Cristina Garcia

Before they pack up and head north (to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs) for their summer session, the New York State Writers Institute will host one more distinguished author at UAlbany: Cuban-American novelist and journalist Cristina Garcia. Her most recent novel, 2007’s A Handbook to Luck, intertwined the stories of three immigrants to the United States from Cuba, El Salvador and Iran. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award, and won the Kafka and Whiting awards. Cristina Garcia will read from her work tonight (Thursday, May 8) at 8 PM in the Campus Center Assembly Hall (University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany). The event is free. Also today, Garcia will give a seminar at 4:15 PM in Room 340 of the Science Library (UAlbany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany). Reservations are required. For more info, call 442-5620.

Readings/Signings

Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River St., Troy. 5/13, 7 PM: A reading and slide presentation by author Darby Penny on The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic. 273-0552.

Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren St., Hudson. 5/10, 6:30 PM: A reading and book signing of three novels by authors Hillary Jordan, Jennifer Cody Epstein, and James Cañón. Free. 822-1438.

New York State Writers Institute, Assembly Hall, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany. 5/8, 8 PM: Cuban-American fiction writer Cristina Garcia will discuss her new novel A Handbook to Luck. 442-5620.

Discussions / Workshops

Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave., Albany. 5/13, 12:15 PM: Meet author Robert Knightly, who will discuss the process of writing short mystery stories. 472-9485.

Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave., Delmar. 5/14, 7 PM: After Dinner Books presents The Coffee Trader by David Liss. 439-9314.

Borders Books & Music, Second Floor, 59 Wolf Road, Colonie. 5/13, 6:30 PM: Weekly Fiction Writers Workshop. Peer group, free, all writers of fiction welcomed. 434-8856.

Schenectady County Public Library, 99 Clinton St., Schenectady. 5/8, 2 PM: Non-fiction group to discuss The Road from Coorian by Jill Ker Conway. 5/13, 2 PM: Book club to discuss The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. 7 PM: Book club to discuss The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 388-4501.