Garrison Keillor @ Borders

Beloved public radio host Garrison Keillor will be at the Michigan Avenue Borders, 830 N. Michigan, tonight at 7pm for a reading and signing of his latest Lake Wobegon book, Liberty. Call 312-574-0564 for more info.

Kevin Davis @ Loyola University Chicago

Kevin Davis takes part in Loyola University's Library Speak Series to talk about his book Defending the Damned: Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice System. Free. 6pm. At the Rubloff Reception Room. 25 E. Pearson. Call 773-508-2641 for more information.

Charlie Hunter @ Lakeshore Theater

Lakeshore Theater
3175 N. Broadway
10:00pm
$17.50
One of the most innovative and ground-breaking jazz artists working today, Charlie Hunter has impressed audiences all over the world with his impressive musical skills, which include his famed ability to play bass and lead guitar parts simultaneously. With seventeen albums recorded over the past fifteen years, Hunter is at the forefront of the jazz community and describes his own work as "improvisation-oriented pop music."

Human Rights Watch Film Screening @ Danny's

Human Rights Watch is having a film screening tonight at Danny's Tavern in Bucktown (1951 W. Dickens Ave.) at 7:30pm. We'll be watching Leg Before Wicket - a film that follows Chicago's cricket team through a summer of cricket, and makes a journey to India and Pakistan - including the disputed region of Kashmir - to explore the roots of the conflict, its many manifestations over the decades, and the recent phenomenon known as "cricket diplomacy."

Film maker, Shashi Buluswar will be at Danny's to discuss his film and answer any questions.The event is free; for more information call 312.573.2450.

World Kitchen: Beyond Dinner @ Gallery 37

This class about making your meals a work of art is offered as part of the World Kitchen learning series offered by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and will be held at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, 66 E. Randolph Street. Admission is $30 and pre-registration is required. Please wear non-skid shoes and bring your apron!

Out & Proud @ Women & Children First

Join authors and editors Tracy Baim, Jorjet Harper and Marie J. Kuda and other contributors to celebrate the launch of Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community. The book covers Chicago's GLBT history from the early prairie settlement to present day and includes nearly 400 historical photos of scholarly, historical and journalistic input. Free at 7pm at Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark St. Call 773-769-9299 for more information.

Powell's North Reading Series

This month's installment of the Powell's North Reading Series features graphic novelist Anders Nilsen and students from the Writing Program and the School of the Art Institute. Nilsen's work can be viewed at The Holy Consumption. Free at 7pm at 2850 N. Lincoln Ave. Call 773-248-1444 for more information. UPDATE: This event has been canceled.

Bird Names @ Empty Bottle

The Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western Ave
9:00pm $8

Bird Names
Adventure
Future Islands
Stars Like Fleas

Experimental psyche-pop outfit BIRD NAMES references an unusually wide variety of musical idioms, though - unlike many of their peers - they most always hit their mark aesthetically. The Chicago Reader has praised them, calling them "undomesticated, raucous, urgent, and alien", while Gaper's Block has called their music "unabashedly celebratory." Masked electro-pop act ADVENTURE plays third, new wave pop minimalists FUTURE ISLANDS play second and the otherworldly STARS LIKE FLEAS open.