Literary footnotes

LEVI PETERSON, Weber State English professor emeritus and well-known Mormon novelist, author of "A Rascal by Nature, A Christian by Yearning: A Mormon Autobiography," will read and sign copies Tuesday, 5-7 p.m., Benchmark Books, 3269 S. Main (Peterson will speak at 6 p.m.). He will do a second signing Wednesday, 2 p.m., General Book Department, Brigham Young University Bookstore, Provo.

BETSY JAMES, author and illustrator of "Listening at the Gate," the final volume in her trilogy of fantasy novels for young adults, will sign books Wednesday, 7 p.m., at The King's English Bookstore, 1511 S. 1500 East.

A PANEL OF EXPERTS will discuss the themes, such as water shortages, that are presented by "Urinetown the Musical" Friday after the show in the Egyptian Theater, 328 Main, Park City. (The play runs through Aug. 19.) Panel members include INSA REIPEN, executive director, Recycle Utah; MIKE LUERS, general manager of the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District; GREG LARSON, Swaner Nature Preserve education and land manager; MOLLY WATERS, water conservation coordinator, Utah Division of Water Conservation; and SANDRA GOLDEN of Arid Scapes Concepts Inc.

E-mail: dennis@desnews.com