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2019 festival guide
TRANSPORTATION SPONSOR:
Tickets & Info: litquake.org
@LITQUAKE #LITQUAKE2019
[ Welcome 3
Welcome to the festival
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CALENDAR..............................4
Thank you so much for attending, supporting, volunteering,
and participating in this year’s festival! Rather than talk about
EVENTS BY SERIES.................7
the importance of literature, or the challenge of surviving
as an arts nonprofit in a wildly changing San Francisco (18 KIDQUAKE...........................7
billionaires!??), we thought we would simply list some of our TEENQUAKE........................7
favorite Litquake moments from the past 20 years. THE ART OF WRITING.........9
PURSUIT OF PUBLISHING...9
Tom Waits reciting Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Coney Island of WORDS AROUND
the Mind” at a grand piano, Herbst Theater, 2010 THE WORLD ..................... 10
CRAIG NEWMARK
At an Elder Project event, Dolores Fierro, a 75-year-old retired PHILANTHROPIES............. 11
scientist from the Philippines, reading from her work and then
pumping a fist at the end, as people cheered. LITQUAKE’S 20 IN 20........ 11
EVENTS BY DATE.................. 14
Tracy K. Smith, at the time our U.S. Poet Laureate, being inter-
viewed onstage for a Litquake-presented night at the JCCSF: THU................................... 14
“When people realize I’m a poet they ask, ‘Oh, you must know FRI.................................... 14
the names of trees.’” SAT................................... 14
SUN...................................20
Novelist Elaine Castillo on family history: “As kids of the MON................................. 24
diaspora, you are accustomed to receiving information in
TUE...................................26
fragments.”
WED................................. 30
Julie Lythcott-Haims at a memoir event: “If you didn’t want to THU...................................35
be in the book, you should have been nicer.” FRI....................................38
SAT...................................40
At the first Lit Crawl back in 2004, a certain bar refused to
turn down their music for the readings, so MacAdam/Cage LIT CRAWL............................ 41
publisher David Poindexter grabbed a chair and walked PHASE 1........................... 44
through the crowd and outside to the sidewalk, and set the
PHASE 2...........................47
chair down in front of a janitorial supply store, and the au-
thors did readings on top of the chair, surrounded by a crowd PHASE 3........................... 51
holding drinks. Traffic was stalled. A car passenger rolled
BESTSELLERS CLUB..............56
down a window and shouted, “What’s going on?” Someone
yelled back, “A literary event!”
PARTNERS.............................55
One year, Amy Tan and Armistead Maupin shared more than SPONSORS............................58
stories onstage. Amy pulled a bag of weed out of her pocket
and gave it to Armistead, a well-known indulger. “People CAST.....................................62
keep giving it to me!” she said, confused. “Do I look like a
pothead?”
At the first Litstock in 1999, a woman in the audience was
quoted in a news article as saying she wanted to attend at
the beginning, before Litquake “went corporate” and sold its
soul. We’re happy to announce that after 20 years as the West
Coast’s largest independent festival, our soul is still intact.
Litquake co-founders Jack Boulware and Jane Ganahl at the first
festival, looking as confused as they felt. Golden Gate Park, 1999
[ At-a-Glance Calendar 5
Sunday, October 13
12:00pm Words Around the World: Child Immigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1:00pm The Art of the Short Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Build your own schedule 1:00pm 20 in 20 Corte Madera: Write In/Write On!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1:00pm Teenquake: College Essay Workshop with Writopia Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
with our mobile version at 1:30pm Words Around the World: Lost Children and Absent Fathers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
litquakefestival2019.sched.com/mobile 2:00pm Susan Straight: In the Country of Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2:30pm The Art of the Novel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3:00pm Words Around the World: Family Trauma and Literary Catharsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3:00pm The Wig Diaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4:00pm Craft Talk with Tupelo Hassman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Thursday, October 10 4:00pm
5:00pm
Beat History Walking Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
10:00am Kidquake: Upper Elementary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 5:00pm 20 in 20 Napa: Words & Wine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7:00pm 20 in 20 Petaluma: Kristin Hannah with Ellen Sussman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 6:00pm Books to Look At. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7:00pm 20 in 20 San Jose: Rita Bullwinkel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 6:00pm Greetings, from Queer Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7:00pm The Bee’s Knees: Litquake Opening Night Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 6:30pm 20 in 20 Penngrove: Penngrove Reading Series’ Shut Up and Write!™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7:00pm Voices of The Adroit Journal: An Evening of Poetry & Poets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7:00pm Bay Area Pun-Off: Litquake Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Friday, October 11
Monday, October 14
10:00am Kidquake: Lower Elementary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12:30pm 20 in 20 Marin City: Your Voice, Your Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7:00pm 20 in 20 Point Richmond: Quieting Your Inner Critic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 5:30pm Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built
7:00pm 20 in 20 Santa Rosa: Women Who Go Bump in the Night. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 the Transcontinental Railroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7:30pm 20 in 20 Menlo Park: Stephen Chbosky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 6:00pm Let Her Tell It! Black Women Healing Through Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8:00pm Eureka! California’s Best Authors Read by More of the Same . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 6:00pm 20 in 20 Half Moon Bay: Beach Reads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7:00pm The Room Where It Happens: Creating Inclusive Literary Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7:00pm Duet & Marrow: An Evening of Poetry and Dance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Saturday, October 12 7:30pm Botnik Live! A Reckless Night of Literary Experiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8:00pm Porchlight Storytelling: Liars and the Lies They Tell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
11:00am Pursuit of Publishing: It Was the Best of Lines, It Was the Worst of Lines. . . . . . . . . . . 14
12:00pm Words Around the World: Crime Outside the Mainstream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12:00pm
12:30pm
Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Pursuit of Publishing: Rise to the Top of the Slush Pile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tuesday, October 15
1:00pm Teenquake: Dreams and Memories Bookbinding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 12:30pm Poetic Tuesday: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1:30pm Words Around the World: Passports to the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6:00pm 20 in 20 Fairfax: Pints & Prose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2:00pm 20 in 20 Los Gatos: Teen Writing Workshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6:30pm High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. . . . . . . . 26
2:00pm Forests: The Heart of our Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6:30pm Tiffany Shlain: 24/6—The Power of Unplugging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2:00pm 20 in 20 El Cerrito: Poets Laureate at the Library. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7:00pm 20 in 20 Santa Cruz: On Keeping it Weird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2:30pm Pursuit of Publishing: Debut Authors and Their Publishers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7:00pm The Invention of Yesterday: 50,000 Years of Human Culture, Conflict,
3:00pm Words Around the World: The Enduring Influence of Persian Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 and Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3:00pm The White Devil’s Daughters: A Chinatown Walking Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 7:00pm 20 in 20 Campbell: South Bay Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4:00pm NaNoWriMo Young Writers Brave the Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 7:00pm We’ve Been Too Patient: Voices from Radical Mental Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4:00pm 20 in 20 Occidental: WordSpace Studios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7:00pm The Ego Has Landed: A Closer Look at Uber and Facebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4:15pm Pursuit of Publishing: The Working Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 7:00pm Frankissstein: An Evening with Jeanette Winterson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4:30pm Words Around the World: I Am God, A Diary of the Almighty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 7:15pm Literary Death Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6:00pm Words Around the World: The Thomas Mann House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 7:30pm Straight, No Chaser: Writers at the Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
7:00pm Journalists in Jeopardy: Katherine Ellison and Michael Scott Moore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 8:00pm AI, Robots, and the Future of Humans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7:00pm Foglifter Press: A Celebration of Bay Area Queer Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7:30pm Baby, Don’t Hurt Me: An Evening with Chris Kattan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
7:30pm 20 in 20 Davis: Stories on Stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8:00pm Grace Notes: Poetry at Grace Cathedral. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6 At-a-Glance Calendar \ [ Events by Series 7
Wednesday, October 16
2:00pm Teenquake: Open Writer’s Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2:00pm Listen To Your Elders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
6:00pm Tommy Orange: One City One Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Join acclaimed YA and children’s book
6:30pm Tope Folarin: A Particular Kind of Black Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 authors, illustrators, poets, and workshop leaders for
6:30pm No Human Is Illegal: On the Front Lines of the Immigration War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 readings, discussions, and special events designed to help
7:00pm Name a Bram Stoker Book Besides Dracula: Lit Quiz Night with CCA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 fuel the imagination. All events are free.
