1. Say what you will about Arthur Phillips—and it seems like your opinion of him depends on whether you've read The Egyptologist or Prague or both—but you can't deny that he's an ambitious author. His new novel is titled The Tragedy of Arthur, and it's about a novelist named Arthur Phillips who uncovers a lost Shakespeare play titled The Tragedy of Arthur. It's a postmodern literary thriller, which is something we've all seen before. But the thing Phillips does that most other authors wouldn't have the audacity to do is he includes the lost play in the book. Of course, when you toss your writing up against Shakespeare, you're going to fail spectacularly, but Phillips gets many, many points for showing that kind of initiative. He'll discuss the writing of this book tonight at Elliott Bay Book Company; you should bring him your Shakespeare questions.

2. Robert Vamosi reads at Town Hall. His new book When Gadgets Betray Us: The Dark Side of Our Infatuation With New Technologies is about how our consciousness is being affected by gadgets, and not at all in a good way. If you have a nagging feeling that your iPod is plotting your murder, this could be the reading for you.

3. Hey, look! A readings calendar!