Norman mayor and professor present talk on book chronicling House Speaker Pelosi's ascent

Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal and Professor Ron Peters
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics"
2 p.m. Sunday 
Norman Public Library, 225 N. Webster
701-2679, www.pioneer.lib.ok.us/norman

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is known for her liberal politics on legislative items like health care reform (and her rapid eye-blinking). On Sunday, two University of Oklahoma professors will take a look into her journey to the speaker's chair at the Norman Public Library, 225 N. Webster.

Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, who's also the director and curator of the Carl Albert Center for Congressional Research & Studies at OU, and Ron Peters, a professor and the center's former director, will speak about their book, "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the New American Politics," 2 p.m. Sunday in the library's Lowry Room.

The work documents Pelosi's rise to the speakership, and librarian Nelson Dent said the timing of their discussion is perfect, with primaries in Norman and across the state looming large.

Peters' studies and writings center on congressional politics and Speakers of the House specifically. And so, with offices next door to each other, it was only natural that Peters would partner with Rosenthal, whose own research has focused on women in politics, for a project on Pelosi.

The authors will give a lecture, followed by a question-and-answer session. They will also sign copies of the book, which is already getting strong reviews and likely to be a conversation-starter, Dent said.

"If you look at Amazon, the book's doing really well," he said. "It's getting a lot of attention."

The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Norman Public Library, which is providing refreshments. For more information, call 701-2679 or visit www.pioneer.lib.ok.us/norman. "Nicole Hill

photo From left to right: Ron Peters, Nancy Pelosi, Cindy Rosenthal

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