Author to speak, sign books at library

Former Lawrence resident Wayne Johnson will read from, discuss and sign copies of his latest book, “The Devil You Know,” at 7 p.m. today at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt. Copies of the book will be available for purchase courtesy of The Raven Bookstore, 8 E. Seventh St.

“The Devil You Know” is a story of a boy trying to avoid being caught by men who want to kill him as he brings his severely injured father and sister out of the wilderness to safety. It is set in the North Lakes area of Minnesota, as were Johnson’s two previous novels, “Six Crooked Highways” and “Don’t Think Twice.”

Johnson was a teaching-writing fellow of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and is a recipient of the Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University. He lives in Salt Lake City.

Arts center presents ‘The Wizard of Oz’

The Lawrence Arts Center Summer Youth Theatre will perform “The Wizard of Oz” this weekend on the arts center stage.

The production, which includes more than 40 young people, is directed by Jennifer Glenn with musical direction by Mary Baker and choreography by Ellie Goudie-Averill.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. today and Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets, which cost $8 for adults and $6 for students, are available at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., or by calling 843-2787. Phone orders must be $20 or more.

Anti-imperialism rally set for July 4

Several Lawrence- and Kansas City-area groups are working together to sponsor a Rally Against Imperialism on Independence Day in Leavenworth.

Sponsored by KU Students for an Egalitarian Society, Lawrence Industrial Workers of the World, Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, UMKC National Lawyers Guild, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, KU Green Party, Kansas City Direct Action Network, Lawrence Anarchist Black Cross and South Dakota Radicals, the rally is set for 12:30 p.m. July 4 at Dougherty Park in Leavenworth.

For more information contact Michelle Castor at 841-5734 or visit www.kansasanarchist.net/WAR.