Weds., May 12 It's one thing to forget Mother's Day, ...

May 12 It's one thing to forget Mother's Day, but no good American forgets Nathaniel Hawthorne's bicentennial twice in a row. The New-York Historical Society presents Hawthorne Revisited: Essays on America's First Novelist (6:30, $4-$7). Here's a nifty mental exercise to get you in the mood: Try to imagine the national literary bloodline from The Blithedale Romance to The Corrections.

If you're looking for something more contemporary and precocious, Amy Stern hosts the latest Happy Ending reading at the Happy Ending Bar. Past readers include Molly Ringwald and Journa-liar Stephen Glass (10, free).

Thurs., May 13 You're walking around through the depths of Park Slope and the overwhelming urge to go to a poetry reading overtakes you. Head, post haste, to Barbès. At 7, Miss Corpus author Clay McLeod Chapman will read. Late Bloomer, a short film based on a McLeod Chapman short story, will follow (free).

Sat., May 15 To balance out the predominantly secular nature of the readings this week, we present God's Spoken Word. Alicia Foxworth lords over an evening of uplifting, enlightening poetry at the Union United Methodist Church (7, $15, $12 adv.). You'll go for the snacks, stay for the Bible trivia.

Mon., May 17 Tonight the ferocious center-right flame-throwing blogger Andrew Sullivan pundit-icates on gay marriage and reads from Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con, A Reader at the Chelsea Barnes & Noble (7, free). Uptown, Jane Smiley and Robert Stone will be holding court at the 92 St. Y. Smiley will be reading from her latest, Good Faith, and Stone, we're guessing, will be reading from Bay of Souls, even though it came out over a year ago (8, $16).

Tues., May 18 Former Essence magazine editor Jenyne M. Raines appears at the Court St. Barnes & Noble and reads from her sassy new book Beautylicious: The Black Girl's Guide to the Fabulous Life (7, free).

On a slightly different tip, non-beautylicious white boy journalist Joseph B. Treaster will read from and discuss Paul Volcker: The Making of a Financial Legend at Coliseum Books (6, free). The talk will cover the most compelling moments of Volcker's 50 years in finance and public service—from his days as chairman of the Federal Reserve through his efforts to recover billions in lost savings of Holocaust victims from Swiss banks.

Barbès, 376 9th St. (6th Ave.), Park Slope, 718-965-9177; Coliseum Books, 11 W. 42nd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-803-5890; Happy Ending Bar, 302 Broome St. (Forsythe St.), 212-334-9676; New-York Historical Society, 2 W. 77th St. (Central Park W.), 212-873-3400; 92nd St. Y 1395 Lexington Ave. (92nd St.), 212-415-5500; Chelsea Barnes & Noble, 675 6th Ave. (21st St.), 212-727-1227; Court St. Barnes & Noble, 106 Court St. (State St.), Brooklyn, 718-246-4996; Union United Methodist Church, 121 New York Ave. (betw. Dean & Bergen Sts.), Brooklyn, 718-399-3212.