WEEK IN PREVIEW: something for every day
This is an exciting week if you’re a lit lover in the Bay Area. On Monday, Sept 12 Stephen Elliott returns to San Francisco to host The Monthly Rumpus, which will include readings by Michelle Tea, Susan Straight, Jesus Angel Garcia — just back in town from his DIY national book tour — and David Rocklin, with music by Hate Factory [watch this pretty viddy]… and a Kendama performance by the Kengarden! What’s that? Check it and tell us (or find out on Monday).
Rest of the Week:
Tuesday, September 13 is your chance to go behind the scenes with the Center for the Art of Translation Open House. This nonprofit is absolutely incredible and they have a new home in the glorious Hobart building. These curators of the invaluable Lit and Lunch series [footage here] have two forthcoming events as part of Litquake — both should be excellent. Find out more in person. If you’re in Santa Rose, spend the evening with Petals and Bones at the Writers Social, a chance for “chatting, networking and general hobnobbing.” And if you’re in Albany, live near Albany, or know of Albany, you already know about this reading: Brenda Hillman, Richard O. Moore, Paul Ebenkamp — sure to be one for the books [Richard O. Moore at Lunch Poems | Brenda Hillman at the recent Dean Young benefit | some poems by Paul Ebenkamp | got you thinking about travelling to Albany, huh?] Also on Tuesday is the premier of Bikram Writing‘s exciting new home above Paxton’s Gate [more here].
Wednesday, September 14th kicks off the 26th year of the Center for Literary Arts with a reading by Andrew Sean Greer [in conversation here | reading here]. Like all of their events, this is absolutely free and open to the public. Also, in SF, Jay Feldman is Manufacturing Hysteria at City Lights. This is A History of Scapegoating, Surveillance, and Secrecy in Modern America. Interested?
Thursday, September 15th: Maxine Chernoff + Jaime Robles read together as part of the Poetry Flash series. This will be a wonderful event [watch this incredible animation of “Lost and Found” by Chernoff | more on Robles]. Julia Spahr: is at City Lights for Well Then There Now, a Black Sparrow collection of “the vibrant possibilities of an investigatory poetics” [more than you can handle], Thursdays at Readers has Walter Gomez + Jeniffer Barone [a recent reading | a short film]. Also Thursday is InsideStoryTime: Hurdling and Curdling, with Ellen Klages [a short reading], Meg Pokrass [a cutesy book trailer | an old reading], David Ira Cleary [a sample short], Jimmy Chen [on Tyra Banks], and Na’amen Tilahun [anger mode]. James Warner of All Her Father’s Guns will excel at hosting duties.
Friday, September 16th: The Bold Italic goes analog! The Vol. 1 Print Release Party should be special if previous events are accurate indicators. Known for beautiful photographs and design on the web, the print issue promises to be much of the same. Take it home with you. Make that collage, baby. Or… take your bike out. Take the ferry. Get you to San Rafael! Chris Peck boogie woogies in a backyard for a free show! Kickstart his new album, while yer at it [check out his Underwear | enjoy a song | a rap].
Saturday, September 17th: The Sit-Down Readers Theatre presents: Twain’s Diaries. Bring your favorite Twain to read aloud with a group of admirers. Think about how much fun this could be! Focus will be the Adam and Eve diaries. Hey! you could see Peck on Friday, spend the night in some not-so-shady nook off the bike path, and put Hand to Mouth/Words Spoken Out at the center of your Saturday. Writers from the new issue of Spillway #16 will read at Rebound Bookstore. Hopefully you caught the Center for the Art of Translation Open House on Tuesday, but either way they partner with Omnidawn to bring us Japanese poet Kiwao Nomura + translator Kyoko Yoshida at The Booksmith.
Sunday, September 18th: Previously Secret Information [read more here] features Cassie J. Sneider, Jeff Applebaum, Joe Klocek, and Topper Felix. Funny, intimate… raunchy? It’s all here. Or, if you’re stuck in the Inner Sunset we have excellent news! Kim Addonizio + Susan Browne are a beautiful combo together again at the Great Overland Book Company [Susan | Kim | together here].
Hope you all have a good week. Thanks for shopping at Litseen.