Paging all local book lovers—it's time for #CBW2017. A lively array of literary happenings forms the itinerary for the annual Cleveland Book Week, sponsored by the Cleveland Foundation and Partners.

Among the highlights: author talks by Peter Ho Davies (The Fortunes), Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits), and Margot Lee Shetterly (Hidden Figures); an art book and zine fair at MOCA; a poetry, art, and music event at Karamu House; and the 82nd annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards at the State Theatre. This Saturday, the Cleveland Flea will also host a "#CBW2017 Edition" featuring a pop-up bookshop with rare books and first editions, plus a literary cafe where visitors can mingle with local authors.

In addition, those who use public transportation will be treated to some bookish fun on their commute this week. During the morning and evening rush periods, local artists performing poetry and spoken word pieces at RTA stations around town. (Locations include Airport, Cedar, E. 55^th St., Little Italy, Shaker Square, Tower City, W. 25^th St., W. 98^th St. and Windermere.)

To learn more about the awesome literary lineup, click here.

Artists’ shows, open mic nights, jam sessions, and sketch nights: for the past six years, Negative Space has established itself as a non-profit creative oasis for artists, musicians, and community supporters at E. 39^th Street and Superior Avenue in AsiaTown.

On Saturday, the studios and gallery will double down by moving into a warehouse space twice the size of its original home—and it just happens to be right next door at 3820 Superior Ave. At 4,000 square feet, the space is­ capable of housing even more art and entertainment.

Read more about the new Negative Space here.

Record-breaking amounts of visitors have made their way to Cleveland in recent years, and Travelocity has taken notice—ticking off 13 reasons why it's "obsessed" with Cleveland. (Just 13? We've got at least seven more to add.) Usual suspects like Public Square, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame lead the list, along with tasty trips to the West Side Market and that oozing-with-charm popcorn shop in Chagrin Falls. See which other attractions made the list here.
 

The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the world's premier orchestras, a purveyor of symphonic delights that's first on the lips of many a Clevelander when asked what they love most about the city. Fresh Water is here to provide five quick hits about everyone's favorite classical ensemble.

Get your facts straight here. 

The 35+ short films produced during Cleveland's installment of the 48-Hour Film Project are in the can. Get a sneak preview of what happened during the "Lights, Camera, Action"-packed weekend.

As Midtown’s papermaking studio turns 10 years old, the Morgan Conservatory perseveres in its ancient art practice.

Planning your next vacation? You may not have to travel beyond the city limits. Reward Expert has ranked Cleveland 7th on its list of “2017’s Best Cities for Staycations.” The reward travel website compared 100 of the largest cities in the U.S. based on 29 key metrics broken down into three categories: Recreation, Food & Entertainment, and Rest & Relaxation. Cleveland’s sports success and must-sees like PlayhouseSquare and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are cited, as well as Cleveland's “many public pools and its beaches alongside Lake Erie.” (And here's a fun fact: Cleveland has the most public pools per capita. Stay cool, Cleveland!)

Read the full write-up and see which other cities made the list here.
 

Welcome to "Over The River," a monthly calendar of exciting activities taking place throughout the area. ?Our July listing includes lakeside tunes, a wedding design extravaganza and a cancer-fighting festival. 

Read all about it here.
 

Summer is the season for vacations, relaxation and general fun in the sun, or so the brochure tells us. The hot months don't have to be spent just lazing about, however, because Cleveland is positively smoking with educational summertime programs, and Fresh Water is burning things up with this enticing workshop roundup, with everything from creating mysterious accordion books and building video games to snapping out flash fiction.

Get the whole list here. 

Via the school's Engaged Practice programming, students interact with the real world through their arts — from protecting the fragile Cuyahoga to advocating for the homeless.
 

Managing photographer Bob Perkoski offers up a tour of the city from a bird's eye view.

Now in its 28th year, the Star-Spangled Spectacular draws folks of all ages and backgrounds downtown. This year's event will be held on Friday, June 30., and includes free family workshops ahead of the fireworks and festivities.

Preview all of it here. 

Welcome to "Over The River," a monthly calendar of exciting activities taking place throughout the area. Have a fun event you want to share with your fellow Clevelanders? Drop us an email.
 
Our June listing is packed with summer movie goodness, poetry and a little bit of yoga.

Get all the 411 here.

For some people, golf is a slow-moving sport that's expensive to take up, is neck deep in boring etiquette, and requires at least one good pair of dress shorts. Fortunately, the Cleveland Metroparks has come to the rescue with a golf-like alternative where tank tops aren't frowned upon and you never have to worry about plucking the wrong club from your Callaway Odyssey bag.

What's a golf-challenged Clevelander to do? Why .... FootGolf of course! Read all about it here.

Last month, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) hosted its third annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch. More than 500 city leaders, stakeholders and community development professionals gathered at Cleveland's Edgewater Park to celebrate leading neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Click here to see who received the honors.

Wall clocks that tell stories, but not time; TRUTH from Detroit; an embarrassment of pickles — it all adds up to a feast of color and content amid MOCA Cleveland's summer 2017 exhibition.

Tucked away on East 41^th Street just across the way from Tyler Village, Stephen Yusko is toiling away at his studio wherein you'll find milling machines and band saws and the usual residents in a metalworking shop. But Yusko's tools also include anvils, a white-hot forge and the tongs and hammers that transform steel into the smith's graceful designs.
 
"My work is a combination of forging, machining and fabricating. It seems like more machining, but it always starts with a forged … something," says Yusko. "I enjoy that process: heating up a bar of steel and transforming it into a shape."
 
Yusko continues while a cat named M slinks around the shop, completely unimpressed by the craftsman's lofty musings:

Read them here, and find out where this able smith like to sup when he's not manning the forge.