501a/1243359518-oliver-761734.jpgThree events tonight.

At Town Hall, Peter Sabo and Fawad Butt will discuss their recent book India & Pakistan: The Elephant in the Subcontinent. It's about how India and Pakistan are always up in each others' business. There will be a slide show that will probably not feature elephants.

Aleksander Hemon reads at Elliott Bay Book Company from his beautiful, funny collection of linked stories, Love and Obstacles. This is one of the better books I've read recently, and I'd definitely advise you to attend this reading.

Unless you're going to the Mary Oliver reading at Benaroya Hall at 8 pm tonight. I was at a wedding this weekend and the officiant read a Mary Oliver poem and it reminded me of how great her poetry really is. The poem that was read—I can't recall the name right now—explored ideas of nature and religion and death and love and it wasn't tacky or overblown. Oliver is the rare bestselling poet who is actually worth your time. It's a rare thing when she comes to town, and you should go to this reading tonight.

And I can help you with that. The first person who e-mails me with "Mary Oliver Tickets" in the subject line will get two free tickets to her reading tonight.
(The tickets are gone. Thanks to all who played.)


The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here.