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Readings & Events

Cecile Andrews She’ll help you reprioritize with her new lifestyle-advice book Slow is Beautiful. Northgate Branch Library, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E., 206-386-1980. 6:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1; Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave. N.E., 425-646-3340. 12:30 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Kit Bakke A 19th-century writer reimagined in her Miss Alcott’s Email: Yours for Reforms of All Kinds. Montlake Branch Library, 2401 24th Ave. E., 206-684-4720. 6:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Tina Cassidy Everyone’s done it, no one remembers it—Birth: The Surprising History of How we are Born is her in-depth look at this universal human experience. Ravenna Third Place, 6500 20th Ave. N.E., 206-523-0210. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Deepak Chopra His latest is Life after Death. University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 N.E. 43rd St. $5. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Herbert J. Ellison The UW professor emeritus’ new book is Boris Yeltsin and Russia’s Democratic Transformation. Walker-Ames Room, Kane Hall, UW campus. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

James Gregory This UW history prof recalls six days that shook the Northwest in his lecture “The Seattle General Strike of 1919 in History and Memory.” Museum of History and Industry, 2700 24th Ave. E., 206-324-1126, 800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com. $5-$12. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Stephen King An appearance by the unprecedentedly popular horror master, sponsored by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Benaroya Hall, Third Avenue and Union Street, 206-621-2230, www.lectures.org. $15-$60. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Katherine Min Old and new clash within a South Korean family in her Secondhand World. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Jim Olson This prominent local architect, one of the subjects of Art + Architecture: The Ebsworth Collection + Residence, reflects on the interaction of two arts. Elliott Bay Book Co. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Meredith & Peter Quartermain Next up on their Subtext monthly experimental writing series. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030, www.hugohouse.org. Donation. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Esther Schor Emma Lazarus, based on recently discovered letters, is her new bio of the poet who provided the words inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Henry Art Gallery, 15th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 41st Street, 1-888-219-5222, www.nextbook.org. $6-$8. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Scott R. Woodward Since they were written on goat or sheepskin parchment, biologists can help reveal the truth about the Dead Sea scrolls. Hear how in Woodward’s lecture “DNA & The Dead Sea Scrolls.” Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 206-652-4255. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 1.

Maggie Ball All you edgy, avant-garde, envelope-pushing quilters can pick up some tips from Ball’s new book Traditional Quilts with a Twist. Eagle Harbor Books, 157 Winslow Way E. (Bainbridge Island), 206-842-5332. 7:30 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Bill Dewey Insight on how business interacts with nature in his lecture “Commercial Shellfish Culture in Washington State,” sponsored by People For Puget Sound. REI Seattle Flagship Store, 222 Yale Ave. N., 206-382-7007. $6-$8. 7 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Linda Faillace This Vermont farmer uncovers tragic governmental incompetence in Mad Sheep: The True Story Behind the USDA’s War on a Family Farm.Elliott Bay Books. 6 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Kirby Larson & Bonny Becker Their new kids’ books are, respectively, the Montana-set Hattie Big Sky and Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale. Fremont Place Books, 621 N. 35th St., 206-547-5970, www.fremontplacebooks.com. 7 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Courtney Love Now it’s her turn: Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love includes family photos, journals, song lyrics and personal correspondence. (This is a signing only—gotta buy the book to see her.) University Book Store. 5 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Peter H. Stone More dirt on those wascally Wepublicans in his book Heist: Superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, His Republican Allies and the Buying of Washington. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Wendy Werris Her 35 years in the book biz are recounted in An Alphabetical Life: Living It Up in the World of Books.Elliott Bay Books. 8 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Matthew Zapruder This editor for Seattle-based Wave Books reads from his new poetry collection The Pajamaist. Open Books, 2414 N. 45th St., 206-633-0811, www.openpoetrybooks.com. 7:30 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 2.

Gérard Bléandonu His new book is What Do Children Dream?—but do you really want to get inside those little heads? COR Northwest Family Development Center, 1711 12th Ave., 7:30 p.m. Fri. Nov. 3.

Jan Faull Parenting advice from this author of Unplugging Power Struggles, Mommy I Have To Go Potty, Darn Good Parenting Advice, and Darn Good Advice Baby. Parkplace Books (Kirkland), 348 Parkplace Ctr., 425-828-6546. Free but reservations requested. 9:30 a.m. Fri. Nov. 3.

Kat Richardson & LILITH SAINTCROW “Gothy pulp noir” in, respectively, their Greywalker and Dead Man Rising. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Fri. Nov. 3.

Rigoberto González This N.Y.C. writer/activist’s new memoir is Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa. Elliott Bay Books. 4:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 4.

Laura KalpakianAmerican Cookery is the Bellingham author’s novel with recipes. Parkplace Books (Kirkland), 348 Parkplace Ctr., 425-828-6546. 3 p.m. Sat. Nov. 4.

Larry Karp In his The Ragtime Kid, a mysterious murder seems somehow linked to composer Scott Joplin. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., 206-587-5737. Noon. Sat. Nov. 4.

Laila Lalami This writer/blogger’s debut story collection, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, is new in paper. Elliott Bay Books. 7:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 4.

Los Norteños Members past and present of this organization of Northwest Latino writers gather to celebrate El Dia de los Muertos (“the day the fabric separating the living and dead is most thin. . . the day the living can most easily commune with the spirits of their dearly departed”) with short stories, poetry, and drama. Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 206-386-4636. 4 p.m. Sat. Nov. 4.

