LITERARY LAS VEGAS

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"Do you have any biographies about Scott Joplin that would be understandable for children to read?" Yvonne Cloutier asked at the Library of Congress. When her search came up short, she turned her frustration into a project.

"Well, I guess I'll have to write one myself," Cloutier concluded.

Finding compelling facts and illustrations to match was a challenge. More than 20 years and almost 90 drafts later, Cloutier's children's book "Scott Joplin: King of Ragtime: Grandfather of Today's Music" is about "how his life was and some of how it may have been."

Ragtime has been a lifelong passion for the now-retired elementary school teacher and principal. The Anthem resident was the co-founder of the Lake Superior Ragtime Society and the founder of the Arizona Ragtime Society. Included with the Joplin book is a CD featuring Cloutier playing six of the composer's best-known pieces on piano.

Cloutier is one of more than 20 authors set to sign books Saturday at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble Booksellers. The Henderson Writers' Group Book Expo runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cloutier's signing is set for 2 to 4 p.m.