Literary Calendar

6:30 P.M. Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the former Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times, discusses and signs The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security Since 9/11 at Borders Books-Downtown, 18th & L Sts. NW, 202-466-4999.

6:45 P.M. The Library of Congress opens its 2008-09 literary season with a reading by Kay Ryan, the nation's new poet laureate and author of the collections The Niagara River and Say Uncle, in the James Madison Bldg., Mumford Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE, 202-707-5394.

7 P.M. Actor and producer Tim Reid and stand-up comedian Tom Dreesen discuss and sign Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White (written with Ron Rapoport), an account of their turn as a comedy duo in the 1960s, at Vertigo Books, 7346 Baltimore Ave., College Park, Md., 301-779-9300.

7 P.M. Marion Winik, a commentator on NPR's "All Things Considered" and author of the collection of essays, Above Us Only Sky: A Woman Looks Back, Forward, and Into the Mirror, reads from and discusses her new book, The Glen Book of the Dead (a reflection on 51 people who have influenced her life), at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, 4701 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md. A book signing follows. For details, call 410-532-5535 or visit http://www.ndm.edu.

7 P.M. Stephen Hunter reads from and signs Night of Thunder, his new Bob Lee Swagger novel, at Barnes & Noble-Rockville, 301-881-0237.

7:30 P.M. Local author Jeffrey S. King discusses and signs The Rise and Fall Of The Dillinger Gang at the Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786 Howard Ave., Kensington, Md., 301-949-9416.

7:30 P.M. Poets Christopher Conlon, Miles David Moore and Kathi Wolfe read work on the theme of "persona" poems at the Nora School, 955 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, Md. Call 301-495-9786 or visit http://www.nora-school.org.

17 FRIDAY

6 P.M. Playwright Nicole J. Burton discusses and signs Swimming Up the Sun: A Memoir of Adoption at Borders Books-Silver Spring, 8518 Fenton St., Silver Spring, Md., 301-585-0550.

7 P.M. Leslie T. Chang, a former Beijing correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, discusses and signs Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

7:30 P.M. The Folger Poetry Series hosts the annual O.B. Hardison Jr. Poetry Prize presentation and reading, with this year's honoree, Mary Kinzie, author of the collections California Snow and Drift, sharing her work at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. A reception and book signing follow. Tickets are $12; call 202-544-7077 or visit http://www.folger.edu/poetry.

18 SATURDAY

6 P.M. Alan Cheuse, a book commentator for NPR, reads from and signs his new novel, To Catch the Lightning (based on the life of photographer Edward Curtis), at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

19 SUNDAY

10 A.M. Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core and author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, discusses his nonprofit's efforts as part of "The Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith," a weekly series held prior to the 11:15 a.m. service at the Washington National Cathedral, hosted by Dean Sam Lloyd. The cathedral is located at Wisconsin & Massachusetts Aves. NW; for details, call 202-364-6616 or visit http://www.nationalcathedral.org.

2 P.M. The Writer's Center, located at 4508 Walsh St. in Bethesda, Md., hosts a reading by winners in the fiction and poetry categories of the 2008 Washington Writer's Publishing House competition: David A. Taylor reading from Success: Stories and Brandel France de Bravo reading from the collection Provenance. For details, call 301-654-8664.

SPECIAL NOTICES

Friends of the City of Fairfax Regional Library will hold its fall used book sale Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 19, noon to 5 p.m. (half price day) at 10360 North St., Fairfax, Va. Call 703-293-2132 for details.

The 13th annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville, Md. The event boasts numerous workshops (on the novel, memoir, short stories to name a few), the chance to meet one-on-one with a literary consultant or journal editor (on a first-come basis) and readings and discussions with distinguished authors, including Susan Cheever and mystery veterans Laura Lippman and George Pelecanos, both of whom will chat about their work in a conversation moderated by Book World columnist Michael Dirda. And Elmore Leonard, author of bestselling mysteries and short stories such as Get Shorty and Tishomingo Blues, will receive the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award. Call 301-309-9461 or visit http://www.peerlessrockville.org.