The Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair will kick off in October with David Wellstone reading from "Becoming Wellstone: Healing From Tragedy and Carrying on My Father's Legacy." The son of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone writes about his parents' death in a plane crash 10 years ago, and remembers his father as loving and involved. He'll speak at 7 p.m. Oct. 18.

Other speakers: Delia Ephron will read from "The Lion Is In," at 7 p.m. Oct. 25; Eyal Press will discuss "Beautiful Souls," at 7 p.m. Oct. 28; Alicia Oltuski will discuss "Precious Objects," at 7 p.m. Nov. 4; Matt Biers-Ariel will discuss "The Bar Mitzvah and the Beast," at 7 p.m. Nov. 7; Deborah Feldman will discuss "Unorthodox," at 7 p.m. Nov. 17.

The Wellstone event is free. All others are $9. All events will be at the St. Paul Jewish Community Center, 1375 St. Paul Av., St. Paul.

Also ...

• The 23rd Sinclair Lewis Writers Conference will be Oct. 13 in Sauk Centre, Lewis' hometown. Keynote speaker will be Don Shelby, journalist and author of "The Season Never Ends." Workshops will be taught by poet Heid Erdrich and children's author Doug Wood. (I'll be there, too.) Cost is $60. Register at www.saukherald. com/ftp/writers/.

• The free annual Twin Cities Book Festival, sponsored by Rain Taxi Review, will be Oct. 13 at the State Fairgrounds. For a full list of speakers, go to www.raintaxi.com.

• Sheila O'Connor's "Keeping Safe the Stars" will be published in October by Putnam. It's the story of three children (and a dog named Woody Guthrie) who are cared for by their grandfather, until he falls ill. Book launch will be 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Wild Rumpus, 2720 W. 43rd St., Mpls., and 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at Red Balloon, 891 Grand Av., St. Paul.

• Laura Childs' latest mystery, "Postcards From the Dead," will be published in October by Berkley and will be launched at noon Oct. 6 at Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th St., Mpls.

• "Mysterious Minnesota: Digging Up the Ghostly Past at 13 Haunted Sites," by Adrian Lee, is just out from Llewellyn Publications. Book launch will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the (haunted) Mounds Theater, 1029 Hudson Road, St. Paul.

• The sixth Motherhood & Words Reading will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Open Book, 1011 Washington Av. S., Mpls. Created by Twin Cities writer Kate Hopper (author of "Use Your Words"), this year's event will include authors Debra Gwartney and Amie Klempnauer Miller.