Lit life |

It's high summer, but Seattle literary organizations are hoping you have a little room in your brain cells for advance planning, because they're already announcing their fall and winter lineups. Here are a couple from two of Seattle's major cultural institutions.

Richard Hugo House Literary Series: This series, which commissions writers, musicians and artists to produce new work, starts things rolling Oct. 19 with the theme !Viva la Revolucion! Featured authors and artists include Steve Almond, author of "Candyfreak"; Matthew Zapruder, poet and author of "Come On All You Ghosts"; and spoken-word artist Elaina Ellis.

On Nov. 16, the theme is Ya Gotta Believe! "Apocalyptic visionary" (and Seattle author) Ryan Boudinot; poet Emily Kendal Frey; and Bainbridge Island memoirist Claire Dederer ("Poser") will be featured.

On Feb. 8, the theme is Strong Female Leads, featuring poet and National Book Award finalist Patricia Smith; cartoonist and zinester Kelly Froh; and poet Arlene Kim; with new music from Katie Kate.

On March 1, the series closes with work on the theme You Are Here, featuring poet and novelist Chris Abani; Cheryl Strayed, Portland author of "Wild"; and Bainbridge author Jonathan Evison, whose novel "Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving" is out this fall. New music from Joy Mills.

All events are at Richard Hugo House on Capitol Hill (hugohouse.org).

Seattle Arts & Lectures: This year marks this lecture series' 25th anniversary. Here's the fall 2012 lineup: Sept. 19, New York Times simple- and healthful-eating guru Mark Bittman; Sept. 24, novelist T.C. Boyle; Oct. 2, poet Dean Young; Oct. 10, New Yorker staff writer and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin; Oct. 15, novelist Louise Erdrich; Oct. 23, British novelist Hari Kunzru; Nov. 15, poets Maggie Nelson and Eileen Meyles; Dec. 5, filmmaker and writer Miranda July. SAL's series continues into 2013; for the complete list go to www.lectures.org.

Trainwreck

Moving back into summer, on Aug. 16 the local nonprofit Seattle7Writers is hosting a fundraiser titled "TRAINWRECK: A Celebration of Bad Celebrity Memoirs." Several local novelists and literary personalities will compete for the "coveted Golden Thighmaster award." At 7 p.m. at the The JewelBox Theater at the Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., in Belltown; a $5 cover could get you into all kinds of mischief. For more information, go to www.seattle7writers.org.

Summer-fiction pileup

A colleague here at The Times wandered onto the Seattle Public Library website, thinking she would reserve a copy of "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, the suspense novel that's been riding high atop the best-seller lists all summer. There are 1,497 holds for 150 copies of this book! The erotic blockbuster "Fifty Shades of Grey" is next with 1,270 holds. After that: Jess Walter's "Beautiful Ruins" (566 holds), Hilary Mantel's "Bring Up the Bodies" (497 holds) and Tana French's "Broken Harbor" (493 holds).

Mary Ann Gwinn: 206-464-2357 or mgwinn@seattletimes.com. Gwinn appears every Tuesday on TVW's "Well Read," discussing books with host Terry Tazioli (go to www.tvw.org/shows/well-read for archived episodes). On Twitter @gwinnma.