Wednesday 6/4: Litquake’s Epicenter is the SF release for Geoff Dyer‘s Another Great Day at Sea. Dyer will be in conversation with Chris Colin. $0-15, 7 p.m., Hotel Rex.
RADAR celebrates eleven years with RADAR Superstar: performances by Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Anna Margarita Albelo, Achy Obejas, and Martin Sorrondeguy. Free, 6 p.m., San Francisco Public Library.
Thursday 6/5: New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast addresses the uncomfortable topic of mortality head-on, focusing her signature humor and dread on the declining health of her nonagenarian parents. The unpredictably poignant results could be just what you need to finally initiate those difficult end-of-life discussions with your loved ones. Free, 7 p.m., Book Passage Corte Madera. – Jeff Von Ward
Quiet Lightning teams up with ArtSpan for an artist mixer: Colin Winnette, Lucy Tiven, Kwan Booth, Denise Benavides, Carolyn Ho, and Nate Waggoner will read their responses to the current exhibit, Fairy Tales: The Test of Time. Complimentary food and drinks, illustrating materials. Free, 6 p.m., Modern Eden Gallery.
The one-year anniversary of The Booksmith’s competitive erotic fanfiction series tackles Gone With the Wind. Six previous winners of the series have reappropriated characters from the epic romance classic of all epic romance classics. $10 includes drinks, 7 p.m., The Booksmith.
One Lone Pear Tree returns with another backyard appreciation: readings by Alex Gilliam, Sarah Carpenter, Sarah Kobrinsky, and David Morini, a bonfire, complimentary food and drinks. Free, 6 p.m., 1953 McAllister St.
Friday 6/6: Plain Wrap Press is throwing a party to launch Sarah Fran Wisby’s stunner of a book, The Heart’s Progress. Readers include Maw Shein Win, Tomas Moniz, K. Anne Rickertsen, Lucy Tiven, and of course, Wisby herself. Free, 8 p.m., Adobe Books. – Lauren Traetto
The Basement Series premieres with readings by Joshua Mohr and Courtney Moreno, along with five authors those two have selected through a submission process. The series will be an ongoing fundraiser for Lit Camp and Scholar Match. Complimentary food and drinks. $5-10, 7 p.m., Sports Basement.
Studio One Reading Series presents a collaboration with Futurepoem: readings by David Buuck, Samantha Giles, Frances Richard, and Ronaldo Wilson. Free, 7:30 p.m., Studio One Art Center.
Cassandra Dallett kicks ass stylishly, chews bubblegum intimidatingly, and will be joyously celebrating the release of her new book Wet Reckless with the likes of Zarina Zabrisky, William Taylor Jr., Steven Gray, Bill Gainer, and Simon Rogghe. Free, 7 p.m., Dog Eared Books. – Alexandra Naughton
Saturday 6/7: Bernal Yoga Reading Series presents the final show of its season, with readings by Cassandra Dallett, John W. Evans, Sean Labrador y Manzano, SB Stokes, William Taylor Jr., and Sarah Fran Wisby. Music by Jessamyn Lynn. Wear your favorite socks. $5, 7:30 p.m., Bernal Yoga.
Live at 851 returns with an incredible lineup, hosting Los Angeles-based Kate Durbin for the release of E! Entertainment, along with Tim Toaster Henderson, Kate Robinson, and Mark Cronin. Free, 8 p.m., 849 Haight St.
Sunday 6/8: Pat Moore, project director and primary author of Eva Zeisel: Life, Design, and Beauty, presents this long-in-the-making, comprehensive account of the life and art of the acclaimed ceramicist and designer. Free, 2 p.m., Bird & Beckett.
Monday 6/9: The Green Arcade hosts celebrity filmmaker John Waters in conversation about his new book, Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America. $10 or free with purchase of Carsick from The Green Arcade, 7 p.m., The Green Arcade.
This year’s winners of the 83rd Annual California Book Awards — including Karen Fowler, Anthony Marra, Eric Schlosser, and Brenda Hillman — will be present for an awards reception, ceremony, and book signing. Free, 5 p.m., Commonwealth Club.
Tuesday 6/10: City Lights launches the eleventh title of its Spotlight Poetry series with a reading from The Tranquilized Tongue, by Eric Baus, a collection of intensely condensed surrealities. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
Tom Robbins, author of many classics including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and Jitterbug Perfume, will be in conversation with Isabel Duffy about his new memoir, Tibetan Peach Pie, as part of City Arts & Lectures. $27, 7:30 p.m., Nourse Theater.
A Prairie Home Companion founder and host Garrison Keillor will read from The Keillor Reader, which contains stories, essays, poems, and personal reminiscences. Free, 1 p.m., Book Passage Corte Madera.
*
Videos from some of last week’s notables: Under the Influence (Sarah Heady, Derek Fenner, Lindsey Englehardt, Erin Ginder-Shaw, Alana Siegel); Be About It (Jason Schenheit, Joel Landmine, Aleksandra Bril, Paul Corman-Roberts, Sarah Griff, Sarah Wisby); The Gorilla Press (Amy K. Bell, Rod Roland, Jill Tomasetti, Justin, Etc.). Tomas Moniz covers Sweet Adeline Book of the Month Club (Arisa White).
*
This week’s featured local author is Mark Abramson (click to read an interview):
