Laff It Up—Russ Meyer, owner of Laffs Comedy Club (6001 San Mateo NE, Suite C-1), will headline his own club on Wednesday, May 3. I'm told he's a very funny man. Show starts at 8:30 p.m. As an added bonus, Wednesdays are College and Military ID Night. Flash one ID and your whole party gets in for free. Even if you aren't a college student or a soldier, admission is only $6. If you could put a price on laughter, which you can't, six bucks would still be a steal. For details, got to www.laffscomedy.com or call 296-JOKE (5653).

Here's a tip for you: It's generally more convenient to enter the Jonson Gallery through the back door than the front. See, the parking lot is in the back, and although the back doorway looks like some sort of decrepit servants' entrance, if you ring the bell, someone will invariably let you in.

First staged at the Women’s Festival in Hulon, Israel, Morena Amoora has since been performed at major dance festivals all over the world. An innovative mix of Middle Eastern and flamenco dance, this beautiful performance is designed to create a cross-cultural bridge of understanding and friendship between the Spanish, Jewish and Arab communities. With this goal in mind, a portion of proceeds will help support the mission of the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum. (The Alibi's next-door neighbor!) Morena Amoora is only showing for a single evening on Sunday, April 30, at 7 p.m. Tickets are a bargain at $15, $20 and $25. Don't miss this show. 724-4471, www.ticketmaster.com.

This remarkable novel begins with a small fact: "You are going to die." The narrator should know. He is Death himself.

How many times have you recommended a book with the caveat that it starts slow? My initial reaction to such a book is impatience (I often don’t bother to finish them) and then, secondarily (when I need to push on), a wish that its editor had been more resolute about insisting where the book really ought to begin.