you have promise.
Below is an organized hub of my articles. If there's ever anything I should know about - reading series, writing series, you wrote a poem you think is o so beautiful RIGHT NOW! - please, tell me!
| Reviews | |
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Beloved beat poetess Lenore Kandel Beautiful poetess, half child and half lion, you fuzzy tornado (as she called herself that last time I saw her)—the world saw you dance as you sang, in your star tent, in your realdream. We saw you dance, and sense you whir. [ Watch a slideshow of Lenore through the years | Old friends tell stories in her memory | Some of her unpublished poems are read live for the first time | Watch Lenore read in her later years ] |
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This is a book that functions much like Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier, only instead of discussing the rules for proper courtship we engage in a discussion about our personal potential to embrace evolution simply by embracing that which is natural and good inside of us. “There is no admittance fee to this exclusive club, no membership to purchase, no inside connections to establish other than the inside connection of oneself to one’s own soul. Every person is invited to the creation of this kingdom.” |
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I'm watching this film again and again to let it sink in. People here in San Francisco say this whole city is Kerouac obsessed and to let it go and to move on. But of course we have moved on and of course we haven’t let him go. Why not? [ Watch the trailer ] |
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The Ancient Book of Hip is a heart to hip heart converter Most of The Book of Hip was written while Dan lived in Brooklyn and to its credit you will not find desciptions of winter fire escapes overlooking the gray hopelessness, but you will feel them. It does not explain what a Big City does to little hearts but you will understand that Dan's heart has stretched and he has brought it back for us smiling. [ Watch Dan read from The Book ; watch Tess Patalano and Truong Tran read ; view a slideshow of David Gerbstadt's art ] |
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ZZZombiezzz by Reynard Seifert + interview + musings Reading ZZZombiezzz I’m reminded that life is way more real than art and if art is to be of any service at all to life it must allow room for us to breathe. Why should we have artists starving for perfection – for the generations after them? Isn’t that over? Are we not in the process of evolving to the point where artists are the healthiest creatures? What is perfection? Why is Heart of Darkness any better than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – because Conrad spent more time on it and anguished longer? I believe – and hope – that this standard of value will shift, is now shifting, will be replaced by a more natural creative process. |
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Freele's Feeding Strays a blueprint portfolio Freele is not making any arguments. In most cases she seems to be an arbiter, guiding the text and making the final decision, but with little (if any) premeditation. She gives us revelations, little ones usually, but constantly, and genuinely because they are her revelations. She seems to write a sentence or a paragraph as though a painter, step back from the canvas, and weigh the options of that sentence. Where does it want to go? What does it unveil? How optimize its power? This, to me, is an essential way to read Feeding Strays. Freele paints the most interesting, compelling thing she can put together in a given amount of space. She gives us snapshots not necessarily of humanity, but of what it is to be alive. Little moments, stray moments. |
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Andrew O. Dugas' Permanent Record will haunt you There are no bells and whistles here, neon signs, radioactive devices. This is a writer who clocks in and grapples the craft to do it honor. The result is a story without distraction. |
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Zorba seems to advise the boss to let go of himself and pick up the knot or nut of life. It is impossible to solve the mystery of personality; individuality is not real but something we should try to overcome. We should take the plunge again and again, daily, even against our own wishes. Sometimes we should go grumblingly up and down the mountain to rid ourselves of anger or disgust, to deal with our over-brimming emotions, as Zorba does when the widow is senselessly murdered. |
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Singing and dancing are not enough sometimes, and god, it's not because I won't do them both fully and to my heart's content. I sing full-throated and when I dance I spin and hop. I take joy and turn it into a fluid, unpredictable monument of praise. |
| The Future of Books |
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The Bookswap embodies the spirit both of innovation and community and is proof that there is a strong desire for—and much to be learned from—independent bookstores in the 21st century. Tickets for the next two events can be ordered now: Friday, March 5 and Friday May 7. |
