YOLANDA JOE
Making a bid for Terry McMillan's literary throne built on sassy, neck-rolling protagonists, Joe signs The Hatwearer's Lesson--a fable that marries the strong-black woman-looking-for-love archetype with that of the zany Southern prophet grandmother. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
CHRISTOPHER JONES
Continuing our country's general ignorance of the nation of the moment, associate University of Washington professor Jones discusses everything but with a forum entitled Beyond Iraq. Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, 104 17th Ave S, 323-4032, 7 pm, $5.
DAN KINDLON
Kindlon--the author of Too Much of a Good Thing and the best-selling Raising Cain--has made what I suspect to be a modest fortune celebrating the paranoia of upper-middleclass parents and their desperately spoiled seed. Here with the latest thing you have to worry about, Kindlon signs Tough Times, Strong Children. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
JULIE SHEEHAN, ROBERT THOMAS
A double-shot from Fordham University Publishing, Sheehan and Thomas present their latest poetry collections, Thaw and Door to Door, respectively. Open Books: A Poem Emporium, 2414 N 45th St, 633-0811, 7:30 pm, free.
BETTY WEBB
"Polygamy can be murder!" proclaims Third Place's press release for Desert Wives, Webb's latest mystery that apparently "could do for polygamy what Uncle Tom's Cabin did for slavery." Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, 7 pm, free. Also, Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St, 587-5737, Fri at noon, free.
FRIDAY 3/28
SIRI HUSTVEDT
Hustvedt's third novel, What Is Loved, holds together over two distinct generations and two disparate stories--one of an artist's relationship with an art dealer, the other of the artist's son and his tumultuous youth. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
MARY C. WRIGHT
It's not clear if any contributors to the Wright-edited More Voices, New Stories collection will be in attendance at tonight's reading (the book's writers include Robert S. Fisher, Marianne Forssblad, Charles LeWarne, Nhien T. Nguyen, Michael Reese, Elizabeth Salas, and Jacqueline Williams), but the subject matter alone--a mixed history of King County at its sesquicentennial--is enough to assure an audience packed to the rafters. Arrive early. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 6 pm, free.
SATURDAY 3/29
SARA CONWAY
Edmonds Community College instructor Conway breaks out the bodice with another (sigh) medieval mystery entitled Daughters of Summer. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 587-5737, noon, free.
EARL EMERSON
A self-described "Novel of Suspense," Emerson's Into the Inferno sounds destined for mass consumption as some straight-to-video, Lorenzo Lamas vehicle: A firefighter has seven days to find the antidote for a poisonous chemical he has imbibed, or... fuck, who cares? File under: Race Against Time, "High-octane," and zzzzzzzz. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 4 pm, free.
MITCH FINLEY
Spokane author Finley urges you to break out the rosary beads for one last stab (why does everything sound dirty when you're talking about the Catholic church?) at Catholicism in It's Not the Same Without You: Coming Home to the Catholic Church. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 2 pm, free. Also Third Place Books, 366-3333, Sun at 5 pm, free.
DAVID MATHESON
Matheson's book Red Thunder is about (American) Indians in Idaho, specifically the Coeur d'Alene (Schee-tsu-umsh) tribe. "Coeur d'Alene" means "awl's heart" in French, and "Schee-tsu-umsh" means "those who are found there." So there you are. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 4 pm, free.
SUNDAY 3/30
STEVE FLORIS
Holocaust survivor Floris recounts the trials of he and his wife during the Second World War, and their subsequent immigration to Canada in Escape From Pannonia. Tree of Life Judaica & Books, 2201 NE 65th St, 527-1130, 5 pm, free.
GINNY NiCARTHY
NiCarthy was among the missionaries from the Church Council of Greater Seattle that spent part of last October providing aid to the people of Iraq. This evening she provides a timely view into the heart of the country we just love to blow the shit out of. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 4 pm, free.
