Scott MacFarlane, whom I interviewed last June about his book, “The Hippie Narrative” (one of my “Best Books” of 2007), emailed me about a course he’s offering through Western Washington University’s Academy of Lifelong Learning.

His book is subtitled “A Literary Perspective on the Counterculture,” and if you missed my interview with him, you should know that MacFarlane is one of the first scholars to look at the works of the late 1960s and early 1970s in depth, in relation to each other and with the perspective of that tumultuous time of radical change.

For more about the course, click here

As someone who came of age during that time, I am particularly interested in the works of such writers as Richard Brautigan, Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson and others.

Surfing a bit, I came across a couple of Web sites that are insightful and informative.

To learn more, click here

and here

So carry on, check them out, and dig it, readers.

Spokane may be known for its fragrant Lilac Festival that takes place each May, but April brings another delightful scent to the valley — that of good books.

The Get Lit! Festival, billed as the “Northwest’s Best Festival for Readers and Writers,” features award-winning novelist Diana Abu-Jaber, Turkish-born Yesho Atil, former Western Washington University student D.S. Butterworth, social critic Naomi Wolf, poet Thomas Lynch, Montana’s David James Duncan, social commentator Karen Karbo, poetry columnist B.T. Shaw and many others, April 16-19 in Spokane and Cheney.

Sponsored by Eastern Washington University Press, the festival began in 1997 as a way to “inform the regional community with nationally and internationally renowned authors and poets, while it also increases awareness of the exceptional literary talent living and writing in the greater Inland Northwest.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in poetry slams (including some for teens and younger children), writing workshops and panel discussions.

Click here for a complete schedule of events and registration information.