Bumberlit: Vampires, robots and the folks who brought you 'Lost'

Bumbershoot literary events generally veer toward the edgy and casual and 2009's lineup is no exception — speakers will take on the topics of white people, vampires, robots, writing in the Great Northwest, and how to keep an extremely strange and disorienting television series afloat through six seasons.

Here are some highlights:

• Great Northwest: Jess Walter, Kevin Sampsell, Kerry Cohen. Spokane favorite-son author Walter and Portland writers Sampsell and Cohen bat around what it means to be a Northwest writer. Walter's book "The Financial Lives of the Poets" comes out this month; Sampsell edited "Portland Noir" (Akashic) and Cohen is the author of "Loose Girl" (Hyperion). Moderated by Seattle Times book editor Mary Ann Gwinn. 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Leo K Theatre.

• Christian Lander's "Stuff White People Like." Lander is the blogger/author of the blog/book of the same name, a mostly hilarious takedown of contemporary "Caucasian culture." Wear your tasteful scarf; jot your thoughts down in that Moleskine notebook. Luke Burbank moderates. Noon Sunday, Leo K. Theatre.

• S.E. Hinton. The author of the classic young-adult novel "The Outsiders" discusses her work, which includes "Rumble Fish" and "Some of Tim's Stories." Moderated by Kurt B. Reighley with "special guest" Tim Hyland. 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Bagley Wright Theater.

• Vampires and Robots: Kevin Emerson and Daniel Wilson. Seattle author Emerson, author of the wonderfully titled "Carlos is Gonna Get It," and Portland's Wilson, author of "Where's My Jetpack?" and "How to Survive a Robot Uprising," discuss the region's "creative imagination." Noon Monday, Leo K. Theatre.

• Writers of "Lost" with Jeff Jensen. "Lost" writers Carlton Cuse, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz discuss their work on the TV series. Panel moderated by Jeff Jensen, a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly who writes and blogs about "Lost." 3:30 p.m. Monday, Leo K. Theatre.