Cocktails, literature and song. Tamara Ikenberg | tikenberg@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/Ikenberg/index.html

Mobile native Suzanne McKissack Fleet is rubbing elbows with the likes of Tina Fey and Kurt Vonnegut, these days. Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/lfspecke/index.html

It’s been more than a hundred years since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced his consulting detective to an eager reading world. As the recent Robert Downey Jr. movies, the British TV series “Sherlock” and the American series “Elementary” show, Holmes is more popular than ever. Ann Marie Martin http://connect.al.com/user/ammartin/index.html

Susan Kirkpatrick Smith’s talk will be the final one in this year’s Hertha Heller Forum, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Pat Ammons | pammons@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/pammons/index.html

Primrose School at Liberty Park students celebrated the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day with the spirit of giving. On Friday, March 1, students presented the Birmingham Chapter of Reach Out and Read, a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting literacy through pediatric primary care, with more than 550 books they had collected during a month-long book drive. Ana Rodriguez | arodriguez@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/arrodriguez/index.html

The Murphy Writers Group will host a Spring Writers Event on March 21, at 6 p.m. at Coffee Tree Books and Brew, 7900 Bailey Cove Road. (File photo) HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The Murphy Writers Group will host a Spring... Pat Ammons | pammons@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/pammons/index.html

Skip Tucker took his interest, particularly in Confederate General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, and created the historical fiction novel “Pale Blue Light.” He will be signing copies of the book at Costco in Hoover Saturday, March 9 at 11 a.m. Mia Watkins | mwatkins@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/mswatkins1/index.html

Liberty Park Middle School students recently experienced a taste of the wild—at least for an afternoon. On Tuesday, February 26, “Alabama Moon” author Watt Key gave LPMS students a glimpse into what it was like to grow up in the bay with a swamp right across the street. Those experiences, growing up in Point Clear, Ala., helped inspire Key’s award-winning 2006 debut novel. In 2009, the best-seller made it onto the big screen, complete with a cast that included Clint Howard and John Goodman. Ana Rodriguez | arodriguez@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/arrodriguez/index.html

Jackson's new book, "Temple Sweepers," explains how she has linked habits for healthy body and soul. Kay Campbell | kcampbell@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/index.html

This week’s Brown Bag Lunch program will feature a well-known member of the community: Former Mountain Brook Mayor Margaret Porter will be on hand on Wednesday, March 6 to discuss the plans put in place by the city’s founding fathers—foundations that still remain in place today. Ana Rodriguez | arodriguez@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/arrodriguez/index.html

Rachel Powelson plans a career translating the Bible for some of the world's unwritten languages. Kay Campbell | kcampbell@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/index.html

The Coweeta Poets are a collection of 10 North Alabama women who first gathered in 1994 to learn more about their craft. Their workshop took place in the mountains of North Carolina, where their sessions were held on the porch of the historic McClure Mill Resort, just above the “talking waters” of Coweeta Creek. Beth Thames http://connect.al.com/user/bthames/index.html

Fall for "The Girl of the Golden West." Tamara Ikenberg | tikenberg@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/Ikenberg/index.html

Louis Pizitz Middle School and Liberty Park Middle School are gearing up to welcome award-winning author Roland Smith at their campuses next week. On Tuesday, March 12, Smith, author of over 20 releases ranging from novels to picture books, will be talking to Vestavia Hills students about his life experiences. Ana Rodriguez | arodriguez@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/arrodriguez/index.html

Various literary events are planned for 2013. Book festivals, writers conferences, workshops and stage adaptations of classics will be featured throughout the year. Nathan T. Prewett | nprewett@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/NPrewett/index.html

Perez Hilton is a dad, Eric Clapton says he’ll stop touring when he’s 70 and the Stone Temple Pilots fire frontman Scott Weiland. We have these stories and more in today’s entertainment news from around the web. Mia Watkins | mwatkins@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/mswatkins1/index.html

Since the beginning of the year, the Homewood Public Library has had one major goal: teach as many people to feel comfortable using a computer as possible. In January and February, the library hosted an array of workshops geared toward teaching even the most inexperienced users how to properly use a computer. As the month of March approaches, the library is gearing up to offer both the follow-up workshops geared toward complimenting previous lessons and basic, introductory classes. Ana Rodriguez | arodriguez@al.com http://connect.al.com/user/arrodriguez/index.html