Wednesday 8/20: Emeryville Poet Laureate Sarah Kobrinsky has organized a Poetry Happy Hour, fully catered by The Bureau, with drinks and eats beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by readings from Colleen McKee, Terry Lucas, Luke Warm Water, Janell Moon, and the host, Kobrinsky. Free, 6:30 p.m., 5858 Horton Street, Emeryville. – Wonder Dave
Lyrics & Dirges celebrates their fourth anniversary with readings by Virgie Tovar, Daniel Riddle Rodriguez, Matthew Zapruder, and Aimee Suzara. Light refreshments. Free, 7:30 p.m., Pegasus Books Downtown.
Andrew Dugas reads from his anticipated SF-based novel Sleepwalking in Paradise. Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books.
A little bit of everything: music + words + sounds + performance + light … Free, 7:30 p.m., E.M. Wolfman General Interest Bookstore.
Tuesday’s Child on Wednesday features stand-up comedian and writer Trevor Hill, singer-songwriter Jeff Desira, stand-up Johan Miranda, and author Allison Moon. Free, 7:30 p.m., Moonlight Cafe.
Thursday 8/21: Sean Wilsey reads from his new collection of stories, More Curious. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith.
The Omni is having a community potluck to discuss the ways their new space in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood can best benefit the needs of the community. When the potluck ends The Bay Area Public School’s reading series, Heart’s Desire, will commence. Free, 6 p.m., The Omni.
Heart’s Desire presents readings by Bhanu Kapil, Margaret Ronda, and Stephanie Young. Free, 8 p.m., The Omni.
The New Sh!t Show returns with a workshop, open mic of all new poems (and folks are sure to have them after last week’s National Poetry Slam), and feature Jaime Cortez. $5-10, 7 p.m., Merchants of Reality.
Friday 8/22: A weeklong symposium, From Trauma to Catharsis: Performing the Asian Avant Garde, begins with “Interrogation: Dis/Orientation and Re/Orientation: What is the Avant Garde for?”, as presented by Bhanu Kapil, Geneva Chao, Pireeni Sundaralingam, Truong Tran, MG Roberts, and Sean Labrador y Manzano. Free, 6 p.m., CIIS.
From Trauma to Catharsis: Performing the Asian Avant Garde continues with performances by MG Roberts and Jason Magabo Perez, followed by an open mic. Check out the full schedule; Saturday and Sunday are packed with performances, panels, and incubation sessions, too. Free, 7:30 p.m., CIIS.
Under the Influence hosts Micah Ballard, D. Scott Miller, Vernon Keeve III, Tessa Micaela, and Emji Spero sharing work by some of their favorite influences and then original work that in some way channels or reflects that influence. $5-10, 7:30 p.m., The Emerald Tablet.
The San Francisco Queer Open Mic features MK Chavez and Blackberri. Free, 7:30 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore Collective.
Saturday 8/23: Porchlight’s Summer Soul Celebration is three sets of music, stories, and comedy, with a long list of local heroes that includes Marc & The Casuals, Chris Colin and Rob Baedeker. $20, 8 p.m., The Chapel.
Vouched Books celebrates a year in the Bay Area with A Very Vouched Birthday: readings, music, giveaways, and chapbook- and poetry-making stations, all to benefit 826 Valencia. It’s also the re-launch of Portuguese Artists Colony, with live writings, a raffle, and gifts from event sponsors (Milk Bar, Portuguese Artists Colony, The Rumpus, Quiet Lightning, and Write Club SF). Free, 6 p.m., Milk Bar.
The debut of a feminist reading series, From All Points But the Center, is part of a 24-hour Art Party, with two readings on Saturday and two readings on Sunday. Featuring Brenda Usher-Carpino, Gina Goldblatt, Kelechi Marie, and Liz Green (see link for full schedule). Free, 7 p.m., Mary Weather.
Sunday 8/24: The CCA MFA Program in creative Writing hosts a memorial luncheon for friends, family, colleagues, and students of Anne Marino. Readings, remembrances, food and drinks. Free, 12 p.m., 195 De Haro.
Monday 8/25: Annelyse Gelman reads from her new book Everyone I Love is a Stranger to Someone with two other great Write Bloody poets, Jason Bayani and Bucky Sinister. Free, 7:30 p.m., Pegasus Books Downtown.
Tuesday 8/26: anthology SF this month features Dorsetta Hale, Zach Wyner, and Jen Sullivan Brych, along with an open mic portion, from which the curators will select next month’s features. Free, 7 p.m., La Movida Wine Bar & Community Kitchen.
Michael Nava reads from his novel The City of Palaces, following a group discussion about the book (which begins at 7 p.m.). Free, 8 p.m., Magnet.
Wednesday 8/27: Jack Hirschman celebrates the book-length poem Viet Arcane, which was lost for over forty years and recently found. Free, 7 p.m., The Emerald Tablet.
Passages on the Lake hosts Fernando Meisenhalter, Jason Bayani, Biranti Williams, and Hannah Wehr. Free, 7 p.m., The Terrace Room.
Get Lit hosts Sonoma County writers Lily Mazzarella, Daniel Coshnear, and Stefanie Freele, followed by an open mic. Free, 7 p.m., Corkscrew Wine Bar.
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This week’s featured local author is Phil Cousineau (click to read an interview):