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From the forum on 12/3/09 @ Mechanics Institute Library: As I see it, the issue is not whether the book is dead or dying, but what we should do to preserve our control over content as books become digitized, and to ensure that we do not fall prey to, as Mr. Rosenthal put it, the convergence of "An old legal regime and a new technological reality." [ Watch the whole forum, hosted by Alan Kaufman and including Oscar Villalon, Daniel Handler, Brenda Knight, John McMurtrie, Annalee Newitz, and Scott Rosenberg ] |
| Reading Series | |
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Like the first, a surprising amount of (good-looking, charming, and highly intelligent) people came together to hear spoken word in its various forms: poetry, fiction, slam, rant. Like the first, we packed tight and cheered on reader after reader, amateur and veteran. [ Watch 14 writers wax on and off! ] |
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DANGER! As InsideStoryTime nears the end of it's fourth year it is really claiming Cafe Royale as its rightful home. That's how it feels to me, anyway, and although this was only my second episode IST really feels like a monthly family reunion. [ Watch Saqib Mausoof, Luke Heyerman, Mary Stein, Sophie Littlefield, and Lee Konstantinou read ] |
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The truth is I thought all six readings were superior, even the introductory remarks, and I'd like to go ahead and provide them for you. But first a few details. The event takes place the second Thursday of each month in Sausalito's beautiful Studio 333, which, as you can see below, has an enormously high ceiling and paintings adorning its walls. With its wooden floors and event-style seating, the room assumes the feeling of a reception, and appropriately, the atmosphere was very inviting. I don't think I was the only one excited for the program. In fact, despite the ample seating - the studio is fairly spacious - all seats were filled and an impressive number of people stood behind them. This is a hint for the next episode on February 11. [ Watch Kemble Scott | Tamim Ansary | Gravity Goldberg | Shana Mahaffey | Michael Alenyikov | Mari Coates ] |
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The Monthly Rumpus and your immediate future I only recently discovered The Rumpus. So what? I had a similar experience last night, watching Koyaanisqatsi with my roommate, who had never seen it. It reminded me of the first time I saw it: I felt 'Exactly. Why haven't I seen this before?' Probably felt the same way the first time I had pizza. For those who don't know, Stephen Elliott started The Rumpus after finishing his latest book The Adderrall Diaries—as a side project. [ Watch Elissa Bassist | Allison Hoover Bartlett | Michelle Tea | DA Powell | Chicken John + Dr. Hal | MC Lars + KFlay ] |
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Porchlight Storytelling Holiday Dream Show It’s easy to say things like “I’m glad I botched my own reading at my very first reading series because had I nailed it then my pride in the night would have been somehow selfish,” or “I’m glad my first proper Porchlight was the Holiday Dream Show when I was sick and alone because now I’ll always remember what a great community service this series is, and had the room not been so packed with holiday cheer and end-of-the-year gusto I might have somehow missed the true essence that is Porchlight Storytelling.” [ Watch Adam Savage | Anna Challet | Mary Samson | Eric Shea | Sara Seinberg | Sonny Smith ] |
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InsideStoryTime at Cafe Royale This is definitely one of my favorite reading series now. It's like a scaled-down version of Quiet Lightning with more established authors (don't let the fact that I read fool you. Readers this year alone have included David Henry Sterry, Kemble Scott, Tamim, Justin Chin, Yiyun Li, and so many more). Join me on the 21st! [ Watch Townsend Walker, Peg Alford Pursell, Evan Karp, Robin Ekiss, and Skip Horack read ] |
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We have new games and there are perhaps higher stakes. I don’t know. All I know is I love writing and expressing myself and a lot of other people – I think almost everyone I know has a passion for the same thing. I don’t know if it’s the most primal urge but it feels like the most important civilized one. Monday night as I watched friend after friend (some of whom I didn't know) get up to the microphone with their own ideas and feelings and their own singular ways to express them . . . I just felt like it was so natural, that we had found a new front yard to play in, or that we had all decided once and for all what the new game would be and happily played it together. [ Watch 14! talented writers express themselves ] |
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Literary Death Match: Jesus" sacred minivan and the bar mitzvah teddy bear I thought last night's second was the best overall round I've seen in my four matches. Beth Spotswood, repping SF Appeal and SF Gate, told an incredible story called "Fake Plastic Trees." The room was shaking the entire time - it was like the beer was laughing liquid that had only just caught up to us. The fact that Elissa Bassist, who runs the Funny Women column @ The Rumpus (I'll tag it again because if you haven't been there and don't have it bookmarked you need to be reminded of these things) was able to keep the crowd going after Beth's story was a feat in itself - a thickening hush separated the readings as we realized this poor soul was going to have to follow - but not only did she appease us, with her fictional 'holiday letter from mom,' but actually made us consider 'Did she do it? No. But wait, did she? She could have ...' [ Watch it. Seriously. Also watch Derek Powazek + Lynka Adams ] |
