NEXT THERE: THERE 14 – Saturday, April 29 , 2017 – short story writer and SF Chronicle columnist Caille Milner, Oakland author Margaret Lee, Oakland poet Emma Catherine Perry, and for halftime entertainment, the world premiere debut of the new East Bay band The Braxton Hicks!

THERE (THe Eastbay Reading Extravaganza) is a reading series showcasing emerging and established writers from Oakland and Berkeley, with the occasional San Franciscan. Doug hosts it on the third Friday of each month at Octopus Literary Salon in Uptown Oakland. It also features a live original musical performance by a local musical artist at “halftime” of each month’s reading, and Doug’s famous original LitQuiz literary trivia contest. It’s from 7:00-9:00pm. THERE has been putting the there back in Oakland since 2015!

Maxine Hong Kingston & Earll Kingston reading at THERE 5, 3/18/16

Claire Perry reads at the launch of THERE, 10/16/15

We’ve featured such celebrated authors as Maxine Hong Kingston, Yiyun Li, Yaa Gyasi, Carolina DeRobertis, Grant Faulkner, Frances Dinkelspiel, Janis Cooke Newman, Zac Unger and many more, THERE emphasizes fiction but also includes non-fiction, memoir and poetry.

THERE debuted October 16, 2015 with guest authors Claire Perry, Cynthia Salaysay and Rosa del Duca, live music by Rosa del Duca and Doug Sovern, and special guest Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.