Monday
CALL 911! CALL 911!: Political and economic commentator and White House strategist during the Nixon administration, Kevin Phillips talks about his book, American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century. Phillips traces the set of related causes that caused the downfall of historical world powers. That same combination of ills he says -- global over-reach, militant religion, resource problems, and ballooning debt -- is at work in the U.S. today.

7:30pm // Town Hall // $5

Tuesday
ANGELA DAVIS: Angela Davis lectures on "Civil Rights and Human Rights: Future Trajectories." Known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad, Davis has been active as a student, teacher, writer, scholar and activist/organizer. Today, she remains an advocate of prison abolition and has developed a powerful critique of racism in the criminal justice system.

7pm // UW Kane Hall Room 130 // FREE (ticket req'd)

KEEP KABUL BEAUTIFUL: Deborah Rodriguez talks about her book, Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil. When she arrived in Kabul shortly after the fall of the Taliban to volunteer as a nurse´s aide, Rodriguez soon found her skills as a trained hairdresser in far more demand, both for Western workers and for Afghans, so she established the Kabul Beauty School.

7-8:30pm // Seattle Central Public Library // FREE

TO MARKET, TO MARKET Benjamin Barber has devoted his life to the study of the effects of the consumer market on individuals and society as a whole. In his sequel to the best-selling Jihad vs. McWorld, Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens, Barber claims that the ever-expanding global culture of market forces will destroy not only democracy but even capitalism, if left unchecked.

7:30pm // Town Hall // $5

Wednesday
LETHEM, EAT CAKE: Jonathan Lethem attracted a cult following for futuristic gumshoe novels (Gun, with Occasional Music, 1994) and apocalyptic science-fiction westerns (Girl in Landscape, 1998). His wildly inventive tale of a detective with Tourette's syndrome, Motherless Brooklyn, won the 1999 National Book Critics Circle award, and a 2005 MacArthur Foundation "genius" award.

7:30pm // Benaroya Hall // Tickets $20-$25/$10 students/under 25

OH, THAT'S REAL SUSTAINABLE: The Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation's 2007 "Our Health, Our Environment: Making the Link" lecture series explores the relationship between human and ecological health. John Robinson, professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability and the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia discusses how individuals can effectively apply sustainability theory in "real world" terms. (Reception with hors d'oeuvres at 5:30pm.)

6:30pm // Town Hall // Tickets $10 advance/$15 at the door

Thursday
WHY WE'RE HERE: Internationally acclaimed physicist, cosmologist, writer, and broadcaster Paul Davies discusses the implications of the fact that the conditions of our universe are “just right” for life to exist. Davies summarizes the current state of knowledge in cosmology and provides an accessible introduction to particle physics. His forthcoming book is Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe Is Just Right for Life.

7:30pm // Town Hall // $5

SEATTLE HISTORY: "The Market Neighborhood: a Photo Lecture" is given by Paul Dorpat, a historian who has made it his business to share Seattle´s story, using photographs as entry points. His weekly "Now & Then" columns and numerous books explore the progress, sacrifice, triumph and loss that comprise the history of our growing city. His presentations both humanize our history and debunk some of our myths.

6-7:30pm // Seattle Central Public Library // FREE

Friday
WE'RE WASHING OUR HAIR THAT NIGHT: Seattle author and Seattle P-I Singles File columnist Diane Mapes joins local contributors to her new anthology, Single State of the Union: Single Women Speak Out on Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Among those expected to be on hand are Amanda Castleman, Litsa Dremousis, Jane Hodges, Heather McKinnon, Dana Rozier, and M. Susan Wilson.

6pm // Elliott Bay // FREE

2007 SEATTLE POETRY FESTIVAL: Three days of readings, performances and workshops kick off with this opening night party featuring Abyssinian Creole, a spoken word performance by Gabriel Teodros, Balloon Frolics by Trixie, Stilt-Walkers, Acro-Balancers, and the Rockrr Grrl Poets Kary Wayson, Rebecca Hoogs, and Trisha Ready.

8pm // Pravda Studios, 1406 10th at E. Union // Tickets $12/$10 students/seniors

Saturday
2007 SEATTLE POETRY FESTIVAL: Saturday's festivities are about poets and communities (gay, Latino/Hispanic, African-American). Two workshops (separate admission) provide lessons on haiku and using scientific language in poems.

11am-6pm // Hugo House // Tickets $12/$10 students/seniorsr

Sunday
SHORT STORIES LIVE: IRISH STORIES: Hosted and directed by ACT Theatre’s Kurt Beattie, this is an afternoon of stories by some of Ireland’s favorite short story writers. Local actors Kate Purwin, Sean Griffin, and Tim Gouran read Edna O’Brien’s “The Doll,” William Trevor’s wry and tragicomic “The Distant Past,” and “Song Without Words,” by Frank O’Connor.

4pm // Town Hall // Tickets $14 advance/$15 at the door

2007 SEATTLE POETRY FESTIVAL: The final day of the festival brings panel discussions, collaborative performance, and workshops with Heather McHugh, Christine Hume, and Linden Ontjes, with a 12 Minutes Max Sampler from On the Boards. (Grand Slam, 8pm @ Chop Suey.)

11am-6pm // Hugo House // Tickets $12/$10 students/seniors