Get in one last beach read: PW folks and others give their recommendations for late-summer reading. Also, independent bookmongers show what we’re really buying. All right, we have no excuse for skipping the treadmill ever: Local doc and fitness instructor Marjorie Dejoie (aka Dr. Dej) talks about staying fit while battling sickle cell disease. Enrich yourself, or fail to do so: a guide to area continuing education and enrichment programs. EW! EwEwEw! Yeah yeah, it’ll......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Screenings Under the Stars: Get ready for Dark Knight with a screening of Batman Begins at the Great Plaza on Penn’s Landing (Chestnut and Columbus Blvd), 6:30PM (movie at dusk). Free Laughter on the Banks Schedule: See the classic Annie Hall in the great outdoors on the Schuylkill Banks (25th and Walnut), 8PM Find Out Why You Can Watch Movies on the Banks: Screening of Free the River......

Because July's First Friday falls on the nation's 232nd birthday, in addition to firecrackers, brews, hot dogs, and sliders, we also get to savor good art, as many of the Old City galleries stage their usual First Friday openings and extended hours. Note that some galleries will be closed on the 4th, so if you have a particular favorite that you always aim for, give them a call first to make sure that they will......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Bordellos Are Good: Opening reception for “Peep Show,” featuring work from five interdisciplinary artists examining eroticism, set in a space resembling a 19th-century bordello at Airspace (4013 Chestnut), 6-10PM. Free Firk It: Get to the only Friday the Firkinteenth of 2008, featuring 13 or more firkins of cask conditioned ale, at the Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford), 12PM- when the firkins run out. Free + cost of......

We can't help but be aware that Philadelphia is a city that really pays attention to its always growing crop of art students, and there always seems to be terrific exhibitions where the focus is on student work, such as the one that we mentioned last week currently taking place in Northern Liberties' Projects Gallery. And yet another such exhibition is NEXUSselects, a juried competition for seniors graduating from the Philadelphia region. This exhibition "seeks......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Beautiful Boy: Beautiful Boy, a scripted and improvised comedy work written and performed by 1812 Productions cofounder Pete Pryor and inspired by his autistic son, at the Playground at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom), 8PM. $10 (also on Saturday and Sunday at 2PM) Ruling Triumvirate: DJ Deejay spins Madonna, Michael, and Prince at Moshulu Bar & Restaurant (401 S Columbus Blvd), 9PM-2AM. $8 SATURDAY Crafty In Person: Philly......

If you can get there early enough before all the savvy and experienced art collectors pick up the best works of art, from May 10 through June 1, 2008, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will host its 107th Annual Student Exhibition (ASE) in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. We're big fans of student artwork, and this exhibition has a reputation for being one of the best in the nation. Underwritten by the Women's......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Flamenco Jam: First Friday Juerga, a flamenco jam session featuring collective playing, singing, and dancing hosted by Pasion y Arte at the Casino Free Philadelphia Office (230 N 2nd), 7PM. Free Bossa Nova: Bucks County native Avi Wisnia celebrates the release of his new Brazilian Bossa Nova inspired album at Tin Angel (20 S 2nd), 7:30PM. $10 The N Crowd: Improv comedy troupe the N Crowd perform......

