BEST BET

Watching the man on the bus read Ed McBain’s “Three Blind Mice,” we made a mental note to get to a library or bookstore quickly. Being without a good yarn ourselves at the moment, the expression on the man’s face, a mixture of bliss and silent satisfaction, was both comforting and hard to take. Call it word envy. We realized how much the very personal act of reading meant to us. So when we saw the item about Sylvia Holderer’s “Voices on the Printed Page,” it was hard to resist calling to find out more about it. “It’s a celebration of literacy,” said Esther Cole, the program’s coordinator and a board member of the Westside Literacy Coalition, which is sponsoring the short three-act play. The event, which includes other speakers, will be held Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at the Santa Monica Library Auditorium, 1343 6th St., Santa Monica. Food and refreshments will be provided by the Broadway Deli. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For information, call (213) 397-0298.