THURSDAY 1/3


THE FULCRUM 3

The new literary year opens with a night of music and readings performed in conjunction with the Gallery Walk. Art, art, art, that's all that matters in this twittering world. Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 S Main St, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


ROBIN HOBB

A rising star in the world of sci-fi, Robin Hobb (a.k.a. Megan Lindholm) presents her newest, Fools Errand: The Tawny Man, Book I. Her last book was selected by Booklist as a one of the Top 10 Fantasy/Science Fiction Books of 2000. But this doesn't mean much at all. We need a hard number--was she one or 10? If she was number 10 of the year 2000, then it's not so impressive; but if she was number one, then, certainly, she is destined for the stars. University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE, 634-3400, 7 pm, free. Also at Third Place Books, 10101 Bothell Way NE, 366-3333, Tues Jan 8, 7 pm, free.


FRIDAY 1/4


GARY LEMONS & KOON WOON

Seattle's Van West & Company Publishing offers a new volume by Port Townsend poet Gary Lemons, entitled Fresh Horses. Also reading is Seattle poet Koon Woon, from his book The Truth in Rented Rooms. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


SATURDAY 1/5


* "A WOMAN ALONE" GROUP READING

Faith Conlon and others from Seattle's recently sold Seal Press read from an anthology of solo travelers, A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 3 pm, free.


SUNDAY 1/6


RITA NAKASHIMA BROCK & REBECCA ANN PARKER

Two women with unnecessarily long names read from their co-authored book, Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us, which is part theology, part memories, part mammaries. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


MONDAY 1/7


* SCOT AUGUSTSON, JOHN MOE, AND STUART GREENMAN

Rain City Projects announces its first Playwrights Reading of 2002, featuring local talent: Scot Augustson, former theater editor for The Stranger and the creator of Sgt. Rigsby and his Amazing Silhouettes; Stuart Greenman, who teaches playwriting at UW and was a finalist for the PEN USA/West drama award; and John Moe, whose newest play, Subterranean Homesick, recently premiered at Theater Schmeater. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


TUESDAY 1/8


LAUREN DOCKETT

Author of Facing 30, Lauren Dockett has found a new terror to face and overcome in her latest book, The Deepest Blue: How Women Face & Overcome Depression. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


DANNA BEAL

Beal, a business consultant, wrote Tragedy in the Workplace to reveal the core causes of professional strife, and to show how to establish understanding and harmony in the office. But everyone knows the truth of the matter: Only when the Lord returns and crushes Satan in the final showdown will there be joy in the workplace, and joy on Earth, too. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.


* ELLIOTT BAY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Join Elliott Bay bookseller Leah Brock to discuss Kazuhiro Ishiguro's most recent novel, When We Were Orphans. I highly recommend following or joining this discussion group--it selects and reads worthy books. Elliott Bay Book Company, 7:30 pm, free.


WEDNESDAY 1/9


SINA QUEYRAS

A poet who grew up on Canadian highways in her mother's Chrysler reads love poems from her book, Slip. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 5:30 pm, free.


ROBERT E. KOWALSKI

Kowalski, a pioneer in "diet therapy," is worried about your cholesterol level. He offers his theories for lowering it in The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure. Third Place Books, 366-3333, 7 pm, free.


* PETER NAVARRO

Navarro is the author of If It's Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks, a brilliantly researched examination of our economy and the way it is affected by volatile world politics. Kane Hall, UW campus, 7 pm, free. Call University Bookstore, 634-3400, for tickets.


ROBERT VAN PELT

With his book Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast, this ecologist and founder of the Washington Big Tree Program waxes poetic on 20 of the largest species of conifers in North America. University Bookstore, 634-3400, 7 pm, free.


* TINY NUNNALLY PRESENTS PER OLOV ENQUIST

"One of our finest Swedish translators" reads Enquist's acclaimed novel, The Royal Physician's Visit, which is set in Denmark in the mid-18th century. Elliott Bay Book Company, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, free.


* "NATIONAL TRAGEDY, NATIONAL RECOVERY"

For the first week of the Winter Lecture Series 2002, Dr. Jon Bridgman, UW professor emeritus of history, lectures on the big San Francisco earthquake. Kane Hall, Room 130, UW campus, 543-0540, 7 pm, free. Call the University Bookstore, 634-3400, for tickets.


Poetry/Open Mics

* HYPOCRISY--Formerly known as East India Trading Co. Mon at 7:30 pm; sign-up at 7 pm. Coffee Messiah, 1554 E Olive Way, 208-1188, free.

* SEATTLE SPIT--Thurs Jan 3 at 7:30. Queer spoken-word open mic with featured readers. Wildrose, 1021 E Pike Street, 271-5437, free.

POETRY ANDANTE--Thurs at 7:30 pm. Cafe Allegro, 4002 University Way NE, 634-2310, free.

SCRATCHING POST--Poetry open mic, all ages. Thurs at 8 pm; sign-up at 7:30 pm. Mr. Spot's Chai House, 2213 NW Market St, 297-2424, free.

RED SKY POETRY THEATER--The granddaddy of poetry open mics. Sun at 7 pm. Globe Cafe, 1531 14th Ave, 324-8815, free.

STAGEFRIGHT--Youth open mic. Come express yourself to the masses, for aspiring writers and performers ages 14-24; second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7 pm, free.

SEATTLE POETRY SLAM--Wed at 9 pm. Sit & Spin, 2219 Fourth Ave, 441-9484, $4.