If you're in the Philly art scene, you may have heard of Lenny Campello, our newest writer, before. Maybe you're familiar with his criticism. Maybe you rely on his blog for all your Mid-Atlantic art news. Or maybe you haven't heard of him. But you will now, because we've brought him on to cover all things fine arts in the Philadelphia area. Welcome, Lenny! Remember Damien Hirst? He's the bad boy of British art whose......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Free: Reception for artist Duane Michals’ exhibition “The Facts of Life,” a collection of politically driven works relating and exploring issues faced by the gay community, at the Merriam Theater (250 S Broad), 5PM. Free Also Free: Old City Coffee (221 Church) presents Guatemala Night, featuring Guatemalan coffee sampling and Central American food, 6PM. Free All Free, All the Time: The XPN Local, Volume 2 CD Release Party......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Place to Be: Roger Mudd discusses the CBS news bureau in the good old days at the Central Branch of the Free Library (1901 Vine), Noon. Free St. George Day: Celebrate the patron saint of England in good fashion at the Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford), all day. Pay as you go Anniversary: Celebrate one year of performances inspired by exhibitions at NEXUS (1400 N American) with......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Center City District Gallery Night: Special exhibitions and complimentary cocktail receptions at participating galleries, 5-8:30PM. Free Not a Crock, Nor a Croc: Local poet Peter Krok reads and signs copies of his new collection Looking for an Eye at the Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford), 6-8PM. Free The Terror!: Welcome to the Terrordome, a night of local comedy featuring Animosity Pierre, Meg and Rob, and Secret Pants......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY InnaRae Guy: InnaRae Guy performs Rena’s Moan, 15 songs inspired by conversations with her grandmother while growing up, at The Philadelphia Society for Art, Literature and Music (5841 Overbrook Ave), 8PM. $10 Improv: Local improve troupe The N Crowd takes your suggestions at the Actors Center (257 N 3rd), 8PM. $10 Dressing the Muse: Night of poetry featuring readings by Autumn McClintock, Leslie Valdez, Lisa Grunberger, and......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Emerge Oh Artists: Opening reception for “Adaptation: Celebrating Growth and Change,” featuring the work of nine artists exploring themes of growth, development, and change, at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists in the Barclay Building (237 S. 18th, #3A), 5:30-7:30PM. Free Hey Xenophobe: Feminist powerhouse Hattie Gossett reads from her latest collection of poetry the immigrant suite: hey xenophobe! who you calling a foreigner? at the Central Branch......

It'll probably be pouring tonight, but so what? The temperatures are on the rise, Daylight Savings Time starts again on Sunday, and it's time to get this Spring started! Where better than at First Friday? Here are our top three picks. Khmer Art Gallery & Museum, home of a millennium's worth of Cambodian art, welcomes an exhibition of the work of local photographer Angie Campano. The two-month exhibition, opening tonight, features photographs she took while......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Famous Films II: The Secret Cinema presents a second installment of their Famous Films series, including A Trip to the Moon (you've seen clips, trust us), at the Moore College of Art and Design (20th and Race), 8PM. $7 Jeannie Gagne: Jeannie Gagne at the Unitarian Society of Germantown (6511 Lincoln Drive—West Mt. Airy), 8PM. $10 Cold: Absolute Zeros, Parsnip Revolt, and Dylan McGuire at Fergie’s Pub......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY The N Crowd: Weekly improve comedy show at The Actors Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 Andrew Gregory: Andrew Gregory (CD release party), John Francis, and Ian Thomas at Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 10:30PM. $10 Leslie and the Ly’s: Leslie and the Ly’s, MC Digga and Sgt. Sass at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar), 9PM. $10 Intertwine: Opening reception for Intertwine, with work by Brooke Hine,......

NEXUS/foundation for today's art is a champion of local artists of all stripes; their commitment to maintain gallery space dedicated to local emerging and experimental artists has rightfully earned them a rep as a Philly art institution. The fruits of their mission will be on display tonight, as they present their new members exhibitions with an opening reception. NEXUS holds two new member exhibitions a year, in September and February. This one features work by......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Money Folders II: Second installment of series featuring the Philadelphyinz, DJ Gravity, and more at the Arts Garage (1535 Ridge Avenue), 10PM-3AM. $10 (women free before 10:30PM) Sing, Sing a Song: Choral Concert with Organ presented by the Delius Society at St. Mark’s Church (1625 Locust), 7:30. Free Art Is Primary: Opening reception for Red Yellow Blue, a solo show of artist Vincent McLoughlin, at AXD Gallery......

James McManaman of Absolute Abstract...