One of the fall season’s most anticipated thrillers, a novel about a man who might be Bob Dylan’s son, and food meets the Beat writers. Eclectic topics for a fall Sunday.

(Courtesy of Atlantic Crime)

“The Whisper Place”: by Mindy Mejia (Atlantic Crime, $27)

Even when she’d thought about her husband lying facedown in a trough of dirt and dead leaves, it was fractured pieces of memory. Hands bleeding on a shovel handle. Sweat dripping from her forehead to the corpse. A frantic hug, pulling her daughter close as they both trembled with shock and exhaustion. Darkness and short, heaving breaths. — From “The Whisper Place”

Mindy Mejia (Courtesy of the author)

Meet two of the most intriguing new crime thriller partners — former police officer Max Summerlin and psychic Jonah Kendrick — business partners in a startup private detective agency specializing in finding people, some of whom don’t want to be found.

That’s the case when Charlie Ashlock hires the partners to find his missing girlfriend. The problem is he doesn’t know her name or anything about her. Not much to go on, but Max and Jonah take on the case in the third of Meija’s Iowa Mysteries series (after “To Catch a Storm” and “A World of Hurt”). Mejia is known for her twisty plots, and this is the twistiest. Every time you think you’ve got it figured out, she throws something new into the plot.

The story’s told in the voices of Max, Jonah and an on-the-run woman who calls herself Darcy and finds a new home at a bakery, where the woman who owns it becomes her best friend. As Max and Jonah follow the few leads they have, there are cracks in their relationship that need mending. Max is too quick to make decisions without consulting his partner and Jonah feels Max treats him as though he needs protection. While Max follows specifics in their cases, Jonah dreams about people they are seeking and where they are being held prisoner.

Max and Jonah find Victoria Campbell, mother of the missing woman. From there, the story is too exciting to reveal, except to say that someone presumed dead makes a menacing appearance.

Mejia has a degree from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University.

She will be a guest reader at Minnesota Mystery Night at 7 p.m. Monday at Lucky’s 13 Pub, 1352 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota, in conversation with Cary J. Griffith, who writes nonfiction and the Sam Rivers mystery series (“Rattlesnake Bluff”).  $13. Reservations at mnmysterynight.com. Mejia will launch her book at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Wooden Hill Brewing Company, 7421 Bush Lake Road, Edina, in conversation with Joshua Moehling, presented by Once Upon a Crime mystery bookstore. She reads at 5 p.m. Oct. 4 at Barnes & Noble, 828 W. County Road 42, Burnsville.

(Courtesy of Penguin Random House)

“The Boy from the North Country”: by Sam Sussman (Penguin Press, $29)

In my reflection I saw my mother’s features and Dylan’s merging into mine. She seemed to have known him. Strangers who weren’t aware of this insisted I looked like him. My mother wouldn’t talk about him. This couldn’t be happenstance. I could feel Dylan within me. We understood one another even if we had never met. His songs had given me a way to feel and live. He was the father I was meant to have. — from “Boy from the North Country”

There are two boys from northern places in this widely praised debut novel. One is Bob Dylan, who grew up in the north country of Hibbing, Minn. The other is protagonist Evan Klausner, from upstate New York’s Hudson Valley. They come together in this autobiographical story of 26-year-old Klausner’s return to the home of his beautiful mother, June, who is dying of cancer. June raised her son virtually alone, and their tender relationship is at the heart of the story. Klausner has a striking resemblance to musician Dylan, and he always wondered about his paternity, something his mother refused to talk about.

The novel was inspired by the author’s own uncertain paternity, which he wrote about in “The Silent Type: On (possibly) being Bob Dylan’s Son,” published in the May 2021 issue of Harper’s Magazine and available online.

In the novel, June and Evan eat healthful foods from the garden, enjoy the outdoors, discuss art and reminisce as Evan does all he can to care for his mother. June slowly unravels her secrets, including her yearlong relationship with Dylan in mid-1970s New York, when he was working on the album “Blood on the Tracks.”

Although critics’ reviews of the novel focus on Evan and June (Kirkus calls it “the most beautiful and moving mother-son story in recent memory”), Sussman’s imagining of June’s early life is compelling as he writes of her acting career and how she met a silent and moody Dylan at a painting class. Dylan, who is married, eventually ends up at her apartment at odd times during their affair.

