THURSDAY 8/22
John Colapinto
The plot of this story goes like this: a guy dies, and his roommate steals a manuscript from him and publishes it under his own name. Of course, this is a disaster, and the book tells the tale of the ensuing carnage. Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, 246-0053, 7:30, free
Ted Nugent
Anyone who writes a cookbook called Kill it & Grill It is obviously not your normal chef; and therefore Ted Nugent’s reading will probably be the only cookbook reading to take place in Portland this year that is interesting. Borders Books and Music, 708 SW 3rd Ave, 220-5911, 4-6:30, free
Dennis Cooper
Dennis Cooper writes about sex, drugs, adolescense, and crime, but somehow does it without being sensational and tasteless. In fact, his work is downright touching. My Loose Thread is the story of a couple of young kids who are extremely disturbed, and the story is good. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
FRIDAY 8/23
red76 travelogue
Even though listening to people’s vacation stories is torture, it hurts so good when Chicago’s Temporary Services, Sean Clair, Matthew Yake, Ahren Lutz, and other local superstars take on the world and tell you about it. disjecta, 116 NE Russell, 7 pm
MONDAY 8/26
The Civil Disobedience Handbook
This book is a brief history of social protest and helps people out if they feel like creating further social protest. Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm, free
WEDNESDAY 8/28
Tenzin Palmo
You’ll never believe this one: Tenzin Palmo is a Buddhist nun who spent twelve years in a cave in the Himalayas. Her book, called Cave in the Snow, tells about her journey to India and spiritual life. Looking Glass Bookstore, 318 SW Taylor, 227-4760, 7:00, free