Wednesday, October 7

Border's Book Club discussing The Island by Victoria Hislop. 7pm, Borders' Cafe, 10990 Sunset Hills Plaza, 909-0300. New members always welcome.

Join St. Louis County Library for a discussion about The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. 10:30am, SLCL-Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Dr., 63146, 994-3300.

Washington University Assembly Series with the Elliot Stein Lecture in Ethics welcomes Harold Ford Jr., the former Democratic Congressman from Tennessee who lost a close senatorial bid in 2006 and now chairs the Democratic Leadership Council, is a vice president at Merrill Lynch, and teaches public policy at Vanderbilt University. 4pm, WU Danforth Campus, Graham Chapel, 935-4620.

You are invited to the 42nd Annual St. Louis Literary Award honoring Salman Rushdie. Book sale and signing at 4:30pm, Award Presentation and Conversation with Salman Rushdie 5:30pm, Busch Student Center, St. Louis University campus, please register on line: www.stlliterary.com or call 977-3145.

Left Bank Books is pleased to present Jamie Ford, the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. 7pm, Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid, 367-6731.