[Editor's note: We hear you about publishing PubliCal with more lead time on all the events. It's on our To-Do list now. And it will get done. Meanwhile, we hope we published this one early enough so you can make one of these cool sounding things tonight. I'm definitely going to the Quaker thing to check out the AIPAC guy. Woh.]
1. Carol Sklenicka will read from her new biography of Raymond Carver, titled Raymond Carver: A Writer’s Life, which delves into all of Carver’s abusive relationships with his lovers, his friends, and his colleagues.
The real heart of the book appears to be the attention it gives to Carver’s relationship with his chief editor, Gordon Lish, whose deep and often vicious edits allegedly cut the heart out of Carver’s stories. Carver’s reputation as a minimalist, Sklenicka asserts, is due more to Lish’s editing knife than to Carver’s pen. An account like Sklenicka’s is liable to shift the entire literary and academic perspective on Carver’s work, as it’s existed up til now.
Tonight, at 7 pm, at Elliott Bay Book Company, in Pioneer Square.
2. The Delridge District Council is holding its monthly meeting tonight. On the docket this evening is a briefing on changes in city funding for neighborhood groups and a hood-by-hood breakdown of community issues. (The DDC includes the North Delridge, Pigeon Point, Puget Ridge, High Point, Westwood, and the Highland Park neighborhoods.)
Also up for discussion: The three “Bridging the Gap” street projects the district will propose to the Seattle Transportation Department—the city may choose up to two projects to build from the list the council submits.
Tonight at 7 pm, at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
3. The Regional American Society of Friends (Quakers!) are presenting a panel on reaching a peace in the Middle East–specifically, whether the region (specifically from the perspective of the U.S. and Israel) can reach a non-violent conclusion to the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons.
The panel seems to present what should be a pretty thorough survey of opinion: Dr. Trita Parsi, director and founder of the National Iranian American Council (a prominent DC lobbying and advocacy organization), Ian Lustick, University of Pennsylvania political science professor (and creator of the Association for Israel Studies and fierce critic of the War on Terrorism); and Dr. Keith Weissman, former director of AIPAC’s Iran desk (people commonly refer to AIPAC as the “Israel Lobby”).
Tonight at Town Hall, from 7 pm to 8:30pm. Tickets are $10.
4. Tonight, local band The Globes are playing their first show since signing with indie label Barsuk Records. Signing with Barsuk is a big deal (indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie, They Might Be Giants, and Nada Surf are all signed or have been signed to the label in the past).
The Globes are taking a break from recording their debut to do the quick one-off gig at the Comet. I’m way into the Globes—perfect guitar rock in the tradition of their new labelmates.
I’m just a little bummed they’re not going to be my secret any more.
The Globes are playing with Post Harbor, Oregon Donor, Kids & Animals. At the Comet Lounge, on 10th and Pike. Doors open at 8 pm. Tickets are $6.
