Monday, October 14th: Here We Are Reading

Aarti Shahani's memoir about moving from India to Queens as a child in the 1980s as an undocumented immigrant is titled Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares. It's about her process of becoming an "official" American through the immigration process — which many immigrant families now don't have the opportunity.
Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave., 386-4636, http://spl.org, 7 pm, free.

Tuesday, October 15th: A Pilgrimage to Eternity Reading

Tim Egan is one of Seattle's best known writers. His New York Times column alone would earn him national fame, but he's also written a series of great books that illuminated very specific — and very important — moments in history. His latest book, though, is a big departure: it tracks Egan's own progress on a European trail that has long been popular with Christian pilgrims. It's an interior spiritual journey paired with a real, physical journey. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave., 652-4255, http://townhallseattle.org, 7:30 pm, $35.

Wednesday, October 16th: Libraryoke

As part of Seattle Public Library's excellent Booktoberfest celebration, librarians converge on Columbia City to promote a book-themed karaoke night. But you don't have to sing to have fun: According to press materials, you should "Feel free to bring books to swap and share, as there will also be a book exchange. We will have suggested songs ready for you to choose from, and you can check out the Baby Ketten song catalog online or via their app for more inspiration." The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave S, 7 pm, free.

Thursday, October 17th: Everyday Cry-sis: Existential Dread in the Technocratic City

See our Event of the Week column for more details. Push/Pull, 5484 Shilshole Ave NW, 789-1710, http://pushpullseattle.weebly.com/, 6 pm, free.

Friday, October 18th: SCREWBALL! Reading

Seattle author Paul Tumey's big, beautiful art book looks deeply (and amusingly) at the great comic strip artists who helped shape American comedy (and modern comics) forever. You'll find near-household names like George Herriman and EC Segar and Rube Goldberg here, but you'll also learn about some lesser-known cartoonists like Gene Ahern and Gus Mager. The author will give a presentation and then he'll appear in conversation with Paul Constant, who is me. Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, 624-6600, http://elliottbaybook.com, 7 pm, free.

Alternate Friday, October 18th: Mining for Awe

Chris Abani has done it all: he's a novelist, a memoirist, a poet, and a political activist who has been sentenced to death. He's also a beloved teacher, and so this lecture, about employing awe as a writer, should be a real inspiration for you writers out there. He'll also be interviewed by Hugo House writer-in-residence Kristen Millares Young. Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue, 322-7030, http://hugohouse.org, 7 pm, $15.

Saturday, October 19th: Bushwick Book Club

The group, which invites a collection of local authors to compose original music based on a work of literature, gathers to celebrate and interpret Stephen King's surprisingly great writing manual and memoir, On Writing. Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue, 322-7030, http://hugohouse.org, 7:30 pm, $10.

Sunday, October 20th: Jack Straw Reading

The local organization, which teaches writers how best to present their work through the spoken word and recordings, invites their latest class to read new work. Readers include Samar Abulhassan, Christianne Balk, Gabrielle Bates, Shankar Narayan, Sylvia Byrne Pollack, Rena Priest, and Michael Schmeltzer. Open Books, 2414 N. 45th St, 633-0811, http://openpoetrybooks.com, 7 pm, free.