Wednesday 1/21: Miranda July reads from and discusses her first novel, The First Bad Man (Free, 7 p.m., Bookshop Santa Cruz). The Hundy continues with a reading by Small Press Distribution staff: Laura Moriarty, Johnny Hernandez, Nicole Trigg, John Sakkis, and Brent Cunningham (Free, 7 p.m., E.M. Wolfman). Red Light Lit presents Psycho, their seventh publication, […]
...moreWednesday 1/14: The Berkeley Slam features Clementine von Radics, in town from Portland, and Alex Dang, from Eugene ($7-10, 8:15 p.m., The Starry Plough). From All Points but the Center presents Sandra Wassilie, Sharon Coleman, Elizabeth Rosner, Anna Avery, and Judy Elkan (Free, 8 p.m., E.M. Wolfman). Thursday 1/15: Barry Gifford reads from his new novel The Up-Down […]
...moreWednesday 12/17: Fourteen Hills launches issue 21.1 with readings by contributors Chris Ames, Matthew Clark Davison, Arthur Isaac Hofmayer, Ashley K. Nelson, Jahla Seppanen, and Matthew Zapruder (Free, 7 p.m., Viracocha). The Kinda Late Show w/Broke-Ass Stuart returns with a second episode, featuring Veronica Belmont, Gabi Moskowitz, and Josh Constine, with music by Double Duchess […]
...moreWednesday 12/10: Jon Sindell celebrates his publication of short fictions, The Roadkill Collection, with stories interpreted by Joe Clifford, Andrew O. Dugas, Candy Shue, Deborah Steinberg, Lauren Traetto, Siamak Vossoughi (and Jon himself, of course), as well as live music by Michael Crabtree and Steven Kacsmar of Phantom City (Free, 7 p.m., The Make-Out Room). ZYZZYVA launches their […]
...moreWednesday 12/3: San Jose State University hosts readings by this year’s Steinbeck Fellows: Cara Bayles, Yalitza Ferreras, and Reese Okyong Kwon (Free, 7 p.m., Center for Literary Arts). Todd Swindell, Neeli Cherkovski, and Jim Nawrocki—editors of a new volume of Harold Norse’s selected poems, I Am Going to Fly Through Glass, read from and discuss the poet, who they […]
...moreWednesday 11/26: The Berkeley Slam presents Sock Puppet Slam—yes, all three-minute poems are performed with sock puppets, with special guest feature Caitlin Gill ($7-10, 7:30 p.m. signup, show at 8:15 p.m., The Starry Plough). Saturday 11/29: Evan Morgan Williams reads from his collection of stories, Thorn (Free, 1 p.m., Book Passage Ferry). Saturday Night Special presents short […]
...moreWednesday 11/19: Mateo Hoke, co-editor of Palestine Speaks—the latest in the Voice of Witness series—discusses the book with oral historian Shanna Farrell (Free, 6 p.m., UC Berkeley, North Gate Hall). The Kinda Late Night Show with Broke-Ass Stuart premiere seems like it’ll be pretty literary: interviews, sketches, and performances by The Real Kari Byron, Polly Superstar, Inka Siefker, Boots […]
...moreWednesday 11/12: Peter Turchi reads from and discusses his new book A Muse and A Maze: Writing as Puzzle, Mystery, and Magic (Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books on the Park). Roman Krznaric discusses The Art of Living via his latest book, Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get It, with Laura Maguire, philosophy teacher at Stanford and […]
...moreWednesday 11/5: Haunted Reflections: Walter Benjamin in San Francisco is a nearly weeklong celebration of the great philosopher and critic Walter Benjamin, as organized by City Lights, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, Goethe Institut San Francisco, Harvard University Press, Mechanics’ Institute Library, San Francisco Art Institute, and Department of History/University of California at Berkeley, includes panel discussions, […]
...moreWednesday 10/29: Ari Larissa Heinrich is in town from San Diego to speak with Scott Esposito about the work of Qiu Miaojin, whose Last Words from Montmartre Heinrich has just translated from the Chinese (Free, 7 p.m., City Lights). The Center for Literary Arts hosts Tracy K. Smith, author of Life on Mars, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Free, […]
...moreWednesday 10/22: Tom Frank and John Summers celebrate the release of No Future For You: Salvos from The Baffler (Free, 7 p.m., City Lights). Eimear McBride reads from and discusses her novel, A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, with Anisse Gross (Free, 7 p.m., Green Apple Books on the Park). Alexis Coe celebrates the launch of her novel, Alice + Freda Forever, with […]
...moreWednesday 10/15: Litquake continues with another day of tough decisions! French author Marc Levy is in conversation with SF Chronicle book editor John McMurtrie ($5, 6 p.m., Modernism Gallery). A panel discussion with Steve McQuiddy, Vladimir Dupre, and Steve Dickison, celebrating McQuiddy’s recent book Here on the Edge, which is the story of a World War II conscientious […]
...moreWednesday 10/8: Nell Bernstein reads from her new book Burning Down the House: The End of the Juvenile Prison System, and will be in conversation with formerly incarcerated youth, advocates, and the audience. Free, 6 p.m., Youth Radio. Kim Addonizio celebrates her second collection of stories, The Palace of Illusions, with a reading and discussion (and maybe some […]
...moreWednesday 10/1: Fiveology Presents A.M.P., featuring National Poetry Slam finalist Imani Cezanne followed by an open mic. $5, 8 p.m., Vinyl Oakland. – Wonder Dave City Arts & Lectures hosts Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad presenting Gut Churn, a multimedia lecture on the creative process. $35, 7:30 p.m., Nourse Theater. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reads from and discusses her new book An Indigenous […]
