IT'S ABOUT TIME READING SERIES
A monthly open discussion on the writer's role in society. This month featuring Deborah Woodard, Larry Ebersole, Diane Westergaard, Thomas Hubbard, and John McFarland. Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave NE, 525-2347, 7 pm, free.
STEVE KEMPER
Given full access to Dean Kamen's ludicrously hyped Segway--that clunky-wheeled gadget that was supposed to solve the world's transportation problem while curing cancer and creating world peace--Kemper offers his account of the bizarre story in Code Name Ginger. University of Washington, Kane Hall, room 110, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
MATTHEW PEARL
Pearl presents The Dante Club, his imagined historical murder mystery that pits the brawny collective of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell against a ruthless killer. Zeitgeist, 171 S Jackson St, 728-1966, 7:30 pm, free.
NORMAN RUSH
I suppose it's best to write what you know, but when what you know appears to be limited to the monumentally insular turmoil of expatriate Americans living in Botswana (and your bibliography is limited to three books on the topic over the last 17 years), feel free to, I don't know, project a little. Rush signs his eagerly awaited second novel, Mortals. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
GAY SALISBURY
Whoa--sorry about that, buddy. Salisbury signs The Cruelest Miles, his coauthored account of the 1922 diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
JOEL TURNIPSEED
In this day and age, writers with legitimate military experience seem a little suspect. I am of the distinct mind that the arts, especially those of the literary variety, should be left to the privileged few who possess a purely academic background. Therefore Mr. Turnipseed, former Marine and author of the Gulf War memoir Baghdad Express, is clearly unfit to publish on this or any other subject. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
FRIDAY 6/13
DANIEL GLICK
Following the death of his brother and the dissolution of his marriage, Glick--in a move that could be lightly described as "creative parenting"--packed up the kids and sent them on a trip around the world to observe endangered species. Monkey Dancing, an account of this time, followed. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
JOHN GREISEMER
No One Thinks of Greenland author Greisemer returns with Signal and Noise--a riveting novel, set in the 1860s, about the laying of transatlantic telegraph wires. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free. Also, Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, Sat at 3 pm, free.
KHALED HOSSEINI
The Kite Runner, the debut novel by Afghan American author Hosseini, focuses on Hosseini's former home for the story of personal and political upheaval in a country no one pays much attention to these days. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 5 pm, free.
SATURDAY 6/14
DAVY ROTHBART
Found magazine editor Rothbart shares newly discovered articles that walk the fine trash/treasure tightrope, along with his decidedly less sullied collection, The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 8 pm, free.
SUNDAY 6/15
SHIRLEY KAUFMAN
Kaufman returns to Seattle from her home in Jerusalem with Threshold, her eighth English-language collection of poems. Temple Beth Am, 2632 NE 80th St, 525-0915, 7:30 pm, free.
SHARMAN APT RUSSELL
Like most folks of thin vocabulary, I'm delighted at every chance I am allotted to exercise the five-dollar words--which is why I'm so excited to remark on Ms. Russell's tome to lepidopterans, An Obsession with Butterflies. See? Aren't I all fancy? Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 2 pm, free.
MONDAY 6/16
GARY ATKINS
Seattle University professor Atkins signs Gay Seattle, an account of Seattle's particular strain of the gay disease. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
MICHAEL HIRSH
Former Newsweek foreign editor Hirsh signs At War With Ourselves, his strategic outline of how (duh) America's foreign policy is fucking itself. As usual. University of Washington, 634-3400, 7 pm, $5-$7.
BARBARA SERENELLA
Six volumes into her Munch Mancini crime-novel franchise, Serenella sketches a stark tale of murder and carburetor repair in Unpaid Dues. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
TUESDAY 6/17
JOSH ORTEGA
Ortega returns with his several-years-old sci-fi thriller Frequencies. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
RITA SMILKSTEIN
Former teacher Smilkstein signs We're Born to Learn: Using the Brain's Natural Learning Process to Create Today's Curriculum. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
MICAH IAN WRIGHT
Wright's You Back the Attack! We'll Bomb Who We Want! offers reworked World War I and II posters with startling insights from the left about how war is bad and rich people suck--saving the world, one blindingly obvious satire at a time. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
WEDNESDAY 6/18
JANA HARRIS
Channeling the voices of women in Idaho and Wyoming during the last year of the 1880s (how's that for specific?), Harris signs We Never Speak of It, her latest collection of poetry. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
JOSEPH McELROY
After a 14-year hiatus, author McElroy (A Smuggler's Bible, Women and Men) returns with his latest, Actress in the House. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
MAJID TEHRANIAN
Tehranian, author of Ten Commandments for Dialogue and director of the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, presents his lecture on peace in the Middle East, "Clash or Dialogue of Civilizations." SGI-USA, 3438 S 148th St, 779-4656, 7 pm, free.
POETRY/OPEN MICS
HOMELAND--Words. So many words. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Caffe Vita, 1005 E Pike St, 709-4440, free.
POETSWEST--Featuring Richard Brugger, Michael Miller. Thurs June 12 at 7 pm. Lux, 2226 First Ave, 682-1268. Also, Sun June 20 at 7 pm, with Gayle Wilde. Penny Cafe, 1707 NW Market St, 682-1268.
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.
WOMEN'S POETRY NIGHT--Spoken word from the fairer sex. Thursdays at 8 pm. The Bar, 1525 E Olive Way, free.
