Wednesday 4/22: Viet Thanh Nguyen will read from his debut novel, The Sympathizer, set in the time of the Vietnam War. In his review for the New York Times, Philip Caputo compared Nguyen to Joseph Conrad, no less. Free, 7:30 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s.
Renowned French poet and Tantra art expert Franck Andre Jamme will read with his translator Norma Cole. Local writer John Sakkis will also be reading. Free, 7 p.m., Bird & Beckett.
Thursday 4/23: First time writer Jo Ivester will read from her recently released memoir, The Outskirts of Hope, about her childhood experiences in rural Mississippi during the civil rights era. Jo’s physician father transplanted his young, privileged white family from a Boston suburb to the delta cotton fields when Jo was only 10. (Bias disclosure: I was there, too. Jo is my little sister.) Free, 7 p.m., Books, Inc. in the Marina.
Friday 4/24: The Torquoise Yantra Grotto presents Poets Perform with Music & Dance. The program includes Pitta of the Mind featuring Amanda Chaudhary and Maw Shein Win; YoyoMama featuring Bob Marsh and Sandra Yolles; Tom Nunn and Dean Santomieri with Butoh Dancer Ronie Baker; and Brother’s Quarrel with David Samas & Ian Saxton and featuring Tom Clark. $10-15, 8 p.m., Torquoise Yantra Grotto.
Saturday 4/25: Green Apple Books hosts A Night of Poetry featuring Daniel Wolff, Dean Rader, and Brian Komei Dempster. If you’ve never visited this enormously large and popular independent bookseller, this might be a good night to make their acquaintance. Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books on Clement.
Sunday 4/26: The Lacuna Project presents Paul Corman-Roberts, Hollie Hardy, Sarah Kobrinsky, Annelyse Gelman, and Simon Crafts. Plus, activities! These will include Lacuna MadLibs and a raffle of signed works by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. Free, 7 p.m., The Octopus Literary Salon.
Monday 4/27: The Creative Writing Reading Series hosted in Oakland by St. Mary’s MFA program presents Amber Tamblyn and Matthew Zapruder. Did you know that the Emmy-nominated actress is also a respected poet? Neither did I, but a little research reveals she’s the real thing. And Matthew Zapruder is… well, he’s Matthew Zapruder. Free, 7 p.m., Ordinaire Wine Shop & Wine Bar.
Tuesday 4/28: Ruth Weiss, dubbed “The Beat Goddess” by Herb Caen, is credited with being the first San Franciscan to combine poetry performance with jazz, back in the 1950s. And she’s still at it. And she’s still great. Free, 6:30 p.m., Top of the Mark Poetry and Jazz Series.
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This week’s theatre recommendation is “Max Understood,” presented by the Paul Dresher Ensemble, co-produced with the Fort Mason Center and Behavioral Intervention for Autism. A musical about autism? Yes, and a damn good one. It has an excellent and sophisticated musical score, a Broadway caliber creative team, and an astonishing star turn by pre-teen actor Jonah Broscow as the autistic Max. As an added bonus, the Cowell Theater is located at one of the most beautiful spots in the Bay Area; you can stand in the lobby and enjoy spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. For tickets and further information, click here.
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This week’s featured local author is Stephen Gray. (Click here to read an interview.)
