As the national media discover the joys of the Keystone State ahead of the presidential primary April 22, here's a schedule of literary programs and publications from our part of the commonwealth to give those journos something to do after political rallies end and the free booze is cut off.

As a warm-up, they might start with "Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate" by Arlen Specter with Frank J. Scaturro (Thomas Dunne Books, $24.95).

The senior U.S. senator from Pennsylvania fought Hodgkin's disease throughout his 2004 re-election drive and the legislative agenda that followed. This is a memoir of that struggle.

The senator, who just turned 78, is now battling the National Football League over its handling of the New England Patriot "spygate" case.

That mention makes a clever transition to the life of Joe Tucker, longtime Steelers broadcaster who died in 1986. Tucker began announcing the games in 1936 when the local pros were called the Pirates, and left after the 1967 season.

His son, Murray, edited Tucker's notes into a small, self-published volume, "Screamer," the announcer's nickname, earned from his excitable broadcast style. It sells for $15.95 on the publisher's Web site, iuniverse.com.

From football to baseball, the ubiquitous Lee Gutkind shows up as co-editor of "Anatomy of Baseball" with Andrew Blauner, his literary agent. It's an anthology of essays on the game to be published by Southern Methodist University Press next month for $22.50.

Contributors include the late George Plimpton, Christopher Buckley and Frank Deford.

His kind of town

My latest count has Dave Eggers visiting the city as often as Sen. Barack Obama.

The novelist and literary entrepreneur pads his frequent-flier miles to Pittsburgh Wednesday for a visit to Carnegie-Mellon University's Adamson Visiting Writers Series at 8 p.m.

Eggers made two visits to town in the fall. He picked up a $250,000 check from the Heinz Family Foundation in ceremonies Oct. 22, then joined Valentino Achak Deng, the subject of "What Is the What," his "nonfiction novel," Oct. 29 in an American Shorts program.

He was initially scheduled to appear at CMU Sept. 25, but canceled. The reading is free and held in the Adamson Wing of Baker Hall.

Making it verse

There will be plenty of readings to attend in the city during April's National Poetry Month.

But, first, we must acknowledge March as Woman's History Month as well by announcing She Said: Women's Words, the annual poetry program of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Naomi Shihab-Nye is the keynote poet for the trust's reading March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cabaret at Theater Square, Downtown.

Shihab-Nye is one of the country's most prolific poets with more than 20 books of poetry and children's literature on her resume. Her work often explores her Palestinian heritage.

She'll be joined by Pittsburgh poets Vanessa German, Romella Kitchens, Kellee Maize, Jan Beatty and Dawn Lundy Martin. Herman Pearl of Soy Sos provides the music.

Tickets are $15 at Theater Square box office or call 412-456-6666.

Watery poetry

"Along These Rivers" creators Judith Robinson and Michael Wurster take full advantage of National Poetry Month with a program of nine readings about the locally produced anthology of verse and photos.

The series opens April 5 at public libraries in Monroeville and Avalon. For the full schedule, go to www.alongtheserivers.com or phone Robinson at 412-681-3018 or Wurster, 412-481-7636.

"Along These Rivers" collects poetry and photos from 92 writers and photographers and is $19.95.

From verse to Wurster

South Sider Michael Wurster has been the city's poetry Buddha since founding the Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange in 1974. He not only wrote verse, but taught the writing of it to countless students since.

His many acolytes joined to honor him with a reading Feb. 19 and a chapbook of poems, "Stories About Time: Poems in Appreciation of Michael Wurster," compiled by Ziggy Edwards and Arlene Weiner.

The book is $8 at local stores.