Highlights and reflections from Litquake day 3

Books AS art AS monument

My bike had to be gone. Day 3 of Litquake was so amazing something like my bike being stolen had to have happened. But my bike was right where I left it. It truly was that kind of day then.

Happy going home, I spent the day listening to a beautiful woman talk about her solo journey rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, and beautiful too in that way that people look when they're thoroughly happy with what they're doing with their lives.

Which brings us back to me, who I wheeled across town, past the air show carnival and around the pre-Columbus Day crowds within North Beach.

I'm happy because I saw the place where my old heroes spent their hours being regular amazing people ... old because I don't really have heroes anymore, I just respect things that some people have done.

And some of the people in this city and all around me all day - all week -- all the time - are doing incredible things right now (and I even know some of them). Like the boss says in Zorba the Greek: "There is only one dancer, but he has a thousand masks. He is always twenty. He is immortal." We keep this young city young; we keep it dancing.

Holding my bike as I walked down the stairs at my new beloved BART station (Fruitvale) I looked at my card quickly as if I'd just thought: 'do I have this? Yeah, I probably have to put more money on my card,' and who has more money anyway - not me - and so I couldn't believe it when in fact I 'did have this' and it truly had been, in fact WAS that kind of day.

I've recorded hours of footage today because there was no reason to put my camera down. I got Roz Savage's entire Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean forum which was, as you can see for yourself, laden with all of the things people say when they've just done something that life-affirming. I had a very colorful bike ride through Fort Mason and Washington Square, during which all I could think - and even to the point that I said it out loud - was "I love this city" (even though I don't like 'jet fairs,' as I call them, and would save the resources if it were up to me). I went to Vesuvio and ordered two recession specials, which include a shot of Old Crow (we go way back) and a glass of beer (for only $4). I would have kept it at 1 but they have a $10 minimum and I felt the need to consecrate my experience. Although I've lived in the Bay Area for five months now I still don't know North Beach that well (and other fairly crucial parts of the city either) and so in addition to the lessons in history and culture I was exploring the now.

When I got to the Beat Musem I met founder Jerry Cimino, who told me a little bit about his own experiences before coming along the tour with our erudite guide Lou and even filling in some personalized details. Did you know that Via Ferlighetti is the only street in San Francisco ever to be named after someone who still breathes like we do? Congratulations to you for that, Mr. Ferlinghetti (although of course I have much weightier and glorious things to thank you for - and now that I've started to do so publicly I will thank you for your contributions to poetry and to making our thriving literary community as stalwart as I can now see that it is).

The tour ended and I hopped back on my bike and cruised down to the Make-Out Room on 22nd, where Barely Published Authors was about to start. The room was packed and the buzz pac-man hungry. I hate to say this to those who attended the Kerouac film (One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur) but this event was free and that film will be downloadable (if it isn't already and rentable, if you don't pirate the seas) and you missed a chance to witness some truly momentous events by some on-the cusp neighbors of yours. I myself was torn at first (as I admit here), but could tell that I made the right decision when I met Ransom Stephens and realized this is an annual event (X is the fifth year) and just as not-to-miss as anything I've decided for or against so far. In addition to readers being referred by local more established writers Litquake for the first time selected two of the readers from a call for submissions on their very own website. Writers who are good enough to be people you talk about to your friends who don't live on this side of the country, who are going to Litquake because it's in their neighborhood and submitting because it's in their neighborhood and being chosen because Litquake understands just how vast and steeped in talent this community is and helps to construct it as much as anything else in the city.

The authors were spectacular. Watch each one of them below (trust me, it's worth your minutes). I've included the interludes and introductions because Ransom was great and each one provides, in addition to his humor (that he seems famous for ... am I right? I know nothing! and that's why I particularly enjoyed his) backgrounds on each author's life and story. Each interlude includes information on the work being read, so the context is there if you want it. Plus I am interested in the event as a whole, since it truly was event, and I reason there's no reason to hide the rest of the footage from you in case you feel the same way about things.

The rest, as you know, is history. I made it back to my apartment with my bike and thirty cents left on my BART card. I can't wait for day 4.

Stay tuned for pictures and updated coverage for days 2 and 3.

Wish my articles were organized by topic in a handy table with feature pictures? They are!