Bailey/Coy Books—9/14: Poet and essayist Nancy Venable Raine reads from After Silence, an account of her rape and its aftermath, as a benefit for Home Alive. 10/19: Chastity Bono reads from Family Outing. 10/29: Cartoonist Alison Bechdel discusses her new collection, Split-Level Dykes to Watch Out For. 414 Broadway E, 323-8842

Eleventh Hour Productions—Various venues, 346-0180.

Poetry After Dark at the Bellevue Art Museum: 9/22: DJ and Stranger critic Riz Rollins, Canadian poet Neile Graham, Raven Chronicles contributor David Lloyd Whited. 10/13: Neo-symbolist playwright George Wolfe, poet and essayist Jan Wallace, painter and poet Patrice Tullai. 10/27: 18-year-old novelist Philip Guichard, Stranger writer Trisha Ready, poet Robin Merrigan. 11/10: “Staggered Thirds”: Washington Free Press contributor Doug Nufer, writer Anna Mockler, Farm Pulp editor Gregory Hischak. 11/24: Poet Joan Fiset, Swarm of Edges author John Olsen, environmentalist poet Reuben Green.

Real to Reel literary performance series: 10/6: Real Change contributor Mary Park, e-zine editor Juliette Torrez, and Yakama poet Arthur Tulee. 11/3: Playwright Wesley Middleton, Woodworks Press founder Paul Hunter, and poet Tracie D. Hall.

Elliott Bay Book Co.—Highlights only from this bookstore’s busy calendar. 9/11: Journalist Ellis Cose appears with his first novel, The Best Defense. 9/11: New York Times Northwest correspondent Timothy Egan talks about the West and his book Lasso the Wind. 9/15: Robert Clark reads from Mr. White’s Confession. 9/16: Literary doctor Abraham Verghese (My Own Country) reads from his newest, The Tennis Partner. 9/17: Novelist Howard Norman reads from his new work, The Museum Guard. 9/21: Irish writer Sebastian Barry, with a new novel, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty. 9/24: Atlantic Monthly writer Robert D. Kaplan, with his book An Empire Wilderness. 9/24: The Undertaking author Thomas Lynch, with a new book of poems. 9/25: Epitaph for a Peach author David Mas Masumoto appears with a new book, Harvest Son. 9/28: Big, famous novelist Tim O’Brien reads from his new book, Tomcat in Love. 9/29: LA writer/performer Laurie Fox appears for My Sister from the Black Lagoon. 9/30: Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten talks and signs his book East and West, the book Rupert Murdoch cancelled in the UK. 9/30: Western historian and fire expert Stephen J. Pyne reads from his new book, How the Canyon Became Grand.

10/6: Marianne Wiggins reads from her new novel, Almost Heaven. 10/8: Ethan Canin appears with a new novel, For Kings and Planets. 10/9: Andrea Barrett reads from Voyage of the Narwhal. 10/10: Seattle mystery novelist Michael Dibdin reads from a new Aurelio Zen mystery, A Long Finish. 10/11: Journalist Rick Bragg reads from his acclaimed memoir, All Over But the Shoutin’. 10/13: Edwidge Dandicat reads from a new novel, The Farming of Bones. 10/14: Clinton’s favorite, Walter Mosley, reads from a new science fiction novel, Blue Light. 10/15: LA historian and cultural writer Mike Davis reads from his new work, Ecology of Fear. 10/17: Photographer Art Wolfe and writer Brenda Peterson team up on Pacific Northwest: Land of Light and Water. 10/17: Lorrie Moore reads from her new story collection, Birds of America. 10/18: Ex-senator and Knick Bill Bradley reads from Values of the Game. 10/19: Margaret Drabble reads from The Witch of Exmoor. 10/20: Wired executive editor Kevin Kelly reads from New Rules for the New Economy. 10/21: Greg Sarris reads from his novel, Watermelon Nights. 10/21-22: Two nights of Berlin writers: Marcel Beyer, Ingo Schulze, Felicitas Hoppe, and Das Gorinbein. 10/27: DC journalist Juan Williams reads from his biography, Thurgood Marshall. 10/28: Susan Minot reads from a new novel, Evening. 10/29: Lan Samantha Chang reads from a debut book of stories, Hunger. 10/30: Barbara Kingsolver comes to town with her new novel, The Poisonwood Bible. 10/31: Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee and their joint memoir, With Ossie & Ruby in This Life Together.

