Note new location for April and May: Mesa Library, Main Branch, 64 East 1st Street (East of Country Club Way at the intersection of N. Centennial Way -- N.W. corner)

Persepolis is the story of Marjane Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trails of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

We will discuss both Volume One and Two.

Dr. Christopher Heward was President of Kronos Science Laboratory. His primary responsibility was providing scientific and technical leadership for all laboratory activities. He oversaw the development and implementation of the clinical laboratory testing program; assisted in designing and refining both internally and externally sponsored clinical studies; directs and coordinates diagnostic product research and development; administered laboratory and patient databases; was principal investigator for the Kronos Longitudinal Aging Study (KLAS); and communicates Kronos’ discoveries and advances to lay and scientific audiences via presentations and publications. Dr. Heward’s research interests included healthy aging, endocrinology, oxidative stress, Alzheimer’s disease, prion disease (TSE) and menopause.

Dr. Heward attended the University of Arizona and received Bachelor of Arts degrees from both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Chemistry, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the Department of Biology. He earned his PhD from the Department of Biology in 1981.

Dr. Heward discussed the research done at Kronos and provided an update on anti-aging medicine. Visit the Kronos website at: http://www.kronoslaboratory.com/

Sadly, he passed away early in 2009, after a brave battle with esophageal cancer.

The HSGP Book Club meets at Bookman's Used Bookstore, northwest corner of Country Club and Southern, in Mesa, at 1:30 p.m.

From Publishers Weekly:

Briskly original and subversively funny, this novella from popular British writer Bennett (Untold Stories; Tony-winning play The History Boys) sends Queen Elizabeth II into a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader. Guided by Norman, a former kitchen boy and enthusiast of gay authors, the queen gradually loses interest in her endless succession of official duties and learns the pleasure of such a common activity. With the dawn of her sensibility... mistaken for the onset of senility, plots are hatched by the prime minister and the queen's staff to dispatch Norman and discourage the queen's preoccupation with books. Ultimately, it is her own growing self-awareness that leads her away from reading and toward writing, with astonishing results. Bennett has fun with the proper behavior and protocol at the palace, and the few instances of mild coarseness seem almost scandalous. There are lessons packed in here, but Bennett doesn't wallop readers with them. It's a fun little book.

On Saturday, March 22, 2008, HSGP will co-sponsor (with the Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism) a special day-long seminar (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Our instructor/facilitator is Brian Schmidt, who comes to us from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Dr. Brian Schmidt is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient West Asian Cultures at the U. M. He is the author of Israel’s Beneficent Dead: Ancestor Cult and Necromancy in Ancient Israelite Religion and Tradition and editor of The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel.

Tickets for the event may be purchased at meetings or ordered by mail. The cost is $20 for the day-long seminar. Couples may purchase tickets for $35 for both. There will be snacks and beverages available, included in the price of the ticket.

Please note: Tickets are selling fast, and there is a limited number of seats available, so don't wait! To order by mail, send a check for the correct amount ($20 single; $35 couple) to: HSGP, P.O. Box 26044, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Tickets are also available at all HSGP meetings, until we are sold out.

Eleanor Eisenberg returns to speak to us, this time wearing her hat as President of the Arizona Death Penalty Forum. The Arizona Death Penalty Forum (AzDPF) http://www.azdeathpenalty.org/ is a collection of Arizona activists, educators, legal professionals, policy makers, civic/religious leaders, and concerned Arizonans who are united in discourse and civic engagement pursuing the balancing of ethics with justice by calling for an immediate end to Capital Punishment in Arizona.

Dr. Ariel Anbar is a biogeochemist interested in the past and future evolution of the Earth as a habitable planet and how this knowledge informs the search for inhabited worlds beyond Earth. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Geological Sciences and Chemistry from Harvard, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geochemistry from Cal Tech. (Pasadena). He is currently Associate Professor in the Dept. of Geological Sciences Chemistry & Biochemistry division at ASU.

His current research focuses on the chemical evolution of the environment, especially changes in ocean oxygenation through time, and its consequences for life. The focal point of this research is the development and application of new analytical methods in elemental and isotope geochemistry- particularly the stable isotope geochemistry of transition metals- to tease information about ancient environments from the geologic record. This research also involves chemical and biochemical experiments, quantum chemical modeling and geological field work. Dr. Anbar has also studied the atmospheric chemistry of present-day Earth and Mars, the bombardment history of the early Earth, and the use of metal stable isotopes in biomedicine. Visit his website at: http://www.anbarlab.org/people/show/3

Dr. Theodore ("Ted") Guleserian graduated with a B.A. degree form the University of Calif. Riverside in 1959 and holds a Ph.D. from Yale University. He taught as Lecturer from 1963-64 at Yale, then took a position as Assistant Professor at U.C. Riverside for seven years. It was there that he met his wife Diane, and they have two sons, Jordan and Justin.

As a professor of Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics and Philosophy of Religion at Arizona State University, Dr. Guleserian's writings have included articles in the area of the philosophy of mind, free will, the nature of divine freedom, and the problem of evil. He is currently working on an article dealing with the possible failure of one prominent solution to the problem of evil, which he plans to incorporate into a future book.

We will celebrate "Darwin Day" with our good friend, Dr. John Lynch, who has spoken to us in the past about Darwin, as well as Intelligent Design vs. Evolution. We will have special treats, handouts, the traditional Darwin quiz, and a birthday cake for Charles, who turns 199 this year!

Dr. Lynch teaches for Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University (where he is also affiliated with the Center for Biology & Society, and the History and Philosophy of Science Program). He received his initial training as an evolutionary biologist and, while he continues biological research, he now largely teaches and researches within the history of biology. Specializing in theological and cultural responses to evolutionary ideas, his ongoing primary research is an examination of Catholic responses to evolutionary thought. He has been studying American anti-evolutionism since 1996, and was involved (with other ASU faculty) with the fight to maintain strong evolutionary principles in the AZ K12 standards following challenges in 1998 and 2004. He has presented on anti-evolutionism and Intelligent Design Creationism at legal, educational, scientific, and public gatherings country-wide.