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KoKo is a neat little place with a respectable bar - they have Chartreuse, and that's about all it takes to qualify for me, but they also have a special: for $5, get a shot of Old Crow (which tastes like home) and a short draft beer of your choice - the room is spacious and hardly lit, and when you walk out you're right back in the Tenderloin. It's amazing. The readings, staged about quarterly or so, are run by Jonathan Hirsch, and because of their (as yet) small nature, are intimate and powerful. [ Watch Stephen Elliott, Tony DuShane and Christopher Moore read ] |
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Babylon Salon: an intimate production Enter a micro-universe. This one is full of supportive friends, self-contained. It is bare but full of style. The style comes with the folk. The occasion this past Saturday, December 5 was the winter reading for Babylon Salon, San Francisco’s Rollicking Reading and Performance Series. It was a benchmark, too. Babylon just celebrated its tenth edition. [ Watch Sonja Velez, Carol Edagarian, Katayoon Zandvakili, Zach Wyner, and Ellen Sussman read ] |
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Porchlight open mic storytelling About three months ago Porchlight Storytelling began an open mic version of their already popular, long-standing series. Once every month gracious hosts Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick welcome any and all comers to sign up for a five minute performance. Only two stipulations: no notes, and the story must pertain to a predetermined theme.This most recent theme was Gluttony. [ Watch all performances + Beth/Arline banter ] |
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Click to watch me read, support ISA Everyone contributed to a good cause this past Saturday, November 14 when I joined a few accomplished writers to perform a reading at the Fisherman's Wharf Barnes & Noble to benefit the International Studies Academy. It was my first reading! [ Watch us read + Curious George ] |
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Opium Magazine celebrated its 23rd epidose of Literary Death Match on Fri, November 13 - I just now realized it was Friday the 13th -- nobody said anything! In case you missed my last article on the death match I was pretty audacious in my criticism, so in addition to providing coverage of last night's event I will also address some of the things I talked about last time. [ Watch the whole sh'bang ] |
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Quiet Lightning! Whispers in the dark. A new reading series So you know how I covered Litquake like it was my job? (It only kinda was.) If you read my recap of Lit Crawl from Clarion Alley you know how I put the camera down to eat a slice of pie and missed the chance to film Rajshree Chuahan’s first reading. I felt awful, and to make it up to her thought maybe we could start a reading series together; she was a stranger when I made this proposal in the alley. I’ve never read any of my writing in public and want to, and Raja wants to read more too, so this could be a dream for both of us. On December 14th, at 6 PM at Cantina, you can help make this happen. |
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From San Jose to Wine Country and from Point Reyes to Stockton the whole region sings with the color and verve of Vivaldi during climax and a complexity that would make Kandinsky blush. This tapestry speaks to us no matter which side of the Bay we're on, whether strolling down the Wharf past sea lions and tourists or biking around Lake Merritt, hiking through Muir Woods, or searching for the peak of the Transamerica Pyramid from the terrace of a Sonoma County winery. Thus, it feels strange and sometimes foolish to head to The City for something we can get where we already are. [ Watch each of the readings ] |
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Five ones equals poetry and fresh food at Canessa Being broke doesn't cut it at Canessa. For only $5 you can get a full-fledged meal—and that's not to mention three poets reading original, inspired stuff. Red and white wines sit, still corked, on the table—not left over from last time, trust me!—half a dozen quality wedges of cheese, fresh figs, hummus, pita, brocolli crowns—it goes on and on. Coffee, tea—even decaf. Canessa has you covered, and if you're "too poor" to pay even $5 for a poetry reading, consider whether you're rich enough to turn down a fresh five dollar meal. Huh? Call poetry bonus and feed belly and soul. |
| Zines | |
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Here's a tip, dear reader: for quality readers, good food, and dancing, make it out to the next 14 Hills party. It's 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). [ Watch contributors to the latest issue + Stephen Elliott read ] |
