A.J. RATHBUN, NATHANIEL SANDSTROM
The two poets will appear as a part of the Kirkland Arts Center's Artist Lecture Series. About Rathbun's work, recently departed Stranger books editor Traci Vogel wrote that he created "...a collection that swells the heart, dropping phrases like rain to engorge the reader's aorta." Sandstrom co-edits the Seattle based literary arts magazine LitRag, and is currently working on a screenplay. Kirkland Arts Center, Seventh Ave and Market St, Kirkland, 425-822-7161, 7 pm, free.
MANDY AFTEL
Aftel's book, Essence and Alchemy: A Book of Perfume, is about perfumes, and their chemical and social histories. She is the aroma designer of Aftelier. Elliott Bay Books, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 5 pm, free.
MARISA SILVER
After clearing the air from Aftel's perfumed talk, Marisa Silver will muss the readings room back to its original shape. Her collection of stories, Babe in Paradise, is set in the down-and-dirty Los Angeles, unglamorous and unsuccessful. Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
SENA JETER NASLUND
"Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last." So begins Naslund's novel Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer. It's a story of an early 19th-century woman in New England and the variety of characters she encounters. Naslund reads twice today (and once on Monday) from her enhancement of the Mellville classic. Elliott Bay Books, 12:30 pm, free; University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
WILLIAM WONG
Wong is a renowned journalist whose Chinese American perspective brings a refreshing complexity to the often black-and-white discourse on American racial struggles. His new book, Yellow Journalist: Dispatches from Asian America, comments on American politics and culture. Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
APIA SPOKEN WORD AND POETRY SUMMIT
The Isangmahal Arts Kollective and the Chicago-based spoken-word group I Was Born with Two Tongues will host this year's event at Seattle University. The summit's motto is "First there was the WORD... then there was the FIST!" The first-of-its-kind three-day summit includes performances, workshops, discussions, and more about the voices of Asian America. Check www.2tongues.com/summit2001 for a complete schedule.
ALMIRA ASTUDILLO GILLES
Gilles will read and share the pictures from Willie Wins, her new kids' book about a young Filipino-American boy, his father, and a school contest. Elliott Bay Books, noon, free.
DAVID BYRNE
Byrne won't be reading (or singing), but only signing his book Los Nuevos Pecados/The New Sins. Elliott Bay Books, 1 pm, free.
KATHERINE McNAMARA
McNamara now lives in Charlottesville, VA, which is a relatively provincial place, but don't let that mislead you. She has recently spent a few years in the interior of Alaska, and before that, lived in Paris. At any rate, she wrote Narrow Road to the Deep North: A Journey into the Interior of Alaska about her time there among the Athabascan people. Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
ANNA MOCKLER, GRANT COGSWELL, LESLIE FRIED
Mockler's stories have appeared in such places as Oxygen, Stringtown, and Exquisite Corpse. Stranger writer Cogswell will be reading from the third installment of his Dream of the Cold War trilogy, and Fried is a decorative painter who likes to translate impressions of the five senses into words. Together, they're the Titlewave Reading Series, and will be joined by musician Travis Hartnett. Titlewave Books, 7 Mercer St, 324-6379, 7:30 pm, free.
REACT PLAY READING SERIES
Presented with the Repertory Actors Theatre, the first of this year's series will be Closer by British playwright Patrick Marber. It's a nice little story about four strangers meeting, falling in love, and being sucked into a whirlwind of sexual desire and betrayal. It will be a reading of the play with theatrical staging. Elliott Bay Books, 1 pm, $5 suggested donation.
BEYOND METAPHORS
Reading about the Hugo House's reading series "Beyond Metaphors," I was reminded of recently coming across this delicious bit from W.H. Auden's The Sea and The Mirror: "Thanks for the evening; but how/Shall we satisfy when we meet,/Between Shall-I and I-Will,/The lion's mouth whose hunger/No metaphors can fill?" Indeed, metaphors have a limit--especially metaphors of personal identity. It was with this in mind that the students of the Career Development Learning Center, a job-training, GED preparation center, created the event. Tonight will feature Tony Williams, Rajnee Eddins, Brian Bown, Lauri Conner, and musical guest Silas Blak. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7 pm, $3.