7:00pm Raphael Bob-Waksberg: Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory. . . . . .31
7:00pm Print/Ops: A Technology Roundtable with LOGIC magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 THU, OCT 10, 10:00am – 12:15pm FRI, OCT 11, 10:00am – 12:15pm THU, OCT 17, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
7:00pm Austin Kleon: Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7:00pm The Lady From the Black Lagoon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Upper Elementary Lower Elementary Christian Robinson
7:00pm Between Heaven and Hell: A Very San Francisco Conversation with David Talbot. . . . . . 32 Koret Auditorium u Koret Auditorium u Books Inc., Laurel Village u
7:00pm Mason Funk: The Book of Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 San Francisco Public Library San Francisco Public Library 3515 California St.
100 Larkin St. 100 Larkin St. For ages 3+.
FREE for school groups FREE for school groups
Thursday, October 17 See page 35 for details.
See page 14 for details. See page 14 for details.
12:30pm LQ at the Bookstore: Ann Patchett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
\
12:30pm Water in Words and Art with Obi Kaufmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5:30pm LQ at the Bookstore: Christian Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6:00pm On Forgetting: Scientists, Writers, and Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6:30pm Alpha Girls: Powerful Women Reshaping the Tech World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
6:30pm Carolina De Robertis: Cantoras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7:00pm Literary Citizenship and the East Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7:00pm The Velvet Underground Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7:00pm Niloufar Talebi: Self-Portrait in Bloom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7:00pm 20 in 20 Orinda: Diablo Writers’ Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7:00pm Yes, I Am a Witch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 All events are free.
7:00pm Poetry World Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7:30pm 20 in 20 Stanford: Down on the Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7:30pm You’re Going to Die presents: Our Living, Breathing Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
8:00pm Otherworldly: The Best Historical Fiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 SAT, OCT 12, 1:00pm – 3:00pm SAT, OCT 12, 4:00pm – 6:00pm FRI, OCT 18, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Dreams and NaNoWriMo Young Nina Varela—
Memories Writers The Crier’s War
Friday, October 18
Bookbinding Brave the Page Books Inc., Opera Plaza u
4:30pm Teenquake: Open Mic at The Mix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 601 Van Ness Ave., San
The Mix u The Bindery u
6:00pm 20 in 20 Novato: Words Off Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Francisco
San Francisco Public Library 1727 Haight St.
6:30pm Lit by the Lake: A Literary Mélange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7:00pm APAture 2019 Literary Showcase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 100 Larkin St. See page 39 for details.
See page 18 for details.
7:00pm Disasterama! with Alvin Orloff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 See page 17 for details.
7:00pm Elderhood Redefined: The Power and Potential of Aging, with Louise Aronson
and Chip Conley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 WED, OCT 16, 2:00PM – 4:00PM
7:00pm Dancing About Architecture: A Night of Music Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 SAT, OCT 12, 1:00pm – 4:00pm Open Writer’s Club
7:00pm Teenquake: Nina Varela—The Crier’s War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 College Essay The Mix u SAT, OCT 19, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
7:00pm Drawing on Queerness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
7:00pm Blackfishing the IUD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Workshop San Francisco Public Library Teenquake Teen
with Writopia Labs 100 Larkin St.
8:00pm Word/Jazz with Cave Canem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Writing Competition
Noe Valley Ministry u See page 30 for details. Winners read from their
1021 Sanchez St. work at Lit Crawl!
Saturday, October 19 FREE, registration required FRI, OCT 18, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
2:00pm Lit Crawl Book Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 See page 20 for details. Teenquake Open Mic Mission Workshop u
5:00pm Lit Crawl San Francisco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 541 Valencia St.
The Mix u
SAT, OCT 12, 2:00pm – 3:30pm San Francisco Public Library See page 45 for details.
Wednesday, October 30 Los Gatos: Teen 100 Larkin St.
7:00pm Aftershock: Saeed Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Writing Workshop See page 38 for details.
Los Gatos Library u
100 Villa Ave., Los Gatos
Celebrate LGBTQ heroes [ Events by Series 9
past, present and future Dive into
the art and craft of writing at
these afternoon panels featuring authors with
recently published works. Events are held at the Writers’
Studio, California College of the Arts, 195 De Haro St. u
SUN, OCT 13, 1:00pm – 2:15pm SUN, OCT 13, 2:30pm – 3:45pm SUN, OCT 13, 4:00pm – 5:15pm
The Art of the Short The Art of the Novel Craft Talk with
Story $12 adv / $15 door Tupelo Hassman
$12 adv / $15 door See page 21 for details. $12 adv / $15 door
See page 20 for details. See page 21 for details.