Sussman is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Oxford. He’s taught writing seminars in India, Chile and England. He lives in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan and his native Hudson Valley.

“Dharma Butcher”: by JD Fratzke (Liquid North Publishing, $24)

Jack’s voice was a warm hand on my shoulder and a strong affection — the older brother he was to me then looking into my eyes to simply remind me that nothing ever matters or has ever really meant anything. I would let go and whirl in the dharma tornado, let it take me for a ride. — from “Dharma Butcher”

JD Fratzke (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

JD Fratzke’s new book is an eclectic collection that is part poetry, part autobiography, part recipes, part homage to the Beat poets. “Dharma” is for Jack Kerouac and the other Beats; “Butcher” is the author’s private life.

Fratzke has been prominent on the hospitality scene for more than 30 years as a high-profile chef, a consultant and a writer whose thoughts on food and challenges of cooking have been published in the Pioneer Press. His 2024 debut, “River Language,” was about his love of the wilderness, but his new book is wider-ranging. His aim was to write about the Beats in a way that would bridge generations.

Running through the book is Fratzke’s commitment to Buddhist practice: “I sit lotus/at the edge of a sylvan pond/In a lush grove of poplars/And I take refuge in/The Buddha/And/The Dharma/And/The Sangria.” He shares thoughts about the relationship between humans and animals they eat as he cuts up a duck. And he tells of moving to Minneapolis at age 19 when he was looking for “… a lifemaking, watching and listening to loud rock and roll. Minneapolis laid the opportunity to do so at my feet. I worked in record stores and nightclubs. I was asked to join a band as their singer and lyricist.”

The final quarter of this paperback is about how deeply the Beats affected Fratzke as a young writer. He gives us a “book report” comparing Kerouac’s books “On the Road” and “The Dharma Bums” and recalls his emotions seeing an exhibit at Walker Art Center that included a 1959 clip of TV host Steve Allen welcoming Kerouac reading from “On the Road.”

It ends with haiku and Zen poems: “I slurp my buckwheat noodles/And watch the new snow/A bird pauses to warm itself/On the neighbor’s chimney.”

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‘Talk to Me Nice’: How (and why) to speak to others in a way that builds trust

Susan Monarez’s 28-day tenure as the nation’s top public-health official was doomed from the start. Her boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wanted her to do two things: champion his dubious anti-vaccine agenda and uphold “gold-standard science” at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognizing the conflict, Monarez chose the latter and was fired last month.

Monarez’s departure from the CDC highlights a dilemma that any successor will face: Under Kennedy, no serious scientist can hold the job. The risk this vacuum of expertise could pose to Americans’ health and safety is significant.

Kennedy has been a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist for decades. Public frustration with pandemic-era mask and vaccine mandates helped catapult him to popularity and may have led to his appointment as health secretary. Although the White House gave Kennedy permission to “go wild” on health, lawmakers were given assurances that he wouldn’t do much to change vaccine policy.

So much for that. Since assuming his post, Kennedy has taken steps to restrict availability of the COVID-19 shot, which he once falsely called “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” He also purged the panel of experts that offers recommendations about vaccine use, cut critical vaccine research, and plans to publish a report “within a month” that aims to identify the heretofore elusive causes of autism, which he strongly suggests is caused by vaccines. (There’s no evidence to support this.)

In a hearing this month, Kennedy defended these measures as a “once-in-a-generation” effort to remake the CDC and restore “gold-standard science.” They’re nothing of the sort. Rather, the secretary appears intent on clearing room for more pliable subordinates, including his handpicked vaccine panel. Monarez says Kennedy asked her to preapprove this group’s recommendations, which are due later this month. When she refused, she was given the choice to resign or lose her job. Kennedy refutes this account.

It’s unclear whether Monarez was terminated legally. An acting director nonetheless already has been named: a close Kennedy aide and former biotech investor who has been known to peddle vaccine misinformation.

Monarez’s departure itself isn’t a crisis. More troubling is the exodus of top-level experts behind her — to say nothing of the hundreds of staff who’ve already been let go. A carousel of amateurish acting directors would only make things worse.

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The prospect of a CDC hollowed of expertise should alarm lawmakers. When an outbreak hits, seasoned leaders are needed to work across agencies, coordinate with state and local health officials, field calls from governors and foreign ministries of health, and communicate with the public. Staffing the agency with inexperienced loyalists will waste time and resources, increase the chances of costly mistakes, and put American lives at risk.

