A passel of literary events tonight:

LitPAC & Laughing Liberally Lab-SF Present a benefit for Slain Iraqi Comedian Walid Hassan featuring renowned writers Daniel Handler of Lemony Snicket, Andrew Sean Greer of Confessions of Max Tivoli, Michelle Tea of Valencia and Rent Girl, plus comedians, Joe Klocek, Sal Calanni of sketch group Tossing Alice, Ali Mafi of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, Samantha Chanse, Kurt Weitzmann and more. The benefit will be hosted by Nato Green of Iron Comic and Stephen Elliott of LitPAC. Hassan, who was murdered in Baghdad on Nov. 20, was one of the foremost comedians in Iraq and creator of the sketch comedy show "Caricatures" on al-Sharkiya TV, which made fun not only of the US Army and Iraqi authorities but also the Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias. This event goes down at lit-star haven, The Makeout Room (3225 22nd St. between Mission and Valencia). (7:00-9:30)

Over in North Beach, where the Beat spirit stays alive, Live Worms Gallery (1345 Grant Ave between Vallejo & Green) hosts the book release for Secret City, a new collection of poetry by Jennifer Barone, co-host of WordParty Tuesdays at Club Deluxe, and an art exhibit by her father, the painter Edward Barone. There will be a reading from the author and a live jazz band. (7-10pm)

And this just in, the swanky Hotel Metropolis (25 Mason St.) presents the first event in its weekly series, Sneak Peek Literary Lounge, featuring novelist Marianna Cherry, reading from her new book, Hard Left, about love, nihilism and two punk rock college kids unnaturally bound together after a kidnapping in Colombia. Free light refreshments from Farmer Brown, which has drawn raves for farm-fresh soul food. (6-8pm)