April 2-8, 2007

6 P.M. Donald McCaig reads from and signs Canaan: A Novel of Post-Civil War America (the sequel to Jacob's Ladder) at Books & Crannies, 15 S. Madison St., Middleburg, Va., 540-687-6677. He will also read on Saturday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

7 P.M. Susan Davis, a senior producer of the program "The State of Things" on North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC), reads from and signs her first collection of poetry, Gathering Sound, at Borders Books-Silver Spring, 8518 Fenton St., Silver Spring, Md., 301-585-0550. April is National Poetry Month.

7 P.M. Humorist and novelist Christopher Buckley reads from and signs his new work of fiction, Boomsday, at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

7:30 P.M. Steven Watts, author of The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, discusses the life of the entertainment mogul as part of the "Great Lives Lecture Series" at the University of Mary Washington, George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, Va., 540-654-1055.

6FRIDAY

Noon. Anne O'Brien discusses her guide Traveling Indian Arizona in a presentation featuring Pima tribe member Sarah Bird-in-Ground at the Indian Craft Shop, located in the U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C St. NW. A book signing and an author "meet and greet" follow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, but a photo ID is required to enter the building; call 202-208-4056 or visit http://www.indiancraftshop.com for details.

7:30 P.M. Lynn Stearns, associate fiction editor for the literary journal Potomac Review, discusses "The Craft of Writing: Memoirs and More" as part of the Northern Virginia Writers' "First Friday" evenings held at the Leesburg Town Hall, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg, Va. Admission is $4 for Writer's Center members and Leesburg residents, $6 for the general public. Call 301-654-8664 or visit http://www.writer.org for details.

7SATURDAY

2 P.M. Constance Quarterman Bridges, winner of the 2006 Cave Canem Poetry Prize for her collection Lions Don't Eat Us, reads from her work as part of the series "Dwayne Betts--Karibu's Poetry in Residence Presents!," at Karibu Books, the Mall at Prince George's, 3500 East-West Hwy., Hyattsville, Md., 301-559-1140.

8SUNDAY

6 P.M. Nancy Allinson, Mark Dawson, Edna Small and Doug Wilkinson, all members of the Federal Poets, the oldest continuously active poetry group in the Washington, D.C. area, read from their work as part of the Iota Poetry Series' spring season, held at the Iota Club & Café, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va, 703-256-9275. For more information on the Federal Poets, visit http://www.fedpoets.tripod.com.

SPECIAL NOTICES

The eighth annual Bethesda Literary Festival will be held April 20-22 in a variety of venues in downtown Bethesda, featuring writing competitions, poetry slams, workshops and story times for children, and a host of author readings and book signings. Writers scheduled to attend include journalist Thomas Schaller, author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South; ABC News correspondent Cokie Roberts; Ronald Kessler, author of Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of America's First Lady; local professor Scott W. Berg, author of a new biography of Pierre L'Enfant, Grand Avenues: The Story of the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. (see the review in this issue); Washington Post columnist Carolyn Hax, author of the syndicated advice column "Tell Me About It"; novelist Dan Fesperman, author of The Prisoner of Guantánamo; Bob Edwards, former host of "Morning Edition" on NPR, now heard on XM Radio; and Michael Collier, former Maryland poet laureate and author of Dark Wild Realm and The Ledge. For a complete schedule of events, call 301-215-6660 or visit http://www.bethesda.org.

The Literacy Volunteers of America, Prince William County chapter, will hold a training session for volunteers interested in helping adults improve their reading and writing skills on Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a follow-up workshop on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to noon. There is a one-time fee of $30 to cover the cost of textbooks and materials. For details and to register, call 703-670-5702 or e-mail lvapw@aol.com. Registration deadline is April 18.

The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will hold an orientation session for volunteers interested in helping adults learn to read, write and speak English on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton, Md. Call 301-610-0030 or e-mail info@literacycouncilmcmd.org for details and to register.

The Volunteer Learning Program, a joint project of Fairfax County's Public Schools (Adult & Community Education), Public Library and Juvenile Court, is looking for volunteers for day and evening hours to work as one-on-one tutors with adults looking to complete high school. The program provides volunteer training, assessment of the adult learners and follow-up support. For details about upcoming opportunities, call 703-246-2139 or e-mail vlp@fcps.edu.