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Little Rock notebook

Tasty prose, food aim of 2 contests

The Central Arkansas Library System is accepting applications for two related contests this month.

Writers can enter the 2017 Banned Books Week contest through Sept. 20. Participants must submit a story or newly imagined folk tale loosely based on or incorporating a specific food, drink or home remedy inspired by Laura Esquivel's 1989 book Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies.

Teens and adults will be competing for a $300 top prize plus a gift worth $80 from Whole Foods and two $100 honorable-mention prizes. Entries will be judged on creativity, flow, style and originality.

Entries into the second contest, the Tasty Reads: An Edible Books Contest, will be taken through Sept. 29. Cooks must submit book-related edible creations. There will be $1,000 in cash and prizes available.

Those who wish to enter either contest can do so by visiting cals.org/banned-books-week.

Winners of both contests will be announced Sept. 30 at the Ron Robinson Theater.

Taylor Loop section closing for 3 weeks

Taylor Loop Road at Gooch Drive will be closed for about three weeks starting at 9 a.m. Monday.

Drainage culverts under the roadway will be replaced and upgraded.

Eastbound traffic will take Bella Rosa Drive to Cantrell Road. Taylor Loop Road west of the Rahling Road intersection will be open to local westbound traffic. To access Don R. Roberts Elementary School, motorists can use LaMarche Drive.

Russia 'riddle' topic at Clinton School

Nick Schifrin, a special correspondent at PBS NewsHour, will talk about "unwrapping the Russian riddle" at noon Monday at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service's Sturgis Hall.

Schifrin recently did a weeklong series about Russia and President Vladimir Putin's influence in the U.S. He and a producer traveled to a dozen cities while reporting on the Russian identity, propaganda and opposition.

He's a visiting fellow of the Clinton School.

Seats for the event, at 1200 President Clinton Ave., can be reserved by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239.

The event also will be streamed live online.

Reopening at library to unveil new space

A reopening event showcasing the renovated and expanded John Gould Fletcher Library is planned for Tuesday.

The ceremony will be at the library at 823 N. Buchanan St. at 2 p.m.

More than 3,000 square feet of space has been added, including three new meeting rooms with after-hours availability and a kitchen. There's also an upgraded heating and air system, LED lighting and other interior finishes.

The $2.7 million project was paid for with bond revenue from a refinance approved by voters in 2015.

Memorials subject of Arts Center talk

An Arkansas architect will talk about designing commemorative spaces during a lecture Tuesday.

Phoebe Lickwar, founding principal of Forge Landscape Architecture and an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will speak at 6 p.m. at the Arkansas Arts Center lecture hall, at 501 E. Ninth St.

Her speech is titled "Lessons From the National September 11th Memorial and National World War I Memorial at Pershing Park."

Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at UA will begin the lecture with an update on the school. Lickwar will then talk about her work with the national memorials.

Professor at Duke to speak on suicide

A Duke University School of Medicine associate professor will talk at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service on Wednesday about predicting suicidal behaviors.

David Goldston is a clinical psychologist and associate professor in Duke's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

He has conducted research on risk and developmental trajectories of suicidal behavior among youths through adulthood. He's also developed interventions for substance-using and suicidal teens. The American Psychological Association Press published his book on the assessment of suicidal behaviors and risk among children.

He's currently doing research on how cognitive behavioral intervention could reduce suicidal behavior among military personnel.

Metro on 09/10/2017

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