New Book Showcases the Life of Ojai’s Famed Beatrice Wood : * Portraitist Marlene Wallace has been photographing the centenarian ceramist for 18 years.

Award-winning portrait photographer Marlene Wallace, whose work appears in American and European publications, will be joined by internationally known ceramist Beatrice Wood to celebrate publication of their book “Playing Chess With the Heart” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St.

Published by Chronicle, the book is subtitled “Beatrice Wood at 100” and showcases the life and art of the extraordinary woman, who has lived in Ojai for 50 years and is now 101. Wallace has been photographing the artist for the past 18 years. “Just as a writer needs authentic voice, I seek as a photographer, authentic eye to capture the uniqueness in each subject,” says Wallace of Pacific Palisades.

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Busy week at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura. Former “drug dealer to the stars” Rayce Newman will sign his tattletale book “Hollywood Connection” at 1 p.m. Saturday. Local dream expert Eanna Einhorn will interpret your dreams (write one down) at 7 p.m. Tuesday. John Schettler of The Writing Shop will focus on college graduates when he describes how to create a great job resume at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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An eight-week “Cartooning Class for Kids” will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road. Taught by local artist Chris Martinez, whose credits include six years at Disney Studios, the class is designed for young people who are serious about learning the basics of cartooning. Call 654-6459.

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LIBRARY EVENTS: A huge two-day parking lot book sale sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Friends of the Library will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 1401 E. Janss Road.

The annual summer reading program for children is under way at all 16 branches of the Ventura County Library system. “Dare the Depths” is this year’s theme. Storytellers will entertain children with sea tales at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave. Prizes will be awarded to youngsters who read from five to 25 books during the summer.

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The Simi Valley Branch of American Pen Women is holding its annual Dorothy Daniels Honorary Writing competition, open to anyone 18 years or older. Cash prizes will be awarded for poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for contest guidelines to Pen Women, Box 1485, Simi Valley 91359. Manuscripts must be unpublished and submitted by July 30.

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Ray Bradbury kicks off the 22nd annual, weeklong Santa Barbara Writers Conference at 8 p.m. Friday at the Miramar Hotel on South Jameson Lane in Montecito.

Among other literary types scheduled: cartoonists Charles Schulz and Jules Feiffer, novelist Harriet Doerr, biographer Arianna Huffington and mystery writer Sue Grafton.