Last Minute

        At the clubs: There's something different at York Street Cafe tonight because the Comet Bluegrass All Stars leave their home bar in Northside for a visit to Newport (738 York St., 859-261-9675). Cover is $5.

        Also in Newport: There's some down-home rock tonight at the Southgate House with Bare Jr., fronted by Bobby Bare Jr., son of the alt-country pioneer. He will be joined by multi-instrumentalist Tracy Hackney, who proves the dulcimer can rock. 10 p.m., $8. The club is at 24 E. Third St. (859) 431-2201.

        Opera rap: Cincinnati Opera tackles capital punishment in a panel discussion inspired by the upcoming opera, Dead Man Walking (July 11, 13 and 19) at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Hebrew Union College, Mayerson Auditorium, Clifton. The panel, led by Joe Tomain, Dean of the Law School at the University of Cincinnati, includes Peter Bronson, Enquirer editorial page editor; Dr. Jack Cottrell of Cincinnati Bible College; civil rights attorney Alphonse Gerhardstein; and Sister Ruth Kettman, director of the Justice and Peace Office, Diocese of Covington. Reservations are required by Tuesday: 744-3522.

        Screenplay deadline: The Ohio Independent Film Festival has issued a call for entries for its 2002 Ohio Independent Screenplay Awards, with a deadline of June 1.

        Now in its sixth year, the screenplay competition offers professional commentary on all entries, plus prizes that include cash, software and script submission to agencies and producers. Co-sponsors are WritersScriptNetwork.com, Writers Guild of America East, Final Draft software and Scr(i)pt Magazine.

        Call (216) 651-7315; e-mail OhioIndieFilmFest@juno.com; or visit www.ohiofilms.com for entry details.

        Mercantile Library series: The esteemed Winter Author series, which brings some of the world's most celebrated writers to Cincinnati, continues with astellar lineup.

        On Jan. 30, the West Indies- born, English-educated author Caryl Phillips speaks about his many novels surrounding the African diaspora, including his recent work The Atlantic Sound. Feb. 20 is Indian writer Bharati Mukherjee, author of five novels, two nonfiction books and The Middleman and Other Stories, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. The final author, on March 4, is Pulitzer Prize novelist Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours and many other works.

        Readings take place 6:30 p.m. in the library's reading room with a cash bar available at 6 p.m. Cost for the whole series is $45 for nonmembers and $40 for members; individual readings are $18 for nonmembers and $15 for members. The Mercantile Library is located at 414 Walnut St., downtown. Reservations required. 621-0717.

        • Fat Girl
       • Gosford Park
       • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
       • Orange County

Coming Friday in Weekend

        What's hot: Dining critic Polly Campbell tells us where to find the hottest chicken wings, the coolest places to eat, the warmest bread, etc.

Online Chat

        The Enquirer's John Kiesewetter is in Los Angeles for the TV Critics Association press tour. Tonight he will attend the Survivor: Africa finale and reunion. Log on to Cincinnati.Com 12:30-1 p.m. Friday to discuss it with him.

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