11/6: Exiled Somalian novelist Nuruddin Farah reads from his book Secrets. 11/9: DC journalist William Greider reads from Fortress America. 11/11: Former New Republic editor Andrew Sullivan reads from his new book, Love Undetectable. 11/19: Jim Harrison reads from his new novel, The Road Home. 12/4: Michael Cunningham reads from his new novel, The Hours. 101 S Main, 624-6600.

Richard Hugo House—9/10: Friends of Nelson Bentley, a benefit poetry reading with Beth Bentley, Emily Warn, Brenda Shaw, Mark White. 10/2-4: Hugo House hosts a three-day arts and humanities symposium, “The Power of Place: A Celebration of Richard Hugo’s Work.” Among the speakers: novelist Ivan Doig, journalist Timothy Egan, UW professor Donna Gerstenberger, poet Ripley Hugo (the late writer’s widow), Montana writer William Kittredge, composer David Mahler, poet Colleen McElroy, filmmaker Annick Smith, novelist Matthew Stadler, poet J.T. Stewart, poet David Wagoner, and novelist James Welch. Big, big weekend. 10/13: Rendezvous Reading Series continues, curated by Matthew Stadler; runs second Tuesday of every month. 10/13: Fall debut of Sketch Club Reading Series, curated by Rebecca Brown; runs third Wednesday of every month. 10/13: Slam poet Eben Eldridge with others. 11/10: Rendezvous Reading Series. 11/17: The award-winning and tireless promoter of good writing Rebecca Brown reads from her new story collection, The Dogs. Book publication party to follow. 11/18: Sketch Club readers: Donna Miscolta, Liz Walsh-Boyd, Stokley Towles, Nancy Rawles, and others. 12/8: Rendezvous Reading Series. 12/10: Poet Galway Kinnell. 12/16: Sketch Club readers: Jerome Gold, Gordon Janow, and others. 1634 11th, 322-7030

The Mountaineers—9/24: Michael Chessler, proprietor of Chessler’s Books, the legendary mountaineering mail-order catalog and bookshop, talks about how much those signed first editions of Into Thin Air are worth, and other bibliophilic issues. 10/15: Robin Erbesfield, sport climber. 10/22: The Everest IMAX film finally opens in Seattle, with filmmaker/climber David Breashears, author of Everest: Mountain Without Mercy. Check yer ice axes at the door. 11/5: Jim Haberl, Canadian climber talks about climbing in the Karakoram and Peruvian Andes. 11/12: Banff Book Festival night, with climber Stevie Haston. 11/19: Greg Child, Seattle’s big-mountain climber, author, and North Face poster boy, reads from and talks about his latest work, Postcards from the Ledge. 300 Third W, 284-6310.

Northwest Bookfest—Highlights of the 1998 fest: Dave Barry: Miami Herald jokester waxes humorous and plugs new book, Dave Barry Turns 50. Arthur Golden: Talks with Jodi Cobb about his novel Memoirs of a Geisha. Susan Isaacs: Best-selling novelist reads from new work, Red, White, and Blue. Pam Houston: Cowboy obsessionist reads from Waltzing the Cat. Gerry Spence: Highly paid country lawyer talks about injustice and his new book, Give Me Liberty. Paul Theroux: Chats with current friend Jonathan Raban about former friend V.S. Naipaul. Timothy Egan: Talks about the American West and his new book, Lasso the Wind. Jim Lehrer & Robert MacNeil: Both read from their respective new novels. Ann Lovejoy: Gardening, gardening, gardening. Her latest: A Naturalistic Garden. Colleen McElroy: The Northwest poet reads from Traveling Music. John Nance: The master of the in-flight thriller reads from his latest, The Last Hostage. Barbara Earl Thomas: The writer and painter talks about her work. Dan Savage: Talks, and talks, and talks, about his new book, Savage Love. Simon Singh: Reads from the nonfiction work, Fermat’s Enigma. Lawrence Block: The author of the Matt Scudder mystery series talks with writer S.J. Rozan. October 25-25, Pier 48, 378-1883

