Author Dedicates Herself to Exposing the Rape of Nanking

The horrific atrocities committed in 1937 against the people of the Chinese provincial capital of Nanking, where 250,000 were slaughtered by the invading Japanese army, had been relegated to an occasional footnote in history books. A conspiracy of silence continued for 60 years, in part because of political alliances and the Japanese government’s refusal to acknowledge the magnitude of the event. Then Iris Chang, a young California journalist and author, haunted by stories her Chinese parents and grandparents related, dedicated herself to exposing the perpetrators and revealing the courage of those who attempted to protect the civilian population.

Chang will sign her groundbreaking “The Rape of Nanking” at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Thousand Oaks Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd. She will also appear at 7 p.m. that night at the Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St., Ventura. And on Sunday at 3 p.m., she will sign at Santa Barbara Borders, 900 State St.

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Steven Kellogg has been writing and illustrating books for children since 1967. The award-winning author will introduce his newest title, “The Three Little Pigs” a retelling of the classic tale, at 10 a.m. Friday at Adventures For Kids, 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura.

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Kirkus Reviews calls Stuart Cohen’s debut novel “Invisible World” a mystery thriller that “crossbreeds ‘The Third Man’ with ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and comes up a whopping winner.” Cohen will sign at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Local Hero Books, 254 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

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Model/makeup artist Lynda Millner will sign her book “The Magic Makeover” and conduct a seminar on “Tricks for Looking Thinner and Younger” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Westlake Blvd.; and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Ventura, 4360 E. Main St.

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Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks hosts a doubleheader on Saturday. Come for breakfast at 10 a.m. with Mark Bailey, author of the medical thriller “Saint,” and stay to meet first-time author Marianne Wesson, who will sign “Render Up the Body” at noon.

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The Ventura and Conejo Valley chapters of Small Publishers Artists & Writers Network will hold round-table discussions to share ideas with everyone interested in the publishing process. Ventura SPAWN meets at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Ventura TowneHouse, 4900 Telegraph Road, Ventura, and the Conejo Valley group will gather at 7 p.m. Monday at 29376 Mulholland Highway, Agoura. Call 643-2403 for details.

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“Alien Voices” is a new concept in audio book publishing, produced by Simon & Schuster Audio, which dramatizes classic science fiction stories and features actor-director Leonard Nimoy and other “Star Trek” cast members. Nimoy will appear at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

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John Fox will sign his “Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St.

In Santa Barbara

Foreign correspondent Arthur Kent will describe the challenges of delivering news from war zones and will sign “Risk and Redemption,” about his battles with the television networks at noon Monday for the Literary Club, San Ysidro Ranch, 900 San Ysidro Lane, Montecito. The $50 fee includes lunch and a copy of Kent’s book. Call 969-5046.

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* Frances Halpern and Jon O’Brien are co-hosts of “Beyond Words” at 10 a.m. Sundays on KCLU-FM (88.3), Ventura County’s National Public Radio station.