TUESDAY

We were wondering what the best way to entice you to come hear Maria Arana discuss her new book Cellophane, an alternately hilarious and disturbing tale of her native Peru, but then we remembered it was being held at the Inter-American Development Bank Conference Center Auditorium and we thought, heck, who DOESN’T spend Tuesday night at the Inter-American Development Bank Conference Center Auditorium? 1330 New York Ave. NW. at 6:30 p.m. Free.

WEDNESDAY

Over at the National Press Club, they are hosting their 29th Annual Book Fair and Author Night! Ninety authors will be in attendance! Pat Buchanan will terrify you! David Corn will gloat! Michael Isikoff will steal glances at his Blackberry and nod knowingly! Bill Frist will diagnose your maladies from across the room! Byron Dorgan will…uhm…share his recipe for popovers. The full details here, including a seating chart! Would you rather be paying $25 to watch Judith Miller polish her turd of a career? Heck no!

THURSDAY

Ann Kirschner’s mother had a secret—she spent five years as a slave in Nazi workcamps, being shuttled from one infernal destination to another. When she came to live in America, she told no one of her travails until 1991, when she sat her daughter down and unveiled her private story. Kirschner discusses how her mother’s confidence changed her life in Sala’s Gift. At Olsson’s in Dupont. 1307 19th Street, NW. 7 pm.

FRIDAY

Gore Vidal discusses his latest memoir, Point to Point Navigation, with the NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown. If you’ve never given much thought as to whether Vidal is a genius, don’t worry, he’s done it for you. Wesley United Methodist Church, 5312 Connecticut Ave NW, 8:15 p.m. $10, or free with purchase at Politics and Prose.

SATURDAY

Washington Post readers will be familiar with Henry G. Brinton, a Presbyterian minister from DC whose bracing essays can be routinely found in the paper’s Outlook section. He’ll be discussing his book Balancing Acts, which examines the conflicts within Christian congregations and their larger communities. Don’t dump your grief about not being able to park in Logan Circle on Sundays, please. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW. 1 p.m.

SUNDAY

Using the awesome and untamed power of theatre criticism, Frank Rich picked apart the Bush administration's designs so expertly that not even Stephen Colbert could leave him on notice. He’ll be discussing The Greatest Story Ever Sold, at Adas Israel, 2850 Quebec Street, NW at 4pm. $12, or free with purchase at Politics and Prose.