This Week In Lit: David Brooks' Social Animal, Rock 'n' Roll Gossip, and Ted Danson's Giant Brain

This week in Seattle literary events we have some serious stuff, some intriguing stuff and some good old gossip. Whether they’re terrifying you with tales of prison, or encouraging a dissection of your love life, this week’s authors are bound to push a few buttons, and maybe blow a few minds.

David Brooks at Town Hall: If you’re thinking of getting a little introspective on your relationship, David Brooks is the man for you with his new (already celebrated) book The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times, which means he just may have some answers about how couples can manage to thrive in our chaotic world. He follows a couple as they navigate life, and introduces some questions about the affects of education, urban environments, and various other conditions on one’s life…and love life.

Monday, 7:30 p.m. // Town Hall // $5 door, advance tickets www.brownpapertickets.com

Neil Strauss at University Book Store: Everyone loves a Rock/Pop/Porn star, and everyone loves gossip about a Rock/Pop/Porn star even more.
This is why the journalist who has dished on everyone from Kurt Cobain, to Madonna, to Jenna Jameson to Marilyn Manson should make for an entertaining evening with his new book Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead. Brimming with old interviews and memorable moments with the rich and famous, Strauss shares intimate interactions…and most likely a secret or two. Embrace your inner groupie, or at least pick yourself up an autographed copy after the event.

Tuesday, 7 p.m. // University Book Store // Free

Piper Kerman at Elliott Bay Book Co.: The term “scared straight” gets a whole new meaning upon checking out Piper Kerman’s book Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. After being tried and convicted for drug-related charges from a decade earlier, Kerman is sent to an infamous federal corrections center in Connecticut. What follows is her record of an unsettling and strange period in her life—leaving her with some intriguing stories, I’d imagine. A riveting discussion with the woman herself may be just what the potential convict in your life needs to straighten them out.

Wednesday, 7 p.m. // Elliott Bay Book Co. // Free

Ted Danson with Chip Giller at Town Hall (Co-Presented with Oceana): Though Ted Danson usually brings happy visions of his character on Cheers or in Three Men and a Baby, Thursday night he’s focusing his energy on the serious task of conserving the world’s oceans—a cause he’s been committed to for decades. In his new book, Oceana: Our Planet’s Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them, Danson discusses his constant efforts to save his main squeeze; from addressing the World Trade Organization to helping create Oceana, the non-profit organization solely focused on conservation. Though this may not sounds like the funny man you know and love, his dedication wins him points—and if her were still Sam Malone, I’d buy him a drink.
Joining him on stage is Grist Magazine founder and president Chip Giller—acting as Danson’s interviewer and giving you even more bang for your buck.

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. // Town Hall // $35, includes a copy of Oceana