Can't Miss It: Monday

BOOKS AND BOOZE: Head over to the Sunset Tavern in Ballard to hear Stranger editor and book critic Paul Constant chat with author Jonathan Lethem about his new book, Chronic City, which involves NYC, a rock critic, an astronaut, and pot. Does alcohol a better literary criticism make? Find out tonight.

7:00 p.m. // Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Avenue // Free with the purchase of the book from University Book Store; otherwise tickets $5

SOUND OPINIONS: Happen to catch this past weekend’s West Side Story sing-along at Cinerama? No? Even so, tonight is your chance to meet Stephen Sondheim--the film’s lyricist and Oscar, Pulitzer, and multiple Tony Award winner--as he converses onstage with notorious New York Times arts columnist Frank Rich. But don’t be fooled by Benaroya’s "once-in-a-lifetime" billing; the pair, although in Seattle tonight for the first time, have been honing their Onstage Conversation format since March of last year.

8:00 p.m. // Benaroya Hall, 200 University Street // Tickets $48-78

READING ON THE EDGE: Bainbridge Island native Ed Viesturs is the first American to climb all 14 of the world’s highest mountains without supplemental oxygen. Tonight he reads from K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain.

7:30 p.m. // Town Hall, 1119 8th Avenue // Tickets $5