The Stranger

It's almost a shame that Mary Gaitskill is best known for writing the story on which the Maggie Gyllenhaal movie Secretary is based. Though much of her work has elements of BDSM—Gaitskill's fiction has done more to normalize BDSM than activist groups—she's not a gimmick author. She's adventurous, witty, and fearless, no matter what you're into. Her 2005 novel Veronica, about AIDS and the death of '70s glam, is a masterpiece, and Two Girls, Fat and Thin is a hilarious satire of nut-ball "philosopher" Ayn Rand. (Seattle Public Library, University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way NE, 684-4063. 6:30 pm, free.) by Paul Constant

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If you need me to explain the allure of David Sedaris, you're sick with something that medical science cannot repair. He's not just the funniest man on NPR—when your toughest competition is Click and Clack, that's not a great compliment—but he's also the most consistently funny author on earth. And if you haven't seen him telling his stories to a live audience, you haven't really experienced David Sedaris. (Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 1-800-982-ARTS. 8 pm, $36–$45.) by Paul Constant

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Reaching back into childhood from a close distance: This is what some of the most promising recent Seattle art-school grads have done—Fred Muram, for instance, and now Noah Grussgott. Grussgott's installation of anthropomorphic sculptures in minimalist shapes sits on a set of bleachers facing the faintly occult spectacle of a screen/"painting" made of strips of foam called Some Walls Are Forced to Do Things They Don't Wanna Do. It's a middle-school assembly: No wonder the figures seem nervous. (Grey Gallery & Lounge, 1512 11th Ave, 325-5204. 11 am–7 pm, free.) by Jen Graves

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At the seventh annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival—featuring over 300 pieces of visual art, 50 workshops, and 60 live performances ranging from acrobatics to comedy—almost every medium gets a sexual twisting, from interactivepieces to literary staples like poetry and erotic fiction. Expect serious sex art, playful eros, nerds, clowns, furries, vamps, earth mothers, pixies, at least one battling drag and burlesque queen, goths, sci-fi fans, and of course, more leather pants than you've ever seen under one roof. (Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, www.seattleerotic.org. Open house, noon–4 pm, free, 18+. May 1–3.) by Kelly O

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The classic image of Carrie—willowy prom queen showered in blood—is so epochal, it's all but eclipsed the hour and a half of rich teen horror that surrounds it. From semipublic tampon torture to vengeful telekinesis to the world's spookiest Bad Mother, Carrie is a pulpy high-school nightmare. Elevating everything: Sissy Spacek, who lights up the pulp with a great performance. Why you should actually leave your house to watch Carrie: It's at Central Cinema, where pizza, beer, and popcorn are brought to your table. (Central Cinema, 1411 21st Ave, 686-6684. 9:30 pm, $6, late show 21+.) by David Schmader

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Sarah Waters's success would have been unimaginable 20 years ago. She writes about lesbian characters and themes, but she's not just "a gay writer." Instead, her novels—like the Dickensian thriller Fingersmith and the Victorian romance Tipping the Velvet—are widely celebrated for their atmospheric, ornate imagery and compelling plots. And they're about unabashedly gay characters. To see her books becoming best sellers is to celebrate the destruction of the "gay fiction" ghetto that used to menace bookstores back in the day. Tonight she reads from The Little Stranger, a ghost story. (University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400. 7 pm, free.) by Paul Constant

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