THURSDAY 6/26



KELLI RUSSELL AGODON, LINDA GREENMUN

The busy folks at Floating Bridge Press celebrate the publication of Kelli Russell Agodon's Geography--the winner of this year's chapbook contest--along with a reading of Greenmun's Floating Bridge-published Wheel of Days. Open Books: A Poem Emporium, 2414 N 45th St, 633-0811, 7:30 pm, free.

GEORGE CRILE

Crile recounts the delicious tale of a 20-year-old vast and covert CIA operation, as aided by the hand of a Texas congressman, in Charlie Wilson's War. The place? Why, our good buddy Afghanistan, of course! Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 5 pm, free.

WILL FERGUSON

Taking aim at the somewhat obvious target of self-help authors, Ferguson's protagonist pledges to put an end to the "Age of Nice" in the author's debut, Happiness. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3320, 7 pm, free.

JILL NELSON

Volunteer Slavery author Nelson takes a dip in the waters of fiction with her debut novel about a Nevada health spa that doubles as a brothel for women. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.

INDU SUNDARESAN

Bellevue author Sundaresan scribes the follow-up to her debut (The Twentieth Wife) in The Feast of Roses, a story of 17th-century Indian royalty. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.

* TYPING EXPLOSION

The women with the most enviable shtick in the city are impossible to avoid these days, what with performances, a documentary, and now their very own subtly subversive touch-typing manual, Typo. Bailey/Coy Books, 414 Broadway E, 323-8842, 7 pm, free. Also Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, Sun at 7:30 pm, free.

ANDREAS VIESTAD

A man bestowed with the high honor of "Norway's premier food columnist" (isn't that where lutefisk is from?) presents a signing and demonstration for his new cookbook, Kitchen of Light. Third Place Books, 366-3320, 5:30 pm, free.

FRIDAY 6/27



JANE GLAZER

Portland poet Glazer reads from Go Where the Landshed Takes You, her sophomore effort and first collection in nine years. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.

KATHARINE GREIDER

For those of us who get our oxycodone from New Zealand by post, Greider's new text, The Big Fix, might be a little bit irrelevant. For the rest of America, however, it might do some good to know just how the pharmaceutical industry is bleeding you dry. University Bookstore, 634-3400, noon, free.

MICHAEL PAYNE

Physicist and mathematician Payne caught a streak of the fancy and left everything behind to become an interior designer. The current host of the cable show Designing for the Sexes, Payne signs his flamboyantly titled new book, Let's Ask Michael! Third Place Books, 366-3320, 6 pm, free.

SATURDAY 6/28



MADELINE DeFREES

Prominent local poet DeFrees celebrates a year of achievement following the 2001 release of her renowned poetry collection Blue Dusk. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 4 pm, free.

ALAN CHONG LAU

Reading from Blues and Greens, his latest book of poetry (now nearly three years old), Lau revisits the work based largely on his experiences as a produce worker in Seattle's Chinatown community. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 6 pm, free.

ROB NEYER

ESPN.com columnist presents a big ol' boring book of lists about big ol' boring baseball facts in Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups. Third Place Books, 366-3320, 12:30 pm, free.

JOSHUA ORTEGA

Ortega returns with the sci-fi thriller that simply would not die, Frequencies. Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave NE, 525-2347, 6 pm, free.

SUNDAY 6/29



TSERING WANGMO DHOMPA

Read it out loud. I dare you. A native of India and Nepal, poet Dhompa (currently residing in San Francisco) reads from Rules of the House, her latest. Open Books: A Poem Emporium, 633-0811, 7:30 pm, free.

VI HILBERT

In celebration of Elliott Bay's 30th anniversary, Upper Skagit tribal elder Hilbert pays tribute with sentiment and stories. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 2 pm, free.

TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAMS

The Elliott Bay birthday celebrations continue with a visit from Utah writer and naturalist Williams--who, it is assumed, will be reading from her 2002 release Red. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 3:30 pm, free.

MONDAY 6/30



BOBBY ANDERSON AND DAVID MESSENGILL

Local poet Anderson and former Seattle Weekly books editor Messengill, both recent recipients of Literary Arts grants from the Seattle Arts Commission, share recent works. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm.

SUBHANKAR BANERJEE

Wildlife photographer Banerjee signs Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, his collection of photographs depicting polar bears in snowstorms. Third Place Books, 366-3320, 7 pm.

MITCHELL SMITH

Here with the second book of his Snowfall trilogy, Mitchell signs Kingdom River, a postapocalyptic tale of warring nations where Northern Mexico once stood. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.

TUESDAY 7/1



JANE ADAMS

Dr. Adams encourages the middle-aged to give up on those little disappointments (namely, their children) and move on with their lives in When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.

KATHLEEN ANN GOONAN

In the second installment of the six-week Clarion West science fiction reading series, Goonan discusses her allegorical oeuvre. University of Washington, Kane Hall, 322-9083, 7:30 pm, $3-$4.

WEDNESDAY 7/2



* SUBTEXT POETRY READING

Celebrating its ninth anniversary, the excellent Subtext reading series presents readings by Nico Vassilakis, Jeanne Heuving, John Olson, April Denonno, and countless more. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7:30 pm, admission by donation.

JONATHAN WILSON

A little murder, a little mystery, a little adultery--English novelist Wilson covers all the bases with a work set in early 20th-century Palestine in Palestine Affair. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm.

POETRY/OPEN MICS
HOMELAND--Words. So many words. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Caffe Vita, 1005 E Pike St, 709-4440, free.

POETSWEST--Featuring Loraine Campbell, Steve Roxborough, Gayle Wilde. Thurs at 7 pm. Lux, 2226 First Ave, 682-1268. Also Penny Café, 1707 NW Market St, 682-1268, Sun June 29 at 7 pm, free. Featuring Chandra Castillo.

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.

TAKE A POEM FROM YOUR HEART--Featuring Gerry McFarland, Martha Carey, Anne Marie Hackenberger, and Nancy Dahlberg. Fri June 27 at 7:15 pm. Lottie Motts, 4900 Rainier Ave S, 725-8199, free.

WOMEN'S POETRY NIGHT--Spoken word from the fairer sex. Thursdays at 8 pm. The Bar, 1525 E Olive Way, 322-1788, free.