DREW BROCKINGTON: Minneapolis-based author/illustrator introduces “Catstronauts #7: Cosmic Clutter,” the latest in his Catstronauts series, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.

S. BARBARA HILYER: Discusses “Legacy Lost: Passing Across the Color Line.” 7 p.m. Thursday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

CASEY JOHNSTON: Presents “A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

THREE WRITERS: Stan Kusunoki, Liz Weir and Paula Cisewski read from their most recent books. 2 p.m. Aug. 17, Big Hill Books, 405 Penn Ave. S., Mpls.

CHUCK TINGLE: Presents his novel “Lucky Day,” in which eight million people are killed in various ways in one day and a professor and special agent trace the calamity to a casino’s success. 7 p.m. Aug. 17, Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls., presented by Magers & Quinn. $40 in advance, $45 at the door (includes a signed copy of the book). Reservation information at magersandquinn.com.

What else is going on?

• We lost one funny, talented lady in July when Pat Dennis died of cancer. Dennis’s friend Todd Jay, writing on Facebook, called her “talented, funny, supportive, caring.” Dennis worked for years at casinos as well as retirement parties, corporate gatherings, sales meetings, church groups and clubs. Then she turned to writing without any formal training. Among her humorous mystery books are “Hotdish to Die For,” and “Stand-Up and Die,” as well as the Betty Chance mysteries “Murder by Chance,” “Killed by Chance” and “Dead by Chance.”  One of her most quirky is “Who Died in There?” — made up of crimes committed in bathrooms. May she keep the angels laughing.

Wally Lamb (Shana Sureck / Simon & Schuster)

• Individual tickets for Wally Lamb’s visit to Friends of the Hennepin County Library’s Pen Pals reading series go on sale Tuesday for his Oct. 9 and 10 appearances at Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins. Lamb is the bestselling novelist whose latest is “The River is Waiting.” $35-59. Reservations: 612-543-8112.

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