THURSDAY 2/15


RICHARD LEWIS

Yet another brilliant stand-up comic who took a little detour into drug-fueled madness, Lewis recounts his rise, fall, and eventual recovery in this brand-new memoir, The Other Great Depression: How I'm Overcoming, On a Daily Basis, at Least a Million Addictions and Dysfunctions and Finding a Spiritual (Sometimes) Life. Jamie Lee Curtis says that Lewis' writing makes her "squeal and sob in the same sentence," while Lou Reed calls the book "mesmeric--a dizzying ride on the R&R Express." Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main, 624-3400, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


*CHUCK D

One of hiphop's wisest uncles speaks at WWU. See Stranger Suggests. Western Washington University, Bellingham, 360-650-6146, 8 pm, $8.


*DR. JERRI NIELSEN

Reading and signing by the author of Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole. Nielsen was working as the physician in residence at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica--where temperatures can drop to 100 degrees below zero--when, one day, she discovered a lump in her breast. With no way in or out of the station until the following spring, Nielsen performed a biopsy on herself, and was able to confirm a cancer diagnosis through e-mail correspondence with U.S. doctors. Amazingly, she gave herself chemotherapy for four months, until she was finally rescued by the Air National Guard. Kane Hall, UW Campus, 634-3400, 7 pm, tickets required (available free at University Bookstore).


KEVIN POWELL

Powell--former cast member on MTV's Real World and editor of the recently published anthology of new black literature, Step Into a World--will speak on the subject of "Living in a Multicultural America" in celebration of Black History Month. Powell is currently a guest curator of the Brooklyn Museum of Art's Hip-Hop Nation exhibit; he is also author of the book Keepin' It Real: Post-MTV Reflections on Race, Sex, and Politics. Kilworth Chapel, University of Puget Sound, 1500 N Warner St, Tacoma, 253-879-3298, 8 pm, free.


FRIDAY 2/16


MELANIE RAE THON

Named by Granta as one of the Best Young American Novelists, Thon's latest work of fiction, Sweet Hearts, tells the tragic story of a young brother and sister who take off in their mother's stolen car on a crime spree. Publishers Weekly says the book "benefits from Thon's skillful use of nontraditional narrative devices, haunting evocation of Native American history and legend, and mystical vision of the power of forgiveness and love." Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


KOREA & THE UNITED STATES KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States Yang Sung Chul will lead this panel discussion on the recent political and social developments on the Korean Peninsula and their emerging impact on international economic relations. (The first 50 registrants through the door will receive a free "I Heart Kim Jong Il" coffee mug.) Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave, 443-5698, 9:30 am, $35.


SATURDAY 2/17


ALFRED KESSLER

Kessler is a neurosurgeon turned writer and painter (and we can only thank God it wasn't the other way around). His new novel, The Eighth Day of the Week, "is a book which makes you think about the nature of reality and relationships, the possible and the impossible, the bizarre manifestations of what we call love." Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


CHILDREN'S STORYTIME

Happens every Saturday, kiddies--same time, same place. Elliott Bay Book Company, 3 pm, free.


SUNDAY 2/18


SARA MILES

Miles is the author of How to Hack a Party Line: The Democrats and Silicon Valley, a book that Ellen Ullman praises as "a fascinating, sharp-eyed look at the improbable union of Washington party-builders and Silicon Valley executives, where the messy, slow, flawed world of political democracy meets the 'visionaries' who believe government should be run like a well-debugged program." Elliott Bay Book Company, 4 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


*JOHN STAUBER

Stauber is the founder and director of the Center for Media & Democracy, and co-editor of the quarterly PR Watch: Public Interest Reporting on the PR/Public Affairs Industry. His latest book is Trust Us, We're Experts!: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future. See Stranger Suggests. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


RED SKY POETRY THEATRE

Featured reader is Marion Kimes; plus, open mic. Globe Cafe, 1531 14th Ave, 633-5647, 7:30 pm, free.


THREE POETS & OPEN MIC

Murray Gordon, Erynn R. Laurie, and Laura Snyder are this evening's featured readers. Wit's End Bookstore & Tea Shop, 770 N 34th St, 682-1268, 7 pm, free.


MONDAY 2/19


DEENA METZGER

Reading by the author of The Other Hand, a new novel that Jack Kornfield called a "profound meditation on consciousness and the nature of evil." Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


SARA MILES

See Sunday Listing. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.


MARGARET ORGAN-KEAN

Watercolor demonstration by the illustrator of the children's story Petronella, a book by Jay Williams. Best suited for kids between the ages of 5-10. Elliott Bay Book Company, 11:30 am, free.


EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY

All-ages poetry, prose and spoken word open mic. Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 208-1188, free.


RADICAL WOMEN STUDY GROUP

Weekly discussion series based on Making More Waves, an anthology by Asian women that portrays the experiences of immigrants and activists. Everyone welcome. School of Social Work, 4101 15th Ave NE, 722-6057, 7 pm, free.


TUESDAY 2/20


BILL MOYERS

Moyers, everyone's favorite television producer, will speak tonight on the subject of poets and poetry as part of Washington Center for the Book's "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book..." program. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 386-4650, 7:30 pm, free (first-come, first-served).


RICHARD PAUL RUSSO

Local science fiction/mystery writer Russo will read from his latest novel, Ship of Fools. "[Russo] is likely to be surprising, and illumination us for a long time to come," says Michael Bishop. Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


*KEN MADSEN

Award-winning photographer and author will give a discussion and slide presentation on "Caribou Commons: Images and Sounds from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge." The Mountaineers, 300 Third Ave, 284-6310, 7 pm, free.


WEDNESDAY 2/21


*MARK KURLANSKY

Kurlansky, author of the award-winning Cod, will read from his latest work, The Basque History of the World. The N.Y. Times Book Review called this book "entertaining and instructive," and Newsweek said it is "a wide-ranging, obvious labor of love that drinks deeply of Basque life." Elliott Bay Book Company, 5:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


LEONARD CHANG

Thomas Keneally praised Chang's latest thriller, Over the Shoulder, as "obsessively readable and intellectually satisfying... [his] highest achievement yet." Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, tickets required (available free at store).


ED VIESTURS

Yet another renowned mountain climber talks about... climbing mountains. Benaroya Hall, 200 University, 624-5677, 7:30 pm, $15.


SINCLAIR BROWNING

Booksigning by the author of the new thriller Rode Hard, Put Away Dead. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St, 587-5737, noon, free.