LITERARY: World-renowned Mexican poet and environmentalist Homero Aridjis will read from Solar Poems, his collection of poems that "range from the humorous to the poignant, transcending the boundary between life and death." Lawrence Ferlinghetti will also read several poems from the bilingual edition of his book, What is Poetry?/¿Qué es la Poesîa?, which Aridjis translated.

7 p.m. // City Lights Books (261 Columbus Ave) // free

FOOD: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents the first night of Taste, an all-sensory, site-specific, collaborative installation using food, art, and conversation to respond to the exhibitions on view in YBCA's first floor galleries. The event runs through Sunday, and each day features a different menu and topics.

6 to 8 p.m. // Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (701 Mission St) // free w/ Gallery admission

ART: Amanda Quiroz, a BFA Painting and Drawing student at California College of the Arts, presents Empathy for Entropy, a solo exhibition focusing on minute, and often overlooked, particles.

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. // California College of the Arts, Bruce Gallery: West A (1111 8th St) // free