RMA Publicity

Details: Published: 06 September 2018

Minnesota Man's Efforts to Put His Hometown in the National Spotlight Sept. 22

The 57th anniversary of the day Congress passed the Peace Corps Act is on Saturday, September 22, and thanks to an Eagan, Minn., man's efforts, the anniversary will be marked with pomp and circumstance in his hometown of Plainview, Minn. The first Peace Corps marker to be placed in the United States will be dedicated in Plainview on Sept. 22 thanks to the efforts of Ken Flies, who back in 1962 was one of the four original Peace Corps members from Plainview, a town that at the time had only 1,400 citizens. Plainview is about a half hour northeast of Rochester.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the Great River Ridge Bike trailhead at the intersection Minnesota State Highway 42 and 3rd Street in Plainview. The public is encouraged to park at the American Legion building at the corner of 3rd Street and 4th Avenue where there is ample parking. The trailhead is located two blocks south of the American Legion.

The marker dedication will be followed by a book signing event for Flies’ memoir, Into the Backlands, which will be held at the American Legion Hall in Plainview beginning at 2 p.m. At the time of the marker’s conception, Flies was encouraged by the Minnesota Historical Society to write a memoir of his experience in the backlands of Brazil in the early days of the Peace Corps. This event marks the public launch of the memoir.

A preview story about the event has been published in the Eagan Sun This Week, Fleis' current hometown newspaper. The Rochester Post Bulletin is doing a story as well. So is the Wabasha County Herald, and KTTC-TV in Rochester is planning to cover the event on Saturday.

Details: Published: 07 September 2018

Award-winning Author Mark Ristau to Participate in "10 Days Free from Violence" - Sept. 25 Event at Subtext Books

Twin Citi es Nonviolent is coordinating the event “10 Days Free from Violence” from Sept. 21 - 30, 2018, to call attention to the idea of encouraging peace, and one of the authors I work with is involved in the movement.

Mark Ristau of St. Paul, the author of A Hero Dreams, will be at Subtext Books in St. Paul the evening of Tues., Sept. 25, beginning at 7 p.m. He will read from his award-winning novel A Hero Dreams and lead a discussion that will explore the power of stories to bring people together and inspire us with the idea that peace is possible.

In A Hero Dreams, Ristau explores, through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy, a world in which “honor” is the watchword, bullying is considered normal, and the age-old problem of violence is on the rise…yet hidden deep within this 10-year-old boy’s heart lies the possibility of peace.
Learn more about Mark's work at www.MarkRistau.com.

Details: Published: 13 September 2018

"Before They Left Us" Launches at The Day Block Event Center in Minneapolis

It seems at a time when there’s a lot of attention on the opioid crisis and addiction in general, what once was the biggest health crisis of an entire generation has been all but forgotten, but not by Rosemary Davis.

The Minneapolis woman was a well known AIDS activist here in the Twin Cities when the crisis was at its peak. In the mid 1980s, she volunteered with the AIDS Project, sewed patches on the national quilt, and participated in numerous AIDS marches.

Recently, she published a memoir in which she keeps the memories of those she lost to the disease alive. Before They Left Us, launched the evening of Sept. 13 at a private party in Minneapolis. Books are available online now through Amazon.com.

Details: Published: 13 September 2018

Teen Author Shares His Publishing Journey with Kids at The Delano, MN Library

   Teen author Justin M. Anderson appeared at the Delano Public Library in Delano, Minn., on Sept. 12 to share the story behind his publishing company, Sigma's Bookshelf, and let prospective authors in the audience know how to submit their own books for publication. He also promoted the upcoming novel writing workshop he will be co-teaching over MEA Break (Oct. 18 & 19).
   To sign your child up, or learn more about the activity, go to the www .SigmasBookshelf.com. The resigistration link is on the front page. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Sigma’s Bookshelf is a project of Springboard for the Arts, a nonprofit arts services organization.