Good Day for Monday, October 27

Patrick Bruel and Cécile de France star in "A Secret." (Courtesy photo)

'A Secret': A teenager discovers a dark secret that ties his family’s history to the Holocaust in this French dramatic film centering on a Jewish family saga. [Presidio Theatre, 2340 Chestnut St., S.F.; (415) 776-2388]

Person in town

Marilynne Robinson: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Housekeeping” and “Home,” appears in conversation. [8 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]

Lectures

Election issues: Writers and editors, including New York Times columnist Frank Rich, weigh in on big election issues. [6 p.m., JW Marriott, 500 Post St., S.F.]

Georgian democracy: Two experts discuss developments affecting democracy, politics and civil society in the nation of Georgia. [6 p.m., World Affairs Council, 312 Sutter St., S.F.]

Literary

David Sedaris: The bestselling author appears in an evening of recollections and readings. [8 p.m., War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]

Allison Amend: The short-story writer reads from “Things That Pass for Love.” [8 p.m., Dog Eared Books, 900 Valencia St., S.F.]

Dave Boling: The author introduces and signs “Guernica,” about the town firebombed on the eve of World War II. [7 p.m., “M” is for Mystery bookstore, 86 E. Third Ave., San Mateo; (650) 401-8077]

Marc Kielburger: The children’s rights advocate introduces a blueprint for change and signs “Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.” [7 p.m., Kepler’s bookstore, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; (650) 324-4321]

Colleges

Classical music: Pianist William Wellborn and the Ives Quartet perform works by Scarlatti, Haydn, Liszt and Beach. [8 p.m., Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St., S.F.]

Public libraries

‘Climate Project’: The program, presented in Cantonese, looks at climate change. The slide show is based on “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore’s documentary. [7 p.m., Sunset Branch, 1305 18th Ave., S.F.]

Finding services online: Session focuses on how to locate government agencies, community groups and services on the Web. [3 p.m., Main Library, Training Center, 100 Larkin St., S.F.]

Halloween Hullabaloo!: Come in costume and be prepared for stories, songs and scares at the Halloween party. [7 p.m., Main Library, 840 W. Orange Ave., South San Francisco]

Mask Making from Art in Action: Artists from Bay Area cooperative Art in Action lead children in a colorful, mask-making project; for children ages 5 and up. [4 p.m. Woodside Library, 3140 Woodside Road; (650) 851-0147]

The City

‘Halloween Heroes’: Halloween-themed celebration honors local athletes, including 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Proceeds benefit the Exploratorium’s Children’s Outreach Program and the Junior Giants. [6:30 p.m., Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon St., S.F.]

‘The World of Nick Adams’: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and other famous actors take part in an all-star reading featuring stories by Ernest Hemingway. Proceeds benefit Paul Newman’s Painted Turtle camp. [7 p.m., Davies Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]

Dining Out

Farallon Restaurant: Chefs Mark Franz and Ryan Simas’ featured appetizer is Monterey squid stuffed with grilled chopped squid and marjoram. It is served on braised cranberry beans with shaved garlic. Tempura-fried tentacles top it off. Today’s recommended entree is roasted Washington steelhead. It is served with celery-root puree, bacon-roasted brussels sprouts and sauce beurre rouge. [450 Post St.; (415) 956-6969]