Happening Tuesday: Jonathan Gold with Bret Easton Ellis and more

BOOKS

Stacy Schiff There are a lot of theories swirling about Cleopatra, which we like to think of as something like ancient Egypt’s Angelina Jolie. Favorite topics of speculation include her makeup habits, her famous political strategizing and of course, how many lovers she had. Stacy Schiff, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, queries classical sources in order to wring a fresh and exciting take on a woman who still rivets the imagination. For this Aloud event, Schiff will be in discussion with screenwriter Robin Swicord. ALOUD at the Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles. 7 p.m. Free. https://www.lapl.org.

Jonathan Gold & Brett Easton Ellis Two of the town’s most celebrated writers — one for food, the other for fiction — will be discussing their experiences with living and eating in Los Angeles, and their shared fascination with the culture of consumption (gustatory and emotional) in Los Angeles. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 7 p.m. Ticket required, available at the Billy Wilder Theater one hour before the event. (310) 443-7000. hammer.ucla.edu/.

Mary Ruefle Prolific poet, occasional prose writer and one-time comic book creator Mary Ruefle stops by the eccentric Echo Park artist collective Machine Project for a reading — proof that a Guggenheim Fellowship will qualify you for most anything. Machine Project, 1200-D N. Alvarado St., L.A. 8 p.m. Free. https://www.machineproject.com.

POP MUSIC

The Legendary Pink Dots Now that we’re a few decades into industrial music, it’s worth remembering that one of its progenitors, the Legendary Pink Dots, had a view of the genre that felt less bleakly Orwellian and more techno-uptopianist. Now in their 30th year, the Dots are reviving their broad palette for a generation of newly receptive ears. With We Are the World. Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 8:30 p.m. $20. https://www.attheecho.com.