Clubs, Coffeehouses, and Other Spaces:

Altered Space Gallery (formerly Culture Shop Gallery) – 1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. (310) 452–8121.

Anastasia’s Asylum – 1028 Wilshire, Santa Monica. (310)394-7113

Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – FREE Workshops & Readings. This week: 10/20, 7:30pm: Laila Lalami. Creator of the blog Moorishgirl.com. Fri, 10/21, 7:30pm: Brenda Hillman, Jean Valentine. Valentine is the author most recently of Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003 that received the 2004 National Book Award for Poetry. Hillman has received a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and Pieces of Air in the Epic is her latest book. Sat, 10/22, 7:30pm: David Meltzer, George Herms, Diane Di Prima. Meltzer’s most recent book of poetry is Beat Thing; he edited interviews with Beats to make up San Francisco Beat: Talking with Poets. He co-edits the music mag Shuffle Boil. His work includes David’s Copy, selected poems, David Meltzer: Poetry W/ Jazz, 1958, re-issued by Sierra Records, Tens, The Name, Arrows, and the classic Reading Jazz and Writing Jazz. Herms is an LA collage assemblage artist who is a recent Getty Scholar and was honored with a major exhibition of his work at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Di Prima is author of 42 books of poetry and prose, including Calculus of Variation, Loba & Memoirs of Beatnik, Dinners and Nightmares, Pieces of a Song, and Recollections of My Life as a Woman. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages. Sun, 10/23, 4pm: The November 3rd Club reading. A quarterly online publication of political discussion. Featuring: Daniel McGinn, Jerry Garcia, Rachel Kahn, Richard Modiano. Hosted by non-fiction editor, Carlye Archibeque. No Open. FREE. Sun, 10/23, 6pm: Poets Beyond the Half Shell with Steve Abee, Elizabeth Iannaci, Thea Iberall, Brenda Petrakos. Hosted by Carlye Archibeque. Open reading sign up at 6:30. FREE.” 681 Venice Blvd., Venice. (310)822-3006, www.beyondbaroque.org

Diesel, A Bookstore – 3890 Cross Creek Rd., Malibu, CA 90265. (3100 456-9961, www.dieselbookstore.com

Duttons Books Brentwood & Beverly Hills – Critically acclaimed readings and events. This week in Brentwood: Thu, 10/20, 2pm: In the innaugral Brentwood meeting of the Philharmonic Echoes: Composers series, Doug Dutton will lead a discussion of the life and music of Bach and the book An Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment by James R. Gaines. Fri, 10/21, 7pm: Gail Mazur signs Zeppo’s First Wife. Sat, 10/22, 2pm: Mary Roach signs Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. Sun, 10/ 23, 3pm: Preschool Sunday -Annual fund raising fun day for preschools and children of preschool age featuring costume characters, authors, crafts and more. Tue, 10/25, 7pm: Peter J. Levinson signs Tommy Dorsey: Livin’ in a Great Big Way. This Week in Beverly Hills: Thu, 10/20, 7pm: Susan Jeffers signs Feel the Fear Guide to Lasting Love. Sat, 10/22, 7pm: Corinne Lee signs Pyx. Sun, 10/23, 3pm: Josh Peter signs Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, and Bull Riders. Mon, 10/24, 7pm: Amy Tan signs Saving Fish from Drowning. Tue, 10/25, 7pm: Rita Lakin signs Getting Old is Murder. Wed, 10/26, 7pm: Zainab Salbi signs Between Two Worlds Escape From Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam. Duttons Brentwood – 11975 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, (310) 476-6263 or www.duttonsbrentwood.com. Duttons Beverly Hills – 447 N. Canon Drive.