THURSDAY 3/17
JOHN KELLY
Kelly talks about The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time. University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
LINDA CREW
A Heart for Any Fate is a young-adult novel about a pioneer. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
MICHAEL MEDVED
The crypto-fascist douche bag and movie critic reads from and signs Right Turns: Unconventional Lessons from a Controversial Life. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
FRIDAY 3/18
WALTER STAHR
John Jay is a biography of the U.S.'s first Chief Justice. University Book Store, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
STEVEN PINKER
The professor talks about his award-winning The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. UW Campus, Kane Hall, Room 130, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
LILY TUCK
Her National Book Award-winning novel The News from Paraguay is now out in paperback. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.
SATURDAY 3/19
LISA JACKSON
Deep Freeze is about a serial murderer. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 6 pm, free.
GREGORY NEWELL SMITH
The Solitude of the Open Sea is about sailing. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 3 pm, free.
WILLIAM McCAULEY
Need is a book of stories set in Sierra Leone. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30, free.
SETH KANTER
Ordinary Wolves is a novel whose subject grows up in an igloo in Alaska, and everyone I know who's read it has told me it's very great. As Stranger critic Tom Nissley pointed out in a review last year, the book also includes "matter-of-fact strategies for butchering lynx, moose, porcupine, and wolf." Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 5 pm, $5/$3 members.
SUNDAY 3/20
WILLIAM BENEDETTO
Sailing into the Abyss: A True Story of Extreme Heroism on the High Seas is about something that went down in 1969. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 2 pm, free.
REGIONAL SPELLING BEE
See Stranger Suggests, p. 21.
MONDAY 3/21
ELIZABETH GEORGE
With No One As Witness is a suspense novel. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free. (Also on March 22 at University Book Store, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.)
JOHN OLSON
See Stranger Suggests, p. 21. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30, free.
MICKEY HESS, JEFF COTTRILL
Hess is the author of Big Wheel at the Cracker Factory and is good at doing handstands. Cottrill will perform some satire and "a bizarre interpretation of Shakespeare's Othello." Confounded Books, 315 E Pine St, 382-3376, 7 pm, free.
TUESDAY 3/22
NICOLA GRIFFITH, KELLY ESKRIDGE
Griffith is the author of Ammonite, Slow River, Blue Place, and Stay. She has won a billion awards. Eskridge is the author of Solitaire. Science Fiction Museum, 325 Fifth Ave N, 770-2702, 7 pm, free.
GREGG OLSON
The Deep Dark is the true story of something that happened in a mine in 1972. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
SETH GREENLAND
The Bones is "a genuine, unabashedly old-school Hollywood romp" (Jerry Stahl). Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30, free.
GESHE KELSANG
Kelsang holds forth on How to Solve Our Human Problems. Queen Anne Books, 1811 Queen Anne Ave N, 283-5624, 7 pm, free.
WEDNESDAY 3/23
ROBIN HOBB, JAY LAKE, TODD LOCKWOOD, KEN RAND, ALAN DEAN FOSTER
A bunch of sci-fi writers do their thing. University Book Store, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.
ALAN GORSUCH
All the Ways I Found to Hurt Myself is a book of stories. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.
DAVID KLINGHOFFER
A random sentence from Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History: "There is every reason to think Jesus entertained some extravagant notions about himself." Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30, free.
POETRY/OPEN MICS
HOMELAND--Words. So many words. Tuesdays at 7 pm. Caffe Vita, 1005 E Pike St, 709-4440, free.
POETSWEST--Sunday at 7 pm. Penny Cafe, 1707 NW Market St, 682-1268, free.
RED SKY POETRY THEATER--Featured readings by Paul Nelson, Dan Blunk, and an open mic. Sundays at 7 pm. Globe Cafe, 1531 14th Ave, 547-4585, free.
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. Capitol Hill Arts Center, 1621 12th Ave, 388-0500, $5.
STAGE FRIGHT--Youth open mic. Fourth Wednesday of every month at 7 pm. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, free.
STREET-BEAT SLAM--Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm. Mirabeau Room, 592 Queen Anne Ave N. 650-2869, free.
