May 5, 2011, Thursday - 15th Annual Wine Tasting at Nicollet Island Pavilion

Time: 5:00pm-08:00pm

Location: Nicollet Island Pavilion

One of the most exciting wine events in Minneapolis.

The Fifteenth Annual East Side Wine Tasting, sponsored by Surdyk’s and River Liquor, will be held at Nicollet Island Pavilion, Thursday, May 5 from 5-8 p.m. The event includes 20 Minneapolis eateries and cafes, a variety of over 200 fine wines, a diverse assortment of famous East Side Cuisine, microbrews, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, a silent auction and live music.

Guests will enjoy treats from northeast restaurants including Stanleys, Sentyrz, Papas Sausage, Jax Café, Cuzzy’s, East Side Good Co-op and Annona Gourmet. Entertainment for the night will be provided by Trio Tipo and St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra. The outdoor patio, overlooking the beautiful St. Anthony & Main Riverside and stunning city views, will feature a Cigar Tent, sponsored by Sarna’s Tobacco, with a variety of cigars and exciting spirits. The silent auction will include over 100 items donated from Minneapolis businesses, individuals and corporations.

Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. Cigar Tent tickets are $10 in advance and at the door. You can purchase tickets for the East Side Wine Tasting at East Side Neighborhood Services or at event sponsor locations, Surdyk’s and River Liquor.

All proceeds from the East Side Wine Tasting will benefit East Side Neighborhood Services, a provider of a human services and direct needs programs since 1915.

For more information about the East Side Wine Tasting, visit www.esns.org/eastsidewinetasting. Eat, drink and give to your community at the Fifteenth Annual East Side Wine Tasting! 612.781.6011

May 4, 2011, Wednesday - Shara Worden with yMusic at The Southern Theater (CANCELLED)

Times:  CANCELLED

Location: Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Avenue South

Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist of My Brightest Diamond, Shara Worden mixes elements of opera, cabaret, chamber music and rock. She shares the stage with conservatory-trained/pop-savvy yMusic, whose members are some of NYC’s most in-demand accompanists. Their credits range from performances with Björk to the New York Philharmonic, Jay-Z to Yo-Yo Ma.

May 4, 2011, Wednesday - The Loft Presents: A PEN World Voices Reading

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Loft Literary Center at Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

PEN American Center was founded in 1922 and is the largest of the 144 PEN centers in 101 countries. With former presidents such as Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer, Susan Sontag, and Salman Rushdie, PEN American Center has remained a writer-centered organization in which members play a leading role. PEN China President Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is our most recent example of our members leading the forefront of the struggle to oppose censorship and defend writers.

Hervé Le Tellier is a writer, journalist, mathematician, food critic, and teacher. He has been a member of the Oulipo since 1992 and one of the “papous” of the famous France Culture radio show. He has published 15 books of stories, essays, and novels. His latest publications include a collection of poetry, Zindien, and a novel, Je m’attache très facilement, which earned him the Guanahani Prize.

David Bezmozgis was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1973. In 1980 he immigrated with his parents to Toronto, where he lives today. Natasha, his first book, was named one of the Los Angeles Times’ Best Books of 2004 and was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, among other honors.

Kyung-sook Shin is the author of numerous works of fiction and is one of South Korea’s most widely read and acclaimed novelists. She has been honored with the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize, as well as France’s Prix de l’Inaperçu. Please Look After Mom is her first book to appear in English and will be published in nineteen countries. Currently a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York City, she lives in Seoul.

Deborah Baker is the author of In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding, a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, as well as A Blue Hand: The Beats in India. She divides her time between Calcutta, Goa, and Brooklyn.