...moreWednesday 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, […]
...moreWednesday 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, […]
...moreWednesday 9/10: Gillian Conoley celebrates the publication of Thousand Times Broken (City Lights), a collection of three previously untranslated book by French visionary poet Henri Michaux. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights. Peter Orner launches the paperback of Last Car Over the Sagamore Bridge with (we have on good authority) the first-time reading of a new story he’s […]
...moreWednesday 9/3: Dean Rader celebrates the publication of his anthology 99 Poems for the 99 Percent with a reading by some of the contributors: Keith Ekiss, Julie Bruck, Hiya Swanhuyser and The Rumpus’ own Barbara Berman. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith. Pandemonium Press has a new series that runs on the first Wednesday of each month, […]
...moreWednesday 8/27: San Francisco Poet Laureate Emeritus Jack Hirschman recently uncovered a book-length poem that’s been lost for more than 40 years, will read from the newly published Viet Arcane. Free, 7 p.m., The Emerald Tablet. The Berkeley Poetry Slam prepares for The Individual World Poetry Slam, in Phoenix this October; the top eight poets battle to see […]
...moreWednesday 8/20: Emeryville Poet Laureate Sarah Kobrinsky has organized a Poetry Happy Hour, fully catered by The Bureau, with drinks and eats beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by readings from Colleen McKee, Terry Lucas, Luke Warm Water, Janell Moon, and the host, Kobrinsky. Free, 6:30 p.m., 5858 Horton Street, Emeryville. – Wonder Dave Lyrics & Dirges celebrates their […]
...moreWednesday 8/13: Christina Nichol reads from her debut novel, Waiting for the Electricity, which won the 2012 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith. Thursday 8/14: Up in Sausalito, Why There Are Words hosts Katy Butler, Rumpus Sunday Editor Gina Frangello, Ann Gelder, Sandra Hunter, Edan Lepucki, Kathryn Ma, and Kate Milliken, all reading to the theme Outlaw. $10, 7 p.m., Studio 333. Voz […]
...moreWednesday 8/6: Pandemonium Press has organized a Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance, with readings by Sharon Coleman, Rafael Jesús González, Kirk Lumpkin, and Joyce E. Young. Free, 7 p.m., Spice Monkey. All week long, no matter what time it is, if you’ve got an urge for poetry there’s something going on. The New Sh!t Show is running a side event […]
...moreWednesday 7/30: Will Chancellor reads from his debut novel A Brave Man Seven Storeys, which Molly Antopol has called “a globetrotting, witty, powerful and wildly ambitious novel that is at once a psychological journey and a terrific page-turner”. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith. Literary Death Match returns to the Bay Area for its first-ever Oakland show, with readings by […]
...moreWednesday 7/23: James Nestor talks about and reads from his latest book, Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves, for which he traveled 2,500 ft below in a DIY submarine. $15, 6 p.m., Mechanics Institute Library. Portland’s Future Tense Books presents a launch for the new memoir by Wendy C. Ortiz, Excavation, with […]
...moreWednesday 7/16: Poetry in the Redwood Grove, featuring Keith Ekiss, Dean Rader, and Tess Taylor, followed by a bluegrass performance by The Whiskey Brothers. $12, 5:30 p.m., University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden. Lyrics & Dirges hosts Joyce E. Young, Monica Zarazua, Joshua McKinney, Katayoon Zandvakili, and Rusty Morrison. Free, 7:30 p.m., Pegasus Books Downtown. […]
...moreWednesday, 7/9: A rare chance to see author of Turn of Mind, Method and Madness, and Circle of Wives, Alice LaPlante. Free, 6 p.m., Glen Park Library. Phenomenal lineup for the third installment of Story Showdown, hosted by Jamie DeWolf: storytellers, comedians, beatboxers, and poets compete for a $300 prize, decided by the audience. Featuring Doug Cordell, […]
...moreWednesday, 7/2: Paul Corman-Roberts, an exhilarating voice of the Beast Generation, recently released a new book with Paper Press and is celebrating with a launch party, along with East Bay poetry superstars Missy Church, Cassandra Dallett, Hollie Hardy, SB Stokes, Zarina Zabrisky, and Simon Rogghe. Be there or be basic. Free, 7 p.m., The Legionnaire […]
...moreWednesday, 6/25: KQED and StoryCorps present: OutLoud San Francisco, a night of storytelling with Morgan, Jaime Cortez, Matt Leavitt, and musical guest MAD NOISE. Free, 7 p.m., The Chapel. – Wonder Dave It’s been one year since Prop 8 was hoisted on its own petard. Come join the Pride festivities at the SF LGBT center. Celebrity litigators […]
...moreWednesday, 6/18: Joanne Kyger and Michael McClure join Bill Morgan to celebrate Peter Orlovsky, a Life in Words: Intimate Chronicles of a Beat Writer. Free, 7 p.m., City Lights. Joel Streicker will be in conversation with Peruvian novelist and playwright Rafael Dumett, and will read from his new book of poetry, El Amor en los Tiempos […]
...moreWednesday, 6/11: Emma Straub reads from her new story collection The Vacationers. Free, 7:30 p.m., The Booksmith. – Evan Karp Rusty Morrison, David Koehn, and Marianne Morris will read from new poetry collections. Complimentary refreshments. Free, 6 p.m., University Press Books. Thursday 6/12: Voz sin Tinta, a monthly literary series and open mic sponsored by poet laureate Alejandro […]
...more