READING—When it comes to being an all-around artist, nobody beats Miranda July. Filmmaker, performance artist, and app developer (!!), July is also a writer of the highest order, and her debut novel, The First Bad Man, is already the talk of the literary world. The story revolves around a woman who gives birth to a baby created solely from sexual fantasies and past experiences. Weird, touching, and funny—everything you expect from July. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE
THEATER—It’s the first day of Fertile Ground, Portland’s annual festival of new theatrical works, which means you’ll be able to find plays, performance art, and dance all over town. For a mere $50, you can see as much new work as you can handle, running the gamut from world premieres at big-name theaters to performances in tiny art galleries. Fertile Ground is many things, but boring it ain’t. MEGAN BURBANK
At various theaters and venues, starts Thurs, through Feb 1, fest pass $50 (tickets for individual shows also available), fertilegroundpdx.org
What an unfortunate name for theatrical works.