Journalist Masha Gessen has chronicled the lives of members of the revolutionary Russian punk band Pussy Riot, taken on Vladimir Putin’s oppressive policies, and explored her own genetic mutations in order to explain how the human genome works. As a gay Russian expat, Gessen is able to report on these topics with a certain amount of familiarity, and her latest volume is no different. In The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy, she uses her own childhood experience as a Russian immigrant to the Boston area to tell the story of the Tsarnaev brothers and how they came to set off bombs at the Boston Marathon. Read more >>> Masha Gessen reads at 6:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets Brookland, 625 Monroe St. NE. Free. (202) 636-7230. busboysandpoets.com. (Caroline Jones)

EAT THIS

El Centro D.F. kicked off its summer Guacamole Festival yesterday. Now through September 30, try four guacs that capture the range of flavor combinations from various regions of Mexico. Prepared tableside, the guacamoles runs from $12.55 to $14.75. Post a photo of the guacamole specials on Instagram with the #GUACFEST2015 hashtag and tag @ElCentro_DF for the chance to win a dinner for two. El Centro D.F., 1819 14th St. NW,  (202) 328-3131; 1218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, (202) 333-4100. richardsandoval.com/elcentrodf. (Olivia Adams)

OH AND ALSO

Indie pop quartet San Cisco takes the stage at the Black Cat with Mothxr, the Brooklyn-based indie rock act featuring former Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley. 7:30 p.m. at 1811 14th St. NW. $15.

Discover the secrets of the Marinera, the national dance of Peru, at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater tonight. Presented as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the performance features native dancers who will explain their movements to the audience. 6 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. Free.

Electronic duo Basement Jaxx performs at 9:30 Club with local producer and mural artist Ozker. 7 p.m. at 815 V St. NW. $35.