Wednesday, 5/28: The Canessa Park Reading Series presents a heady triumvirate of poets in Norma Cole, Laura Moriarty, and Steven Seidenberg. $6 suggested, 7:30 p.m., Canessa Gallery. – Evan Karp (PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.)
Thursday, 5/29: The Gorilla Press celebrates its first full-length book, Self Portrait of the Poet Suicided by the MFA Degree, with a reading by the author, Justin, Etc., and friends Amy K. Bell, Jill Tomasetti, and Rod Roland. 7 p.m., Bird & Beckett Books. – Alexandra Naughton
Friday 5/30: Written and directed by Seth Eisen, Homo File is an interdisciplinary queer history performance chronicling the pre-Stonewall life of writer and sexual rebel Sam Steward. $24.99, 8 p.m., CounterPulse. Runs through June 15th. – Baruch Porras-Hernandez.
VONA/Voices launches its inaugural anthology Dismantle with readings by Elmaz Abinader, Mat Johnson, Faith Adiele, Sharline Chiang, David Maduli, Roopa Ramamoorthi, Kenji C. Liu, Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela, and more. Free, 7:30 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore Collective (afterparty at Luka’s in Oakland). – Melissa Sipin
Saturday, 5/31: Quarterly series Babylon Salon features Iowa Short Fiction Award-winner and author of the debut novel The Year She Left Us, Kathryn Ma, with Davey D. Cook, Porter Shreve, Kirstin Chen, and Stacey Kohut, and a musical performance by singer-songwriter Ying-sun Ho. Free, 7 p.m., Cantina SF. – E.K..
Sunday, 6/1 – The all-female Hazel Reading Series (for which each month’s performers choose a successor) this month holds a special rendition on the CIIS rooftop, with free wine and snacks and readings by Arisa White, Alyss Dixson, Sara Mumolo, Bel Poblador, Trinidad Escobar, and Clare Marie Mayers. Free, 5 p.m., Zen Garden of the California Institute of Integral Studies. – E.K.
Monday, 6/2 – Kundiman: Bay Area presents R.A. Villanueva, Brynn Saito, Candy Shue, and MG Roberts. Free, 7 p.m., Cafe du Soleil. – Wonder Dave.
Edward St. Aubyn is in town to discuss his new novel Lost for Words as part of City Arts & Lectures. $27, 7:30 p.m., Nourse Theater.
McSweeney’s launches Quarterly Concern #46: 13 Crime Stories from Latin America. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith. – E.K.
Tuesday, 6/3 – The Celtic punk growl of The Pogues’ singer-songwriter Shane MacGowan speaks to a certain kind of pain that can only be quenched by whiskey in the jar. His infamous drunken shenanigans are the subject of a new biography by former bandmate-turned-writer James Fearnley, entitled Here Comes Everybody. Fearnley will be reading and signing books at The Booksmith. Free, 7:30 p.m. — Jeff Von Ward
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This week’s featured local author is William Taylor Jr. (click to read an interview):
