Meriam Gershow reads at University Book Store tonight. When I reviewed Gershow's novel The Local News last year, I called it "refreshing." Now that it's out in paperback, it is also more than ten dollars cheaper. That is what annoying business people call a "win-win."
MacGregor Card and Brandon Downing read at Open Books tonight. Card is the author of Duties of An English Foreign Secretary. Downing is an exciting young poet you should be reading. I write about Downing in this week's Constant Reader:
You can practically tell just by glancing at his books: Brandon Downing is some kind of genius. But it takes a lot of reading to understand exactly what his genius is. In Dark Brandon, Downing begins with a succession of traditionally formatted poems named after movies ("Mutiny on the Bounty," "Forrest Gump"), but as the book progresses, these poems change shape and strain against the idea of poetry.
The whole column is here. This would be the reading of the night for sure.
But if you're feeling bookish but not in the mood to have someone read at you, there is a great alternative. Christopher Frizzelle is hosting his popular new silent reading series at the Sorrento Hotel tonight, too. Read more about it here.
The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here. And if you're planning on staying in and you're looking for personalized book recommendations, feel free to tell me the books you like and ask me what to read next over at Questionland.