MARGARETA WATERMAN, RON DAKRON, SOULA JONES
The ever-popular Titlewave Reading Series welcomes a series of readings by three industrious wordsmiths. Titlewave Books, 7 Mercer St, 324-6379, 7:30 pm, free.
MONDAY 3/31
GLORIA FELDT
Tossing in her two cents about the outlandishly heated debate for woman's birthing rights, Feldt offers revolutionary perspective: What does abortion have to do with the government, anyway? Feldt signs Behind Every Choice Is a Story. University of Washington, Kane Hall, Walker-Ames room, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
EDITH PEARLMAN
The follow-up to Vaquita, her 1996 award-winning short story debut, Pearlman signs Love Among the Greats, her latest incongruent collection. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
PAUL THEROUX
With any trace of his youth behind him, Theroux takes desperately to the dark continent in an attempt to shake off old age with a travel log entitled Dark Star Safari. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, $5.
TUESDAY 4/1
KIM BARNES
In the Wilderness, Barnes' first book, won the PEN/Jerard Fund Award, and was also a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize. Shifting focus with her latest, the author takes on sexed-up fiction in Finding Caruso. Zeitgeist, 171 S Jackson St, 728-1966, 7 pm, free.
DAVID MAMET
See Stranger Suggests. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 621-2230, 7:30 pm, $9-$23.
JEAN NORDHAUS
A biography in poem, Nordhaus manages the voice of the Mendelssohn family to illuminate the life of it patriarch in The Porcelain Apes of Moses Mendelssohn. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
JOSHUA ORTEGA
Sounding like a premise yawned out by Rod Serling, Ortega's Frequencies is the tale of Seattle 2051, in which the gub'ment done planted some crazy gadgets called "microchips" in the bodies of its citizens--until, undoubtedly, something goes terribly wrong. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
JESS WALTER
Walter returns to the source of Over Tumbled Graves, her 2001 debut--a Spokane-based heroine by the name of Caroline Mabry, who works as scribe to a confessed killer with a menacing eye patch in Land of the Blind. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 587-5737, noon, free. Also, Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free. Wed at noon, Borders, 1501 Fourth Ave, 622-4599, noon, free.
WEDNESDAY 4/2
REBECCA BROWN, KARI EDWARDS
The language monks of Subtext religiously continue their monthly series of experimental writing with readings by familiars Brown and Edwards. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7:30 pm, free.
ROGER KING
I realized recently that geography, a course that seems to be something of a flagship for the American public school system, somehow never found its way into my book bag. In A Girl from Zanzibar, King discusses the life of a girl from a nation I bet you couldn't find on a map, either. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
POETRY/OPEN MICS
HOMELAND--Words. So many words. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Caffe Vita, 1005 E Pike St, 709-4440, free.
LITTLE METAL MEN--Hosted by Vanessa Sooy. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 861-8233, free.
OUT OF TUNE--Poetry and music free-for-all hosted by Jon Hogan. Thursdays at 8:30 pm, signup at 8 pm. The 15th, 7515 15th Ave NW, 706-4973, free.
ReBIRTH--All-ages open-mic brouhaha. Sundays at 7 pm. French and European Artistic and Cultural Center, 623 Broadway E, 726-4843, free.
RED SKY POETRY THEATRE--Hosted by Marion Kimes. Sun March 30 at 7:30 pm. Globe Cafe, 1531 14th Ave, 547-4585, free.
SCRATCHING POST--Poetry open mic, all ages. Thursdays at 8 pm, signup at 7:30 pm. Mr. Spot's Chai House, 5463 Leary Ave NW, 297-2424, free.
SEATTLE POETRY SLAM--Open mic and slam with Karen Finneyfrock. Wednesdays at 8 pm. Bad Juju Lounge, 1518 11th Ave, 709-9951, $4.
TALK OUT TUESDAYS--Wide open microphone for writers. Tues April 1 at 6 pm. Brewhaha Tea and Coffee Company, 2818 Thorndyke Ave W, 283-2135, free.
