THURSDAY 10/24
Jennifer Egan
Two Charlottes occupy Egan’s Look at Me. Charlotte #1 has 80 screws holding together her car-accident-torn face. Charlotte #2 is a teenager who has an affair with one of her teachers. Naturally, the lives of the two women interweave. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
FRIDAY 10/25
Scent of Cedars reading
Celebrated writers from the Pacific Northwest read their contributions to this new anthology, including Judith Barrington, Carla Perry, and Debra Brimacombe. Barnes & Nobel, Lloyd Center, 1317 Lloyd Center, 249-0800, 7 pm, free
Jeffrey Eugenides
In his new book, Middlesex, Eugenides–he of The Virgin Suicides fame–shows his range as a writer with a story about three generations of a Greek family. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
SATURDAY 10/26
Roger Morse
Real-life private investigator, Morse, talks about being a real-life private investigator. Friends of Mystery, at the NW Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett, 241-0759, 7:30 pm, free
SUNDAY 10/27
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Pogrebin’s a founding editor of Ms. Magazine, as well as the author of eight books of nonfiction. Her first novel is now on the stands: Three Daughters, about three Jewish daughters and their kooky rabbi dad. Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 284-1726, 3 pm, free
Herman Asarnow
Poet and essayist Asarnow reads with Mary C. Ritter, Brenda Shaw, Kelly Allan, Susan Sigafoos, and Zanni Schauffler. Mountain Writers Center, 3624 SE Milwaukie, 236-4854, 7 pm, $3
MONDAY 10/28
Jennifer Weiner
Weiner’s fictional prose is rather clunky, but her sense of humor is excellent and her female characters likable. Her new book is about a slutty woman, her prudish sister, and their grandma all going on a journey of discovery. Cheesy-sounding, but readable. Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm, free
Roger Housden
Fans of The Alchemist will enjoy Chasing Rumi, by Roger Housden, about a young Greek icon painter in the 1940s who leaves his father and goes on a spiritual journey after reading a poem by Rumi. Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, 238-1668, 7:30 pm, free
Brian Froud
I just read a review of Froud’s Lady Cottington’s Fairy Album that said, “there are plenty of bare fairy bottoms and breasts squashed messily between its pages.” I do believe I will have to pick it up at some point. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
Tamim Ansary
In the storm of political drivel following 9/11, Ansary stood out with an eloquent memoir about being Afghan American, West of Kabul, East of New York. He’s also a great essayist and a fine lecturer. Reed College, Vollum Lecture Hall, 3203 SE Woodstock, 777-7755, 7 pm
TUESDAY 10/29
African Ceremonies
A new book and slide show by photographers who toured Africa, shooting rituals from cultures as diverse as Niger’s indigo-garbed Tuaregs. Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, 246-0053, 7:30 pm, free
Andrew Vachss
Vachss draws from his experiences as an attorney specializing in cases involving child abuse and juvenile justice to write thrillers that defy stereotype. His new book, Only Child, is about an idle private investigator who wants to reconnect with his family. Borders Books and Music, 708 SW 3rd Ave, 220-5911, 7 pm, free
Roger J. Porter
Willamette Week food critic Porter serves up a dish for the smarty-smart: a collection of literary criticism exploring writers like Homer and Edward Gibbon. Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 284-1726, 7 pm, free
Graham Hancock
Described as a “real-life Indiana Jones,” Hancock explores real-life archaeological myths. His latest expedition involved scuba diving in seas around the world, examining submerged ruins for evidence of lost civilizations. The book’s called Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
WEDNESDAY 10/30
Gobshite Quarterly
Back in the 1960s, people talked about something called a “global village,” but it never came to fruition. Now, this new literary mag is attempting to bring it back by publishing international and regional voices. Tonight is a launching party for the first issue. Looking Glass Bookstore, 318 SW Taylor, 227-4760, 7:00, free
Diane Smith
Historical American West fiction is Smith’s specialty, and it sounds like she has a weird streak as well. Her new one, Pictures From an Expedition, is about a portrait painter and a scientific illustrator who want to document a dinosaur dig in the 1870s. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free