SEPTEMBER

JAMES WELCH
Award-winning author of Killing Custer and Fools Crow returns with The Heartsong of Charging Elk, the poignant tale of an Oglala Indian who travels to Europe with "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show." Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Tues Sept 5, free.

WILLIE SMITH, PAUL NELSON, & STEPHANIE SKURA
Subtext Reading Series continues its tradition of outstanding performance art with this event featuring choreographer/dancer Skura, journalist/poet Nelson (We Don't Celebrate Halloween in Cuba and Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Invisible Maniac), and novelist Smith (Oedipus Cadet). Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, Wed Sept 6, $5.

AMY BLOOM
Bloom, who stunned readers with her debut collection, Come to Me (a finalist for both the National Book Award and Los Angeles Times Fiction Award), returns with a new batch of short stories, A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You. Bailey/Coy Books, 414 Broadway E, 323-8842, Thurs Sept 7, 7 pm, free; Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Fri Sept 8, free.

MARGARET ATWOOD
The beloved author of The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye, and Surfacing reads from her new novel, The Blind Assassin. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Mon Sept 11, free.

WILLIAM T. VOLLMANN
The prodigiously perverse and brilliant author of The Atlas, Whores for Gloria, and The Ice-Shirt presents us with another impossibly big novel, a 766-page opus of incest, addiction, and disease entitled The Royal Family. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Wed Sept 13, free.

MYLA GOLDBERG
Goldberg reads from her highly popular Spelling Bee novel, The Bee Season. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Tues Sept 19, free.

OCTAVIO BUTLER, STEVEN BARNES, TANANARIVE DUE, & NISI SHAWL
Readings by four Northwest authors who contributed to Dark Matter, an anthology of speculative fiction from the African diaspora. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, Wed Sept 20, free.

KEITH DEVLIN
The world's most famous living mathematician explains why you suck at long division in his new book, The Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved and Why Numbers Are Like Gossip. Sponsored by University Bookstore. Kane Hall, UW Campus, 634-3400, Wed Sept 20, free.

JACK OLSEN
Publishers Weekly called Olsen's book Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt "one part Kafka and one part Orwell... a textbook case of abuse of the American criminal justice system for political ends." University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, Thurs Sept 21, free.

SEATTLE'S FAVORITE POEMS: A CELEBRATION
This event, hosted by Port Angeles poet Tess Gallagher, will feature local activists, celebrities, and civic leaders sharing their favorite poems. Past participants include actor Tom Skerritt, Mike Lowry, and 101-year-old activist Hazel Wolf. Bring your hankies. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 725-9318, Mon Sept 25, free.

ALAN CHONG LAU
American Book Award-winning poet reads from Blues and Greens, an anthology focusing on his experiences in Seattle's Chinatown community. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, Tues Sept 26, free.

T. CORAGHESSAN BOYLE
Best-selling satirist and literary bad boy Boyle discusses his latest novel, the post-apocalyptic dark comedy A Friend of the Earth. KUOW's Steve Scher will moderate. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, Wed Sept 27, 12:30 pm, free; also scheduled to read at Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Wed Sept 27, free.

DAVID LEAVITT
The author of the critically acclaimed novel Arkansas reads from his latest work of fiction, Martin Bauman; Or, A Sure Thing, a story about a talented young writer living in New York. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, Fri Sept 29, free.


OCTOBER

REYNOLDS PRICE
Price, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner, was hailed by Eudora Welty as "the most impressive writer I've come across in a long time." His novels include A Long and Happy Life, Roxanna Slade, and Blue Calhoun. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 621-2230, Mon Oct 2, series and single-event tickets available.

MARY KARR
The 1995 publication of The Liar's Club, Karr's harrowing account of her East Texas childhood, unleashed an avalanche of lesser memoirs that continues unabated to this day. Now the master of the form returns with Cherry. Sponsored by Elliott Bay Books. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 725-9318, Tues Oct 3.

DISAPPEARANCES: RICHARD HUGO HOUSE'S THIRD ANNUAL CULTURAL INQUIRY
This two-day multimedia event will explore "the subject of disappearance through the lens of history." Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, Sat-Sun Oct 7-8, tickets required.

KAZUO ISHIGURO
The author of The Remains of the Day and The Unconsoled returns with his new novel, When We Were Orphans. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 725-9318, Mon Oct 9.

SIMON ORTIZ
Ortiz, a member of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, has published 17 books of poetry and prose. He reads as part of the Counterbalance Poetry Series. University of Washington Faculty Club, UW Campus, 282-2677, Tues Oct 10, free.

MICHAEL CHABON
Chabon, author of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Wonder Boys, reads from his new novel, Kavalier & Clay. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Wed Oct 11, free.

JIM HARRISON
When it comes to novella-writing, nobody can lay a hand on Harrison. His language is graceful, pure, and powerful. Come hear him read from his latest collection, The Beast God Forgot to Invent. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Mon Oct 23, free.

PATRICK McGRATH
The author of Asylum reads from his new novel, Martha Peake. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Wed Oct 25, free.

AHDAF SOUIEF
Egyptian writer Souief reads from her novel The Map of Love, which was a finalist for England's Booker Prize. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Thurs Oct 26, free.

ALLISON GREEN, SUSAN RICH, & ELIZABETH AUSTEN
Three writers read from their respective work, centering on the theme of "Mapping the Body." Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, Sun Oct 29, free.

CHRIS KRAUS
Rendezvous Readings Series sponsors a reading by the fabulous author of I Love Dick and Aliens & Anorexia. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, date to be announced, $5.


NOVEMBER

RAPHAEL CAMPO
Campo, who teaches medicine at Harvard Medical School, is the author of two award-winning books of poetry--The Other Man Was Me and What the Body Told--as well as a memoir (The Poetry of Healing) that describes his life as a doctor, poet, Latino, and gay man. Pigott Auditorium, Seattle University, 282-2677, Wed Nov 1, free.

JEANETTE WINTERSON
Winterson's controversial, award-winning novels include Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, The Passion, and Sexing the Cherry. She describes her mission in her meta-fictional work as follows: "I am interested in finding a relationship between poetic density and narrative possibility--to bring them together and create something which is different." Benaroya Hall, 200 University St, 621-2230, Wed Nov 8, series and single-event tickets available.

WENDELL BERRY
The man The New York Times has called the "prophet of rural America" reads from his new novel Jayber Crow. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Mon Nov 13, free.

ERIC BOGOSIAN
Bogosian is a performance artist who specializes in edgy, in-character commentaries on contemporary malaise. He is the author of the plays Talk Radio, subUrbia, and Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead. Tonight he will be reading from his newly published novel, Mall. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-6600, Nov 17, free.