Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.
Cathleen Schine (Fin & Lady)
Monday, July 29, 7 pm, at Books Inc. Laurel Village (3515 California St.)
Tuesday, July 30, 7 pm, at Book Passage Corte Madera (51 Tamal Vista Blvd.)
The new novel from Schine (The Three Weissmanns of Westport) is a lively depiction of an unconventional family. When 11-year-old Fin becomes orphaned, his only family is his older sister Lady, who's left the fold to become part of the swinging '60s scene in Greenwich Village. Journeying from his home on a Connecticut dairy farm to live with her, he's quickly caught up in her wild lifestyle, and realizes she'll need as much care from him as he will from her, especially as the tumult of the decade continues to unfold.
Reza Aslan (Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)
Wednesday, July 24, 7 pm, at Book Passage Corte Madera (51 Tamal Vista Blvd.)
Aslan, whose No God But God is one of the most important recent books about Islam, turns his focus to Christianity in his new work, a thoughtful, probing look at who Jesus was as a person, the historical context that shaped him, and why his teachings continue to resonate. Using meticulous research, Aslan looks beyond the Bible to create a historically accurate portrait of a charismatic preacher who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.
Andrew Sean Greer (The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells)
Wednesday, July 24, 7:30 pm, at the Booksmith (1644 Haight St.)
Tuesday, July 30, 7:30 pm, at Books Inc. Castro (2275 Market St.)
Local author Greer (The Confessions of Max Tivoli) travels through time in his latest work. When depressed '80s woman Greta Wells, who's recently lost her twin brother and gone through a bad breakup, is admitted to a mental hospital for electroshock treatment, she ends up becoming three different versions of herself: the one she knows, and alternate ones that live in 1918 and 1941. Each life has its advantages and disadvantages, and Greta is ultimately forced to choose as to which one would be the best for her.
An Evening of Poetry
Monday, July 29, 7 pm, at the Booksmith (1644 Haight St.)
A trio of interesting young poets will visit the Booksmith for a group reading on Monday: Adam Fitzgerald (The Late Parade), known for his experiments with language; Dorothea Lasky (Thunderbird), an educator who co-wrote a McSweeney's book on getting young people interested in poetry; and Geoffrey G. O'Brien (Metropole), a Berkeley professor who teaches writing to prisoners at San Quentin.