\
How perfect does your writing
have to be? This year’s experts share their
wisdom. Learn what it takes to craft a great opening, create
submissions that shine, find the best publisher for your work, and
maybe even make some money. Events are held at Timken Hall, California
College of the Arts, 1111 8th St. u
Mason Funk & SAT, OCT 12, 11:00am – 12:15pm SAT, OCT 12, 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Photo by Rick Han from Pexels
Session 1: It Was the Best Session 3: Debut Authors and
The Book of Pride of Lines, It Was the Worst of
Lines
$20 for sessions #1 and 2
their Publishers
$20 for sessions #3 and 4
See page 17 for details.
See page 14 for details.
SF CENTER FOR THE BOOK | WEDNESDAY OCT 16, 7 PM SAT, OCT 12, 4:15pm – 5:30pm
SAT, OCT 12, 12:30pm – 1:45pm Session 4: The Working Writer
Session 2: Rise to the Top of $20 for sessions #3 and 4
the Slush Pile See page 18 for details.
$20 for sessions #1 and 2
See page 17 for details.
HarperOne.com HarperOne @HarperOne @HarperOneBooks
10 Events by Series \ [ Events by Series 11
San Francisco endures as one Launched by Craig Newmark, web
of America’s original international cities. Our pioneer, philanthropist, and founder of Craigslist,
citizens are curious about the world. We look for cultural Craig Newmark Philanthropies supports organizations
understanding. Our global programming runs throughout opening that protect trustworthy journalism, enhance the role of women in
weekend, with an additional event mid-week, providing many opportunities techology, support voters’ rights and serve veterans and their families.
for Bay Area readers. Enjoy this curated selection of authors and translated With acknowledgement of our many shared goals, Litquake is deeply grateful for
works from around the world. this support to present the following events.
SAT, OCT 12, 12:00pm – 1:00pm SAT, OCT 12, 4:30pm – 5:30pm SUN, OCT 13, 1:30PM – 2:30PM SAT, OCT 12, 3:00pm – 6:00pm TUE, OCT 15, 8:00pm – 9:30pm
Crime Outside the I Am God: A Diary of Lost Children and The White Devil’s Daughter: A AI, Robots, and the Future of
Mainstream the Almighty Absent Fathers Chinatown Walking Tour with Humans
Hotel Emblem u Hotel Emblem u Hotel Emblem u Julia Flynn Siler CounterPulse u
562 Sutter St. 562 Sutter St. 562 Sutter St. Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco u 80 Turk St.
$5-10 suggested donation $5-10 suggested donation $5-10 suggested donation 750 Kearny St. $10 adv / $15 door
See page 14 for details. See page 18 for details. See page 21 for details. $50 adv See page 30 for details.
See page 18 for details.
SAT, OCT 12, 1:30pm – 2:30pm SAT, OCT 12, 6:00pm – 7:30pm SUN, OCT 13, 3:00PM – 4:00PM WED, OCT 16, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Passports to the The Thomas Mann Family Trauma and SAT, OCT 12, 7:00pm – 8:30pm No Human is Illegal: On the Front
World House Literary Catharsis Journalists in Jeopardy: Katherine Lines of the Immigration War
Hotel Emblem u Goethe-Institut u Hotel Emblem u E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small
Ellison and Michael Scott Moore
562 Sutter St. 530 Bush St. 562 Sutter St. Bookstore u
San Francisco Center for the Book u
$5-10 suggested donation $5-10 suggested donation $5-10 suggested donation 410 13th St., Oakland
375 Rhode Island St.
Free, $5 suggested donation
See page 17 for details. See page 18 for details. See page 22 for details. Free, $5-10 suggested donation
See page 31 for details.
See page 20 for details.
SAT, OCT 12, 3:00pm – 4:00pm SUN, OCT 13, 12:00PM – 1:00PM WED, OCT 16, 6:30PM – 8:00PM
The Enduring Child Immigrants Tope Folarin: A SUN, OCT 13, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
THU, OCT 17, 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Influence of Persian Hotel Emblem u Particular Kind of Susan Straight: In the Country of Alpha Girls: Powerful Women
Poetry 562 Sutter St. Black Man Women Reshaping the Tech World
Hotel Emblem u $5-10 suggested donation MoAD u Contemporary Jewish Museum u
MoAD u
562 Sutter St. See page 20 for details. 685 Mission St. 736 Mission St.
685 Mission St.
$5-10 suggested donation $5-10 suggested donation $6 members / $16 general
Free, $5-10 suggested donation
See page 18 for details. See page 33 for details. See page 35 for details.
See page 21 for details.
TUE, OCT 15, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
In partnership with: Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; Book Sales by The Ego Has Landed: A Closer
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco; Consulate General Look at Uber and Facebook
of Italy, San Francisco; Consulate General of Sweden, San Swedish American Hall u
Francisco; Consulate General of Switzerland, San Francisco; 2174 Market St.
DoppelHouse Press; French American Cultural Society; $25 adv / $30 door
Sponsored by
Goethe-Institut, San Francisco; Hotel Emblem; Italian Cultural
See page 27 for details.
Institute, San Francisco; Museum of the African Diaspora;
Pro Helvetia Foundation; Transit Books; Two Lines Press;
Voice of Witness; World Editions
12 Events by Series \ [ Events by Series 13
MON, OCT 14, 6:00pm – 8:00pm THUR, OCT 17, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Half Moon Bay: Beach Reads Orinda: Diablo Writers’ Workshop
Ink Spell Books u Presents “Launching”
500 Purissima St., Half Moon Bay Orinda Books u
276 Village Square, Orinda
TUE, OCT 15, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
For our 20th
anniversary year, we created 20 Fairfax: Pints & Prose THUR, OCT 17, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
new events in 20 cities outside of San Francisco Bootlegger’s Lodge at Deer Park Villa u Stanford: Down on the Farm
and Oakland. Details for each event can be found at our 367 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax Exact address TBD and online soon.
