There are so many readings tonight, including a couple open mics, a book about a day in the life of a hospital, a book of poetry, a book about populism, and a book about one of the “least understood rivers in the world.”

And also Salman Rushdie is reading at two places today. He’s at Elliott Bay Book Company at noon for a free reading and signing, and then he’s at Town Hall this evening. His new novel, The Enchantress of Florence, is getting great reviews in some places, and terrible reviews in other places. Generally, the reviewers that I trust have loved it. I happened across USA Today’s review of the book:

The best thing about Salman Rushdie’s tiresome and confusing new novel The Enchantress of Florence is its lovely gold and orange cover.

At the bookstore, admire the cover, then move on.

Such wit, from USA Today, no less! Dorothy Parker, is that you? Why are you writing under the pen name Dierdre Donahue? Also, in the comments section to the above review, a commenter named U.S. Patriot has this to say about Rushdie:

Non of books ever cast any spells. His books were the ravings of a mind on LSD.

That settles that. Moving on, at the University Book Store, Lou Rowan reads from My Last Days. It’s a book about Superman, kind of in the style of the great novel Super Folks, by Robert Mayer, only a little vaguer.

And at the Richard Hugo House, their writer in residence, Wendy Call, is leaving, and they’re throwing a reading/party to celebrate her two years in office. Cienna Madrid starts as writer in residence there this fall. Call has done—and will continue to do—some important work on globalization, and I haven’t had the time to write about her yet, but she deserves your attention, and possibly the honor of your attendance this evening.

The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is updated and ready for you.