HISTORY: Check out the Authors' Forum at the Old Mint tonight and learn about Jewish immigrant, Isaias Hellman, "creator" of California; the Chinatown police department from the Gold Rush to present day; Juana Briones de Miranda, one of the first residents of what is now San Francisco; and how San Francisco transformed into a metropolis overnight due to the Gold Rush.

4 to 6 p.m. // The Old Mint (88 5th St) // free (members), $5 (non-members), RSVP at (415) 537-1105 ext. 100 or [email protected]

THEATER: There are a few more showings of A Round-Heeled Woman, starring Sharon Gless (who totally freaked us out on Nip/Tuck a couple of seasons back), which closes on Sunday. The play is based on Jane Juska's book A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance. Titillating!

7 p.m. // Z Space (450 Florida St) // $30-50 (buy tickets)

LITERARY: Author Carol Sklenicka's new book Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life tells the little-known story of Carver's early years -- what he and his wife went through in order for Carver to become a writer and the affect he had on those around him. The book draws on hundreds of interviews of those who knew Carver, plus ten years worth of research at libraries and private collections.

7 p.m. // Booksmith (1644 Haight St) // free