Literary events in Toronto happen on weekdays only this time around, but check the end of this post for a special request I'm sending out to all of the Bookmark This readers!

Tuesday, May 13th:

House of Anansi Press invites you to celebrate the launch of My Life As a Dame: The Personal and the Political in the Writings of Christina McCall (edited by Stephen Clarkson). McCall was part of an illustrious group of writers including Pierre Berton, Robert Fulford, June Callwood, Peter Gzowski, and Peter C. Newman, that graced the pages of Maclean's Magazine in the mid-50s. She is considered not only one of the best political writers of her generation, but a pioneer for women in journalism and one of Canada's most brilliant minds. The evening is hosted by Michael Enright. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Katie Densmore at intern@anansi.ca.
Alumni Hall, Victoria College. 5:30pm. Free.

What if there were movies made the same way as suits, custom fitted, each one tailored for one person? Some of the brightest stars from Toronto's fringe film and video scene -- including Midi Onodera, Jubal Brown, Su Rynard and Richard Fung -- will show dazzling and mysterious short films, and then discuss the genesis of their projects with Mike Hoolboom, editor of the collection Practical Dreamers: Conversations with Movie Artists. A This Is Not A Reading Series event.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom. 7:30pm (doors 7pm). Free.

Ger ready for the Artbardy Har Har: an evening of comedic poetry hosted by Valentino Assenza and featuring Jeff Cottrill, Arianna Pozuoli, Mike Bryant, Myna Wallin, David Clink, and Luciano Iacobelli. Open mic readers are encouraged to bust out their most hilarious material!
Clinton's. 8pm. Free (donations accepted).

Wednesday, May 14th:

Meet the author and illustrator of Naomi's Tree, Joy Kogawa and Ruth Ohi. Part of the Toronto Public Library's Asian Heritage celebration. If you're not able to catch Kogawa this morning, she'll be appearing again on Saturday at 2pm at the Lillian H. Smith Branch.
Fairview Branch. 10:30am. Free.
Lillian H. Smith. 2pm Saturday. Free.

Science fiction authors Julie E. Czerneda and Karl Schroeder will read from their latest works, followed by Q&A and book-signing session. Books will be on sale by Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction Bookstore. Part of the Toronto Public Library's Canada Council Heritage Series.
Beaches Branch. 7pm. Free.

Enjoy a reading, talk and slide-show presentation featuring Mark Kingwell, Michael McClelland and Graeme Stewart. All three authors will then take part in a round-table discussion on the subject of Sacred Space, moderated by Lisa Rapoport. Part of the 4th annual Festival of Architecture and Design (fAd).
Harbourfront Centre Brigantine Room. 7:30pm. $8.

Experience an evening of visual slides and conversation with Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, authors of Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China, a bold and eye-opening new book of magnificent photos, unforgettable stories and exotic home-cooking from the most ethnically diverse, geographically varied and intriguing regions of China. Part of U of T's Bookstore Reading Series.
Hart House Library. 7:30pm. Free.

The Toronto Renaissance Conspiracy is a monthly Open Stage/Open Stage-Workshop that aims to promote the reading, writing, publishing and preservation of poetry in Canada through individual & group efforts. If you plan on participating in the open-stage workshop, please bring at least ten copies of your poem(s). This month Creative James will be hosting.
Renaissance Cafe. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, May 15th:

Join Indigo for a book signing with one of the best-loved singing voices in the world. Marni Nixon sang for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, and Deborah Kerr in The King and I. Her inspiring autobiography, called I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story, is packed with anecdotes from six decades of performing, reveals Nixon as a singer, as an actress, as a breast-cancer survivor, and as a woman fighting for artistic recognition.
Indigo Bay & Bloor. 12pm. Free.

For teens and young adults, the TPL presents Terence Green, reading from Sailing Time's Ocean, his dazzling, philosophical time-travel novel, as well as Paula Johanson, reading from her new novel, The Tower in the Crooked Wood. Q&A to follow. Part of this year's Canada Council Heritage Series.
Centennial Branch. 5pm. Free.

Renowned as a passionate Canadian, bestselling author Mel Hurtig has combed through world statistics to see how Canada really measures up -- the results are astonishing, and often shocking. His new book, entitled The Truth About Canada, reveals how our country has changed, very much for the worse, in the last twenty years. Part of the U of T Bookstore's Reading Series.
Hart House Library. 7:30pm. Free.

To celebrate the launch of the latest installment in his wildly popular graphic novel series about the hairy tabloid sweetheart, Bigfoot: I Not Dead, award-winning artist and author Graham Roumieu presents Bigfoot: This Not Wake. Roumieu and other intrepid explorers like Douglas Bell, Sean Cullen, Damian Rogers, Nathan Whitlock, and Michael Winter will deliver short "eulogies" about the mythical man-beast. A This Is Not A Reading Series event.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom. . 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). Free.

Be inspired by the life of a great visionary and adventurer who lived ahead of her times, with the book The Extraordinary Life and Teachings of H.P. Blavatsky. A true beacon of the 19th century, Blavatsky illuminated her dogmatic and materialistic times with the revival of timeless wisdom and a profound vision of the human being, destiny and the universe. Presented by the New Acropolis Cultural Association.
Northern District Library. 7:30pm. $15.

Friday, May 16th:

Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart, the authors of Fixing Failed States: A Frameworrk for Rebuilding a Fractured World, will be available for an evening of discussions, Q&A and book signings. The event is hosted by the U of T Bookstore Reading Series.
Hart House Library. 7:30pm.

Your weekend is book-event-free! BUT... I'd like to make a proposal to my Bookmark This readers: why not pick up a copy of Paul Quarrington's magical novel The Spirit Cabinet? It's the book I've chosen this month for the book club I participate in, and we're looking for new members to join in the discussion! Quarrington's novel King Leary excelled as THE book for Canadians to read in this year's version of CBC's Canada Reads, so I figured we'd give him a whirl. Plus, I happened upon this book in a neighbour's refuse... free books are always the most intriguing. If you're interested, leave a comment or email me directly at kari@blogto.com. Cheers!