Literary Calendar

13 THURSDAY

6:30 P.M. Daniel P. Erikson discusses and signs The Cuba Wars: Fidel Castro, the United States, and the Next Revolution at the Inter-American Development Bank, Cultural Center, 1330 New York Ave. NW. A book signing follows. This event is free, but a photo ID is required to enter; for details, call 202-623-3558 or visit http://www.iadb.org/cultural.

6:30 P.M. Journalist and foreign policy expert Eric S. Margolis discusses and signs American Raj: Liberation or Domination?: Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World at Reiter's Scientific & Professional Books, 1990 K St. NW (entrance on 20th St.), 202-223-3327.

7 P.M. Jed Perl, art critic for the New Republic magazine, discusses and signs Antoine's Alphabet: Watteau and His World at the Washington Studio School, 2129 S St. NW, 202-234-3030.

7 P.M. Edward M. Lerner reads from and signs his new SF/horror novel, Fools' Experiments, at Barnes & Noble-Reston, 1851 Fountain Dr., Reston, Va., 703-437-9490.

7 P.M. Sharon Waxman, a former correspondent for the New York Times, discusses and signs Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

7 P.M. Christopher Kimball, host of the public television program "America's Test Kitchen" and founder and editor of Cook's Illustrated magazine, discusses and signs The Cook's Country Cookbook: Regional and Heirloom Favorites Tested and Reimagined for Today's Home Cooks and The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, at the Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, Md. Call 301-656-2797 to RSVP.

14 FRIDAY

10 A.M. Peter Manseau will read from and discuss his new novel, Songs for the Butcher's Daughter, as part of the third annual "Book Club Brunch" held by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. Admission is $35 for the general public, $30 for JCC members (price includes a copy of the book). Call 301-348-3805 or visit http://www.jccgw.org to RSVP.

4:30 P.M. Children's writer Sharon Creech, author of Walk Two Moons (Newbery Medal winner), reads from and discusses her new book, Hate That Cat (ages 9-12), at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

7:30 P.M. Jon Fasman reads from and signs his new novel, The Unpossessed City, at Barnes & Noble-Bethesda, 4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, Md., 301-986-1761.

15 SATURDAY

1 P.M. Journalist Robert J. Samuelson, a columnist for both Newsweek and The Washington Post, discusses and signs The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

1 P.M. Children's book author and illustrator Mike Thompson reads from and signs his new book, Chicken Boy and the Wrath of Dr. Dimwad, at Borders Books-Manassas, 11270 Bulloch Dr., Manassas, Va., 703-368-9824.

2 P.M. Edwin Black discusses and signs The Plan: How to Rescue Society the Day the Oil Stops--or the Day Before, at Barnes & Noble-Rockville, 12089 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md., 301-881-0237.

3 P.M. Children's writer and illustrator Nancy Tillman, author of On the Night You Were Born, reads from and discusses her new picture book, It's Time to Sleep, My Love (written by Eric Metaxas), at Aladdin's Lamp Children's Books, 2499 N. Harrison St., Arlington, Va.,703-241-8281.

16 SUNDAY

1 P.M. Joyce Hinnenfeld reads from and signs her new novel, In Hovering Flight, at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919.

2 P.M. Jonah Lehrer, editor-at-large for Seed magazine and the author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist and the forthcoming How We Decide, presents a lecture, "The Future of Science is Art; or, What a 19th-century French Chef and Kanye West Can Teach Us about the Brain," at the Walters Gallery of Art, Graham Auditorium, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md. A book signing follows. Admission is $10 for nonmembers; call 410-547-9000, ext. 238 or visit http://www.thewalters.org for details and to RSVP.

2 P.M. The Writer's Center (4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, Md.) hosts festivities for Poet Lore, the nation's oldest continuously published journal of poetry in honor of its 119th anniversary, with readings by poets A.B. Spellman and Gardner McFall, who will be joined by two of the journal's editors, E. Ethelbert Miller and Jody Bolz. Those attending will receive complimentary copies of the current issue; call 301-654-8664 or e-mail postmaster@writer.org for details.

2 P.M. AP reporter Jesse Holland discusses Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C. at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., 801 K St. NW (at Mt. Vernon Square). A book signing follows; call 202-383-1828 for details, and e-mail RSVP@historydc.org to register.