U's Kerlan library marks 60 years

The Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota began 60 years ago when Irvin Kerlan donated his private collection of children's literature. He'd built it up over many years, buying not just books but also artwork, manuscripts and correspondence.

Since then, the collection has grown to more than 110,000 books, as well as manuscripts, artworks, galleys and proofs for 18,000 more titles.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary, children's literature critic Leonard Marcus will speak at 2 p.m. next Sunday in the Elmer L. Andersen Library on the U campus. His talk will be followed by a dessert buffet. All are welcome.

The exhibit itself will be open to the public from Thursday through the end of the year. For more information, go to http:// special.lib.umn.edu/hours dir.phtml.

Also ...

• This week's literary scavenger hunt question: Which rock band, whose lead singer grew up in Minnesota, has songs populated with literary figures from William Butler Yeats to Nelson Algren to Minnesota's own John Berryman? And this week's bookstores: Big Brain Comics, 1026 Washington Av. S., Mpls., and Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water St., Excelsior. For more information: http:// twincitieslit.wordpress.com

• "The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War," by James Carl Nelson, has been published by St. Martin's. Nelson, a former staff writer for the Miami Herald, now lives in Eden Prairie.

• "Before You Know It: Prose Poems 1970-2005," by Louis Jenkins of Duluth, has been published by Will-o-the-Wisp Books. Some of the poems were published in the Kenyon Review, the Paris Review, the Sun and the Virginia Quarterly Review.

• Vince Flynn, Masha Hamilton, Mary Logue, Erin Hart and many other notable writers (and some publishers) will teach classes on the art and craft of writing (and getting published) this weekend at the Mystery, Crime and Thriller Festival at Open Book, 1011 Washington Av. S. Register online at www.loft.org.

• The Red Balloon Bookshop is celebrating its 25th anniversary Saturday and Sunday with special guests and events all weekend long -- Clifford the Big Red Dog and authors and illustrators Lauren Stringer, Nancy Carlson, Tim Kehoe and others. Details and times are online at www.red balloonbookshop.com.

• The latest issue of the Water-Stone Review (published by Hamline University) includes poetry by Joyce Sutphen and Heid Erdrich (and many others), photographs by Wing Young Huie and George Byron Griffiths (and many others) and the winner of the Jane Kenyon Poetry Prize (chosen from more than 500 submissions) -- "Four Corners," by Michelle Bonczek of Michigan.