STELLA DONG
Stella Dong returns to her native Seattle to read from the paperback edition of last year's critically acclaimed Shanghai: The Rise and Fall of a Decadent City. Drawing from research, interviews, and other accounts, Dong has written a view of Shanghai that the Seattle Times called "a brilliant tableau of creative energy and decadent humanity." Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
SENA JETER NASLUND
See Friday listing. Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park Town Center, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
NATIONAL POETRY SLAM KICK-OFF
A handful of this year's barking bards will be reading (er, "slamming") with local jazz cats from the James Whiton Jazz Combo. The press release didn't get specific, but chances are that it'll be an improvised night--probably the best way to witness slam poetry. See Stranger Suggests. Sit & Spin, 2219 Fourth Ave, 441-9484. Check www.nationalpoetryslam.com for details on schedules and tickets.
DEBRENA JACKSON GANDY
This local author, who has been featured in Oprah magazine, wrote All the Joy You Can Stand: 101 Sacred Power Principles for Making Joy Real in Your Life. (I would mention more, but sometimes a title does the job for me.) University Bookstore, 7 pm, free.
RICK CLARK
Seattle poet Clark will read poems and stories written while traveling through India. The book he is currently working on is titled Beyond the River of Faith. Richard Hugo House, 7 pm, $5 suggested donation.
ROBERT CLARK
While the other Clark will be reading about India at the Hugo House, this Clark will be reading American historical fiction from his new book Love Among the Ruins, a novel about love and politics during the steamy summer of 1968. Robert Clark's shelf of books include other novels (Mr. White's Confession, In the Deep Midwinter) as well as award-winning nonfiction (The Solace of Food, River of the West). Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
CHRISTOPHER J. JARMICK
Now that the Emperor dot-com has "seen" his new clothes, we can expect a movement of jaded art discussing the internet mania. Jarmick's The Glass Cocoon--I wonder how that title came to him--is about two lovers who meet in an internet chat room, but instead of leading to true love, it leads to... murder! I'm not telling anything more. Third Place Books, 7 pm, free.
NANCY PAGH
Pagh reads from At Home Afloat: Women on the Waters of the Pacific Northwest, drawn from personal narrative accounts and research of women who have been sea-bound from 1861-1990. Elliott Bay Books, 5 pm, free.
JONATHAN RABAN
Following Pagh's maritime reading, Raban will help introduce a series of reprints of nautical literature from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Elliott Bay Books, 7:30 pm, free.
BART BAXTER & THE NATIONAL SLAM POETS
Should-be mayor Nick Licata will issue the official welcome to the National Slam Poets. Baxter is Seattle's former Grand Slam Champion (not to be confused with Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast Specials), who will give a special reading. Then the teams from all over the country will introduce themselves with 60-second poems. Word has it that Nick might have a little "slammy" up his sleeve as well, and I'm betting it will go something like: "Thank you, and welcome/to the National Poetry Slam! We are delighted/to have you in Seattle this year, and/on the behalf of the city council/I would like to sincerely thank you/for coming." Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 652-4255, 3 pm, free.
POETRY/SPOKEN WORD OPEN MICS
For more open mics, see http://zerocard.org/poetry, Chris Blakeley's Seattle Open Mic website.
CATHARTICISM--Wed at 9. Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 861-8233, free.
EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY--Mon at 7. Coffee Messiah, free.
HOMELAND--Tues at 8. Globe Cafe, 1531 14th Ave, 324-8815, donation.
POETRY RELEASE--Sun at 6. Contour, 807 First Ave, 447-7704, free.
POETS WEST--Sun at 7. Wit's End Bookstore & Tea Shop, 770 N 34th St, 682-1268, free.
REBIRTH--Thurs at 7. Zodiac Coffee, 607 Broadway E, 720-4502, free.
SEATTLE POETRY SLAM--Wed at 8 (21+). Sit & Spin, 2219 Fourth Ave, 441-9484, $3.
STAGE FRIGHT--Every second and fourth Wed at 7; writers ages 14-24 only. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, free.
