Rock Island, IL: A vanishing slice of the environment will be on display at the Rock Island Library in August, with an exhibit of Midwest Prairie Paintings by Davenport artist Pamela Bradner Ohnemus.

The show will be available for viewing during library hours from Aug. 2 to 30 on the second floor of the Main Library, 401 - 19th Street.

Ohnemus works in acrylics and notes that, "The natural landscape has always been a powerful focus of my work.  Currently I am conducting on-site research at local prairies, depicting the landscape in paint.  Prairies have been reduced to isolated fragments that require conservation and preservation.  Less than one percent of the pre-settlement tall grass prairie remains."

Her highly detailed works involve layers of color over complementary under paintings, bringing delicate flowers and plants to life with subtle texture and natural patterns.

Ohnemus taught art for the Davenport School District from 1980 to 2013. Born in Ashcroft, British Columbia, she became a naturalized US citizen in 1999. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Art Education in 1980 and a Master of Arts degree from Western Illinois University in 1999. Her website is www.pamohnemus.com.

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Film Producer Explains the Forces Driving Contemporary
Trends

Take a look at what's offered in media today - did you ever think you'd spend so much time with ice truckers and over-pampered, middle-aged housewives? What about your childhood comic heroes? Did you expect the sense of humor in so many commercials would be so intentionally obtuse?

What accounts for the seemingly drastic differences between what people watch today and what audiences gravitated toward 10, 20 and 30 years ago?

"There are important differences between today's media and that of 1983 - and there will be noticeable differences between what we experience today and 2043 - but underneath the apparent differences are important commonalities and overriding themes," says Vlad Yudin, (vladar.com) a Russian-born media entrepreneur and successful filmmaker, currently juggling multiple projects.

Yudin, a writer, director and producer, reviews five characteristics that feed an audience's media sensibilities at any given time:

• It's messy and organic. The zeitgeist, or the spirit of a time period, is never fully accounted for by any one thing; there are always many influences, including politics, economy, technology and a host of similar factors. For example, Yudin is working with "Game of Thrones" producer Mark Huffam on adapting into a film C.C. Humphrey's historical fiction novel "The French Executioner," which takes place in 1536. Why does there seem to be an appetite for stories set in the distant past? "One reason is that audiences want relief from today's technology and rapidly changing world," Yudin says. "The distant past was a far more dangerous but, on the surface at least, a much simpler time."

• Visceral and emotional content works. Whether a storyteller appeals to the heartstrings of a mostly female audience in a romantic genre or the masculine appetite for violence and action, audiences pay attention to visceral content. One of Yudin's recent projects, a graphic novel titled "Head Smash," has quickly garnered traction among comic fans, and he already plans to turn into a film. In recent years, comics have proven to be part of a winning formula for a film project's success. "Today's audiences have nostalgia for the comics they read as kids, but they gravitate toward darker, flawed heroes," Yudin says. "They're not kids anymore."

• People aspire to ideals. Human beings have always interpreted gods as ideal human specimens, from the grace and beauty of Venus to the power of Hercules. People who look perfect pique attention, which is why Yudin decided to revisit the fascination behind the 1977 hit "Pumping Iron" with his docudrama "Generation Iron," which updates viewers to today's body builders. "Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't become a household name through his acting talent," Yudin says.

• Gravitation toward an inspirational narrative. The ethos of the United States - the American Dream - appeals to contemporary ambitious immigrants, including Yudin. People want to improve themselves, and they like experiencing movies where characters start off low, but end on a high. That's the idea behind Yudin's 2010 film release "Last Day of Summer," about a low-ranking fast-food protagonist who finds his confidence. "Most of us want to root for the underdog, even if his actions for improving his lot are less-than-noble," he says.

• We fancy the fanciful. Ghosts, monsters, fairies, trolls, witches, wizards - our stories are filled with magic. Aliens are a comparatively more recent manifestation that even highly educated scientists believe are a possibility somewhere in the universe. We like to think that what may be impossible is possible, which is why Yudin created "Catskill Park," a film to be released this year. It follows three friends who document an extraterrestrial presence during their camping trip to upstate New York.

About Vlad Yudin

Russian-born writer, director, producer Vlad Yudin is the principal of The Vladar Co., a media and entertainment production company. New projects include the ARCANA Comics graphic novel and film "Head Smash," and the bodybuilding docudrama "Generation Iron," a remake of the 1977 hit "Pumping Iron." Additionally, he is currently working with "Game of Thrones" producer Mark Huffam in adapting into film the historical fiction novel "The French Executioner," the story of the greatest executioner in all of Europe, Jean Rombeaud. Yudin is developing the graphic novel "Head Smash," which is led by Sean O'Reilly, publisher of "Cowboys and Aliens." The sci-fi thriller centers on an orphan named Smash who finds a safe haven with a brutal syndicate, The Horde. Yudin is best known for directing and producing the docufilm "Big Pun: The Legacy" (2008), a critically acclaimed biopic about legendary rapper Christopher Lee Rios, and "Last Day of Summer," which he wrote, directed and produced. Yudin grew up in Russia and New York and is a graduate of Pace University and the New York University Filmmaking Program.

