Author Events •  Steven Brill The Time magazine writer talks about his

By By Brian miller • January 12, 2015 11:28 am

Author Events

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Steven Brill The Time magazine writer talks about his America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fix to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. 7:30 p.m. Weds., Jan. 14.

Jeannette Franks The former UW gerontologist talks about his To Move or to Stay Put: A Guide for Your Last Decades. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, bookstore.washington.edu. 4:30 p.m. Weds., Jan. 14.

Marin Katusa He’s written The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America’s Grasp. Town Hall, $5. 7 p.m. Weds., Jan. 14.

Jeanne Matthews Her thriller Where the Bones are Buried is set in Berlin. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., 587-5737, seattlemystery.com. Noon, Weds., Jan. 14.

James Penner He’s written Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years: Early Writings on LSD and Psilocybin with Richard Alpert, Huston Smith, Ralph Metzner, and Others. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. 7 p.m. Weds., Jan. 14.

Lin Kaymer

Who is Mackie Spence? is her locally set new YA novel for girls. Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Ave., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 15.

Tod Marshall & Dara Wier

Bugle and You Good Thing are their new poetry volumes, respectively, Elliott Bay, 7 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 15.

Graeme Simsion He considers parenthood in his novel The Rosie Effect, sequel to The Rosie Project. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way N.E., 366-3333, thirdplacebooks.com. 7 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 15.

Eric Andrews-Katz

Balls and Chain is his new spy spoof. University Book Store, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 16.

Thomas Perry

A String of Beads is his latest crime novel. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Noon, Fri., Jan. 16.

Jason Schmidt

A List of Things That Didn’t Kill Me is his humorous new memoir. Third Place, 6:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 16.

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David Shields & Caleb Powell Apparently James Franco filmed a version of the extended dialogue that is I Think You’re Totally Wrong (Knopf, $25.95) by the two Seattle writers (Shields being the more prolific and renowned, Powell being his former UW student). Their book, subtitled “An Argument,” is the result of a four-day marathon bullshit session spent in a Skykomish cabin together, with topics ranging from parenthood to art, from Ron Paul to Cormac McCarthy. It’s essentially a long, edited transcript of their sparring-in which Shields naturally makes reference to My Dinner With Andre. BRIAN MILLER Elliott Bay, 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 16.

Carolyn Kizer Memorial Reading Her friends and fellow poets will include Willis Barnstone, Tess Gallagher, Garrett Hongo, and Carol Muske-Dukes. Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave., 322-7030, hugohouse.org. 4 p.m. Sun., Jan. 18.

David Domke In Kane Hall, Room 130, the UW professor and author gives a talk titled “Showdown in Birmingham, 1963: Police Dogs, Fire Hoses, and the Children’s Crusade.” UW Campus, $150 series, $40 individual. 7 p.m. Mon., Jan. 19.

Wes Moore

The Work: My Search for a Life That Matters is his second memoir. Town Hall, $5. 7:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 19.

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Ron Dakron Tokyo is burning, and Devilfish is laughing. He’s a kaiju, one of those fake-looking rubber monsters running amok—a giant blue manta ray, in this instance—and the very amusing narrator of Dakron’s Hello Devilfish! (Three Rooms Press, $15.95). Devilfish claims to be an enemy not just of Tokyo, where he gleefully topples power lines and elevated trains, munching on their passengers, but also of the novel itself. “Join us in plot-maiming fun!” he exclaims in Manglish, a comic lexicon made up of odd advertising slogans, poorly translated Japanese, LOL-speak, and I Can Has Cheezburger grammar. Destruction is this manta ray’s mantra. Yet the more his sting-tailed protagonist inveighs against Big Lit, Dakron begins to sneak in some structure and literary mischief. There’s even a love story in Hello Devilfish!, an abrupt transformation (hello, Doug!), and flourishes of humor that recall Mark Leyner. Here’s a creature intending not to enter the literary canon but to destroy the library. BRIAN MILLER Ravenna Third Place, 6500 20th Ave. N.E., 523-0210, ravennathirdplace.com. 7 p.m. Tues., Jan. 20.