Wednesday 1/27: Novelist and short story writer, the marvelously eccentric Zarina Zabrisky (We, Monsters), celebrates the release of her third collection of short stories, Explosion, from Epic Rites Press. The event will also feature performance artist Karen Penley and poet Fernando Meisenhalter, whose website biography includes the refreshing characterization, “MFA free.” Free, 7 p.m., The Terrace Room.
Thursday 1/28: Edgar Award-winning Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin arrives in Oakland from far away Edinburgh to read from his latest, Even Dogs In The Wild. Free, 7 p.m., Diesel, A Bookstore.
Friday 1/29: Diesel, A Bookstore launches Fresh and Best! A New Poets Reading Series, featuring City Lights Spotlight poet Elaine Kahn and current Mills MFA candidate Julian Francis Park. Free, 7 p.m., Diesel, A Bookstore.
Saturday 1/30: Leroy F. Moore, Jr. (aka Black Kripple) celebrates the release of Black Kripple Delivers Poetry & Lyrics. Moore is the founder of Krip Hop Nation, devoted to the well being and celebration of hip-hop artists and other musicians with disabilities. Free, 3 p.m., Modern Times Bookstore Collective.
Sunday 1/31: Kirk Read and Beth Lisick will host a memorial reading for Justin Chin, a much admired Queer San Francisco poet who died recently at the age of 46 from after suffering a stroke on December 19th. More than a dozen major lights of San Francisco’s Queer literary community will participate, including Daphne Gottleib, Kevin Killian, and Philip Huang. Free, 1:30 p.m., San Francisco Public Library Koret Auditorium.
Tuesday 2/2: After releasing six well-received albums of original music, singer/songwriter Korby Lenker has published his first book of short stories, Medium Hero. He’ll be reading tonight, in the Sunset. Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books on the Park.
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This week’s theatre recommendation is the regional premiere of Jennifer Haley’s Nether at San Francisco Playhouse. This fascinating, disturbing, even distressing play will certainly creep you out while exerting its fascination. Papa has created an online world for pederasts. The “children” are avatars for adult actors. Papa claims that nobody is hurt, and that the online world provides a safe space for people like Papa to act out fantasies without consequences or harm. Is that really possible? You may be ambivalent about trigger warnings, but it probably isn’t a bad idea in this instance. If you have doubts about seeing this subject handled onstage, consider carefully before attending. After the opening night performance, we encountered a fine actor and friend, the right type to play the part of “Papa.” He agreed it is an excellent and remarkable play. But when asked, “Would you act in a production?” he replied, “Hell, no!” It’s interesting stuff. For further information, click here.
For more extensive coverage of the Bay area theatre scene, visit TheatreStorm.
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Evan Karp presents video of this week’s featured local author, Raina J. León. Read an interview here.
This past week, an SF Notable, poet Neeli Cherkovski, was profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s a fasicinating guy! Here is video of his “first spontaneous you tube talk” from 2012.
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