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Tuesday

Michael Shapiro knows a thing or two about cyberspace. Or three—which is the number of books he’s written about travel and the Internet. In A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Lives, Craft and Inspiration, the Web head proves he’s not just an obsessive mouse-clicker but also a talented interviewer. Shapiro goes offline, hits the road, and meets up with writers including Bill Bryson, Frances Mayes, Tim Cahill, and Jan Morris in the United States and Europe. He ventures beyond the craft of travel writing to explore these writers’ lives, hopes, aspirations, and thoughts on the world. Some of the ensuing adventures come off as canned—helping Cahill unearth water pipes from a mucky Montana creek, for example—but the book also offers gripping insights on culture, death, and empowerment. Ponder your next move when Shapiro reads at 7 p.m. at Olsson’s Books & Records, 2111 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Free. (703) 525-4227. (Heather Morgan Shott)