The Forum Network is one of the dozens of podcasts I download from iTunes each week. Each episode features an author reading or discussing his or her work, and often taking questions from the audience. A recent episode on Mira Bartok caught my ear, as the author was describing University Circle in a reading from her memoir "The Memory Place".

I have not read the book, but here is the Forum Network's description:

"People have abandoned their loved ones for much less than you've been through," Mira Bartok is told at her mother's memorial service. It is a poignant observation about the relationship between Mira, her sister, and their mentally ill mother. Before she was struck with schizophrenia at the age of nineteen, beautiful piano protege Norma Herr had been the most vibrant personality in the room. She loved her daughters and did her best to raise them well, but as her mental state deteriorated, Norma spoke less about Chopin and more about Nazis and her fear that her daughters would be kidnapped, murdered, or raped.
When the girls left for college, the harassment escalated--Norma called them obsessively, appeared at their apartments or jobs, threatened to kill herself if they did not return home. After a traumatic encounter, Mira and her sister were left with no choice but to change their names and sever all contact with Norma in order to stay safe. But while Mira pursued her career as an artist--exploring the ancient romance of Florence, the eerie mysticism of northern Norway, and the raw desert of Israel--the haunting memories of her mother were never far away.
Then one day, Mira's life changed forever after a debilitating car accident. As she struggled to recover from a traumatic brain injury, she was confronted with a need to recontextualize her life--she had to relearn how to paint, read, and interact with the outside world. In her search for a way back to her lost self, Mira reached out to the homeless shelter where she believed her mother was living and discovered that Norma was dying.
Mira and her sister traveled to Cleveland, where they shared an extraordinary reconciliation with their mother that none of them had thought possible. At the hospital, Mira discovered a set of keys that opened a storage unit Norma had been keeping for seventeen years. Filled with family photos, childhood toys, and ephemera from Norma's life, the storage unit brought back a flood of previous memories that Mira had thought were lost to her forever.

Isn't that fascinating? I might have given her book a chance just because I'm interested in anything Cleveland, but her story sounds so incredible that I need to read this. It almost seems like something you would find in the fiction section -- a sad story with an ending that makes you smile.

Bartok mentions during the recording that she'll be in Cleveland "next month." I was hoping she meant March, but after checking her events page, I see that I listed to the podcast too late to get to hear her speak in person.

Listen to Bartok read on the Forum Network on iTunes, where you can also scroll through recent episodes and subscribe to the podcast.

If you'd rather watch than listen to Bartok's Forum Network appearance, head over to the page on her appearance, or click the play button below:



Brief interview with Bartok from Simon & Schuster:



-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Send your events to Community@News-Herald.com, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.


Author John Gorman will visit the Mentor Main Library to speak about his memoir “The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio” at 7 p.m. July 20.
Attendees will be able to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of how Gorman turned a struggling station into the nation’s top broadcaster during FM’s glory days, 1973 to 1986.
Discounted books will be available for purchase and signing after the talk. Register online at www.mentorpl.org or call the library at 440-255-8811.


The Friends of the Mentor Public Library is inviting the public to explore the highlights of the Cleveland Museum of Art and tour the newly renovated Ancient, Egyptian, Early Christian, Medieval and African galleries.
The bus and museum tour July 22 will accommodate 25 participants. Reservations will be taken at the library reference desk. Payment of $10 per person is required at the time of reservation. The bus will leave promptly at noon from the library parking lot and will return at 5 p.m. Lunch is not included, but the museum offers cafeteria refreshments. For more information, call Technical Services Manager Barbara Hauer at 440-255-8811, ext. 210, or e-mail barbara.hauer@mentorpl.org.


“Three Women in the Woods: Words and Images,” a touring exhibit of nature photography and framed, poster-sized poetry, will be displayed July 23 through Aug. 27 at The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road in Kirtland.
The artists opening reception will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. July 23 in the visitor center. There is no admission charge for visitors attending the reception. Regular Arboretum admission will be charged for the duration of the exhibit: $6 for ages 13 and older; $3 for ages 6 through 12.
The exhibit features images taken by Akron resident Jane Rogers, photographer, educator and wildflower expert. Rogers has participated in many plant rescues that have saved native wildflowers from soon-to-be developed construction sites. The plants and their descendents have found new homes in public parks, arboretums and other gardens across Ohio.
Sagamore Hills Township resident Jill Sell is a nature poet and journalist whose writing has appeared in many local, regional and national publications. Sell was named 2009 Best Freelance Writer in Ohio by the Press Club of Cleveland. She was also recognized last year by the Society for Professional Journalists for her environmental poetry.
For more information, call Holden Arboretum at 440-946-4400 or Jill Sell at 330-467-3533 or send an e-mail to jillsell@en.com.


Mentor Public Library will host a Star Wars Party for all ages at the main library, 8215 Mentor Ave., Mentor, noon to 2 p.m. July 24. Some Star Wars characters will come by to visit and help out with the many activities planned for the family. Families will have the opportunity to become a Jedi Knight by completing four tasks, including doing an obstacle course, making a light saber and participating in a light saber training course. The Star Wars characters will judge a Wookie Howling Contest for children ages 7 and younger, 8 to 12 years and ages 13 and older.
For details call 440-255-8811.


The Perry Public Library is planning a summer reading celebration 1 to 3 p.m. July 24.
Flower Clown will be on hand to make amazing balloon sculptures for children and Suz-E-QT will be creating wearable art with her face painting. Those interested can visit with service dogs, play games, make crafts, enter the 50/50 raffle, and more. This event is open to everyone and no registration is needed. Call the library at 440-259-3300 for more information.


Cuyahoga County’s Summer Reading Program “Books Ahoy!” will continue through Aug. 7. Children and family members of all ages may sign up for this program. There will be a drawing at the end of the program for grand prizes, which include a Great Lakes Science Center family membership, a Lake Erie Monsters suite night, a Cleveland Indians batting practice experience, one year of free kid's meals at Eat’n Park, a birthday party package at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and more. For details, call 216-831-6868.


--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com