Wednesday September 7th: Seeing the Light: Four Decades in Chinatown

Dean Wong has devoted his life to recording the Asian-American experience through photos and words. His latest book, from Seattle-area publisher of beautiful books Chin Music Press, is a tribute to Chinatowns all over North America. Wong’s interviews and portraits capture the spirit of community that makes Chinatowns from coast to coast more than just neighborhoods.
Third Place Books Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Ave S, 474-2200, http://thirdplacebooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m.

Thursday September 8th: Too High & Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle’s Topography

David B. Williams’s book is about how Seattle’s earliest white settlers decided the geology of the region is what you’d call a fixer-upper. From the Denny Regrade to what’s really underneath Pioneer Square, Williams will talk about all the ways we’ve torn Seattle apart in order to build Seattle up. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m.

Friday September 9th: One Nation Under God

Kevin M. Kruse is the evangelical right’s worst nightmare: a professor from Princeton who has written a book that unveils the fairly modern invention of the lie that America is now and has always been a Christian nation. Kruse argues convincingly that our national obsession with a Jesus-created America began in the 1950s. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, townhallseattle.org. $5. All ages. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday September 10th: Stomp the Patriarchy Ball

Seattle-based all-ages arts organization The Vera Project teams up with abortion awareness organization #ShoutYourAbortion to celebrate the one-year anniversary of #SYA, featuring bands, DJs, a photobooth, and readings from three of the most important writers in town right now: Hollis Wong-Wear, Ijeoma Oluo, and Lindy West. Patriarchy’s balls are in for a terrific stompin’. Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave, http://washingtonhall.org. Pay what you can. All ages. 8 p.m.

Sunday September 11th: The Esoteric Book Conference

Say what you will about how Kindles are lighter than physical books; there will never be any such thing as an esoteric ebook. This international book festival offers new and used books devoted to out-of-the-ordinary knowledge. The seminars and presentations cost money, but the book fair and art show are free. William H. Foege Hall, Genome Sciences Building, University of Washington, http://esotericbookconference.com. Free- $60. All ages. 9 a.m.

Monday September 12th: Sleeping on Jupiter

See our Event of the Week column for more details. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com . Free. All ages. 7 p.m.

Tuesday September 13th: Jack Straw Writers

The Jack Straw Writers Program aspires to teach Seattle-area writers how to better present their work both live and on recorded audio. Tonight, three 2016 Jack Straw Writers, including poets Alison Stagner and Carolyne Wright, singer Shontina Vernon, and poet Robert Lashley, who is rightfully enjoying a hell of a year in the Seattle-media spotlight. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., 634-3400, http://www2.bookstore.washington.edu/. Free. All ages. 7 p.m.