Seeing Heather McHugh read is like plugging yourself into an electric socket. Holy shit, she’s good—clever, timely, vulgar, morbid, brilliant. She’s got a pile of prizes to her name, she’s been officially crowned a genius twice (by The Stranger and the MacArthurs), and she’s followed around by a school of former students whose devotion is practically cultish. Three former students (Kary Wayson, Kate Lebo, and Erika Wilder) join McHugh tonight for The Ecstasy of Influence, a reading and discussion also featuring the Half Brothers, the weirdest bluegrass band you’ve ever heard. (Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, www.townhallseattle.org, 8 pm, $13, all ages) CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE

Christopher Frizzelle was The Stranger's print editor, and first joined the staff in 2003. He was the editor-in-chief from 2007 to 2016, and edited the story by Eli Sanders that won a 2012 Pulitzer...