online calendar, litquake2019festival.sched.com. All events are free
unless noted otherwise. TUE, OCT 15, 7:00pm – 8:30pm FRI, OCT 18, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Santa Cruz: On Keeping it Weird Novato: Words Off Paper—
Bookshop Santa Cruz u
1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz
The Litquake Edition
THUR, OCT 10, 7:00pm – 8:30pm SAT, OCT 12, 2:00pm – 3:30pm Copperfield’s Books, Novato u
Petaluma: Kristin Hannah with Los Gatos: Teen Writing TUE, OCT 15, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
999 Grant Ave., Novato
Ellen Sussman Workshop Campbell: South Bay Voices
Copperfield’s Books u Los Gatos Library u Books Inc. in Campbell u
140 Kentucky St., Petaluma 100 Villa Ave., Los Gatos The Pruneyard
1875 S. Bascom Ave. #600, Campbell
THUR, OCT 10, 7:00pm – 9:00pm SAT, OCT 12, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
San Jose: An Evening with Rita El Cerrito: Poets Laureate at the
Bullwinkel Library
San Jose State University u El Cerrito Library u
MLK Jr. Library Room 225/229 6510 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito
150 E. San Fernando St., San Jose
SAT, OCT 12, 4:00pm – 7:00pm
FRI, OCT 11, 12:30pm – 2:00pm Occidental: WordSpace Studios
Marin City: Your Voice, Your WordSpace Studios u
Story—Tapping Creativity Joy Road, Occidental
through Inner Knowing SAT, OCT 12, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Marin City Library u
164 Donahue St., Marin City Davis: Stories on Stage
Photo by Bradley Hook from Pexels
Pence Gallery u
FRI, OCT 11, 7:00Ppm – 9:00pm 212 D St., Davis
FREE, $5 suggested donation
Point Richmond: Quieting Your
Inner Critic SUN, OCT 13, 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Kaleidoscope Coffee u
109 Park Pl., Pt. Richmond
Corte Madera: Write In/Write On!
Marin Writers’ Nest u
305 Montecito Dr. Ste A, Corte Madera
FRI, OCT 11, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
$40
Santa Rosa: Women Who Go
Bump in the Night SUN, OCT 13, 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Brew Coffee and Beer House u Napa: Words & Wine
555 Healdsburg Ave., Santa Rosa Napa Bookmine u
964 Pearl St., Napa
FRI, OCT 11, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Menlo Park: Stephen Chbosky SUN, OCT 13, 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Kepler’s Books u Penngrove: Penngrove Reading
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
$10-40
Series’ Shut Up and Write!™
Penngrove Market u
10070 Main S.t, Penngrove
14 Events by Date | Thursday, October 10, 2019 \
The Bee’s Knees:
litquake opening night party
Search for authors by name online!
litquake2019festival.sched.com
thursday
thu, oct 10 sat, oct 12
Monroe u 21+
473 Broadway oct 10
San Francisco 7:00pm – 10:00pm
$30 adv / $35 door
Co-presented by 7x7
10:00am – 12:15pm 11:00am – 12:15pm
Kidquake: Upper Elementary Pursuit of Publishing 1: It Was the Put on your glad rags and join
Koret Auditorium u Best of Lines, It Was the Worst Litquake for some giggle-water, to celebrate
San Francisco Public Library 20 years (and the 1920s) at the swanky
of Lines Monroe club in the heart of North Beach!
100 Larkin St., San Francisco Timken Auditorium u
FREE for school groups Don’t let the parking give you the heebie-
California College of the Arts
jeebies! Mingle with authors and other
With support from Mark Finnemore 1111 Eighth St., San Francisco
members of the lit scene. Savor the hosted
For kids in 3rd to 5th grade. Book sales and $20, includes Pursuit of Publishing #1 and 2
specialty cocktail and catered nibbles, and
signing to follow. With Ellen Klages, Diana Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA pick up our printed Festival Guide to plan
Toledano, Rajani LaRocca, K-Fai Steele, Gwen your Litquake week. Live music from Marc
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a
Minor, Susan Terence, and Marya Brennan. Capelle. Dress attire encouraged.
writer in possession of a good novel must be in
Free for school groups, teachers must enroll in
want of a great opening line.”
advance at litquake.org/kidquake.
—Jane Austen, sorta
Come compete in our Great First Lines contest!
Bring three versions of the first line of your
novel, short story, memoir or even query or
cover letter. Our panel of experts will offer
fri, oct 11 suggestions and choose a winner. We’ll discuss
great first lines in literature and what makes
them succeed. Featuring editors from ZYZZYVA,
Bare Life Review, and Wise Ink Publishing, as
10:00am – 12:15pm
well as an agent from Andrea Brown Literary
Kidquake: Lower Elementary Agency.
Koret Auditorium u
San Francisco Public Library 12:00pm – 1:00pm
100 Larkin St., San Francisco Words Around the World: Crime
FREE for school groups
Outside the Mainstream
With support from Mark Finnemore Hotel Emblem u
For kids from kindergarten to 2nd grade. Book 562 Sutter St., San Francisco
sales and signing to follow. With Larissa FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
Theule, Jim Averbeck, Simone Shin, Mitali Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation
Perkins, Isabella Kung, and Florencia Milito.
Free for school groups, teachers must enroll in Three diverse voices share their new novels of
advance at litquake.org/kidquake. murder and mayhem. With S.S. Massouf (pulpy
Pakistani neonoir), Anita Felicelli (surreal Tamil-
American legal thriller), and Naomi Hirahara
(murder mystery on the island of Kaua’i).
Moderated by author Margaret Dumas. Coffee
provided by Bluestone Lane.
[ Events by Date | Saturday, October 12, 2019 17
David Burnett
Eureka!
12:00pm – 1:30pm 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One Words Around the World: Passports
of Canada’s Last Great Trees to the World
San Francisco Botanical Garden u Hotel Emblem u
1199 9th Ave., San Francisco 562 Sutter St., San Francisco
california’s best authors read by
FREE with ticket to gardens, $5-10 suggested FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
donation Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation
more of the same Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of
old-growth forests, the legend of the West
Leading Bay Area author-translators shine a
light on their practice, passion, and process
Coast’s big trees, the turbulence of the to bring readers new work in English. With
friday logging industry, the fight for preservation,
oct 11
Dick Cluster, Jeffrey Leong, and Katie Silver.
the contention surrounding ecotourism, Moderated by Olivia E. Sears, founder of Center
First Nations land and resource rights, and for the Art of Translation. Coffee provided by
the fraught future of these ancient forests
8:00pm – 10:00pm around the story of a logger who saved one of
Bluestone Lane.
Canada’s last great trees. Author Harley Rustad 2:00pm – 3:30pm
discusses.
