Wednesday 9/24: The Booksmith presents an evening with David Mitchell, who will read from his new novel The Bone Clocks. Admission includes one copy of the book, with the option of paying extra for a VIP reception with the author, including hors d’oeuvres and drinks. $40-65, 7:30 p.m., Sundance Kabuki Theater.
Sean Wilsey discusses his new collection of essays, More Curious, with his mom, Pat Montandon. $10, 7 p.m., Hattery.
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library host the first day of the 50th Annual Big Book Sale, which runs through Sunday and includes over 500,000 books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape, vinyl, and other forms of media in over 100 categories, each item priced at $3 or less. Free, 10 a.m., Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason.
MariNaomi celebrates the release of The Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories, a book of graphic vignettes, many of which first appeared right here at The Rumpus. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
Hampton Sides reads from his new book, In the Kingdom of Ice, as part of the author series Cocktails and Conversations at The Lodge. Free, 7 p.m., San Francisco Elks Lodge No. 3.
Cody-Rose Clevidence celebrates the publication of the collection of poems Beast Feast with a house reading, joined by Jane Gregory and Elaine Kahn. Free, 8 p.m., 604 56th St., Oakland.
KQED Arts celebrates the art, culture, and vitality of the Latino Community with spoken word by Sandra Garcia Rivera and Gabriel Cortez, comedy by Lydia Popovich, music by La Misa Negra, and a spotlight on Local Heroes Paul S. Flores and Diana Albarran Chicas. Free, 6:30 p.m., Brava Theater.
Get Lit features Molly Giles, Siamak Vossoughi, and Peg Alford Pursell, along with an open mic. Free, 7 p.m., Corkscrew Wine Bar.
Thursday 9/25: CCA hosts Ru Freeman, whose On Sal Mal Lane was a Rumpus Book Club selection, as part of their Writers Series. Free, 4:30 p.m., California College of the Arts Writers’ Studio.
SFSU hosts Prose at The Poetry Center, with readings by Lance Olsen and Lucy Corin. Free, 4:30 p.m., The Poetry Center.
Danish poet Naja Marie Aidt reads briefly from her new collection of stories, Baboon, followed by a discussion with translator Denise Newman and the Center for the Art of Translation’s Scott Esposito. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith.
Rumpus Essays Editor Emeritus Roxane Gay reads from and discusses her collection of essays, Bad Feminist. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
Your Impossible Voice launches issue #5 with readings by Maureen Alsop, Gillian Conoley, Marianne Villanueva, Rachel Nagelberg, and Laia García Sánchez. Free, 7 p.m., Alley Cat Books.
Indira Allegra performs poems as part of the Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival, along with music by the Marcus Shelby Trio and contemporary dance with Byb Chanel and the Embodiment Project. $15-25, 7 p.m., Red Poppy Arthouse.
Writing Without Walls hosts Frederica Morgan Davis, Lex Kosieradzki, Steven Gray, Terra Brigando, Joel Landmine, Jonathan Downer, Roberta D’Alois, and John Oliver Simon, with music by Deborah K. Steinberg. Free, 7 p.m., Cafe du Soleil.
Friday 9/26: Under the Influence hosts Matt Gonzalez, Fia Maxwell, Joel Gregory, and Michael Warr presenting work by major influences and original work that reflects those influences, as well as a special presentation by Wundercabinet. $5-10, 7:30 p.m., The Emerald Tablet.
To celebrate being longlisted for the Man Booker Prize (the first year it’s been open to American novelists), Karen Joy Fowler has a conversation with Andrew Sean Greer. Free, 7:30 p.m., Kepler’s Books and Magazines.
Red Light Lit presents an evening of Cosmos, featuring Tomas Moniz, MK Chavez, Moneta Goldsmith, Sarah Kobrinsky, A.F., Paul Day, Diana Rosinus, Steven Gray, Devin Copeland, and Hollie Hardie, with tarot readings by Ginger Murray and piano accompaniment by Sarah Dineen. $12-15, 8 p.m., Viracocha.