Open Books—9/14: Canadian poet John Barton and Seattle poet Kim Mackay-Brook read from their work. 9/17: Seattle poet Koon Woon reads from his new collection, Truth in Rented Rooms. 10/4: Montana poet Sandra Alcosser reads from her second collection, Except by Nature. 10/20: American Poetry Review Prize winner Joshua Beckman reads from Things Are Happening, published by Copper Canyon Press. 2414 N 45th, 633-0811.

Parkplace Book Co.—9/16: Kirkland writer Laura Gamache shares her Beatles reflections in “Imagine,” one of the essays in the new anthology, In My Life: Encounters with the Beatles. 9/24: Local author Terri Casey talks about her new book, Pride and Joy: The Lives and Passions of Women Without Children. 9/28: Sandra Benitez reads from her novel Bitter Grounds. 10/20: Bellingham novelist Laura Kalpakian reads from her new book, Caveat. 10/21: Gustav Barnard, author of A Simple Plan for Enlightenment, discusses the fine details of his plan. 10/22: Seattle Weekly senior editor Bruce Barcott reads from the paperback release of The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier. 10/29: William McCauley reads from his first novel, The Turning Over. 11/5: Seattle journalist William Dietrich, the author of The Final Forest, reads from his first novel, Ice Reich. 348 Parkplace Center, Kirkland, 425-828-6546.

Red & Black Books—9/15: Local author and SGN columnist Madelyn Arnold reads from her forthcoming book, A Year of Full Moons. 9/23: Seattle writer Terry Casey reads from Pride and Joy: The Lives and Passions of Women Without Children. 9/24: Charles Kaiser reads from The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America Since WWII. 10/20: Seattle psychic Frederick Woodruff reads from Secrets of a Telephone Psychic, a portion of which appeared as a Weekly cover story earlier this year. 10/22: Joan Drury reads from her new Tyler Jones mystery, Closed in Silence, and friends of the late Jean Swallow will read from her final work, A Woman Determined. 10/26: Marilyn Krysl reads from her story collection, How to Accommodate Men. 11/4: Barbara Wilson reads from her new book, Death of a Well-Travelled Woman. 11/8: Young-adult novelist Jean Davies Okimoto reads from The Eclipse of Moonbeam Dawson. 11/23: Rebecca Brown! The Dogs! Don’t miss her! 432 15th E, 322-READ.

Seattle Arts & Lectures—9/14: Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier discusses Southern language, culture, and history with fellow novelist Kaye Gibbons, author of Ellen Foster and the new novel On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon. 10/14: Mystery novelist Walter Mosley, co-presented with Elliott Bay Book Co., at the First United Methodist Church. 10/26: Richard Ford, author of Independence Day and The Sportswriter, talks about and reads from his work. 12/7: Talk about great timing: Seattle Arts & Lectures booked David Remnick when he was merely one of America’s greatest nonfiction writers; now he’s the New Yorker editor too. Come ask him about Russia, American literature, and his feelings upon taking over Tina’s chair. 1/5: Documentary filmmaker (Harlan County, USA) Barbara Kopple talks about her work. 2/1: Julie Taymor, director of the Broadway smash The Lion King, talks about putting Simba on stage. 3/1: Novelist Caryl Phillips discusses his work. 4/12: British writer Julian Barnes gets up there and talks like the witty chap he is. 5th Avenue Theater, 621-2230.

