Who's in town
JudyAnn Bigby: Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services, discusses the impact that health care reform in Massachusetts has had on coverage, access to care and costs. [Noon, UCSF, Cole Hall, 513 Parnassus Ave., S.F.]
Lectures
Dr. Ruth Westheimer: The psychosexual therapist, who pioneered the field of media psychology with her radio program “Sexually Speaking,” gives a talk. [7 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St., S.F.]
Literary events
Helen Benedict: The novelist and journalist talks about “Sand Queen,” her sixth novel. [7:30 p.m., Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F.]
Youth event: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson talk about “The Bridge to Never Land,” the latest book in their “Peter and the Starcatchers” series. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books and Magazines, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Book group: The Hands On Bay Area Book Club discusses “Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America,” by Paul Tough. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 301 Castro St., Mountain View]
At the colleges
Yun-Fei Ji: The China-born artist, who uses landscape painting to expose the dark effects of industrial development on contemporary life, discusses his work. [7:30 p.m., San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St., S.F.]
Architecture talk: Structural engineer Guy Nordenson, of Guy Nordenson and Associates, speaks. His projects include New York City’s Museum of Modern Art expansion. [7 p.m., California College of the Arts, 1111 Eighth St., S.F.]
Faculty recital: Professor Victoria Neve continues a series of recitals exploring the piano works of American composer George Crumb. [1 p.m., SFSU, Knuth Hall, Creative Arts building, 1600 Holloway Ave., S.F.]
Nursing program: USF’s School of Nursing presents an overview of its master’s and doctoral degree options. [4 p.m., USF, Lone Mountain campus, Room 203, 2800 Turk Blvd., S.F.]
At the public library
Aging positively: The library’s Access Services hosts “Staying Engaged for a Lifetime,” a course focusing on how to age positively as social relationships change. [1:30 p.m., Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Room, 100 Larkin St., S.F.]
Local activities
Blues giant: B.B. King, blues legend, multiple Grammy winner, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, appears in concert. Buddy Guy shares the bill. [8 p.m., Nob Hill Masonic Center, 1111 California St., S.F.]
Jazz and poetry: Jazz artist and writer David Amram presents an evening of poetry and jazz titled “The San Francisco/New York Connection: Alive and Well in North Beach.” [7 p.m., Beat Museum, 540 Broadway, S.F.]
Opera production: The San Francisco Opera presents Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia.” Libretto is by Felice Romani. Soprano Renee Fleming appears in the title role. [7:30 p.m., War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Art reception: The Commonwealth Club hosts a meet-the-artists reception for “One Room, Many Voices,” a group exhibition of printmaking. [5 to 7 p.m., 595 Market St., S.F.]
Dining out
First Crush Restaurant, Wine Bar, and Lounge: Chef Johnny Nguyen’s menu features innovative American cuisine made with local, organic, and sustainable ingredients. Recommended today is the grilled natural rib-eye steak, which is served on a bed of duck-fat potato hash. Creamed spinach and bordelaise sauce complete the dish. [101 Cyril Magnin, S.F.; (415) 982-7874]