Building a Following is a Marathon, Not a Sprint,
Says Corporate Exec-Turned-Novelist

If you want people to read your book, you have to be more than a talented storyteller or researcher - you will need plenty of persistence, says Darlene Quinn, a 75-year-old award-winning novelist whose passion for the written word trumped her lucrative position as a top executive at the legendary Bullocks Wilshire department stores.

"Sometimes an author has it easy; either they're already a celebrity, or their name has been widely reported in a major public scandal - or both - but not even those criteria guarantee readership," says Quinn, author of "Unpredictable Webs", (www.darlenequinn.net), the newest in her stand-alone series of suspense-filled dramatic novels.

"Many authors will tell you just don't get into the book-writing business, because writing something that people will want to read is challenge enough. Then you face the daunting process of getting people to buy it!"

She offers these tips for getting your book in front of the masses - and enticing them to buy it.

• Draw on the strengths that helped you meet previous challenges: Quinn found professional footing decades ago, in a time when it was rare for women to rise to executive positions. After earning a bachelor's at San Jose State University, she became a schoolteacher. She later climbed her way up to working as a department store executive during a time of tremendous upheaval in the retail fashion industry. The tenacity and perseverance required to achieve that dream served her well when she fixed on another dream - writing - late in life. She sharpened her writing chops by penning articles for trade journals, magazines and newspapers.

• Book awards: Simply entering your book in a contest gives it some exposure. Should it be selected for an award, you've got a great marketing tool that can open doors otherwise closed to you. Awards sticker or seals, which can be added to the book cover, can help persuade book stores to carry it. The press release announcing winners of local, national or international book awards also trigger Google Alerts, positively increasing exposure. Announcements of winners prior to publication alert avid readers to upcoming releases.

• Book awards II: Do your research; make sure that the contest is well-established and legit. Read the rules, and if at all possible, research the judges who will be reviewing the books. Try to avoid contests that have high entry fees and those that appear to be non-discriminating. National and international contests such as the Indie Book Awards, Writers Digest Book Awards, USA Best Book Awards Reader's Favorites, and International Best Book Award (sponsored by USA Book News) are just a few respectable contests that meet these criteria. There are also many legitimate regional and local book contests to consider.

• Quality in every respect: With power comes responsibility. In the past, the only real hope an author had of being read by anyone beyond his or her immediate family was going through a major publisher. Today, authors can take production matters into their own hands with self- or independent publishing, which may lead to a contract with a major book company. Either way, a writer should ensure quality in every aspect -- from the plot and characters, to the cover art, design and paper. Make sure the book is edited by an objective professional.

About Darlene Quinn

Darlene Quinn is an author and journalist from Long Beach, Calif., whose novels about deceit, intrigue and glamour in the retail fashion industry were inspired by her years with Bullocks Wilshire specialty department stores. Her newest, Unpredictable Webs, is the winner of the Beverly Hills Book Awards for Excellence in Fiction and was selected as the number-one President's choice before publication. The novel continues her series, including Webs of Fate, which won the 2011 Reader's Favorites Award before it hit bookshelves; Webs of Power, winner of a 2009 National Indie Excellence Award, and Twisted Webs, winner of the 2011 International Book Award for General Fiction and the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards for General Fiction.

Due to the Independence Day holiday, all Rock Island Public Libraries will close at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 3, and remain closed for the July 4th holiday. Libraries will reopen at the regular time on Friday, July 5.

Despite the shortened week, the library is still offering plenty of summer reading events as part of its "Have Book, Will Travel" and "Beneath the Surface" programs for children, adults and teens.  Events next week include :

·         Scrapbooking Mondays for kids, 3:00 pm, on Monday, July 1 in the Rock Island Main Library Children's Room, 401 19th Street. All materials will be supplied.

·         Storytimes for ages birth to five at the Rock Island 30/31 Branch Library at 10:30 am on Tuesday, July 2, and at the Rock Island Southwest Branch Library on Wednesday, July 3.

·         Global Math Club for kids, 3:30 to 4:30 pm, Tuesday, July 2, at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.

·         Cake Archeology cake decorating program for teens ages 12 to 18, noon to 1:00 pm, Tuesday, July 2, at Rock Island Southwest Branch Library, 9010 Ridgewood Road.

·         Using your Apple iPad program for adults and seniors, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, July 2, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.  For Apple devices only; participants should bring their device with them to the class.

Due to the holiday, there will be no Friends of the Library half-price book sale and no Independent movie in July. The Wednesday Lego block club and Friday Storytime programs previously announced at the Main Library have also been cancelled for this week only.

For details on other summer events for all ages, see www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow Facebook/rockislandlibrary, visit any Rock Island Library or call 309-732-7323 (READ).

2013 Summer reading contests and programs are funded by Friends of the Rock Island Public Library, the Milan-Blackhawk Area Public Library District (Southwest Branch location), and the Rock Island Public Library Foundation.

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