Wednesday 1/28: Peter Richardson, author of No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of The Grateful Dead, in conversation with Paul Liberatore. Co-sponsored by Amoeba Music. Free, 7 p.m., Book Passage Corte Madera.
San Francisco hero Armistead Maupin in conversation with Kemble Scott, celebrating publication of the 9th and final novel in Tales Of The City: The Days of Anna Madrigal. $25 with book/$15 without, 7:30 p.m., Kepler’s.
Leading literary impresario Paul Corman-Roberts hosts the 9th edition of Passages on the Lake featuring Ericka Lutz, Scott Russell Duncan, Lisa D. Gray, and comedian Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, with music by Three Times Bad. Free, 8 p.m., The Terrace Room.
A Hundy Reading, hosted by Zack Haber, achieves a one year milestone with its 12th night featuring a knockout lineup with DeWayne Dickerson, Paul Ebenkamp, Brenda Hillman, Tessa Micaela, and Michael Nicoloff. Free, 7 p.m., E. M. Wolfman.
The Berkley Slam, northern California’s longest running slam poetry event, presents Women of the World. Female identified poets battle it out to see who will represent Berkeley at an upcoming competition in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Featuring Jaz Sufi, Tatyana Brown, Shannon Matesky, Jari, Sevan-Kelee, Joyce Lee, Casey, and guest host Nazelah Jamison. $7-$10 sliding scale, 7:30 p.m., The Starry Plough.
Thursday 1/29: Binh Minh Nguyen & Yiyun Li discuss their books, Pioneer Girl and Kinder Than Solitude. Among other accomplishments, Nguyen is a winner of the American Book Award and teaches writing at UC Davis. Li is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation fellowship. Free, 6 p.m., Book Passage Corte Madera.
Ellery Akers (2014 Autumn House Poetry Prize winner) and Randall Potts (author of Trickster, described as “a terrific book” by Gerald Stern) read for Poetry Flash‘s series at Moe’s Books in Berkeley. Free, 7:30 p.m., Moe’s Books.
Friday 1/30: Write from the Gut Reading Series features Liz Melchor, Flavia Stefani Resende, Yvonne Campbell, Maw Shein Win, and an open mic. This reading series is hosted by Alexandra Kostoulas and features students of the “Jack Grapes Method Writing Program.” Free, 5:30 p.m., WeWork Golden Gate.
Interested in young writers? Check out the students from SF Waldorf High School who will be reading at Booksmith in the Haight. Featuring student writers Arianna Adabachi, Marie Calhoun, Emma Stearns, Sahara Ndiaye, Haley Grey, and more. Free, 6 p.m., Booksmith.
Peninsula dwellers can check out an Evening of Poetry and Prose presented by Peninsula Literary in Palo Alto, featuring Kristi Moos and Kevin Sharp, with guest readers Paul Carroll, Mary-Marcia Casoly, Sibel Sayiner, and Preeva Tramiel. Free, 7 p.m., Gallery House.
Saturday 1/31: Poet Joseph Lease (anthologized by both Norton and Best American Poetry) can be found featuring at an intimate house reading, Lone Glen. He will partner with second feature Annelyse Gelman, musician and poet, whose new collection, Everybody I Love Is A Stranger To Someone, will be published in April by Write Bloody Publishing. Free, 7:30 p.m., 3132 Harrison Street, Oakland. Bring refreshments.
Todd Zuniga is back in San Francisco to host the return to The Elbo Room of the ever-popular Literary Death Match, proudly brandishing its freak flag in the rapidly gentrifying Mission District. Featuring: Jeff Greenwald, Zoe Young, Jamieson Bunn, and Leo Bryant. Adjudicators: Jordan Bass, George Nachtrieb, and Zahra Noorbakhsh. $7, 7:15 p.m. sharp, The Elbo Room.
Sunday 2/01: Sean Taylor, a longtime contributor to the scenes at 16th and Mission and Viracocha, hosts a release party for his second book of short stories: “Your Smallest Bones”. With musical performances by In Leagues. Shannon Harney, White White Wolf, and Syd McClune. $10, 7 p.m., Viracocha.
Oakland writers Clive Matson and Richard Loranger are the hosts of “Poetry Unbound” a monthly Berkeley reading series with a popular open mic. This month’s show (the 21st iteration) features Lisa Martinovic, Peter Bullen, and the eccentric and intriguing literary performance duo of Zarina Zabrisky and Simon Rogghe. $5, 5 p.m., Arthouse Gallery.
Monday 2/2: Evan Karp, the founder of the popular series, Quiet Lightning, collaborates with Sean Taylor to curate this month’s edition featuring over a dozen writers in QL’s original mix tape format style. $10, 7:30 p.m., Viracocha.
Tuesday 2/3: The charming, ethereal, and perhaps a bit spooky Joyce Carol Oates, a novelist on just about everybody’s short list for most likely to win a Nobel Prize, reads from her new work, The Sacrifice, at the landmark City Lights Bookstore. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights Bookstore.
*
This week’s theater recommendation is Landless, a world premier by Larissa FastHorse, presented by Alter Theater in a storefront in San Rafael. Click here for a review. $25, click here for further details.
*
This week’s featured local author is Paul Corman-Roberts (click here to read an interview):
