Ah, the reading series, that venerable Bay Area institution. Just stick some writers in front of a mike and watch the fireworks detonate, right? Wrong, so wrong. Many a literary event has fallen by the wayside from a lack of good TNT. But Other magazine editor Charlie Anders' "Writers With Drinks" continues on, five years strong. What's her secret? Variety! As she writes on her Web site, "Variety is more than just the name of Prince's favorite girl-singer sidekick." You're bound to stay interested if you find yourself listening to revered children's author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) one moment and local comedian W. Kamau Bell the next. Throw in a few cartoonists, sex workers, radio hosts, and big-shot authors like Andrew Sean Greer, Vendela Vida, and Michelle Tea — as well as the hostess, a self-described "sheep in women's clothing" — plus booze, lots of booze, and you've got a seriously (and not so seriously) good time.