The Top 15 Things to Do This Week

Catch Seattle Public Library’s big book sale, see nervy Northwest punk, and much more.

March 15, Wednesday

WordsWest: Resistance and Immigration The West Seattle reading series celebrates the Ides of March with a very timely theme. Seattle short-story author Donna Miscolta (author of When the de La Cruz Family Danced) and West Seattle poet Shankar Narayan will read new work and talk about life in an America that seems to have rolled up the welcome mat. C&P Coffee Co., 5612 California Ave. S.W., words westliterary.weebly.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PAUL CONSTANT

Find Your Lane Activism Fair Former City Councilmember Nick Licata and Randy Engstrom from the mayor’s office will speak at this anti-Trump networking event. Join other riled progressives to check out 20 organizations ranging from Colectiva Legal del Pueblo to 350 Seattle to Cascadia Rising, and figure out where you fit into the larger project of building a better world. Metropolist, 2931 First Ave. S., Suite 1A, 276-4333, hive-mind.com. Free. All ages. 7–10 p.m. CASEY JAYWORK

March 16, Thursday

Beyond $15 Book Launch Party Jonathan Rosenblum debuts his new book Beyond $15: Immigrant Workers, Faith Activists, and the Revival of the Labor Movement, an account of the fight for a $15 minimum wage in SeaTac. Rosenblum will be joined by City Council member Kshama Sawant and other leaders of the movement to reflect and discuss the future. Washington State Labor Council, 321 16th Ave. S., 281-8901, wslc.org. Free. All ages. 6 p.m. PC

A River of Ink Runs Through It Seattle’s Jim Woodring climbed to alt-comix fame with his Fantagraphics series Frank, featuring the silent eponymous protagonist wandering through increasingly surreal black-and-white landscapes. In conjunction with the Frye’s ongoing exhibition of his large-scale draftwork, The Pig Went Down to the Harbor at Sunrise and Wept, Woodring will be lecturing tonight on his methods, influences, and the cartoonishly giant ink pen he uses. Frye Museum, 704 Terry Ave., fryemuseum.org. Free. All ages. 7–8 p.m. KELTON SEARS

Shen Wei Dance Chinese-born choreographer Shen Wei has taken Western modern-dance traditions to heart, especially the admonition to “dance who you are.” His works are highly individual, exceptionally beautiful, and kinetically unexpected. His most recent work, Neither, is set to an operatic score by Morton Feldman and an enigmatic libretto by Samuel Beckett; the artist creates a mysterious landscape that reveals itself to us briefly, only to conceal itself again. Meany Hall, UW campus, 543-4880, meanycenter.org. $50–$55. 8 p.m. Thurs., March 16–Sat., March 18. SANDRA KURTZ

March 17, Friday

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah These indie darlings won a lot of fans with their strange, low-budget self-titled debut in 2005, then lost them with their critically panned followup Some Loud Thunder (though, in fairness, “Emily Jean Stock” is a great song). In the years since, they’ve released several largely overlooked albums, but this year’s The Tourist holds some of the old promise of that debut (even if all members of the band aside from front man Alec Ounsworth are different). The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. $20. All ages. 8 p.m. DANIEL PERSON

March 18, Saturday

Nail Polish/Lithics/ Casual Hex The best in Northwest no-wave/freaky punk has been assembled for this excellent KEXP Audioasis bill tonight. Nail Polish’s anxiety-riddled songs barrel through biting social critiques with barely held-together riffs, while Casual Hex conjures Seattle’s dark, magical vibes through warbling, otherworldly dirges. Lithics represents Portland tonight with its factory conveyor belt, mathematical post-punk paeans. Timbre Room, 1809 Minor Ave., timbreroom.com. $7. 21 and over. 7 p.m. KS

