Thursday Happenings

Books

--Charles Bock's Beautiful Children isn't as delicate as it sounds. A couple reels after their child vanishes in the Las Vegas desert--only it's so, so much more than that, and it's received a flood of attention. The Globe thought Bock threw too much into his debut, but everyone seems to agree that he's ambitious. Brookline Booksmith, 7:00 pm, free. Speaking of free, he's letting you download the book without dropping a single dime.

--Adrian Tomine, author of the graphic novel Shortcomings, providing a double header tonight. First, he'll talk about his book (get a preview by reading Bostonist's chat with him), and then he'll introduce the rediscovered classic Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett. Brattle Theatre (via Harvard Book Store), 6:00 pm, $5. Movie at 8:00, $12. $15 for both.

Film Shorts
Audiences rarely get a chance to see film shorts in a theater--even when they've been nominated for an Oscar. ICA presents all the nominees in for the Live Action Film Short Academy Award. You know the winner already, but come with your friends and decide who got robbed. Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Avenue, South Boston, 7:00pm. $7/$9.

Music
Mexican dance-rock outfit Kinky are on tour for their record Reina (Queen). Warning: "Sister Twisted" might make your butt move against its will. Campaign for Real Time will open. Middle East, Cambridge, $20.

Art/Performance/What?
To perform "Working Is The Work", inscrutable participatory researchers The Institute For Infinitely Small Things will "assume the role of ICA laborers in various ways." To what end, we cannot say. Institute for Contemporary Art, 6:30-8:30 pm, free with museum admission.

Rick Sawyer contributed to this post.

The listed events were chosen by the editors of Bostonist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla.