THURSDAY 6/16

Joshua Marie Wilkinson
Seattle poet Wilkinson's debut poetry collection, Suspension of a Secret in Abandoned Rooms, centers around his adventures in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, retracing the experiences of painter Egon Schiele. It's an excessively personal, indulgently obscure focal point--exactly the kind of thing that results in great poetry. New American Art Union , 922 SE Ankeny St., 231-8294, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 6/17

David McCullough
Surely one of the most successful historical writers of all time, McCullough has won two National Book Awards AND two Pulitzer Prizes (for Truman and John Adams). He's also the host of PBS' The American Experience. His new book 1776 chronicles the tumultuous beginnings of the American Revolution. First Congregational Church , 1126 SW Park Ave, 227-2583, 7:30 pm, $5-12

Betsy Burton
The world of book collecting and selling is surprisingly fascinating, and bookseller Burton's The King's English demonstrates why. Powell's City of Books , 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651, 7:30 pm, 1317 Lloyd Center, 249-0800, 2 pm

Juneteenth
June 19th, 1865, the day the Civil War ended and the slaves made free, is technically celebrated tomorrow, but Multnomah Library wants to do it on Saturday, so come on out for some appropriate outdoor readings and music including, we imagine, Ralph Ellison's seminal Juneteenth. North Portland Branch Library , 512 N Killingsworth, 988-5394, 2-3:30 pm

Casey Kwang & Joshua Marie Wilkinson
Pinball Publishing does many things right, not the least of which is seeking out little known poets who are actually good. Casey Kwang's exuberant, love-torn Copia remains one of our favorite poetry collections of the last five years. Seattle poet Joshua Marie Wilkinson's debut, Suspension of a Secret in Abandoned Rooms, is a decidedly headier affair, though no less intriguing. Pinball Publishing , 1003 SE Grant, 238-4514, 7:30 pm

MONDAY 6/20

Adam Fawer & James Rollins
Fawer's Improbable depicts a compulsive gambler who undergoes experimental medicine to combat his crippling epilepsy. Rollins' Map of Bones is a religious cult mystery/thriller in the vein of The Da Vinci Code. Blech. Powell's City of Books , 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651, 7:30 pm

WEDNESDAY 6/22

The Man Behind the Microchip
Robert Noyce was a jet pilot, a daring skier, and a... brilliant inventor and Silicon Valley entrepreneur!? Leslie Berlin presents her new biography about this quirky fellow. Powell's Technical books , 33 NW Park Ave, 228-3906, 7 pm