Omnidawn Night presents authors of some of their Fall titles, including Sara Deniz Akant, Ewa Chrusciel, Bin Ramke, Joshua Corey, and Cole Swensen. Free, 7 :30 p.m., Moe’s Books.
Saturday 9/27: The 19th Annual Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival features scores of poets, including Kay Ryan, Anne Waldman, Al Young, and Dean Rader, as well as a tribute to Denise Levertov by David Shaddock, Poetry Inside Out K-12 poets, and a small press and chapbook station. Free, 12 p.m., Civic Center Park, Berkeley.
The 7th Annual Beat Museum Poetry Festival opens a two-day marathon of readings by many poets of multiple generations. Start time differs on Sunday (see link for more). Free, 3 p.m., The Beat Museum.
Kearmy Street Workshop presents a literary showcase as part of their annual APAture festival, featuring Lehua M. Taitano as well as Jennifer S. Cheng, Susan Calvillo, Calvin Fantone, Dickson Lam, Robert Ricardo Reese, Janice Sapigao, Jaz Sufi, and Brandon Young. $5, ARC Gallery & Studios. – Wonder Dave
The Bay Area Poetry Marathon concludes this year’s series of events with readings in solidarity with 100 Thousand Poets for Change, featuring Dodie Bellamy, Johnny Hernandez, RJ Ingram, Nomy Lamm, Lorelei Lee, Ben Mirov, Colin Partch, Monica Storss, and Sunnylyn Thibodeaux. $5, 7:30 p.m., The Emerald Tablet.
Litquake gears up for their 15th annual festival with the volunteer party, a chance to get an early scoop on the goings on and find out how to be a part of the madness. Games, food, drinks, prizes. Free, 6 p.m., Edinburgh Castle Pub.
MK Chavez, Kiala Givehand, Judy Halebsky, and Genine Lentine read as part of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Free, 7 p.m., Adobe Books.
Backyards: Poets for Local Change is a fourth annual show in solidarity with 100 Thousand Poets for Change, and features readings by Wilfred Galila, Kristen Hanlon, John Isles, Sara Anika Mithra, Rafael Jesús González, Vince Storti, Harold Terezon, and Joyce Young. Free, 7 p.m., Frank Bette Center for the Arts.
Saturday Night Special‘s show this month is also part of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, with a theme of Justice and features Javier O. Huerta and Brynn Saito, followed by an open mic. Free, 7 p.m., Nick’s Lounge.
Sunday 9/28: The 11th annual Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival features steamroller printing, artists and print makers, print and bookmaking demos, music and entertainment, children’s activities, and art and craft vendors. Free, 11 a.m., San Francisco Center for the Book.
The Other Fabulous Reading Series hosts Anna Avery, Joel Gregory, Melissa Mack, and zach ozma. Free, 7 p.m., The Long Haul Infoshop.
Canessa Poetry Series hosts George Albon, Joshua Corey, and Catherine Meng. $6 requested, 5:30 p.m., Canessa Gallery.
Monday 9/29: The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle reads from and discusses, with Robin Sloan, his debut novel Wolf in White Van, which was recently longlisted for the National Book Award. Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books on the Park.
The Porchlight storytelling series hosts their monthly show Open Door, which gives the public a chance to tell true five-minute stories, without notes, for a chance to win $50. This month’s theme is Bay Area Love Stories. $5, 7 p.m., Hemlock Tavern.
Tuesday 9/30: Wave Books Party features readings by some of the press’ recent authors: Garrett Caples, Anthony McCann, Hoa Nguyen, Cedar Sigo, and Rachel Zucker. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights.
City Arts & Lectures hosts a conversation between Chimamanda Adichie and Dave Eggers. Sold out, 7:30 p.m., Nourse Theater.
Nayomi Munaweera celebrates the launch of her debut novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, with a reading and conversation with Laleh Khadivi. Free, 7:30 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s.
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Videos from some of last week’s notables: Quiet Lightning (Raul Ruiz, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Adam Moskowitz, Brielle Brilliant, Ginger Buswell, Artie Moffa, Moneta Goldsmith, William Taylor Jr.); Courtney Moreno.
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This week’s featured local author is Jeff Von Ward (click to read an interview):
