Happening Tuesday: Queens of the Stone Age and more

BOOKS

Rebecca Skloot Science writer Rebecca Skloot will read from and discuss “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” a deeply reported exploration of the life and legacy of a poor black woman who died of cancer in 1951 but whose cell samples, taken without her knowledge, allowed for countless medical breakthroughs, including the polio vaccine. Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., L.A. 7 p.m. Free (reservations recommended). (213) 228-7025. https://www.aloudla.org.

Deborah Vankin and Jen Wang Two debut graphic novelists will be on hand to present their works, both of which capture the indirection and heedless energy of youth. The first, “Poseurs,” is from Deborah Vankin, a Los Angeles Times staff writer, who tracks her characters’ wild ride through the city’s party scenes — from Bel-Air mansions to the graffiti-tagged streets of the Eastside. Jen Wang, in “Koko Be Good,” limns the struggles her characters face in finding their true paths. Jon wants to follow his humanitarian girlfriend to Peru but she drops him, leaving him adrift. Things change when he meets Koko, who’s trying to reinvent herself, and Faron, a picked-on teenager working at a Vietnamese restaurant. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave. 7:30 p.m. (323) 660-1175.

Who was the real Gandhi? Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Joseph Lelyveld, author of the acclaimed new biography “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India,” will explore the enduring legacy of both Gandhi the mahatma and Mohandas Gandhi the man. Hammer Museum, Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 7 p.m. Free with advance tickets. (310) 443-7000. hammer.ucla.edu.

POP MUSIC

Queens of the Stone Age Josh Homme’s stoner-rock ensemble has been dormant for a spell, but a re-release of its landmark self-titled album perhaps stirred the blood for a round of always-crushing live shows. The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 7 p.m. Tues.-Wed. $35. https://www.wiltern.com.