RECOMMENDED

The 2010 edition of Columbia College’s week-long festival kicks off Sunday and through the next seven days offers an array of readings and discussions with highly acclaimed authors, local and beyond.  At Martyrs’ on Sunday night, Randy Albers, Kim Morris, Sam Weller and more read as part of “2nd Story.” On Monday, literary legend Joyce Carol Oates examines her work as part of two separate discussions at the Harold Washington Library. Later that night, Sheffield’s Beer Garden hosts the “Down and Dirty Grad Reading,” with Jeff Jacobsen, J. Adams Oaks and Alexis Pride. On Tuesday evening at the Harold Washington Library, authors Achy Obejas and Alexandar Hemon discuss “Genres from Afar,” with John Dale and host Patricia Ann McNair. Wednesday afternoon at Harold Washington Library, Joe Meno hosts “Genre Bending—The Faces of Fiction” with Mort Castle, Maggie Estep, David Morrell and Kevin Nance; later that evening at 6pm Sam Weller hosts a similar discussion at the same location. Events continue through Friday, with appearances by Marcus Sakey, Rick Kogan, Sean Chercover, Stephanie Kuehnert and more. More details can be found on Newcity’s lit events page. (Tom Lynch)

Columbia College’s Story Week runs March 14-19 at various venues. The festival’s official website can be found at colum.edu/storyweek.

RECOMMENDED

A worthy night of readings before the madness and mayhem of this weekend’s Printers Row Lit Fest, this event features author Jean Thompson, whose thrilling work with 2007 collection “Throw Like a Girl” and novel “City Boy” makes the upcoming release of “Do Not Deny Me” all the more exciting. (Her 1999 book of short stories, “Who Do You Love,” was a National Book Award finalist.) It’s difficult not to compare Thompson’s work to that of Alice Munro, to give you a better idea of what to expect, if you’re unfamiliar. Also reading tonight is local scribe Lindsay Hunter, co-founder of the charming Quickies! reading series and author of the forthcoming novel “My Brother,” plus author J. Adams Oaks, whose first novel, “Why I Fight,” was released last month via Simon and Schuster. (Tom Lynch)

June 5 at Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln, (773)293-2665, at 7:30pm. Free.