AN EVENING WITH LEE SMITH
Hollins University graduate and literary luminary Lee Smith returns to Hollins for a reading from her new book, “On Agate Hill,” set at a Virginia women’s college during the Civil War. Since 1968, she has published 11 novels, including “The Last Girls,” a New York Times bestseller and a “Good Morning America” Book Club selection. Admission: free. Location: Talmadge Recital Hall. For more information, call 540.362.6451

CRITICAL ARCHITECTURE AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Tuesday April 3, Lecture at Hollins University in the Green Drawing Room at 7:30 pm. Marilyn Moriarty, associate professor of English, Berry Professor of the Liberal Arts; B.A., M.A., University of Florida–Gainesville; Ph.D., University of California–Irvine. She has co-edited a collection of essays on architecture and literary theory, “Critical Architecture and Contemporary Culture,” annotated two Shakespeare plays for anthologies, and written a textbook, “Writing Science through Critical Thinking.” She also publishes poetry and short fiction; her book “Moses Unchained” won the A.W.P. creative nonfiction award. Her fiction has been published in “Faultline,” “Mondo Greco,” “Nimrod,” “Peregrine,” “Phoebe,” “Quarterly West,” and “Thema.”

DISCOVER THE HISTORY OF THE FOODS WE EAT
Apr 28-Heritage Herbs & Vegetables: Discover the History of the Foods We Eat, lecture at 11:00am. In recognition of garden month for the Jamestown Anniversary, the Memorial will host a special discussion on heritage herbs & vegetables. The program takes place at the Memorial’s very own Victory Garden with Master Gardner Lynn Boggess. Regular fees apply. National D-Day Memorial, Bedford 540.587.3619 – www.dday.org

FLOYD FIGURES ART GROUP
12:30pm – 3:30pm, Floyd Figures Art Group is a non-instructional art group for adult artists. It began in the early 1990s, and has since enjoyed a variety of models, including local folk, international visitors, musicians, dancers and people from all walks of life. The large space at The Sun offers wonderful natural lighting and plenty of room for artists to enjoy figure drawing and character studies with live models. New artists and models welcome! Call: 540.745.4848

SHARING THE SECRET WORKSHOP WITH SHARON WOOD & CANDACE COFFIN
SUN MUSIC HALL AND CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
Thursday April 19th at 9am – 4pm. Registration 8.30am. Lunch on your own. Get out of jail fee: $75. Couples: $125. Tickets available at WinterSun & online. ‘The Secret’ is a film that has been raising a lot of eyebrows lately. By looking closely at the keys to the success of many great people, it concludes that we really do manifest our own destiny. This workshop helps show you how. Facilitators Sharon Wood and Candace Coffin each have 30 years training in personal growth and development. 302 S Locust Street, Floyd 540.745.7883 www.wintersuninc.net

SPINNERS OF THE DHARMA WHEEL
Hollins University’s Sowell Lecture Series will present “Spinners of the Dharma Wheel: Buddhist Women Leading Social Change” on Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center Auditorium. Dr. Karma Lekshe Tsomo, assistant professor in the department of theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego, will be the guest lecturer. She is an expert on women in Buddhism, Buddhism and bioethics, religion and cultural change, and Buddhism in North America. Location: Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center Auditorium. Admission: free. For more information, call 540.362.6025

SPRING ARCHITECTURE LECTURE
Joshua Prince of Ramus of REX-NY, Hancock Hall, VA Tech, April 11, 7pm. With the creation of his new firm REX-NY, Architect Joshua Prince-Ramus is building on his success as principle-in-charge of such well know projects as Seattle Central Library at OHM founded by Rem Koolhaas. Mr. Prince-Ramus will discuss current works with students at the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Lecture is free and open to the public.

THE CREATIVE FIRE IS FUELED AT THIS BLACKSBURG WORKSHOP
May 18-20 2007; This two and one half-day intensive will be held at the Landscape Architecture Studios of Virginia Tech, 400 Turner Street NW in Blacksburg, Friday 6:30-9:30 PM, Sat/Sun 10 am – 5 pm. All materials are supplied. The cost is $275 plus $25 materials fee. Discounts may apply. New students will receive a free copy of Stewart’s book, Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression. For nearly three decades, Stewart Cubley has inspired thousands of people to recover their creative spirit using painting as a tool for self-discovery. In 1976 Cubley co-founded The Painting Experience Studio in San Francisco and is author of the book “Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression”. Cubley’s inspired master teacher, Sarah Oblinger, will be making her first trip this month to present this popular workshop, “Life, Paint & Passion”. The workshop will be held at the Landscape Architecture Studios of Virginia Tech. “You don’t need any prior art experience or training to participate in this workshop”, says Cubley, “only the willingness to explore through color, shape or form. De-emphasizing the finished product allows the whole person to participate in the process. Many people don’t realize that art is such a powerful tool for transformation. The experience of creating purely for the exploration rather than for the result can be life-changing.” Cubley continues, “This work is accessible to everyone, regardless of whether or not you think of yourself as a painter. The workshop is a sanctuary where you can explore creativity without the pressure of performance, a place of refuge from the voices of criticism and judgment. Although we are working in a group setting, there is a tremendous sense of privacy and respect.” To register go to www.processarts.com or call toll-free 888.639.8569

THE FOURTH “R” OF EDUCATION: REALITY
Guess what? Preparing young people for the future does not always mean many years of expensive college followed by mammoth debt. Retiring baby boomers and the need for specialists in technology and the trades is creating an incredible opportunity many young people and their parents are overlooking. Vocational education expert and author Kenneth Gray will bring this message to parents, teens, and educators in the Roanoke Valley this spring. The author of several best-selling books including “Other Ways to Win: Creating Alternatives for High School Graduates” and “Getting Real: Helping Teens Find Their Future,” will present a public lecture Tuesday, April 17, at 7 pm at Virginia Western Community College’s Whitman Auditorium. A training opportunity open house featuring area employers and organizations will follow at 8 pm in the VWCC cafeteria. “Only 23 percent of employment requires a four-year college education,” says Gray, a Penn State University professor who holds degrees in economics, psychology and vocational technical education,” Such thinking, he says, results in high numbers of underemployed at the same time, employers report a “record numbers of unfilled positions for technicians in high-skilled, high-wage jobs.” Gray adds a fourth “R” to the traditional “reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic” of old: reality. “If the only acceptable goal we have for teens is a four-year college degree and finding commensurate employment, the success rate in the United State is only 10 percent.” He says. “Success rates will increase only when students and parents start making better decisions based on thought-out career directions and consideration of all the alternatives.” Admission is free! This informative and must see event is sponsored by The Western Virginia Workforce Development Board, The Virginia Employment Commission, and Virginia Western Community College. For more information, call 540.767.6149

TO WAR WITH LOVE: THE DIARIES OF JOAN WYNDHAM
Apr 10 at 7pm – Enjoy this monologue of a young woman growing up in the turbulent period of WWII Britian and how she coped & survived. This one act play is produced and performed by L.A. actress Margaret Contreras who has also starred on television and film. Admission tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased in Bedford at Arthur’s Jewelry, the Bedford Welcome Center, the National D-Day Memorial, or in Lynchburg at Given’s Books. This play is not appropriate for children under the age of 16. Elks National Home Theatre, Bedford 540.587.3619 www.dday.org

2007 WOMEN’S EXPO
April 21 at THE SALEM CIVIC CENTER, 1001 Boulevard, Salem 540.375.3004, Sponsored by Kroger and Procter & Gamble. Saturday, April 21, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Adults – $2.00, Children admitted free.