Who’s in town
Singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco performs. [8 p.m., The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd., S.F.]
Lectures
Chris Rainier: The National Geographic magazine explorer and leading documentary photographer appears in conversation with journalist Mary Ellen Hannibal. [8 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
James A. Winnefeld Jr.: The commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command discusses international and interagency challenges and opportunities for his commands. [6 p.m., Marines’ Memorial Club, 609 Sutter St., S.F.]
Neighborhood library: The program provides a virtual tour of the plans for a new North Beach public library. [12:30 p.m., SPUR, 654 Mission St., S.F.]
Literary events
Susan Rosenberg: The radical political activist and social-justice advocate talks about “An American Radical.” [7 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore, 888 Valencia St., S.F.]
Linda Reid: The novelist talks about “Devil Wind.” [7 p.m., “M” Is for Mystery, 86 E. Third Ave., San Mateo]
David Kirp: The UC Berkeley professor and social policy expert talks about “Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming Children’s Lives and America’s Future.” [7 p.m., Books Inc., 3515 California St., S.F.]
Steven Levy: The veteran technology reporter talks about “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives.” [7 p.m., Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View; register: (650) 810-1898]
At the colleges
Writer program: USF’s master’s in writing program presents a reading and Q&A with author Tamim Ansary. [7:45 p.m., USF, Berman Room, Fromm Hall, 2130 Fulton St., S.F.]
West Coast artists: Works by artists originally from, or working in, the West Coast are on view in an exhibit titled “Route 2: Undisclosed Destination.” [11 a.m. to 6 p.m., California College of the Arts, 1111 Eighth St., S.F.]
At the public library
New media: A town-hall talk focuses on the progress made toward building sustainable, quality journalism to replace coverage lost by the downsizing of print media. [6 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., S.F.]
Baseball writers: Jason Turbow, Missy Roback, Dan Fost and Al Saracevic share their baseball-themed writing. Alan Black moderates the event. [6:30 p.m., Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Room, 100 Larkin St., S.F.]
Local activities
Lone stars: Family dynamics are the theme of the April edition of “Words First,” a solo-theater show. Lisa Marie Rollins, Louis Jackson, Nicole Maxali and Maria Grazia Affinito perform. [7:30 p.m., CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission St., S.F.]
Stand-up comedy: Comedian Don “D.C.” Curry, seen on BET’s “Comic View” and in the films “Next Friday” and “Friday After Next,” performs a standup show. [8 p.m., Yoshi’s, 1330 Fillmore St., S.F.]
Text intentions: Performer Silvia Girardi presents “All I Wanted to Say,” her multimedia performance about digital-age communication and the connection we long for. [8 p.m., The Garage, 975 Howard St., S.F.]
Dining out
Sens: Chef Dane Boryta recommends three new dishes featuring seasonal crops. First is a grilled rib-eye steak with three-mushroom jus, asparagus and roasted garlic-herb potatoes. Second is California lamb shank with baby artichokes and orzo and fennel salad with cherry tomato. Finally, look for a lamb’s lettuce salad with strawberry, pistachio and Banyuls vinaigrette. [4 Embarcadero Center, S.F., (415) 362-0645]
