By Bob Hoover

To filch from an old Kurt Weill tune, the days are dwindling down until our precious few reading series begin their seasons later this month. We'll be running a comprehensive schedule Sept. 17.

This year, two new series are joining the veteran quartet of the Heinz Lectures, Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie-Mellon's Adamson Visiting Writers and Pittsburgh Speakers series.

Here's a brief rundown of the new guys on the block with more details to follow in two weeks:

Carnegie Mellon's All-Alumni Reading Series

The university's creative writing program stages homecoming appearances by its graduates beginning Sept. 14 with Lisa Zeidner. She's published four novels and teaches at Rutgers University.

Zeidner's reading is at 8 p.m. in the Adamson Wing of Baker Hall on campus.

She'll be followed by:

Journalist and poet Shannon Gibney, poet Kevin Gonzales and poet Karen Rigby, Oct. 18; fiction writer and Washington University professor Marshall Klimasewiski, Nov. 2; and novelist Sue Stauffacher, Jan. 31.

For details, call 412-268-2850.

Chatham College MFA Reading Series

The Shadyside-based liberal arts college launches a program of author appearances Sept. 19 with poet Mark Doty. He'll be speaking at 8 p.m. at James Laughlin Music Center.

Also on the schedule:

Poet Ann Fisher-Wirth, Oct. 10; David Abram, author of "The Spell of the Sensuous," Oct. 26; poet Ada Limon, Nov. 2; performance poet Jim Coppoc, Nov. 15; novelist Paolo Corso, Feb. 5, 2007; and fiction writer William Cobb, March 7.

All readings will be at 8 p.m. on the Chatham campus. Details, 800-837-1290.

More readings, etc.

The Choice Cuts Series at Slaughterhouse Gallery, 5136 Butler St., Lawrenceville, presents three writers Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

At the lectern will be Clint Benjamin (nonfiction), Sandra Mitchell (fiction) and Deb Bogen (poetry).

Jim Cvetic will hold a fund-raising reading of his poetry along with performance art by "The Nerve" Sept. 20 at the Improv Comedy Club at the Waterfront in Homestead at 7:30 p.m.

Cvetic, who runs a boxing gym Downtown when he's not writing and staging poetry events, is collecting cash for a Christmas toy drive with this event, called "Secret Society of Dog."

The retired county detective warns that the program is for adults because it deals with the seamier side of police work.

Tickets are $10, $15 and $20 and must be ordered through TicketMaster outlets at 412-323-1919 or purchased at the door.

For more information, call 412-298-7373.