IN THE DEAD'S OWN WORDS ... The voices of The Grateful Dead will return to the band's early Menlo Park stomping ground on Wednesday, June 1, when David Gans -- one of the most well-respected chroniclers of the Dead -- brings "This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead" (along with his guitar and original songs) to Kepler's Books as part of the "Angie Coiro -- In Deep Radio Live at Kepler's" event series. Gans, a musician, songwriter and journalist, and co-author Blair Jackson chronicle the story of the Dead through the words of its members, peers and fans, stitching together an oral tapestry that traces the Dead's evolution from a Palo Alto folk band to a stadium-filling Americana jam band. The free event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. RSVP at keplers.com/event/deep-radio-david-gans

TEEN'S CHINATOWN ESCAPE GETS SHAKEN ... Stacey Lee, Bay Area author of the critically acclaimed "Under a Painted Sky," is set to launch her newest young-adult novel, "Outrun the Moon," on Thursday, May 26, at Book's Inc. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake, this historical fiction novel explores how Mercy Wonga -- a 15-year-old teen determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown by gaining admittance into a school typically reserved for wealthy white girls -- struggles to survive with her classmates after they are forced to wait for help in an encampment as fire rages through the city. Lee will celebrate the launch of her book at 7 p.m. at Books Inc., 74 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto.

NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JOINS PALO ALTO LIBRARY ... Gayathri Kanth began her new role as assistant director at the Palo Alto City Library on May 2. She is responsible for developing and implementing new policies and programs, overseeing the budget and providing public outreach. Kanth comes from the Cupertino Library, where she oversaw the direction and coordination of all operations, including 50-plus staff members, a $4.2 million budget and a 368,000-volume book collection with a 2.7 million annual circulation. She previously worked for the Saratoga, Mountain View and Santa Clara City public libraries and launched several partnerships with local merchants, schools and city agencies to promote and expand library programs. Her office is located in the Rinconada Library.