THURSDAY 2/23

William L. Fox
William L. Fox is one of our country's greatest writers on the topic of landscape. He's written extensively about the Great Basin, Las Vegas, and Antarcticaโ€”not to mention over a dozen books of poetry. Fans of Barry Lopez take note, as tonight Fox delivers a slide lecture about Antarctica and the psychological effects of the emptiness, desolation, and vastness of the continent. Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 284-1726, 7 pm

SUNDAY 2/26

Phase One: Words and Music
Towne Lounge kicks off a new monthly marriage of music and literature with Stranger-ite Charles Mudede, Clear Cut Press founder Matthew Stadler, and smartypants rockers Mise en Abyme, Metal, These Days, and Christopher Himes. Rock! I mean, Read! Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place, 8 pm, free

MONDAY 2/27

Tell Them I Didn't Cry
Yesterday, I was bellyaching because I had to watch the billionth boring PDX Intl. Film Fest movie this week. Well, reading about Jackie Spinner's new book makes me feel like a big pussy for complaining: She went from reporting financial news to getting shipped over to Baghdad when journalists were routinely getting attacked and kidnapped. That's almost as bad as watching a feel-good comedy from the Ukraine with a roomful of critics! Poor woman. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm

WEDNESDAY 3/1

Azar Nafise
The author of Reading Lolita in Tehran brings her memoir of tyranny and literature to town instead of publishing a follow-up to the 2004 award-winning book. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 248-4335, 7:30 pm, $18-25

T Cooper
In Lipshitz Sox, or Two Angry Blondes, former drag king T Cooper intertwines a story of Russian immigrants in the early 20th century with a modern-day tale of a bar mitzvah entertainer who does a dead-on Eminem imitation. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm