Salman Rushdie Tonight

If you're hankering for a little bit of controversy and a lot of culture tonight, Sir Salman Rushdie will be reading from his new novel, The Enchantress of Florence. Enchantress is a sort of Arabian Nights, set when a European traveler captures the court of Emperor Akbar, lord of the Mughal Empire, with a story about a beautiful and mysterious woman's travel to far off Florence.

Even if Enchantress doesn't sound like your cup of tea, Rushdie is amazing live. His theater background and acting training make him at ease in front of an audience, and listening to his work in his own voice makes our heart all aflutter.

Salman Rushdie Reading. Tonight 6 p.m. Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Harold Washington Library, 400 State St.