THURSDAY 4/3
SAMUEL GREEN
Seattle University instructor and Brooding Heron Press publisher Green reads from his latest poetry collection, The Only Time We Have. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
* SEATTLE SPIT
Seattle Spit–a queer poetry night–happens tonight at the only lesbian bar in town, the Wildrose. On the bill: Cristien Storm, Zaedryn Meade, and Jill Mullins, with host Sabrina Roach. Wildrose, 1021 E Pike St, 271-0364, 8 pm, free.
FRIDAY 4/4
CATHERINE INGRAM
At first glance, Passionate Presence–the latest by Buddhist scholar Ingram–sounds like another big bunch of Western-cum-Eastern hogwash. While it certainly may be just that, the principles it proposes–heightening the awareness of silence, tenderness, wonder, and all that other mess–sounds like some pretty sure-footed advice we could all do with more of. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free. Also, University Bookstore, 634-3400, Sun at 7 pm, free.
SATURDAY 4/5
PAUL McCOMAS
A self-destructive, suicidal rock musician (redundant much?) escapes from fame to the Badlands of South Dakota, where she no doubt stumbles upon love, happiness, and fulfillment, or something of the kind, in McComas’ debut novel, Unplugged. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
SUNDAY 4/6
BILL FITZHUGH
Comic novelist Fitzhugh delivers his latest, a zany little debacle called Heart Seizure, about a woman on her deathbed (chortle!) whose transplant heart is stolen by the soulless federal government (guffaw!). Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, 5 pm, free. Also Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, Mon at 5:30 pm, free.
GARY HARDWICK
The writer/director who spawned a thousand neck rolls with such hard-hitting Hollywood fare as The Brothers and Deliver Us from Eva takes a terribly unwelcome turn as a science fiction novelist with his debut, Sex Life. The year is 2268; cars fly (wicked!), subways are run like teleporters (sweet!), and the government hates love (ouch!). Oh, and everyone has to have sex a half-dozen times every day or they die (Yahtzee!). I wish I were kidding. I really, really do. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 3 pm, free.
TOBY SONNEMAN
Ten years of work went into Sonneman’s Shared Sorrows: A Gypsy Family Remembers the Holocaust–just so you could feel bad about yourself. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 1 pm, free.
MONDAY 4/7
ROBERT LITTELL
Littell’s celebrated novel The Company clocks in at just about 900 pages, and covers roughly 45 years of the CIA’s involvement in the world during the 20th century. To the relief of aching shoulders everywhere, they finally published the paperback. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
TUESDAY 4/8
ELIZABETH GROSSMAN
Former New York literary agent Elizabeth Grossman takes the harrowing journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and reduces it to a station-wagon-ready guided tour in Adventuring Along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
* GREG PALAST
Palast is an investigative journalist who uncovers the hidden stories, like how the Florida vote was stolen by Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush in the 2000 election. His most recent book, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, gets to the heart of the matter. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 624-6600, 7 pm, $5-$10.
WEDNESDAY 4/9
* LYDIA DAVIS
See Stranger Suggests. University of Washington, Kane Hall, room 110, 634-3400, 7:30 pm, free.
* BRENT HARTINGER
Local author Hartinger presents his debut novel in Geography Club, about teens struggling with their sexuality. Bailey/Coy Books, 414 Broadway E, 323-8842, 7 pm, free.