the shipwreck of the Deutschland. He has published a children’s book, The Shadowmaker, a book of stories, Nebraska, and a collection of essays, A Stay against Confusion: Essays on Faith and Fiction; and he has edited two short story anthologies, You don’t Know what Love Is and You’ve Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe. He was presented an Award in Literature from the American Academy and the Institute of Arts and Letters. Ron Hansen is the Gerard Manley Hopkins S.J. Professor in the English Department at Santa Clara University and has taught fiction and screen writing at Stanford, Cornell, and other universities. Books will be available for sale and signing by the author.

Monthly Book Group to Discuss “Freakonomics” May 14, 2008

Tomorrow evening, Thursday, May 15, the Sunnyvale Public Library’s Monthly Book Group will be discussing Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. In this book, a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything. The author examines a variety of topics by combining microeconomics and statistics and often comes up with something “freaky”. Please join us in the Library Program Room at 7 p.m. for our discussion.

Checks In The Mail?: About the IRS Stimulus Payments May 14, 2008

By now, you’ve probably heard about the government’s economic stimulus payments, or at least seen ads encouraging you to spend your windfall at a number of local businesses. You may even have already received your payment. However many people still have questions about the payments, and as to be expected with any matter involving money, there are scams and frauds to be watching out for.

A common question is “when will I receive my payment?” The simple answer : the IRS is making direct deposit payments and mailing paper checks on a schedule based on the last two digits of your social security number. Direct deposits are already transferring and should be completed to all recipients by May 16. Paper checks will begin mailing on May 16 according to the schedule posted here.

Another common question is “do I qualify to get a payment?” Here are some web sites where you can get the answer to this and other frequently asked questions:

• The IRS Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center
• Answer to the question “Is the economic stimulus payment taxable?” from FactCheck.org
• Q&A about Economic Stimulus Payments from AARP

The IRS is also warning people of scams related to the stimulus payments. Most known scams involve a telephone call or e-mail from a person claiming to work for IRS and requesting personal information, such as a bank account number or social security number to complete a transaction. These are identity theft scams known as “phishing” where the scammer will take the information and use it to steal money from the victim’s bank account or run up charges on credit accounts. You should never reveal this kind of personal information to an unknown person or through an unsolicited call or e-mail. The IRS has a webpage listing all known scams and giving instructions on what to do if you have received one of these scam calls or e-mails.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford May 13, 2008

Ron Hansen’s tale recounts the last days of America’s most notorious outlaw and the jealous schemer who coveted his fame. The book was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award.

It was adapted to film and nominated for a 2007 Academy Award. The DVD, with Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, is in the Library collection.

Be sure to catch Ron Hansen at the Library on Thursday, May 22, 2008, at 7 p.m. when he’ll be talking about his books.

Future Business Leaders Showcase May 12, 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008
5 p.m.

Members of the Homestead High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will give a multimedia presentation of their award-winning annual projects. See our community’s future leaders in action today.

Each year, thousands of students across the country design year-long projects to increase their understanding of business and develop career skills. Outstanding projects are judged in state and national competitions, where Homestead students have excelled, capturing 11 State titles and representing California at Nationals in nine straight years. This year’s projects included partnering with a Chinese clothing import company, and helping middle school students learn about the entertainment industry. The digital video production and emerging business issues teams will also present their projects.

“These young leaders possess professionalism and compassion beyond their years. Their commitment to education and these projects demonstrates that our future is very bright. You will be amazed and inspired by their hard work.”
- Librarian Garrett Kuramoto, also a former FBLA officer

This program is free and appropriate for adults, teens, and older children.