Cory Doctorow wants my royalty check, but I tolerate him anyway. Science-fiction author, essayist, and co-editor of the anti-copyright, pro-file-sharing tech blog BoingBoing, Doctorow and his fellow, ahem, “netizens” are part of a diabolical cultural shift that insists the music industry should die quietly because rock ’n’ roll ain’t worth paying for. Doctorow pimps his new novel, Homeland, at Busboys and Poets tonight; I’ll distribute 500 free photocopies of the book outside. Read more>>> Cory Doctorow speaks at 6:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. Free. (202) 387-7638. busboysandpoets.com. (Justin Moyer)

EAT THIS

Last week’s Y&H column looked at the rise of hand-carved ice and “ice programs” at D.C.-area bars. The idea of artisan ice provoked some pretty harsh reactions on Twitter—-like, “somebody please punch me in the face” and “historians will look back at articles like this and find evidence of our Roman collapse.” If you had a similar reaction, we suggest you head to Hank’s Oyster Bar on the Hill where Gina Chersevani and her bar team might change your mind with excellent cocktails made better with cubes hand-carved from a 25 pound block. The dense, clear ice means your drink won’t get watered down as fast. Plus, it’s pretty cool to watch bartenders wield big knives. Hank’s Oyster Bar, 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 733-1971. hanksoysterbar.com. (Jessica Sidman)

OH AND ALSO

Mike Birbiglia‘s tales of sleepwalking have taken him pretty far: The story of how his nighttime affliction ended a long-term relationship and, more violently, caused him to leap out of a second-story window has been recounted in his stand-up act, a book, a one-man show on Broadway, a This American Life segment, and last year’s film Sleepwalk With Me. But I guess Mike must be as sick of that story as we are, because now he’s touring to support his newest one-man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend.” This new show promises to “share a lifetime of romantic blunders and miscues that most adults would spend a lifetime trying to forget”—-which is arguably the entirety of Birbiglia’s schtick. But his awkward candor, impeccable timing, and endearingly befuddled delivery often work in his favor. Mike Birbiliga performs today through Friday at Georgetown University’s Gonda Theatre. 8 p.m. $15-$30. Thursday and Friday shows sold out online. (Matt Cohen)

Watergate is the latest in a string of novels in which Thomas Mallon has reimagined Washington’s political conscience, or lack thereof: His 1994 debut, Henry and Clara, followed the couple who shared Lincoln’s box at Ford’s Theatre, while 2007’s Fellow Travelers explored homophobia in the State Department in the McCarthy era. For this PEN/Faulkner event he’s joined by William Kennedy, who in his novels has performed similar services on behalf of his native Albany, N.Y. Washington Post publisher Katherine Weymouth leads the discussion. 7:30 p.m. at the Folger Elizabethan Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. $15. (Mark Athitakis)

In case you missed her in discussion at the Folger a few weeks ago, author Karen Russell discusses her latest story collection, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, at Politics & Prose. 7 p.m. at Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free.

PJ Harveyesque singer Torres is already approved by Pitchfork. Check her out at DC9 and see if you agree. 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $8.

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