Forests: The Heart of our Words
12:30pm – 1:45pm San Francisco Botanical Garden u
Swedish American Hall u 1199 Ninth Ave., San Francisco
2174 Market St., San Francisco Pursuit of Publishing 2: Rise to the FREE with ticket to gardens, $5-10 suggested
$25 adv /$30 door Top of the Slush Pile donation
To help celebrate 20 years of Litquake, Timken Auditorium u
California College of the Arts Two authors, one of fiction and one of memoir,
some of our favorite Bay Area authors meet in the Redwood grove of SF’s Botanical
read from THEIR favorite California 1111 Eighth St., San Francisco
Gardens to discuss how forests and their
writers! Kick off the festival with this $20, includes Pursuit of Publishing #1 and 2
mysteries inform their work. Leslie Carol
raucous night of readings. Featuring Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA Roberts’ eco-memoir, Here is Where I Walk,
Charlie Jane Anders, Natalie Baszile, Four literary magazines answer the questions is inspired by her daily rambles in the woods
Elaine Castillo, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, on every writer’s mind: what are you looking of the Presidio and places around the world,
Daniel Handler, Adam Johnson, Chang- for? How can I make my submission shine? How from Tasmania to Italy, and contains reflections
rae Lee (pictured), Ishmael Reed and do you decide who gets published and who on being a woman and mother in the world in
Tobias Wolff, presenting from the goes to recycling bin? Secrets will be revealed. times of climate change interwoven with field
works of writers who inspired them Featuring editors from ZYZZVA, Foglifter Press, notebooks. In conversation with Peg Alford
— from Dashiell Hammett to Daniel Under the Gum Tree, and Bellingham Review. Pursell, author of A Girl Goes Into the Forest,
Alarcón. Special appearance by Karl which explores and illuminates love and loss
1:00pm – 3:00pm in 78 hybrid stories and fables, many set in
the Fog. Hosted by Isaac Fitzgerald,
forests both literal and metaphorical.
with live music from the Patrick Wolff Teenquake: Dreams and Memories
Quartet. Bookbinding 2:30pm – 4:00pm
The Mix @ SFPL Main u Pursuit of Publishing 3: Debut
100 Larkin St., San Francisco
FREE
Authors and Their Publishers
Timken Auditorium u
Co-presented by The Mix at SFPL California College of the Arts
Dreams and Memories is a bookbinding 1111 Eighth St., San Francisco
workshop where participants explore their $20, includes Pursuit of Publishing #3 and 4
senses to create a book. This unique book Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA
will be created using texture, color, personal
dreams and memories as a dedication to Get both sides of the story as this year’s crop
themselves in celebration of their heritage. of debut authors are joined by the publishers
who gave them their wings. A memoirist and an
indie press, a novelist and a hybrid publisher,
and an inspirational speaker and a creative
publishing agency share their journeys.
18 Events by Date | Saturday, October 12, 2019 \
Baby, Don’t Hurt Me:
3:00pm – 4:00pm 4:15pm – 5:30pm
Words Around the World: Pursuit of Publishing 4:
The Enduring Influence of Persian The Working Writer
Poetry Timken Auditorium u
an evening with chris kattan
Hotel Emblem u California College of the Arts
562 Sutter St., San Francisco 1111 Eighth St., San Francisco
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation $20, includes Pursuit of Publishing #3 and 4
Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA
saturday
oct 12
Two Iranian-born authors discuss their recent Manjula Martin, editor of Scratch: Writers,
work and how their influences, Sufi poet Attar Money, and the Art of Making a Living
and trailblazing female poet/film director moderates this dream team of panelists who
Forugh Farrokhzad, can appeal to a new exemplify the ways to create, work, and make 7:30pm – 8:50pm
generation. With Jasmin Darznik and Sholeh a living.
Wolpé. Coffee provided by Bluestone Lane.
4:30pm – 5:30pm
3:00pm – 6:00pm Words Around the World: I Am God,
The White Devil’s Daughters: A Diary of the Almighty
A Chinatown Walking Tour Hotel Emblem u
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco u 562 Sutter St., San Francisco
750 Kearny St., San Francisco FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
$50 Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation
Co-presented by Chinese Culture Center of San Italian author Giacomo Sartori discusses
Francisco his diabolically funny novel I Am God, the
Julia Flynn Siler, bestselling author of The White Almighty’s diary of the existential crisis that
Devil’s Daughters: The Women Who Fought ensues when, inexplicably, he falls in love
Slavery in San Francisco’s Chinatown, curated with a human. In conversation with writer/
this special walking tour of historical translator Sara Marinelli. Coffee provided by
Chinatown with sites and stories from the Bluestone Lane.
book, a “story of both the abolitionists
who challenged the corrosive anti-Chinese 6:00pm – 7:30pm
prejudices of the time, and the young women Words Around the World: The
who dared to flee their fate.” Admission Thomas Mann House
includes 90-minute tour, one-hour author Goethe-Institut u
discussion with Q&A, followed by tea/wine 530 Bush St., San Francisco
reception. FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
4:00pm – 6:00pm Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Brave In 1942, Germany’s Nobel Prize-winning author
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at New Mission u
the Page Thomas Mann moved into his new house in
Pacific Palisades, California, which quickly 2550 Mission St., San Francisco
The Bindery u $30
became a gathering place for émigrés. Thomas
1727 Haight St., San Francisco
Mann’s grandson Frido Mann remembers
FREE
his grandfather’s famed residence in his Chris Kattan has defied comparison, expectations, and
National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) recent book The White House of Exile, which sometimes gravity with his inimitable style of physical
has generated one of the most effective presents a radical case for responsibility and comedy. By creating some of the most memorable
approaches to writing the novel of your dreams. communication in an age of global crisis. Coffee Saturday Night Live characters, as well as his many roles
But it’s not just for adults. Its Young Writers provided by Bluestone Lane.
in film and television, Kattan has remained one of the
Program encourages kids in grades K-12 to
world’s most fearless and versatile comedians. His new
pick up their pens (or pencils, or keyboards)
and tackle this enormous feat head-on. Come
memoir Baby, Don’t Hurt Me offers an unprecedented
celebrate the publication of NaNoWriMo’s teen look into Chris’s life, from working alongside Will Ferrell,
writing guide, Brave the Page, which introduces Jimmy Fallon, and Tina Fey, to more sobering moments
young people to NaNoWriMo’s signature such as breaking his neck at SNL, which sidetracked his
“deadline plus goal” approach, and includes career and nearly paralyzed him. Conversation with Isaac
pep talks from popular authors, advice on how Fitzgerald, followed by book sales and signing.
to commit to your goals, and more!20 Events by Date | Sunday, October 13, 2019 \ [ Events by Date | Sunday, October 13, 2019 21
7:00pm – 8:30pm 1:30pm – 2:30pm 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Journalists in Jeopardy: Katherine
Ellison and Michael Scott Moore sun, oct 13 Words Around the World:
Lost Children and Absent Fathers
The Wig Diaries
Cartoon Art Museum u
San Francisco Center for the Book u Hotel Emblem u 781 Beach St., San Francisco
375 Rhode Island St., San Francisco 12:00pm – 1:00pm 562 Sutter St., San Francisco FREE, $5 suggested donation
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation Words Around the World: FREE, $5-10 suggested donation Cancer is a bitch. But cancer patients are
Sometimes, journalism can be life- and Child Immigrants Two leading international contemporary bitches and bastards…in a good way. We ain’t
livelihood-threatening, as both of tonight’s Hotel Emblem u novelists discuss their young female no heroes. We complain. A lot. And we don’t
authors learned the hard way. Pulitzer Prize 562 Sutter St., San Francisco protagonists’ fantastical search for their need your sympathy. We just need your laughs.