Almost a dozen Democratic senators have demanded Kennedy’s resignation, while influential Republicans including Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski have called for oversight of Monarez’s firing. An investigation is likely in order. Although lawmakers pressed Kennedy to explain his actions in last week’s hearing, they failed to set a deadline for filling Monarez’s role with a qualified replacement. It isn’t too late: Concerns that the secretary might keep the job open — granting himself more authority in the interim — are mounting.

The countless public-health threats that the CDC regularly contains are invisible to most Americans. Lawmakers ought to know better.

— The Bloomberg Opinion Editorial Board

BOOZY BOOK FAIR: Second annual event features local authors, games and brews, presented by Valley Bookseller and Literature Lover’s Night Out. Free. 2 p.m. Sept. 21, River Siren Brewing Co., 225 Main St., Stillwater.

KARLEIGH FRISBIE BROGAN: Discusses “Holding: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts” in conversation with Kathryn Savage. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

ANIKA FAJARDO: Presents “The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

JAMES KAKALIOS: Launches “The Physics of Superheroes Goes Hollywood.” 7 p.m. Thursday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

ONE BOOK/ONE MINNESOTA: Statewide book club presents free virtual conversation with Sheila O’Connor, author of “Evidence of V,” the program’s fall 2025 title. 7 p.m. Wednesday. To register: thefriends.org/onebook. (There is access to a free e-book until Sept. 28.)

READINGS BY WRITERS: With guest host Danny Klecko and readers Dralandra Larkins, Scott Vetsch and Jim Moore. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, University Club, 420 Summit Ave., St. Paul.

KELSEY TIMMERMAN: Discusses “Regenerating Earth: Farmers Working with Nature to Feed Our Future,” the result of his five years documenting regenerative farming practices around the world. 6:30 p.m. Friday, Patagonia, 1648 Grand Ave, St. Paul.

Diane Wilson (Courtesy photo)

WRITERS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION: Poets and writers read from works speaking about political, social and cultural occurrences in this country: Diane Wilson (WDA spokesperson), Margaret Hasse, Kathryn Kysar, Michael Kleber-Diggs and Donna Isaac. This free program is part of the Cracked Walnut Poetry Festival. 7 pm. Thursday, East Side Freedom Library, 1195 Greenbrier St., St. Paul.

What else is going on

Courtney Gerber (Courtesy of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts)

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts has named Courtney Gerber as executive director, replacing Elysa Voshell, who has relocated to Los Angeles. According to the organization’s announcement, Gerber brings more than 20 years of nonprofit arts leadership experience and a passion for book arts to her new role. She has held senior leadership roles at some of the Twin Cities’ most respected cultural organizations, including the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Minnesota Museum of American Art and Walker Art Center. She has academic training in medieval manuscripts and contemporary art history, as well as personal practice in poetry and visual journaling. She takes the reins Oct. 14. (MCBA is in the Open Book building, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Mpls.)

The George Latimer St. Paul public library is among more than 15 libraries across the state participating in The Great North Star Read Together from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, when book lovers are invited to drop into their local libraries to read quietly for a few minutes or for the entire two hours to show support for libraries.

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This week in Skywatch I want you to go sky high to dig for some of the great visual treasures waiting for your eyes. And now that it gets darker a lot sooner in the evening, it’s easier to get out there and stargaze before the sandman starts working on your eyelids. You can spend a lot more time with your telescope and even just a nice pair of binoculars. There are a lot of celestial treasures among the constellations in the late summer sky. Star clusters, nebulae, double stars, and even whole other galaxies outside our Milky Way are buried to the naked eye, but with a little patience and optical aid you can dig them out.

I also want to put in another word about smart photographic telescopes, which came out about three years ago. They are fantastic! I believe that in time, they’ll be much more popular than conventional visual telescopes. You can easily operate them with a smartphone, iPad or tablet. In a matter of minutes, they’ll point themselves to any celestial object you want and take images of it that will blow you away, in color. They also work well even in areas of moderate to heavy light pollution. Best of all, the most expensive ones are less than $600. I highly recommend either the ZWO SeeStar S50 and the ZWO SeeStar S30. Find out more at starizona.com.

