* Bei Dao
The Nobel-nominated Dao is a poet worth catching. A longtime critic of his native China's governmental blunders, in 1989 he was accused of helping start the student revolt that led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and has been exiled ever since. Don't feel like paying $8? Check out Dao's FREE appearance at Lewis and Clark College's Templeton Hall, Friday, 7:30 pm. Old Church, 1422 SW 11 Ave, 236-4854, 7:30 pm, $8

* Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now
This is a good idea for a book from Mark Satin, editor of the Radical Middle newsletter. It offers ways to create progressive changes like universal healthcare and affirmative action that use theories and agendas from both the Right and the Left. Can't we all just get along? Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm

* Joy Williams
Novelist, essayist and animal rights activist Williams presents Honored Guest, her first book of short stories in over a decade. Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, 246-0053, 7:30 pm

* No Plot? No Problem!
Chris Baty launched National Novel Writing Month five years ago. What began as a slapdash foray into speed writing spread with cult-like frenzy, and this year the website recognizes nearly 40,000 followers pledged to cranking out a 150-page novel in 30 days. No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days sounds like a gimmick--however, it differs from most instant gratification schemes in one sense: the goal is to make you work. The main point of the program is to disarm the crippling critical faculty that stops creative writers from creating. Forget about writing well--just write. As Baty puts it, "If you don't do it now, you probably never will. Novel writing is mostly a 'one day' event, as in, 'One day, I'd like to write a novel.'" If you've been waiting for that day, check this out. EJ Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm

* Vern Rutsala
The Guggenheim-winning Rutsala is one of Portland's best poets. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651, 7:30 pm

* Billy Corgan
See review this issue. Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm

* Ann Rule
Some find Rule's true-crime writing schlocky, but no one can say she wasn't qualified to write Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer. As a Seattle reporter she wrote about the story extensively at its apex, and lived mere blocks away from the stretch of highway where most of the victims were abducted. Her new book is the culmination of decades of thought and research. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651, 7:30 pm

* Ed Schulz
The popular radio personality signs copies of his book Straight Talk from the Heartland right after he finishes broadcasting a LIVE episode of Air America from inside Powell's. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651, 12-3:30 pm