winning journalist Katherine Ellison’s new FREE, $5-10 suggested donation fathers. Hagar Peeters (Netherlands) imagines So come to our show and laugh with—or at—
memoir Mothers and Murderers revolves the voice of Malva, an eight-year-old ghost of us. We don’t care. We have cancer. Hell, even
Sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation heckle us. It only makes us stronger. By the
around a critical reporting mistake that got her the daughter of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda,
sued and almost ruined her career. Journalist Authors Katya Cengel and Gabriel Mendez and Michelle Steinbeck (Switzerland) follows a end, you’ll be OUR bitch. With Don Asmussen
Michael Scott Moore’s story on Somali pirates discuss their recent and forthcoming oral young woman named Loribeth on a disturbing and Mary Ladd, hosted by Vanessa Hua with
turned catastrophic when they kidnapped and histories and nonfiction about the impact quest through nightmares reminiscent of Oscar Villalon.
held him for 32 months in captivity, resulting of immigration on children who undertake Hieronymus Bosch. Moderated by Neruda
in the memoir The Desert and the Sea. How do epic journeys to flee their home countries. biographer Mark Eisner. 4:00pm – 5:15pm
journalists under fire weather the storm, come Moderated by Voice of Witness editor Steven Craft Talk with Tupelo Hassman
to terms with their choices, and move on? Mayers. Coffee provided by Bluestone Lane. 2:00pm – 3:00pm California College of the Arts, Writers’ Studio u
1:00pm – 2:15pm
Susan Straight: In the Country 195 De Haro St.
7:00pm – 8:30pm $12 adv / $15 door
The Art of the Short Story of Women
Foglifter Press: A Celebration of Bay Museum of the African Diaspora u Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA
Area Queer Literature California College of the Arts, Writers’ Studio u
685 Mission St., San Francisco “Hassman is such a poised storyteller that her
Strut u 195 De Haro St., San Francisco
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation prose practically struts. A voice as fresh as
470 Castro St., San Francisco $12 adv / $15 door
Co-presented by MoAD and Craig Newmark hers is so rare that at times I caught myself
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA cheering...”
Philanthropies
Join Foglifter Press for the launch of the eighth ”Short stories are tiny windows into other —The New York Times
worlds and other minds and other dreams.” Susan Straight, a self-proclaimed book nerd,
issue of their literary journal—a biannual
—Neil Gaiman and Dwayne Sims, an African American Join award-winning novelist Tupelo Hassman
compendium of the most dynamic, urgent
basketball player, started dating in high school. as she talks about the strengths of her craft:
queer writing today. Based in San Francisco,
Join four short fiction authors as they talk After marriage, at driveway barbecues and fish elegant prose, barnburner voicework, and
Foglifter focuses on publishing queer writers
about their craft. Featuring Olga Zilberbourg, fries with the large, close-knit Sims family, characters to remember. In conversation with
and queer perspectives, intersectional and
Keenan Norris, Mimi Lok, and Beth Piatote. Straight (and eventually her three daughters) Evan Karp.
transgressive writing, both in content and
Moderated by Peg Alford Pursell. heard the stories of Dwayne’s female ancestors.
form, from around the world. It’s a space where
Some women escaped violence in post-slavery 4:00pm – 6:00pm
queer writers celebrate, mourn, rage, and
Tennessee, some escaped murder in Jim Crow
embrace. Issues will be for sale at the event! 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Mississippi, and some fled abusive men. Her
Beat History Walking Tour
Featuring Amy Gong Liu, Thea Matthews, Jon Teenquake: College Essay new memoir In the Country of Women is a Beat Museum u
Jon Moore, Jacques J. Rancourt, Emily Shapiro, Workshop with Writopia Labs 540 Broadway, San Francisco
valuable social history and a personal narrative
and Summer Farah. Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library u FREE, $5 suggested donation
that reads like a love song to America and
451 Jersey St., San Francisco indomitable women. In conversation with Julie Register in advance, very limited capacity
8:00pm – 9:30pm
FREE, registration required Lythcott-Haims. “The so-called Beat Generation was a whole
Grace Notes: Poets at Grace Cathedral Co-presented by Writopia Labs bunch of people, of all different nationalities,
Grace Cathedral u 2:30pm – 3:45pm who came to the conclusion that society
1100 California St., San Francisco Twenty students get a chance to work closely
with Writopia Labs instructors on their college
The Art of the Novel sucked.”
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation California College of the Arts, Writers’ Studio u —John Clellon Holmes
essays for an afternoon at the Noe Valley/
Litquake returns to San Francisco’s gothic 195 De Haro St., San Francisco
Sally Brunn Branch of the San Francisco Public Learn your Bay Area literary legacy with this
and gorgeous Grace Cathedral for a special Library. Registration is first come, first serve. $12 adv / $15 door
evening of exalted verse, celebrating the guided tour through the historic North Beach
Co-presented by MFA Writing at CCA neighborhood, and witness firsthand Beat-
sacred and profane, domestic and divine,
with poetry in the pews from Alexandra “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who era landmarks and hear the stories of the
Teague, sam sax, Gillian Conoley, and has not pleasure in a good novel, must be poets, writers and musicians who created a
Matthew Zapruder. Hosted by Robin Ekiss. intolerably stupid.” new literary style, and paved the path for
—Jane Austen counterculture movements to follow. Led by
Beat Museum founder Jerry Cimino.
Join four short fiction authors as they talk
about their craft. Featuring Rachel Howard,
Ruchika Tomar, Yangsze Choo, and Marci Vogel.
Moderated by Jasmin Darznik.[ Events by Date | Sunday, October 13, 2019 23
F. Yang
5:00pm – 6:30pm 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Tales of the San Francisco Voices of The Adroit Journal:
Cacophony Society An Evening of Poetry & Poets
City Lights Booksellers & Publishers u San Francisco Center for the Book u
261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco 375 Rhode Island St., San Francisco
sunday
oct 13
FREE FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
Rising from the ashes of the mysterious and The Adroit Journal celebrates nine years and 30
3:00pm – 4:00pm legendary Suicide Club, the Cacophony Society issues with this evening of captivating, diverse
eventually hosted chapters in over a dozen poetry and literary merriment. Featuring
major cities. Its strange and often bizarre style SF-based poetry contributors Derrick Austin,
of public creativity influenced and inspired Safia Elhillo, Hieu Minh Nguyen, DA Powell,
everything from Urban Exploration and Chuck Monica Sok, and Lily Zhou.
