30th Annual Rochester Book Fair, benefits the University of Rochester Libraries: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 21, the Student Life Center, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue. (From 10 a.m.-12 p.m., have up to 3 books professionally assessed for $2 apiece.) Info: 275-4461.
Barnes & Noble-Pittsford, 3349 Monroe Ave (586-6020): Miriam Grace Monfredo signs Children of Cain, 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Peter Lovenheim signs Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf, 7 p.m. Sept. 18. Mary Frances Winters signs Only Wet Babies Like Change, 7 p.m. Sept. 20. Craig Wilson signs It's the Little Things, 7 p.m. Sept. 26.
Books Sandwiched In, Bausch & Lomb Public Library Auditorium, 115 South Ave (428-8350); lunchtime book reviews. Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand, reviewed by Carol Kozlowski. 12:12 p.m. Sept. 24. Empire Falls, by Richard Russo, reviewed by Kenneth Goode, 12:12 p.m. Oct. 1. Class Action: The Story of Lois Jensen and the Landmark Case that Changed Sexual Harassment Law, by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, reviewed by Sharon Stiller, Esq., 12:12 p.m. Oct. 8. Tepper Isn't Going Out, by Calvin Trillin, reviewed by Jim Undercufler, 12:12 p.m. Oct. 15. The Bondswoman's Narrative, by Hannah Crafts, reviewed by Dr. David Anderson, 12:12 p.m. Oct. 22. Double Bond: Primo Levi, by Carole Angier, reviewed by Jack Wolsky, 12:12 p.m. Oct. 29. Servants of the Map, by Andrea Barrett, reviewed by MJ Iuppa, 12:12 p.m. Nov. 5. A Short History of Wine, by Rod Phillips, reviewed by Sherwood Deutsch, 12:12 p.m. Nov. 12. Free.
Calvin Trillin, featured speaker, Monroe County Library System's 50th Anniversary Gala, 6:30 p.m. Weds., Oct. 23, Hyatt Regency Hotel, East Main Street downtown. Tickets: $100. Info: 428-8322 or [email protected].
Jewish Book Festival, Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave(461-2000, ext 235): Jonathan Safran Foer, 7:30 p.m. Sun., Oct. 27. Michael Oren, 7:30 p.m. Mon., Oct. 28. Ira Berkow, 7:30 p.m. Tues., Oct. 29. Rabbi Harold Kushner, 7:30 p.m. Weds., Oct. 30. Rachel Simmons, 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 3. Iddo Netanyahu, 7:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 3. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Rabbi Yosef Reinman, 7:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 4. Martin Goldsmith, 7:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 5.Alan Morinis, 7:30 p.m. Weds., Nov. 6. Peter Lovenheim, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 7. Lisa Belkin, luncheon event, 12 p.m. Fri., Nov. 8. Deborah Trione, book release celebration, 7:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 9. Larry Tye, 10 a.m. Sun., Nov. 10. Robert Clary, 7:30 p.m. Sun., Nov. 10. Karen Kasdin, 7:30 p.m. Mon., Nov. 11. Tickets go on sale Oct. 1.
Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave (473-7720, www.mag.rochester.edu): National Book Award-winner Lucille Clifton reads from The Terrible Stories, 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Free admission. Information: BOA Editions, 546-3410.
Rochester Arts and Lectures, (546-8658; www.ArtsandLectures.org): All lectures held at 7:30 p.m. at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.): Barry Lopez, Oct. 10; Don Foster, Nov. 7; Ann Patchett, Dec. 5; Tony Kushner, March 6, 2003; Peter Carey, April 24, 2003; Susan Orlean, May 15, 2003. Series tickets are $114-$222. Single tickets, if available, go on sale Oct. 1 ($22-$37). SRO tickets at the door on the night of the lecture. Call for ticket availability.
SUNY Brockport Writers Forum, 8 p.m. New York Room, Cooper Hall: Karen Alkalay-Gut, Sept. 25. Kevin Clark, Oct. 9. Don Lee, Oct. 23. Eamon Grennan, Oct. 30. John Elder, Nov. 13. For information call 395-5713.
SUNY Geneseo, Wadsworth Auditorium (245-5873): Staceyann Chin: "Unspeakable Things," spoken word poetry, 8 p.m. March 6(for mature audiences).
Theater on the Ridge, 200 Ridge Road West (722-9449): David Sedaris, 8 p.m. Oct. 9. Tickets: 232-1900.
University of Rochester:The Neilly Series, featuring lectures by Kenn Harper, 5 p.m. Sept 26; Simon Winchester, 5 p.m. Oct. 11; Scott Ritter, 5 p.m. Nov. 7; and John Storm Roberts, 5 p.m. Jan. 30, 2003. All lectures in the Neilly Series held in the Welles-Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library, UR; all lectures are free. Info: 275-4461. The Plutzik Series: poet John Hollander of Yale University, 8 p.m. Weds., Sept. 25, Welles Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library. Salman Rushdie, 3:15 p.m. Sat., Oct. 12, Strong Auditorium. Poet and author Clayton Eshleman, 12 p.m. Weds., Oct. 16, Welles Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library. Poet Carl Phillips, 8 p.m. Weds., Oct. 30, Welles Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library; all events are free. Info: 275-4092; www.rochester.edu/college/eng/plutzik.
Writers & Books, 740 University Ave (473-2590; www.wab.org): Genesee Reading Series: James Hancock and Steve Lewandowski, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10; Donna M. Marbach and Patricia Roth Schwartz, 7:30 p.m. Mon., Oct. 7. Wide open mic, all welcome, dedicated to 9/11: 7 p.m. Weds., Sept. 11. Antonio Vallone, founder of Mammoth Books, 7 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 12. John Hanson Mitchell, author of Following the Sun: A Bicycle Pilgrimage from Andalusia to the Hebrides, 7 p.m. Fri., Sept. 13. Jack Garner leads discussion of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Screenplay Salon, 6-9 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 26. The Art of ASIL, 7:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 27. Sarah Freligh reads and signs Bonus Baby, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 10. The Earl Cram Revue, 7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 11. Playwright Dan Kennedy reads Garabandal, 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 18. The "Word Series," adult spelling bee, 7-10 p.m. Sat., Oct. 19 at the Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue; $350/three-person team; call to register. Jack Garner leads discussion of The Night of the Hunter, 6-9 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 24. Bruce Sweet reads, "Write to the Heart," (benefit for the Heart Institute), 3 p.m. Sun., Oct. 27 ($10 donation). Author Nicholson Baker, accepting the annual Sense of Place Award, 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 7, Rochester Academy of Medicine. "Worlds in Progress," readings by Marcos Donnelly and Dana Paxson, 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 14.