Northwest Passages Book Club welcomes top writers

The Spokesman-Review’s Northwest Passages Book Club and Community Forum has a fresh lineup for spring, including outgoing state poet laureate Tod Marshall and best-selling authors J.A. Jance and Jess Walter.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

April 11: My Town Poetry Night with Tod Marshall

A Gonzaga professor, Marshall drove 41,000 miles, visited 39 counties and busted two windshields during the past two years traveling as Washington’s poet laureate. He’s back in Spokane and joins the book club to share his adventures for National Poetry Month. The evening’s guest performers also include Spokane poet laureate Mark Anderson and “Power 2 the Poetry” leader Bethany Montgomery.

Details: The event starts at 7 p.m. at The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside Ave. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. with mingling and live music at the adjacent Terra Blanca wine bar. Auntie’s Bookstore will sell books, including “WA 129,” a poetry collection compiled by Marshall featuring award-winning Washington writers and poets. Book club readers get a 15 percent discount. General admission is free but tickets are required.

Poetry open call: Do you have an original poem about living in Spokane you’d like to share? Please message bookclub@spokesman.com by April 1 to share your work; we’ll publish a selection of reader poems during April.

April 12: Baseball in the Movies

Kick off the new season with Baseball in the Movies Night. Join Spokesman-Review Editor Rob Curley and the Spokane Indians for a lively look at the best baseball stories on film.

Details: The event starts at 6 p.m. at The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m. General admission is free, but tickets are required.

April 18: Evening of Mystery with J.A. Jance

The best-selling author comes to town to talk about her work and her new thriller, “Duel to the Death,” the latest in the Ali Reynolds series. Jance also wrote the J.P. Beaumont series, and the Joanna Brady series, as well as five Southwestern thrillers featuring the Walker family. Born in South Dakota, Jance divides her time between Seattle and Tuscon.

Details: Join us for an evening of words and wine at The Spokesman-Review building, 999 W. Riverside Ave. The book talk starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:45 p.m., with live music and a book signing at the adjacent Terra Blanca wine bar. Auntie’s will sell Jance’s books; book club readers get a 15 percent discount on “Duel to the Death.” General admission tickets are free but tickets are required.

May 16: Jess Walter’s Stories

Walter, a Spokane native, is the author of eight books, including “Beautiful Ruins,” a New York Times best-seller. He also wrote “The Zero,” a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award, and “Citizen Vince,” winner of the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award. His work has been published in 32 languages and his short fiction has won a Pushcart Prize and appeared three times in “Best American Short Stories.”

Details: This book club event is a fundraiser to benefit Spark Central, a local nonprofit that offers learning programs, technology and creative tools to inspire kids and adults. Stay tuned for ticket information.