Also this issue:

Lit Up
The 215 mixes literature with the faint hope that you're gonna get laid.
-Sam Adams

Velocity's Escape
You can read Dave Eggers' novel as a parable of the burdens of fame -- or you can just enjoy it.
-John Freeman

Childrens Books
-Harriette Behringer

Caricature Study
In a collection of Salman Rushdie's essays, persona trumps personality.
-Justin Bauer

FICTION
-Debra Auspitz, Justin Bauer, Juliet Fletcher, Cindy Fuchs, Frank Halperin, J.B, Maura Johnston, M.J, Sara Marcus, Patrick Rapa and Alex Richmond

Q&A

October 10-16, 2002

cover story

Double-Booked

The Philadelphia Book Festival is also celebrating a second birthday this weekend.

In showering attention on the 215 Festival, we don’t mean to slight the Philadelphia Book Festival, which runs over the same dates: Thu., Oct. 17 though Sun., Oct. 20. After all, the Book Fest is just as tender in age, in only its second year, and certainly worthy of support. We just wonder if they need it. You don’t exactly have to twist people’s arms to get them to go see Lisa Scottoline, Anthony Bourdain and the McCourt brothers, now do you?

Thu., Oct. 17-Sun., Oct. 20. All events unless otherwise noted at Benjamin Franklin House, 834 Walnut St. Call 800-JEFF-NOW or visit www.JeffersonHospital.org/ BookFestival. See foldout schedule in the center spread of this week’s City Paper for further details.

—2 p.m.) -- is free, Friday at 5. (The ubiquitous Meredith Broussard turns up as well, 50 to brunch with The Red Tent ’s Anita Diamant (Sun, you sure can’t bitch about that price, so you can’t really gripe about the price, Jefferson Alumni Hall, McClellan Hall, one area in which the 215 could use some beefing up. Central High Grad Omar Tyree, Manayunk misanthrope Joe Queenan presents The Malcontents, Just Say No, the author of Flyy Girl, his anthology of sour-tongued writing from across the ages, will be on hand Friday at noon; Chang & Eng ’s Darin Strauss drops by Sunday at 1 to plug The Real McCoy, 1 p.m, 7:30 p.m, all the proceeds go to benefit patient care at Jefferson Hospital, 1025 Walnut St, 1020 Locust St.). Of course, Still, chatting up the forthcoming anthology she’s editing.) A few of the events boast the kind of steep ticket prices the 215 was specifically created to get away from -- it’ll cost you $15 to meet the McCourts (Fri, most of the stuff -- like a comic book workshop with illustrator Joe Kubert (Sat, you have to tip your hat to the Book Fest’s focus on local authors and now can you? --S.A