Palahniuk’s Fight Club to SantaCon, and yes,
Burning Man. A new revised edition of Tales 7:00pm – 10:00pm
of the San Francisco Cacophony Society (Last Bay Area Pun-Off: Litquake Edition
Gasp) tells the history and offers a template Swedish American Hall u
for pranksters, artists, adventurers and anyone 2174 Market St., San Francisco
interested in rampant creativity. With John Law
$20 adv / $24 door
and friends.
With countless sold-out shows since its humble
6:00pm – 7:30pm beginnings in an Oakland living room, the Bay
Books to Look At Area Pun-Off has grown to become a local
comedy staple, welcoming wordplayers from
Live Worms Gallery u
all over the country to rejoice in the irresistible
1345 Grant Ave., San Francisco
power of the world’s most-loathed form of
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
humor, and to compete for an original, one-
Join renowned graphic memoirists Brian Fies of-a-kind trophy! For Litquake, BAPO has put
and Mark Ulriksen, comics historian Jon B. together a special Pun-Off with a literary bent.
Cooke, and artist Jeremy Fish, as they read and
project their award-winning work on the wall of
North Beach’s iconic gallery, during an ongoing FICTION • POETRY • NONFICTION
group exhibition of related fine art. Hosted by
Jody Weiner.
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Greetings, from Queer Mountain
Strut u
470 Castro St., San Francisco
SPEAK VOLUMES
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
Words Around the World:
Greetings, from Queer Mountain is a
multidisciplinary storytelling series created by teaching assistantships
Micheal Foulk and Ralphie Hardesty, featuring
small classes (8–12 students)
a diverse collection of work from LGBTQ+
family trauma and literary catharsis performers across the country. GFQM has one-on-one thesis mentorship
produced over 125 monthly storytelling shows visiting writers
in Austin, New Orleans, New York, and Oakland, FICTION: Stephen Beachy, Lewis Buzbee,
providing a platform for queer performers Laleh Khadivi, R.O. Kwon, Nayomi Munaweera,
to share their stories and to provide easily Nina Schuyler, K.M. Soehnlein, Susan Steinberg
Hotel Emblem u Three powerhouse contemporary female writers accessible shows to all people. Featuring Meg
explore the pain of bereavement, the impact of NONFICTION: Chris Feliciano Arnold,
562 Sutter St., San Francisco Elison, Barufh Porras-Hernandez, Imani Sims,
Dave Madden, Lauren Markham
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation mental illness, and the isolation of immigration, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall. Hosted by Micheal
in searing new works which span from Russia and Foulk. POETRY: Ari Banias, Julian T. Brolaski,
Sponsored by Center for the Art
Sweden, to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. With Brittany Perham, D.A. Powell
of Translation
Linda Boström Knausgård, Chia-Chia Lin (pictured),
Learn more:
and Sophia Shalmiyev. Moderated by San Francisco (415) 422-6066 • mfa@usfca.edu
Chronicle book columnist Barbara Lane. Coffee usfca.edu/mfa • usfmfa
provided by Bluestone Lane.24 Events by Date | Monday, October 14, 2019 \ [ Events by Date | Monday, October 14, 2019 25
Duet & Marrow:
7:00pm – 8:30pm
mon, oct 14 The Room Where It Happens:
Creating Inclusive Literary
Communities
an evening of poetry and dance
5:30pm – 7:00pm San Francisco Center for the Book u
Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic 375 Rhode Island St., San Francisco
Story of the Chinese Who Built the FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
Transcontinental Railroad What does it take to create and sustain a
Book Club of California u monday
oct 14
writing community? Why is this particularly
312 Sutter St., San Francisco important for women and nonbinary POC?
FREE, advance registration suggested Many of us are out there, but how do we find
Co-presented by Chinese Culture Center of San each other, and how do we stay in touch? How CounterPulse u 7:00pm – 8:30pm
do community-specific writing spaces such 80 Turk St.
Francisco
as Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, and Kundiman
San Francisco
They came by the thousands, escaping war function as tools to bring these communities
and poverty in southern China to seek their $20 adv / $25 door
together? What kind of work can we produce
fortunes working to build the Transcontinental if we imagine our audience to be us? With ”Autobiography written in bodies...
Railroad. These migrants spent years dynamit- Faith Adiele, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and physical sentences inseparable from
ing tunnels through the snow-packed cliffs of Vanessa Hua read from their work and discuss. verbal ones–neither upstaging the
the Sierra Nevada and laying tracks across the Moderated by Piyali Bhattacharya. other–so what results is not dance
burning Utah desert, helping fuel the ascent and not poetry but some third
of an interlinked, industrial United States. But 7:30pm – 9:00pm medium.”
survivors were pushed first to the margins Botnik Live! A Reckless Night –The New York Times
of American life, and then to the fringes of
public memory. Award-winning scholar Gordon of Literary Experiment
Make-Out Room u 21+ Combining dance, poetry, and
H. Chang discusses his groundbreaking book
3225 22nd St., San Francisco memoir in his work, NYC’s Ian
Ghosts of Gold Mountain.
$12 adv / $15 door Spencer Bell brings us DUET,
6:00pm – 8:00pm a 25-minute trio about an
90 minutes of literary remixes from Botnik ex-boyfriend’s betrayal, and
Let Her Tell It! Black Women Healing Studios, the comedic creative technology
MARROW, in which trios, duets, and
Through Writing company responsible for a predictive text Harry
solos recall growing up gay in rural
Oakland Public Library u Potter chapter, a Morrissey song about exercise
Virginia and ponders ideas of home.
