POETRY/FILM: Peter Coyote will be at Meridian Gallery tonight reading poetry by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, followed by a screening of Ferlinghetti, the 2009 documentary by Christopher Felver, which is "an incisive, sharply wrought portrait that reveals Ferlinghetti's true role as catalyst for numerous literary careers and for the Beat movement itself." (7 to 9 p.m., Meridian Gallery, 535 Powell Street)

COMEDY: Comedian Nato Green, who's described by critics as having "a knack for pushing boundaries” (East Bay Express) and sparing "no sacred cows” (Santa Cruz Weekly), will be performing two shows tonight at Oakland's New Parish, the recordings of which will be included in his first stand-up comedy album, the first known comedy album ever recorded live in Oakland. (7 and 9 p.m., The New Parish, 579 18th Street, Oakland)

PHOTOGRAPHY: Eric Johnson, a professor of art and design at California Polytechnic University, will discuss the photography of the great twentieth century composer Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959), which demonstrates a sensitive composer's eye and reveals Bloch's love for nature and showcases Bloch's many self-portraits and portraits of his family and musical colleagues. (7 to 9 p.m., Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis Street)