Wednesday June 28th: Poetic Grid

For the last two years, Claudia Castro Luna has made Seattle proud as our Civic Poet, representing Seattle’s many experiences through poetry. She’s brought poems to City Hall events, she’s published a great chapbook of poems, and she’s paired with a large number of our great arts organizations. Tonight, she debuts the Poetic Grid, a fantastic collaborative poetry map of Seattle. Open Books, 2414 N. 45th St., 633-0811, http://openpoetrybooks.com. Free. All ages. 7 p.m.

Thursday June 29th: Death Rattle Hum

Idaho nonprofit Death Rattle Writers Festival is an organization intended to bring other Northwestern writers together with Idahoan writers through contests and festivals and literary events. This reading features excellent Seattle poet Quenton Baker, reading with Idaho writers Alex Yan, Griffin Rae Birdsong, Dig Reeder, Ricky Ramirez, and Diana Forgione. Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar, 1508 11th Ave., 709-9797, http://vermillionseattle.com. Free. All ages. 6 p.m.

Friday June 30th: The Last Hurrah

See our Event of the Week column for more details. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, http://townhallseattle.org. Free. All ages. All day.

Saturday July 1st: The Fateful Fourth Reading

Washington historian Russel Holter discusses “the notorious 1900 trolley accident” that helped shape the city of Tacoma for a whole century. It’s an account of a doomed 4th of July celebration that, on our first 4th of July under President Trump, might be even more resonant than ever. University Book Store Tacoma, 1754 Pacific Ave., (253) 692-4300, http://u.bookstore.edu, 2 p.m. All ages. Free.

Sunday July 2nd: Reading with Rover

Fun fact: if you know a child who is having trouble learning how to read, have them practice reading to dogs. And if you don’t have any dogs in your life, bring them to this event, which features trained therapy dogs just waiting for kids to read to them. University Book Store Mill Creek, 15311 Main St., 425-385-3530. http://ubookstore.com. Free. All ages. 11:30 a.m.

Monday July 3rd: Works in Progress

One of Seattle’s most venerable open mic nights continues in a special pre-Independence Day edition. Bring your non-fiction or fiction or patriotic pantoum and share it with an eclectic room of regulars and newbies and aspiring writers. Press materials warn that “Some content not suitable for children or small animals.” Hugo House, 1021 Columbia St., 322-7030, http://hugohouse.org. Free. All ages. 7 p.m.

Tuesday July 4th: Democracy Slam

What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with a poetry slam? Think of today’s Democracy Slam as a celebration of your constitutional right to celebrate the freedom of speech, with booze and prizes. It’s a hell of a lot more fun than getting drunk and blowing a thumb off with some fireworks. Re-Bar, 1114 Howell St., http://rebarseattle.com. $5. 21+. 7 p.m