MONDAY: Gorky Park author Martin Cruz Smith will be at the Penn Quarter Olsson’s to read from his latest, Stalin’s Ghost. In the book, Moscow subway riders see the ghost of Joseph Stalin on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. Here in Washington, we settle for George Stephanopoulos. What a country! 7 p.m. Susan L. Shirk will be at Politics and Prose to discuss her book China: Fragile Superpower. Of course in China…

The Washington Post reports that TV shows based in D.C. consistently have the oldest viewers. Now, considering that we here at DCist are still lamenting the end of The West Wing, we might not be your average younger viewer. Nonetheless, we think D.C. has unexploited TV potential. What’s sexier than taking low-paying jobs that look good on your resume? Or spotting George Stephanopoulos at Starbucks? Not much. So TV execs in the readership, listen up!…

The Arena Stage is holding their 14th Annual Benefit production of the The Pundit Whodunit: The Case of the Political Puzzle tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Kreeger Theater. If you’ve got an extra $200 to $400 lying around, you too can be seated front and center for a one night only performance of local playwright and director Harry M. Bagdasian’s comedic murder mystery, starring prominent members of Congress and the media. Members of the…

Major networks across the board will sacrifice a crucial night of the November sweeps period in the name of civic duty. Election Night coverage starts at 8 p.m. on most broadcast networks and presumably continues on through the wee hours of the morning. Here’s your handy-dandy guide to Election Night viewing. ABC News: Peter Jennings anchors Vote 2004 with the help of George Stephanopoulos and Terry Moran. Former Salon.com writer Jake Tapper will have regular…