Seattle Mystery Bookshop—All signings at noon. 9/16: Seattle-based mystery writer Michael Dibdin signs A Long Finish, his sixth Aurelio Zen mystery. 9/17: Mary Daheim signs Snow Place to Die, her 13th Seattle bed & breakfast mystery. 9/23: Graham Rawle signs Diary of an Amateur Photographer, a mystery in words, photographs, and collage. 9/24: Bellingham’s Steve Martini signs Critical Mass, a new thriller set in the San Juans. 9/29: Alaskan Dana Stabenow signs Fire and Ice, a mystery introducing Alaskan State Trooper Liam Campbell. 10/7: Multi-author mystery tour: Jill Churchill signs The Merchant of Menace; Peter Robinson signs Blood at the Root; Linda French signs Talking Rain. 10/8: Martha Powers signs Sunflower. 10/14: Seattle writer Candace Robb signs A Gift of Sanctuary, her sixth Owen Archer mystery. 10/23: Lawrence Block signs Everybody Dies, his 14th Matt Scudder mystery. 117 Cherry, 587-5737.

University Book store—Fall highlights: 9/15: Sports agent Leigh Steinberg and sports holdout Warren Moon sign Winning with Integrity. Irony ahoy. 9/18: Horse Whisperer author Nicholas Evans reads from his follow-up book, The Loop. 9/29: Jeanette Farrell talks about Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease. 10/5: Art and Physics author Leonard Shlain talks about his new book, Alpha Bet Versus the Goddess. 10/6: Fremont troll creator Steve Badanes shows slides and talks about his book The Devil’s Workshop: 25 Years of Jersey Devil Architecture. 10/7: Seattle writer Robert Clark reads from his new novel, Mr. White’s Confession. 10/9: Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson talks about Dogs Never Lie About Love. 10/22: Ursula K. LeGuin talks about her new book on writing, Steering the Craft. 10/23: Dave Barry. Dave Barry Turns 50. Funny. 10/26: Pam Houston reads from her new novel, Waltzing the Cat. 10/28: Wade Davis talks about Shadows in the Sun. 11/2: P.J. O’Rourke talks about his latest bad-boy escapades chronicled in Eat the Rich. Bring a fork. (Some events held in Kane Hall, UW campus. Call ahead.) 4326 University Wy, 634-3400.

Washington Center for the Book—10/1: Joyce Maynard reads from At Home in the World, a memoir of her life and her relationship with J.D. Salinger. 10/16: Andrew Harvey, author of A Journey in Ladakh, reads from his new book, Son of Man: The Direct Way to Christ. 11/23: Chaim Potok, author of The Chosen, reads from his new collection of short stories for young adults, Zebra and Other Stories. 12/2-4: Russell Banks spends three days talking books around town as part of the Center’s “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” project. The book is Banks’ The Sweet Hereafter. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth, 386-4650.

Other readings of note:

10/4: Metro driver and accomplished poet (published in The American Scholar, The Georgia Review, and Poetry, among others) Michael Spence reads from his new collection, Adam Chooses. Northwest poet Judith Skillman also reads, from her collection Beethoven and the Birds. Eagle Harbor Books, Bainbridge Island, 842-5332. 11/3: Voting commences for the “Libraries for All” property-tax measure that would pump $196 million into the ol’ warhorses. A yes vote nets a new downtown library, three new branches, and expansion of existing branches. Get out and vote, dammit. 11/18: Jonathan Raban, author of the award-winning Bad Land, teams up with poet and writer William Dunlop, author of Caruso for the Children. Marco Polo Books, 713 Broadway, 860-3736. 10/28-11/1: Visual and performance artists interpret US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky’s translation of Dante’s Inferno with an innovative staging of the work at On the Boards, 100 W Roy, 217-9888. 4/20-25/99: Spalding Gray performs his new monologue at On the Boards, 100 W Roy, 217-9888.