January 26

This evening, the Radical Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reading Group holds a kick-off meeting. The meeting will focus on collecting ideas and creating a spring schedule. Some suggested authors and tittles include: Quinn's "Ishmael", Le Guin's "Dispossessed"; and Dick's "Penultimate Truth”. This is at Escape Coffeehouse, 916 Williamson Street, at 6:30. For more details, call 262-9036.

Tonight, the Jewish Cultural Collective hosts Joshua Braff. He will speak on his book The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green about a witty, sensitive boy observes the darkly humorous goings-on in his Orthodox Jewish family in 1970s New Jersey. The Jewish Cultural Collective is a student group on campus dedicated to bringing Jewish arts and culture to campus for everyone. This is at Hillel, 611 Langdon Street, at 7:30. For more information, call Lisa Heilbronner at 438-6684.

This weekend, Saint Vincent de Paul holds a “Recycle the Warmth” Blanket Drive. They are seeking donations of blankets and other bedding to help provide comfort to low-income families and individuals throughout 2006. Collection points are the four Madison-area ShopKo stores and the five Saint Vincent de Paul thrift stores. They will collect donations of blankets and funds from 9 to 5 tomorrow and Saturday. For more information or to get the addresses of the locations, call the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at 278-2920 or by check www.svdpmadison.org.