BRIEFLY

Aaron Brown is the next author in the Brown Bag Lunch Summer Speakers' Series set from noon to 1 p.m. Monday at the Brainerd Public Library.

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This series is sponsored by the Friends of the Brainerd Public Library and is free and open to the public.

Brown, 29, of the Iron Range, new book from Duluth's Red Step Press is called "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range." The book covers topics from politics to history, Bob Dylan to beer, guns to parenthood all with a humorous twist on the memoir style. Last month the book won the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award from the Friends of the Duluth Public Library and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The judges described the book: "This is a collection of wonderful essays by Aaron Brown about growing up and living on the Iron Range in modern times. His narrative is oftentimes moving and also very funny. He gives both those from the Range and those who have never been north of Duluth the incentive to think about the Iron Range in a new light. He has written a highly enjoyable book that presents a unique understanding of the region, its people, history and future."

Brown is the founder and editor of MinnesotaBrown.com, a blog that covers northern Minnesota news, politics and culture. In addition, he has been a newspaper editor, TV news anchor and is a teacher at Hibbing Community College.

Pequot Lakes author at two upcoming events

Pequot Lakes author Candace Simar will be at a meet-the-author event from 2-4 p.m. Thursday at Lakes Latte in Pequot Lakes and then at Baxter Book World from noon-3 p.m. Friday.

Simar, author of "Abercrombie Trail," was just released by North Star Press of St. Cloud. The book is an historical novel about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Uprising and is the story of Scandinavian immigrants who experience these tumultuous times.

Simar's book is available for sale at Rainy Days Bookstore in Nisswa, Book World in Baxter and Online at NorthStarPress.com and Amazon.com.

The Glorious Unseen to perform July 16

BAXTER - National recording artists, The Glorious Unseen, will perform at 7 p.m. July 19 at Heritage Assembly of God Church in Baxter.

The Glorious Unseen makes music that can be best described as worshipful, introspective, vulnerable and powerful.

Freewill donations will be accepted for the concert.

Artist group sale runs through Saturday

NISSWA - The lakes Area Artist Group will host its 13th annual Fine Art Show and Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at the Nisswa Community Center.

Featuring art work by Laurel LaBorde, Phyllis Frankum, Bill Grange, Sonja Larsen, Donna Maves, Sharon Peterson, David Rickert, Barbara Rischmiller-Brook, Diane Runberg, Cyrus Swann, Maria Thompson-Seep and Gail Walsh.

Admission is free and there will be door prizes. There will be demonstrations by participating artists throughout the show.

BHS grad Karl Robson next organist in series

Karl Robson will perform at noon Wednesday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Baxter as part of the Summer Organ Series.

Admission is free; freewill offerings will be accepted.

Robson was born in 1990 in Allentown, Pa., and began his organ career in 2001. He is a three-time recipient of the organ studies scholarship awarded by the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He worked under the instruction of Lee Afdahl, music director at First Presbyterian Church in Rochester, and Bill Meyer, organ professor at the University of Minnesota.

Robson, the son of the Rev. Kevin and Peg Robson, is a 2008 Brainerd High School graduate who is pursuing a degree in organ performance and sacred music at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

Robson currently is the principal organist at Crossview Lutheran Church in Edina.

'Star Spangled Girl' continues CLC Summer Theatre season

Neil Simon's tumultuous comedy "The Star Spangled Girl" is the next production on the calendar for the Central Lakes College Summer Theatre season in Brainerd.

The show will open in the Dryden Theatre at 7:30 p.m. July 23 in the Dryden Theatre, with performances continuing on July 24, 25, 30, 31 and Aug. 1.

The play is one of Simon's earliest efforts. It concerns the story of Andrew, a fiery political writer trying to make a successful go at publishing a socially conscious magazine with Norman, the writing talent behind the enterprise.

Their lives consist of inhabiting a San Francisco apartment rent-free because Andrew plays the role of constant escort to their landlady, Mrs. Mackaninee, a widow with a penchant for all-night bars, surfing and daredevil motorcycle rides. Norman works on the magazine, but longs for a relationship with a girl.

Enter into the apartment next door Sophie, just off the bus from Arkansas, a freshly scrubbed all-American beauty who is an Olympic swimmer, losing to a fat girl from Egypt in the last Olympics.

Sophie is not only beautiful, charming and delightful, but also engaged to be married to a Marine. This doesn't deter Norman from falling so in love with her that he goes to absurd extremes to court her, to the amusement and eventual dismay of Andy.

The cast features CLC graduate Craig Hostetler who has appeared in CLC productions "Inherit the Wind," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Talk Radio" and "Perfect Wedding." Hostetler will play the role of Andy.

Norman will be played by Patrick Stenglein, a 2008 Brainerd High School graduate and current theater and philosophy major at Concordia College. This will mark his first CLC production.

Playing the title role will be Heidi Thielen, former CLC employee and current manager of Atomic Learning in Little Falls. This is Thielen's first CLC stage appearance, although she may be recognized from her previous supporting role in the Academic Center for Enrichment.

Patrick Spradlin directs the production, with set design by CLC Theatre Technician Dwana Paplow.

Tickets are $8 and can be purchased by calling the CLC Theatre Box Office at 855-8199 or (800) 933-0346, or by e-mail at clctheatre@clcmn.edu. Information can be found online at www.clcmn.edu/theatre.