Chuck Beard is a writer and activist, but both activities spring from a similar impulse: seeking a creative way to cope with tragedy. His first novel, Adventures Inside a Bright-Eyed Sky, features a 9-year-old narrator, Jay, who must cope with the loss of a friend and discover "how adversity, friendship and death all happen for a reason." Beard helped form Campus for a Cure after a friend fell sick with leukemia; the organization raises money for the fight against cancer through art and music. So it's fitting that his first book signing will take place at Magpie Etc., an eclectic "art gallery and more" that promises live musical performances at the event. Book sales will benefit Campus for a Cure.
Sat., March 21, 5-8 p.m., 2009
