14 Hills releases issue 16.1

Pool/Bike/Bar -Side @ San Francisco Motorcycle Club

Last night, Wed Dec 16 09, Fourteen Hills celebrated the release of their latest issue, 16.1, at the San Francisco Motorcycle Club. I met the folk from 14 Hills earlier this month when they partied in honor of D.W. Lichtenberg, who was absent last night due to a promotional tour for his The Ancient Book of Hip in New York.

The enthusiasm I noted last time was not absent, however. Perhaps in large part because of Stephen Elliott - both his presence and the fact that he plugged the party on KQED - the attendance was staggering. The Motorcycle Club is not a small venue, as spoken word goes (!), and people were basically standing crotch to cushion. Fortunately (or not), I got there a bit early and secured a seat at one of the few tables; i also got to read some of Issue 16.1.

I haven't finished yet, but there are some gems in here. The story that keeps emerging in my thoughts is called "The Houseguest," by Sean Bernard, but, even only halfway through there are poems, shorter works of fiction, and miscellaneous prose pieces that, if read at the right time, might make quite the strong impression. It seems like the journal had a plethora of submissions to choose from, as featured readers arrived from as far away as Miami and Brooklyn. The issue features art by The Pfeiffer Sisters, who were also in attendance to display the work featured on the cover: Stuck on Morning Thoughts. And, you know, one thing I really like about 14 Hills is they've had a DJ at both parties, this time featuring DJ Martin Hodge. After the readings they get down. Simple. Should be obvious. (I'm taking notes.)

One thing I will never have at one of my readings - and not for distaste - is fresh, steaming, organic food; they had a spread last night, all grown and catered by Copy Editor Janna Denig, with everything from fresh falafel and tzatziki (accompanied by warm pita) to Cerkey Tavuga, a Turkish dish of Circassian braised chicken breast in paprika-walnut sauce, to Kaddo Bowrani, an Afghani dish of roasted pumpkin, yogurt sauce, and spiced grass-fed ground beef! There was more, including orange-cardamon cake with almond cream filling and Chai tea frosting. Vegans could indulge in the Moroccan tagine, the hummus, baba ghanoush and tabbouli. [Here's a tip, dear reader: make it out to the next 14 Hills party. It was free, and copies of the latest issue are ever only $9. Of course, you could be a smart one. Subscriptions are only $15 for 2 issues or 2 years for $28 (mathematicians, that's only $7/issue with a 2 yr).]

I'm not going to comment on the videos because there were ten readers last night . . . this resulted in 30 clips, and I'm off to the city to take care of some bidness and to film Inside Story Time. So stay tuned for that! Until then, enjoy these readers. They were consistently quite good, some verging on excellent, and one . . . this is a ruse . . . one is so good it will make you go blind. Watch on, if you dare!

First, grab that crowd feel as we wish Poetry Editor and hostess Hollie Hardy a hearty Happy Birthday. Then: Marc Stone reads "52 Card Pickup," "Roadside Rubberneck," "Broken Mule," "Partner Shopping," "Rugged Fall," "Eulogy for a Living Child," & "Jim's Foot"

Rhea DeRose-Weiss reads from her forthcoming collection "The Neon Artist"

Gabrielle Myers reads "The First Rain of Fall," "Sonnet #69," "Bird," & "Last Night in the Castro"

Katie Cappello reads "Signs" and "Salt Creek"

Austin LaGrone reads "Goosing the Muse," "12 Steps," & "On Parole"

Stephen Elliott reads a selection from The Adderall Diaries

Rae Freudenberger reads "Red Light, Green Light," "Chutes & Ladders," & "Tag, You're It"

Marcus Pactor reads *an excerpt*

Sarah Cohen Powell reads "The Tourist" & "Dear Dialect"

Gregory Mahrer reads "Red City," "Franciscan Melange," "Travelogue," "Fable," & "Afterlife"

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