As springtime begins to make an appearance outside, inside the Southern Pines Public Library, March is the time for movies.

The library will present two movies this month. The first, for kids in grades three-five and their parents, is a Sunday afternoon movie and will be shown on March 3 at 2:30.

A happily married couple awake to find Timothy, a boy with leaves growing from his ankles standing in their kitchen. Timothy will teach this small family about parenthood and love.

"Kids can bring their own pillow if they want to get comfy, and the library provides the popcorn," says a spokesman.

The second movie is part of the Oldies and Goodies film series and will be shown on Thursday, March 14, at 2:30 p.m. The winner of five Academy Awards, this 1966 film is an emotionally charged drama starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The community is invited to come enjoy the free show and hot cup of tea provided by the Friends of the Library.

The Southern Pines Public Library is located at 170 West Connecticut Ave. and can be reached by phone at (910) 692-8235 or on the website at www.sppl.net. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Tutor Training

The Moore County Literacy Council will be offering a 12-hour workshop for volunteers who would like to become adult tutors. Volunteers are required to attend an orientation prior to tutor training. All sessions are held at the Read Moore Center, 575 SE Broad St. (Suite 10), in Southern Pines.

Orientation is March 5 from 1 to 2 p.m., with tutor training March 12, 13, 19 and 20 from 1 to 4 p.m.

A donation may be made to defray the cost of the materials. Registrations can be made by phoning (910) 692-5954 or by email to pammclc@nc.rr.com.

'Bookwatch'

Although this Sunday's airing of "North Carolina Bookwatch" will be pre-empted by UNC-TV's Festival programming, the guest on Thursday, March 7, at 5 p.m., will be Bob Garner, author of "Bob Garner's Book of Barbecue: North Carolina's Favorite Food." The program will also air on Wednesday, March 6, at 11 a.m., and 4:30 p.m. on UNC-MX, a digital cable system channel (Time Warner No. 172 or No. 4.4).

Airing at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday on UNC-MX will be a classic "Bookwatch" program featuring Gwendoline Fortune, author of "Growing Up Nigger Rich."

For more information or to view prior programs, visit www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

Classes

The Writers' Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, sponsors classes, for any level writer, at Providence Presbyterian Church, Providence Road, in Charlotte. Classes meet from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and are $75 for nonmembers and $70 for members.

Registration is in advance only, by mail or online at www.twwoa.org. Financial aid in exchange for volunteering is available.

For more information, contact writersw@gmail.com or at (828) 254-8111.

March 9 - Self-Editing, with Karen Ackerson. Writers of fiction or nonfiction will learn how to edit and revise their works before submitting to an agent or publisher. Techniques will be taught on how to grab the reader's interest by eliminating unnecessary details, building tension, and fine-tuning dialogue and descriptions. Participants may bring 10 pages (double-spaced) to the class for discussion. Ackerson is senior editor at the Renbourne Editorial Agency, and has edited more than 220 stories, books and essays.

March 30 - Write Your Life, with Richard Krawiec. In this supportive writing-intensive class, participants will learn how to draw on the "material" of their lives to write and revise memoirs, stories or plays. Elements covered include time compression and expansion, how to focus on theme, recognizing purpose, and developing a piece professionally. Krawiec is the author of numerous books and poems such as "Breakdown: A Father's Story," "Faith in What?" and "Time Sharing." His work is published in Shenandoah, Florida Review, and N.C. Literary Review, among others.

April 13 - Fast Track to Publication, with Laine Cunningham. Fiction and nonfiction book writers will learn the three items critical to pitching agents and publishers: the query letter, synopsis and author bio. Discover industry secrets such as how to approach publishers without an agent; what kinds of "calling cards" to mention in your query; and how to write an effective synopsis. Any writer will benefit from this class, including those working on novellas, young adult novels, short story collections, novels, memoirs or self-help books. Cunningham has been a publishing consultant for 20 years. She has conducted writing and marketing seminars at The Loft, the National Writers Union, and other national organizations.

Poetry Contest

The Writers' Workshop of Asheville, is sponsoring its 24th Annual Poetry Contest, open to any writer in the U.S.

The deadline is March 30.

The guidelines are posted at www.twwoa.org. For questions, email writersw@ gmail.com, or call (828) 254-8111.