Wednesday 9/17: Saint Mary’s College hosts Daniel Alarcón as part of the Creative Writing Reading Series. Free, 7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s College, Soda Center, Claeys Lounge.
Cuban National Literature Prize-winning poet and essayist Nancy Morejon reads from her work. Free, 7:30 p.m., Moe’s Books.
Lyrics and Dirges this month hosts Ariel Gore, Fish Vargas, Kristina Sergeeva Ten, Luke Warm Water, Sarah Bethe, and Lauren Traetto. Free, 7:30 p.m., Pegasus Books Downtown.
The Berkeley Slam features Tatyana Brown. $7-10 sliding, 8:15 p.m. (7:30 p.m. sign-up), The Starry Plough.
Be About It presents Abigail Wellhouse, SB Stokes, Nicole Borello, and Alexandra Mattraw. Free, 6:30 p.m., E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small Bookstore.
Thursday 9/18: YBCA hosts Kevin Killian and Jason Jimenez as part of the current Bay Area Now 7 show. Free, 7 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
ZYZZYVA launches their Fall issue with readings by Jill Logan, Rumpus Comics Editor Paul Madonna, Kelly Cressio-Moeller, Joseph di Prisco, and Troy Jollimore. Free, 7 p.m., Diesel, A Bookstore.
Litography celebrates their debut into literary society with music, madlibs, cocktails, and a raffle. Admission includes drinks. $10, 7 p.m., The Booksmith.
Scholastique Mukasonga reads from Our Lady of the Nile, followed by a conversation with Scott Esposito and with opening statements by Jill Schoolman of Archipelago Books. Wine and cheese reception to follow. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
Ed Roberson reads as part of the Holloway Series. Free, 6:30 p.m., UC Berkeley, Maude Fife Room, Wheeler Hall #315.
Poets Ellen Bass, Sally Ashton, and Dean Rader read from 99 Poems for the 99 Percent. Free, 7:30 p.m., Kepler’s Books and Magazines.
Poets Paola Capó-García, Maria Flaccavento, April Peletta, Tina Hyland, and Eleanor Liu are all in town from San Diego. Free, 7:30 p.m., E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small Bookstore.
The State of the City Forum, a monthly panel concerning gentrification, continues with part three of a discussion on the preservation of community and cultural resources from the Fillmore to the Mission, and displacement and outmigration of longtime residents, with David Talbot, Joe Talbot, Gregory and Karen Johnson, and Tiye Sheppard. Free, 7 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore Collective.
The fifth installment of the Write from the Gut Reading Series features Elena Mauli Shapiro, Dennis Estrada, Jean Sullivan-Finn, Caitlin Fischer, and Judy Fox, and music by Karlyn DeSteno and Datiko G. Free, 5:30 p.m., WeWork Golden Gate.
MFA Mixer presents Raul Ruiz, Zoe Rappaport, Keiran King, and Luke Dani Blue, with an open mic to follow and an 80s dance party to follow that! Free, 6:30 p.m., Cat Club.
Friday 9/19: CCA hosts poets Matthew Zapruder and Jack Livings as part of their Writers Series. Free, 4:30 p.m.,
The Basement Series hosts Ben Fong-Torres and Sylvie Simmons on the theme “music is cheaper than therapy”, along with emerging writers Eanlai Cronin, Michele DeMarco, Nancy Kho, Jessi Philips, and Michelle Threadgould, and a surprise musical guest. Sam Barry hosts. Beer and food provided. $5-10, 7 p.m., Sports Basement Bryant.
Culture Fuck features the poet Denise Jolly and an open mic. Donations accepted, 7 p.m., Show and Tell Concept Shop.
Crows in the Stork’s Nest hosts Marc and Suzi Kaplan Olmstead, Heather Bourbeau, and Angela Roberts reading in rounds, as well as an open mic. Free, 6:30 p.m., Stork Club.
The Business moves to the Hemlock, where it will now recur every Friday night. This show features Anna Seregina, Bucky Sinister, Nato Green, David Gborie, Natasha Muse, and Jules Posner. $10, 7 p.m., Hemlock Tavern.
Saturday 9/20: Brent Calderwood celebrates the release of The God of Longing, with special guest Kevin Killian. Free, 6:30 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore Collective. – Wonder Dave
Rumpus contributor and illustrator Liam Golden celebrates the opening reception of his mono-etchings. On view through October 26th. Free, 6 p.m., The Compound.
Novella Carpenter reads from her new book Gone Feral. Free, 5 p.m., The Green Arcade.
Rolling Writers presents a show with the theme “landscapes”, featuring Tiffany Higgins (Brazil), Li Miao Lovett (China), Colleen McKee (Missouri), Jeff Von Ward (Salt Lake City), James Warner (London), and Olga Zilberbourg (Russia), plus live music from many lands and pastries from a few. Free, 6 p.m., Rolling-Out.
Ruth Ozeki reads from and discusses A Tale for the Time Being, with Joan Bigwood. Free, 4 p.m., Kepler’s Books.
The Featherboard Writing Series presents writer-in-residence Sean Labrador y Manzano, with Ben Mirov and Louise Mathias. Free, 6 p.m., Aggregate Space.
Sunday 9/21: Small Press Traffic hosts a special event for Rachel Zolf, reading from and screening Janey’s Arcadia with special guests David Buuck, Erika Staiti, and Sirama Bajo. $6-10, 5 p.m., Artists’ Television Access.
Hollie Hardy reads from How to Take a Bullet, and Other Survival Poems. Wine and cheese, garden. Free, 3 p.m., 1517 Shrader St., San Francisco.
Monday 9/22: Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, and Leanne Shapton will all be in town for the launch of Women in Clothes, with readings and a clothing swap for which each guest is encouraged to bring up to 5 items. Free, 6:30 p.m., The Make-Out Room.
Nayomi Munaweera celebrates the publication of her debut novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
Tuesday 9/23: Meet Primus members Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde (and other special guests TBD) for the signing of Over the Electric Grapevine. Tickets must be picked up in advance from City Lights. Free, 7 p.m., Doc’s Lab.
Hampton Sides reads from and discusses In the Kingdom of Ice. Free, 7 p.m., Bookshop Santa Cruz.
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Videos from some of last week’s notables: Bazaar Writers Salon (David Roderick, Evan Karp, Rosalie Moffett); Radar Reading Series (Indira Allegra, Courtney Moreno, Emer Martin, Evan Karp); Thousand Times Broken (Gillian Conoley presenting Henri Michaux); Babylon Salon (Evan Karp, Mimi Lok, Bich Minh Nguyen, Nona Caspers, Tom Barbash).
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This week’s featured local author is Sarah Heady (click to read an interview):