(Mike Lynch)

Three of the nicest jewels of the heavens right now are nearly overhead at the end of evening twilight around 9 p.m. The easiest one to see is the star Albireo, the second-brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Within Cygnus is the easy-to-see pattern of the “Northern Cross.” Albireo marks the foot of the cross. The best way to find it is to face south and look directly overhead. The brightest star you see is Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the Lyre. Make a fist and extend your clenched fist at arm’s length. About two fists at arm’s length to the left of Vega, look for the Northern Cross and Albireo.

To the naked eye, Albireo looks like any other star in the sky, but with even a pair of binoculars, you can see that not only is Albireo a double star, but also a colorful pair. One star has a golden hue and the other is distinctly blue. The double stars of Albireo are considered a binary star system, just over 400 light-years away, with just one light-year equaling nearly 6 trillion miles. There’s debate among astronomers as to whether the two stars are gravitationally bound and are rotating around each other. It’s extremely difficult to tell exactly but it’s estimated that the two stars are separated by about 20 light-years. If the two stars are rotating around each other, it’s thought that their orbital period is about 100,000 years. Don’t wait up for that because that’s well past your bedtime.

The next celestial treasure to search for is more elusive and you’ll need at least a small to moderate telescope. It’s the Ring Nebula. more formally known as Messier object 57, or M57. It really looks like a ring, and with its slightly bluish tint reminds me of a little cosmic smoke ring. The Ring Nebula lies in the constellation Lyra the Lyre (or Harp), between two of the four stars that make a little parallelogram allegedly outlining the little celestial harp. Just keep scanning between the two stars that make up the end of the parallelogram opposite the bright star Vega. At first, the Ring Nebula looks like a faint, blurry star, but if your scope is powerful enough, you may be able to resolve the ring.

M57 is what astronomers call a planetary nebula, a dying star shedding off the last of its hydrogen, helium, and other gases as it collapses into a white dwarf star, about the size of our Earth. Our own sun is headed for this fate in about 5 to 6 billion years.

The final celestial treasure I have for you is also in the high south sky. It’s Messier object 13, better known as the great Hercules Cluster, one of the sky’s true wonders, residing in the faint constellation Hercules the Hero.  The best way to find that is to face south once again and find the bright star Vega. Look just to its lower right for a trapezoid of four moderately bright stars you should be able to see with the naked eye, unless you really have a lot of light pollution. That trapezoid is pretty much the center of the Hercules constellation.

About a third of the way from the upper right to the lower right side of the trapezoid you’ll find the Hercules cluster. You won’t see it with the naked eye but with a good pair of binoculars or even better, a telescope, you’ll see what at first looks like a spherical fuzzball. If you have powerful enough optics, and especially if you can see it from darker countryside skies, you’ll see that it’s a cluster of many, many stars, known as a globular cluster. This is one of the best clusters in the skies. Astronomers figure it’s about 25,000 light-years away, which equals about 145,000 trillion miles. There may be up to a million stars crammed in an area a little over 800 trillion miles wide. Through even a moderate telescope you can see some individual stars at the edge. As it is with all telescopic objects, look at the cluster for extended periods through the eyepiece of your scope to let your eyes get used to the darkness of the eyepiece field. I absolutely love showing off the great Hercules cluster with giant telescopes at my star party programs.

Celestial happening this week

(Mike Lynch)

Set your alarm for this coming Friday morning, Sept. 19, to see a spectacular conjunction between Venus, a very thin waning crescent moon, and the bright star Regulus in a very tight triangle. It’ll be a sight to behold! Venus and the moon will be practically touching each other, only about a quarter degree apart. This is the closest Venus and the moon will be to each other this year. To make it even sweeter, you can see the moon’s disk not lit up directly by the sun, in ghostly earthshine

Starwatch programs

Thursday, Sept. 18, 8-10 p.m., at Folwell Park In Minneapolis. For more information and reservations, call 612-370-4917 or visit www.minneapolisparks.org.

Saturday, Sept. 20, 8-10 p.m., through the City of Ramsey Parks and Recreation. For more information, location and reservations, call 763-443-9883 or visit www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/269/Parks-and-Recreation.

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and retired broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is the author of “Stars: a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations,” published by Adventure Publications and available at bookstores and adventurepublications.net. Mike is available for private star parties. You can contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.

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