Who’s in town
Author Colson Whitehead presents “Zone One,” his latest novel. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Lectures
‘Success and Chocolate’: Chocolatiers and businesswomen share the joys and challenges of creating a business around a beloved treat. [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Global town hall: World Affairs Council’s International Forum holds its July discussion. “Syria: Between a Rock and a Hard Place” is the theme. [6:30 p.m., WAC, 312 Sutter St., S.F.]
LaborFest: The labor festival hosts a talk titled “Fukushima, Nuclear Power and Labor.” Speakers discuss nuclear contamination in Japan and safety issues facing workers in the U.S. [7 p.m., ILWU Local 34, 801 Second St., S.F.]
Literary events
Chuck Palahniuk: The novelist talks about “Invisible Monsters Remix.” [7 p.m., Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., S.F.]
Poetry night: Poets Jerry Martien and Carlos Suarez read from their work. An open-mic session follows. [7 p.m., Bird and Beckett Books and Records, 653 Chenery St., S.F.]
Robert Goolrick: The best-selling author talks about “Heading Out to Wonderful,” a novel. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1375 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame]
At the colleges
Bach festival: American Bach Soloists’ summer Bach festival presents a program of Bach cantatas and works by Baroque masters, performed by academy artists. [8 p.m., San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St., S.F.]
At the public library
Preparing for kindergarten: The workshop provides information for parents about what to expect when children enter kindergarten. [7 p.m., West Portal Branch, 190 Lenox Way, S.F.]
Local activities
African music: Sierra Leone’s Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang appear; the band plays a modernized version of bubu, adding electric studio instrumentation to the traditional sound. [8 p.m., Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St., S.F.]
LaborFest: The Labor festival, with San Francisco City Guides, hosts a history walk titled “1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.” [10 a.m.; meet at Market Street Plaza benches, between 525 and 555 Market St., S.F.]
Dinner party: SF Chefs hosts “Family Night: Going Basque,” a meal by chefs Jen Biesty and Alicia Jenish. Partial proceeds go to the Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture. [6:30 p.m., Grand Cafe, 501 Geary St., S.F., details/tickets: www.sfchefsfoodwine.com]
Community concert: Redwood City’s Downtown Jazz series welcomes Octobop, a cool-jazz group act featuring vocalist Lisa Engleken. [6 to 8 p.m., 2600 block of Broadway, Redwood City]
Summer tunes: People in Plazas, a series presenting free concerts in plazas and courtyards in downtown San Francisco, welcomes Saddle Cats, a western-swing act. [Noon, 101 California St., S.F.]
Dining out
A-16: Chef Christopher Thompson’s menu features Italian food, and Monday Meatballs are on the bill today. The meatball is made from pork and contains ground prosciutto. [2355 Chestnut St., S.F.; (415) 771-2216]