125 14th St., Oakland equipment, and other computer-assisted text
creations. This show features performances of Bell constructs the narrative using
FREE, $5 suggested donation childhood stories and gossip. Often
chapters, scripts, monologues, and karaoke
People love the sassy, strong Black female lyrics from the human-machine hivemind of he seems to be speaking to himself,
character. From Florence on The Jeffersons Botnik. the audience bearing witness to
to Cookie on Empire, she is someone who is confession.
entertaining, admired, even feared. Contrary 8:00pm – 10:00pm
to these images, Black women aren’t made of Porchlight Storytelling: Liars and
vibranium. Instead of expecting them to be
emotionally invincible, it’s time for an honest the Lies They Tell
discussion about the challenges impacting Swedish American Hall u
Black women’s mental health, such as high 2174 Market St., San Francisco
rates of domestic violence, stress, racism, sex- $20 adv / $25 door
ism, and homophobia. Featuring readings from It’s a brave new world, seemingly bursting with
Kira Lynne Allen, Jeneé Darden, Natalie Devora, liars and the lies they tell. The Bay Area’s long-
Adrienne Danyelle Oliver, and Kelechi Ubozoh. running Porchlight storytelling series returns
with “liar”-themed tales from West Coast and
international authors. Featuring Sarah Cannon,
Rene Denfeld, Michelle Ruiz Keil, Tom Lanoye,
Tiffany Midge, and Hagar Peeters. Co-hosted
by Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick. Music by Marc
Capelle. Doors at 7pm.26 Events by Date | Tuesday, October 15, 2019 \
Rick Smolan
7:00pm – 8:30pm
tue, oct 15 The Invention of Yesterday: 50,000
Years of Human Culture, Conflict,
and Connection
12:30pm – 1:30pm San Francisco Center for the Book u
Poetic Tuesday 375 Rhode Island St., San Francisco
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival u FREE, $5 suggested donation
Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts.
Fifty thousand years ago, the human species
FREE
existed as thousands of small, virtually
Co-presented by Yerba Buena Gardens Festival autonomous bands, roaming a world almost
Lines and lyrics from Litquake Nation! Enjoy entirely untouched by humans. Tamim Ansary’s
line breaks during your lunch break, as some of new book The Invention of Yesterday describes
the Bay Area’s best poets and musicians share this history and illuminates the many essential
their work in the great outdoors. Curated and human qualities that it preserves—our various
hosted by Baruch Porras-Hernandez. gods and laws, our rulers and bankers, our
philosophers and outcasts, all survivors in
6:30pm – 7:45pm the human drama. In conversation with Laura
Maguire.
High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica,
and Visionary Experience in the 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Seventies We’ve Been Too Patient: Voices
E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small Bookstore u from Radical Mental Health
410 13th St., Oakland Pro Arts Gallery & Commons u
FREE, $5 suggested donation 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
America’s leading scholar of high strangeness, FREE, $5 suggested donation
tuesday
oct 15
Erik Davis celebrates release of High Weirdness,
We’ve Been Too Patient is more than a
a study of the new psychedelic spirituality
book: it is a movement, a reclamation of
that arose from the 1970s counterculture
power. Overmedication, police brutality,
writings of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna,
electroconvulsive therapy, involuntary 7:00pm – 8:30pm
and Robert Anton Wilson. These three
hospitalization, traumas that lead to intense
authors changed the way millions of readers
altered states and suicidal thoughts: these
thought, dreamed, and experienced reality.
are the struggles of those labeled “mentally
The Ego Has Landed:
But how did their writings reflect and shape
ill.” We’ve Been Too Patient gives voice to
the seismic cultural shifts taking place in
those with personal experience of psychiatric
America? Davis and R.U. Sirius discuss these
miscare, and foregrounds those often excluded
vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their
from the discussion, like people of color and
own life-changing mystical experiences.
LGBTQ+ communities. With contributors LD
a closer look at uber and facebook
Green, Kelechi Ubozoh, Jeneé Darden, Ramon(a)
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Rio, Sascha Altman DuBrul, and Anita Roman.
Tiffany Shlain: 24/6—The Power Moderated by Casey Gardner.
of Unplugging Swedish American Hall u Who doesn’t love a glimpse behind the facades of
Mechanics’ Institute Library u 2174 Market St., San Francisco troubled Silicon Valley giants? In the tradition of
57 Post St., San Francisco $25 adv / $30 door Brad Stone’s Everything Store and John Carreyrou’s
FREE, $5-10 suggested donation Bad Blood, award-winning investigative reporter
Co-presented by Craig Newmark
In her new book 24/6: The Power of Unplugging Philanthropies and KALW Mike Isaac’s Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
One Day a Week, filmmaker and internet delivers a gripping account of Uber’s rapid rise, its
pioneer Tiffany Shlain introduces a strategy pitched battles with taxi unions and drivers, the
for living better: turning off all screens for company’s toxic internal culture, and the bare-
24 hours each week. A provocative and knuckle tactics it devised to overcome obstacles in
entertaining journey through time and its quest for dominance. Roger McNamee’s Zucked:
technology, and a fascinating, far-reaching Waking Up to the Facebook Catastophe is the story
examination of the complex world we’ve of a noted tech venture capitalist, early mentor to
created. Shlain reads from and discusses. Mark Zuckerberg, and Facebook investor, who woke
Moderated by Kevin Smokler. up to the serious damage Facebook is doing to our
society and set out to try to stop it. Moderated by
The New Yorker’s Anna Wiener.[ Events by Date | Tuesday, October 15, 2019 29
Frankissstein
7:15pm – 9:00pm 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Literary Death Match Straight, No Chaser: Writers at
The Valencia Room 21+ the Bar
47 Valencia St., San Francisco Vesuvio Cafe u 21+
an evening with jeanette winterson
$15 adv / $20 door 255 Columbus Ave., San Francisco
To celebrate its 500th show, Literary Death FREE, $5 suggested donation
Match returns to Litquake featuring a cast Famed bohemian saloon Vesuvio Café once
Jewish Community Center, San Francisco u of brilliant characters that will all win major again opens its doors to Litquake for an edgy
3200 California St., San Francisco literary prizes within seven years. Readers and hilarious North Beach reading. Featuring
$30 include authors Lauren Markham (The Far Rene Denfeld, Kwei Quartey, Karen Tei
tuesday
oct 15
Away Brothers), Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Fruit Yamashita, Mimi Lok, and Tom Lanoye. Hosted
Co-presented by City Lights Books &
of the Drunken Tree), Miah Jeffra (The First by Alia Volz. A rare opportunity to glimpse
Booksellers and Jewish Community Center
Book of What’s Happening), and poet Nazelah authors performing new work in their natural
of San Francisco
7:00pm – 8:30pm Jamison. Judged by award-winning writer habitat. Get here early, it fills up fast.
As artificial intelligence redefines Maisha Z. Johnson, with more guest stars to be
our future, one of Britain’s finest announced. Hosted by author and LDM creator
novelists reimagines Mary Adrian Todd Zuniga. Produced by Matthew
Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein DeCoster. Doors at 6:30pm.
story for the 21st century.
How close are we to a
future in which homo
sapiens is no longer
the smartest being
on the planet? What
will we do when we
get there? And what
are the possibilities
of AI and the
responsibilities
of creating it?
Jeanette Winterson
celebrates her new
novel Frankissstein
with this evening
of animated
readings and
thought-provoking
performance,
exploring the
fascinating
possibilities of
transhumanism and
queer love.You can also read