Chuck Pettis He’ll explore the connection between space and spirituality and recount the creation of Earth Sanctuary, his 72-acre nature reserve on Whidbey Island. Seattle Museum of The Mysteries, 623 Broadway E., 206-328-6499, www.seattlechatclub.org. $5 donation. 7 p.m. Sat. Nov. 4.

Aimee Bender This acclaimed author of books combing the real, unreal, surreal, and irreal reads from The Girl in the Flammable Skirt. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030, www.hugohouse.org. $5-$7. 3 p.m. Sun. Nov. 5.

Douglas H. Chadwick After chronicling his encounters with elephants and grizzlies, this Montana biologist turns to still larger game in The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales. Eagle Harbor Books, 157 Winslow Way E. (Bainbridge Island), 206-842-5332. 3 p.m. Sun. Nov. 5.

David Hlavsa This playwright speaks on the actor’s craft in An Actor Rehearses: What to Do When – and Why. Elliott Bay Books. Noon. Sun. Nov. 5.

Geoffrey Pullum Online adventures in linguistics in his new book, Far from the Madding Gerund and Other Dispatches from Language Log. Elliott Bay Books. 4:30 p.m. Sun. Nov. 5.

Jonathan Reynolds SEE FOOD FILES.

Galsan Tschinag A shepherd confronts encroaching modernity in this Tuvan singer/author’s first novel, The Blue Sky. Elliott Bay Books. 4:30 p.m. Sun. Nov. 5. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6.

T.A. Barron As his earlier Lost Years of Merlin goes into development with Paramount Pictures , he rounds out another fantasy trilogy with The Great Tree of Avalon Book III: The Eternal Flame. Seattle Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 206-386-4636, 1 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6; All for Kids Books & Music, 2900 N.E. Blakeley St., 206-526-2768, 4:30 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6; Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., Lake Forest Park, 206-366-3333, 7 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6; Secret Garden Bookshop, 2214 N.W. Market St., 206-789-5006, 7:30 p.m. Tues. Nov. 7.

John Moe The KUOW humorist attempts a red-state makeover in Conservatize Me: How I Tried to Become a Righty With the Help of Richard Nixon, Sean Hannity, Toby Keith, and Beef Jerky. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6.

Marni Nixon SEE CLASSICAL CALENDAR.

Anthony Shadid Winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his Iraq coverage, he shares personal testimonies from those living through it in Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War.Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, 425-822-2459. Free. 7 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6.

Matt & Ted Lee SEE FOOD FILES.

Elizabeth Merrick, Holiday Reinhorn, Rebecca Brown In this “reading-slash-literary-lady-ganza” sponsored by Swivel magazine, they’ll read from the anthology This Is Not Chick Lit, including fiction by Curtis Sittenfeld, Francine Prose, and Jennifer Egan. University Book Store. 7 p.m. Tues. Nov. 7.

David Orr A pioneer in “environmental literacy,” he’ll speak on “Design on the Edge: Climate Change, Posterity, and the Design Professions.” Kane Hall, Room 120, UW campus. 6:30 p.m. Tues. Nov. 7.

Indu SundaresanSplendor of Silence is her new story of tragic love and clashing cultures (i.e., American and Indian). Parkplace Books (Kirkland), 348 Parkplace Ctr., 425-828-6546. 7 p.m. Tues. Nov. 7.

Stella Cameron A surgeon’s troubled past follows him to his new Louisiana home in A Marked Man. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., 206-587-5737. Noon. Wed. Nov. 8.

Barry A. Christianson This activist speaks on “The Religious Right’s Assault on Religious Liberty, and How You Can Fight Back.” Sponsored by the Seattle chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Nathan Johnson Hall, University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave. N.E. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Matthew Diffee The best of the also-rans, weird or risque, in The Rejection Collection: Cartoons You Never Saw, and Never Will See, In The New Yorker. Kane Hall, Room 110, UW campus. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Thomas Homer-Dixon He discusses the five interrelated “stresses” affecting global cultural stability in his new book The Upside of Down. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 206-652-4255. $5. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Carol Leigh Also known as “Scarlet Harlot,” this sex worker and advocate founded the Bay Area Sex Workers Advocacy Network. Hear her speak at Room 1110/1111, Main Building, Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway. Noon. Wed. Nov. 8.

John Moir The story of the condor’s comeback from a population of 22 in the ’80s in his Return of the Condor. Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave. N.E., 425-450-1765. 12:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8. Elliott Bay Books. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Kenneth Turan The Los Angeles Times film critic muses on the future of good movies at big studios in his new collection Now in Theaters Everywhere. The Warren Report Headquarters, Carnegie Free Public Library, 2026 N.W. Market St. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Charlie Smith This New York poet reads from his recent collections. Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers, 208 First Ave. S., 206-282-2677, www.counterbalancearts.org. $10. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o This exiled Kenyan author’s latest novel is Wizard of the Crow. Presented by the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas. Pigott Auditorium, Seattle University, 900 Broadway, 206-624-6600. $5. 7 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Spoken Word/Open Mike

Melange on Monday Meet other writers and share your work. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030, www.hugohouse.org. 7 p.m. Mon. Nov. 6.

Screenwriters Salon Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030, www.hugohouse.org. $2-$5. 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 8.

Venue Guide

Elliott Bay Book Co. 101 S. Main St., 206-624-6600, www.elliottbaybook.com

Third Place Books 17171 Bothell Way N.E., 206-366-3333, www.thirdplacebooks.com

University Book Store 4326 University Way N.E., 206-634-3400, www.bookstore.washington.edu