Four writers-in-residence from the Writers in the Schools (WITS) program at Seattle Arts & Lectures will offer separate, hour-long free writing workshops for elementary and high school-age students this afternoon. Pre-registration is required as enrolment is limited to 15 students per workshop. Workshop 1: 1 - 2 p.m., "Poetic Mashups" with Emily Bedard (middle school); Workshop 2: 2 - 3 p.m., "Hip Hop Poetry Remix" with Aaron Counts (upper level high school); Workshop 3: 3 - 4 p.m., "The Idea Jar" with Karen Finneyfrock (high school); Workshop 4: 4 - 5 p.m., "Oh! The Shape I'm In! Shape Poems" with Ann Teplick (elementary school). Further information and free pre-registration is at www.artscrush.org.  

Yes, we're almost needing a field guide to our own place ... busy! This evening, Garth Stein and friends from Seattle7Writers launch The Novel: Live!, a six-day marathon novel-writing event. Tonight's soiree includes free entertainment, food and drink in our Readings Room. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. as the Vis-à-Vis Society (aka Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler of The Typing Explosion) write poems and poem-surveys with the help of assembled party-goers, using song, dance, graphs, and snacks to bring the data to life. Musician Laurie Katherine Carolsson, whose past gigs include backup for Imogen Heap and moderating a discussion with the Kingston Trio, provides musical entertainment throughout. Seattle's Librarian-at-Large Nancy Pearl, the event's "Fairy God-Author," will serve as auctioneer of character-naming rights, including someone who gets bumped off (high bid gets it!). Participatory Literary Games-ship at work here tonight ... The Novel: Live!, which includes 36 Seattle writers writing a marathon, six-day novel together at Richard Hugo House, takes place October 11 - 16, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1634 Eleventh Avenue. For more about the writing, the writers, the novel, the fun, and a related, city-wide reading series, please see www.thenovellive.org.