A Renaissance Woman Will Talk About Sex : Riane Eisler, who founded the first women’s law center in the country, will speak in Ventura.

Riane Eisler, whose groundbreaking bestseller “The Chalice and the Blade� was critically acclaimed by readers as diverse as Princeton anthropologist Ashley Montagu and fiction author Isabel Allende, will be in the area this week.

Eisler has a new book out, “Sacred Pleasure,� which offers a critical examination of the shifting balance of power between men and women. Recognized as a Renaissance woman, political futurist and cultural pioneer, Eisler founded the first women’s law center in the United States, and with her husband, psychologist David Loye, she heads the Center for Partnership Studies in Pacific Grove. She will lecture on “Sex, Myth and the Politics of the Body� at 7 p.m. Monday in the Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St.

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The acclaimed poet Jackson Wheeler will perform at 8 tonight in Cafe Voltaire, 34 N. Palm St., Ventura. Sign-ups for the open readings begin at 7:30 p.m.

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Barnes & Noble continues to host autographing events in the store at 4360 E. Main St., Ventura. Bruce Jones, author of “In Deep� and “Stalker’s Moon� will sign his new thriller, “Game Running,� featuring ex-cop John Kirkland at 1 p.m. Saturday. At 1 p.m. Sunday screenwriter-novelist Steve Graves will sign his science-fiction novel, “The Swordfish Island Covenant,� about an alien who offers eternal life to a dying sailor.

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Children 5 and older will enjoy watching magician Bob Stone as he does battle with dragons, evil knights and tricky witches at 1 p.m. Monday in the Newbury Park Library, 2331 Borchard Road. Stone will perform again at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Monday in the Thousand Oaks Library, 2400 Willow Lane. No reservations are necessary. Call 498-0562 for details.

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Murray Mednick, founder (with Sam Shepard and Maria Irene Fornes) of the Padua Hills Playwright’s Workshop and winner of the Obie award for “The Deer Kill,� will teach an intensive playwriting seminar Aug. 19 and 20 at Learning Tree University on the Thousand Oaks campus. Call 497-2292 for details.

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August has been designated Library Support Month by Adventures for Kids Bookstore, 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura. Ten percent of the amount of any purchase made this month will be donated to a school or public library of the customer’s choice.