WHO’S IN TOWN
Violinist Corey Cerovsek appears in recital. [7:30 p.m., Schultz Cultural Arts Hall, Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto]
Lectures
Akiva Tor: The consul general for Israel for the Pacific Northwest discusses the conditions required for advancing peace in the Middle East. [Noon, Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Particle physics: Physicist Richard Breedon and artist Marianne Ryan discuss how the Large Hadron Collider experiments could change our view of the universe. [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Leon Wieseltier: The cultural critic and New Republic literary editor speaks on the “Post Post-Holocaust Era in America.” Alana Newhouse, from Tablet Magazine, joins him. [7 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St., S.F.]
Literary events
Susan Freinkel: The journalist talks about “Plastic: A Toxic Love Story.” [7:30 p.m., Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F.]
Poetry night: Twice-monthly “Poets” program features poet Jerry Ferraz and mentor, falconer and philosopher Sterling Bunnell. An open-mic session follows. [7 p.m., Bird & Beckett Books and Records, 653 Chenery St., S.F.]
‘Bee-In’: Evening, benefiting Small Press Distributions, features drinks, an auction and a spelling bee. Spellers include Robert Avila, Susie Bright and Cara Black, to name a few. [6:30 p.m., Crown Point Gallery, 20 Hawthorne St., S.F.]
At the colleges
Charles Baxter: The novelist and poet reads from his work. [8 p.m., Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University]
At the public library
Old-movie series: “Bullitt” (1968), directed by Peter Yates and starring Steve McQueen, is the feature attraction. [11 a.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., S.F.]
Homework help: Volunteers assist K-7 students with homework assignments. [4 to 6 p.m., Mission Branch, 300 Bartlett St., S.F.]
Celebration: Contemporary Jewish Museum presents “Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories,” an exhibit of artistic and archival materials that illuminates Stein’s life and role in art. [11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 736 Mission St., S.F.]
Local actvities
Plant life: Oxalis oregana, a ground cover with heart-shaped leaflets and pink and white flowers, is in bloom at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, home to more than 8,000 types of plants. [9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Golden Gate Park, S.F.]
Public-works tour: In celebration of National Public Works Week, the Department of Public Works is offering free public tours. Today’s site: the Transbay Terminal. [1 p.m., 201 Mission St., Suite 2100, S.F.; www.sfdpw.org]
Slithering heights: The California Academy of Sciences presents “Snakes and Lizards,” an exhibit featuring more than 60 live snakes and lizards from five continents. [9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Golden Gate Park, S.F.]