Night Profound In the last few hours of winter, magical artists come creeping to say goodbye to the shadows in a venue that is a rare black diamond in this city. From the howling wilds of Vancouver, Night Profound will offer primitive sounds, joined by bleak siren Serpentent and a funeral gift duet from Vanessa Skantze and Vox Vespertina. With Headstone Brigade. Teatro de la Psychomachia, 1534 First Ave. S. $5–$15. All ages. 8 p.m. MEAGAN ANGUS

March 19, Sunday

Seattle Public Library’s Big Book Sale Cheapskate bibliophiles rejoice, for a feast of books, going for $1 to $3, is upon us, as well as CDs, DVDs, and other obsolete media formats for your viewing/listening pleasure. Science fiction, graphic novels, classics, short stories, children’s books—there’s gonna be hella bookage. Don’t miss out. Exhibition Hall, Seattle Center, 682-7567, friendsofspl.org. Free to browse. All ages. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sun. CJ

Jessica Jobaris and General Magic Jobaris is as much a ringleader as a choreographer, and her works are often a kind of absurdist theater. A Great Hunger is her latest project, and has its roots in grief and healing, which on first blush sounds a bit grim. But her path to redemption includes more comedy than sadness, more circus than therapy. On the Boards, 100 W. Roy St., 217-9888, ontheboards.org. $23. 8 p.m. Thurs., March 16–Sat., March 18, 5 p.m. Sun., March 19. SK

March 20, Monday

Free Women, Free Men Reading In the 1990s, Camille Paglia was kind of a big deal: a controversial feminist who seemingly never turned down an opportunity to speak publicly. She largely fell out of the public eye after the turn of the millennium, but as the ancient Chinese proverb goes, if you live long enough, you get to see yourself critically reappraised. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 386-4636, spl.org. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

March 21, Tuesday

Lovecraft Country and Everfair Reading The Seattle-based authors of two of last year’s best novels—not just sci-fi novels, mind you, but novels in general—share a stage tonight. Matt Ruff celebrates the recent paperback release of his novel-in-stories, Lovecraft Country. Nisi Shawl’s steampunk alternate history Everfair is still in hardcover, but worth every penny. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m. PC

Xiu Xiu The only constant is Jamie Stewart’s tortured soul in this 15-year running experimental project that straddles the lines between noise, pop, dance music, and eerie quiet. Since 2009, Stewart’s manic drumming and emotionally violent singing have been joined by Angela Seo behind the keyboard. Their latest, FORGET, is hot off the press, landing the band a live show at a dance club. It’s not the first time, nor necessarily a mismatch: Xiu Xiu was born, Stewart says, from his days tuning into Hi-NRG house on San Jose pirate radio. With Newaxeyes, Zen Mother, Taylar Elizza Beth. Kremwerk, 1809 Minor Ave., 682-2935, kremwerk.com. $13. 21 and over. 8 pm. GREGORY SCRUGGS

Xenia Rubinos This Brooklyn-based singer burst onto the scene in 2013 with her debut, Magic Trix, but is lamentably too often pigeonholed as “Latin music” due to her Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican heritage. “I think that my culture plays into that because it’s part of who I am,” she told Remezcla, “but I also don’t think it’s the totality of my work.” And the rest of that work, like last year’s Black Terry Cat, which draws on punk, soul, R&B, even a little noise, is a messy, sonic whirlwind perfectly suited for our troubled times. As she told The Guardian, “I’m saying things about being a brown girl in America.” With Tay Sean, DoNormaal. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, thebarboza.com. $10. 21 and over. 8 p.m. GS

Little Wings Headliner Kyle Field is the main draw here, as he should be—as Little Wings, the Californian has a knack for concocting gently ecstatic pop songs. But you will likely walk away talking about Hoop, an ascendant quartet currently prepping a much-anticipated debut described as “grunge nostalgia augmented by the emotional intelligence of a 21st-century feminist and the sensibilities of a skilled producer.” Yes, please. With Whitney Ballen. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. $10. 21 and over. 8 p.m. MARK BAUMGARTEN