THURSDAY 12/1
Mount Hood: The Heart of Oregon
Chances are, if you're reading this, you have one of two attitudes about Mount Hood: either it's a cool backdrop for the postcard view of our city, or it's the place that consumes all your money during snowboard season. Peter Marbach is out to expand your perception of the big hill with his new book, which he presents tonight—with a slide show! Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne, 238-1668, 7:30 pm, free
FRIDAY 12/2
The Thong Also Rises
The Thong Also Rises is chick-lit meets travel-lit, with tons of crazy "Ms.-Adventures" from contributors such as Wanda Sykes and Susan Orlean (who won't be at the reading). Stop by to see authors Jennifer Colvin, Julia Weiler, and editor Jennifer Leo. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
SATURDAY 12/3
Kevin Sampsell
Portland's literary powerhouse Kevin Sampsell, publisher of Future Tense Books, editor of The Insomniac Reader, and author of too many things to count, will read from his oeuvre today. U.S. Bank Room, Central Library, 801 SW 10th, 988-5471, 1 pm, free
SUNDAY 12/4
The Book of Bob
Bob received an order from God to take dictation for a new blockbuster of a book, and this is the result, which features chameleons, wheelchair-bound veterans, and a girl whose life goal is to cover her entire body in tattoos. Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne, 238-1668, 5 pm, free
MONDAY 12/5
Rabid Nun Infects Entire Convent
Tom D'Antoni quit his gig as a serious journalist to write for tabloids, and now he's coming to promote his new anthology of wacky stories. You can meet Pulitzer-winning authors anytime, but it's a special day that you get to shake hands with the guy who wrote "Bag Lady's B.O. Kills Five People on Bus." Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
TUESDAY 12/6
Jumptown: The Golden Years of Portland Jazz
Portland rarely gets mentioned in lists of great American jazz cities, but it wasn't always that way. In the decade following WWII, Portland was a major hotspot for jazz, with clubs like The Dude Ranch, The Chicken Coop, and Lil' Sandy's promoting shows with the likes of Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. Historian Robert Dietsche takes you back in time to this golden age with tons of research, interviews, and stories about when jazz in Portland was a force to be reckoned with. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
WEDNESDAY 12/7
Bill and Allie Donahue and Mow Bowstern
As part of their ongoing commitment to the zine community (how cool is our library?), the North Portland library branch welcomes the father/daughter team behind Biff Magazine and commercial fisherwoman Bowstern, who has been producing zines for over 10 years in Portland. North Portland Branch Library, 512 N Killingsworth, 988-5394, 6:30 pm, free
