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 Antarctica—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