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Believer Magazine presents art issue Last night, Monday, December 8, 09, The Believer Magazine celebrated the release of its new Art Issue at the Electric Works Gallery. More impressive than the turnout was the necessity of a statement like “Drink the [free] beer until it’s gone.” Success! [ Watch performances by Michael Paul Mason, Michelle Tea, Jeff Chan, and Eames Demetrios, and a slideshow with art by Paul Madonna ] |
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ZYZZYVA celebrates its 25th year with first-time published authors Having already established my motives for the interview I asked Howard what advice he has for writers with concerns similar to his own. “I don’t have any advice. The best I can offer is encouragement. Take your best shot.” I thought about this in retrospect. Not many people would meet a (probably naïve) stranger looking for some magic opportunity if they had neither advice nor work for him. But Howard did meet with me. |
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Cherry Bleeds' happy hour hot and fulfilling MK Chavez wasn't kidding when she said there would be a lot of pornography. It wasn't just any kind of porno, either. This was quality, back-up on your hard drive, send to your friends and join the mailing list porno. I'm talking about Cherry Bleeds, of course, and their third Literary Happy Hour, which took place this past Friday, November 6 at The Knockout. [ Watch each of the readings! ] |
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Switchback releases Issue 10 at Cantina I got there almost two hours early to do some work and have myself a beer and even well before sunset the candle-lit room seemed to preserve the feeling you might get on a long pleasant night without electricity. Poetry does not have to be something that is printed in the heart and shared only amongst friends. It is not academic and should not be treated like the precise DNA inside of us. It can contain mistakes and variance, pivots and pause; true poetry is composed of blood and guts and is not always pretty. This is not so much a critique of Switchback or its contributors as a thought I had while in their presence. Surely some, if not all, would agree with me, and help me fight for this cause! [ Watch each of the readings ] |
| Litquake | |
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Here's a Litquake fix for all with the tremors [ Watch Bucky Sinister tell the baby corpse story. He also reads poems post-Drums Inside Your Chest, where Ambery Tamblyn and her mom Bonnie also performed live. Even more bonus clips! ]
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Lit Crawl recap from Clarion Alley This is the largest literary pub crawl in the world, with over 300 authors reading at 54 venues in only 3 hours. This, people, is literary mayhem. [ Watch nearly the whole crawl from the alley, with readers of every kind and a special performance by comedy act Kasper Hauser. ] [ Watch a slideshow of Clarion Alley graffiti ] |
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Litquake resonates with Mouthy Dames and Drums Inside Your Chest Just when I think: Litquake's played all its cards, I'm tired and no longer interested, I don't want to write anymore or have anyone see me, I want to stay in and sleep until Litquake is something I dreamt and a good dream until I couldn't wake up ... and then actually wake up and go for a nice long bike ride and get on with my life ... that's when, of course, Litquake kicks me in the butt again, and I remember why I like to write, and why it always does bite me in the rear when I start to give in to preconceived thoughts about anything. Day 8 of Litquake, you guys, day 8 was inspiring. [ Watch the Dames roar! ] [ Watch mind-tingling poetry from Drums Inside your Chest! ] |
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Readings in Bed and the Literary Death Match It's hard to go wrong when you put five prolific sex writers on the same bed and surround them with other beds full of avid listeners, dim LED mood-changers, and an exuberant host. In retrospect, supperclub's readings made the Literary Death Match look like a children's game. But we'll get to that. [ Watch the whole program + Violet Blue spankings! ] |
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Amen for Amy Tan, recipient of Litquake's third Barbary Coast Award Did you think I climbed Armistead Maupin's "golden mountain" to send out impersonal postcards? Am I to step away from the microphone because I'm scared to follow form? Hey mister, miss. What you want is not literature or culture but substance. It presents itself in infinite forms and eludes you whenever you name it. Call me whatever you will. I saw Roger McGuinn beside Amy Tan tonight; I spoke with a room full of published people who know my name. I respect anyone with a published book (almost). Is everyone here published? That's only reason to love the place more; takes nothing away from books. Litquake grew up tonight right in front of our eyes. Sure, I've only seen a ten year old through the first half of her birthday party. But as the day goes on she's becoming more confident. Closer to ten now than nine. Maybe it's like this every year, I think. But then again, did the old girl just wink? [ Watch Amy play tambourine with Roger! ] |
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Where the Mind Meets the Brain First the Herbst Theatre, Joe's Barbershop, the Make-Out Room, the Beat Museum and Broadway Studios. And now the Mechanics Institute Library and Chess Room. I've discovered the secret: Litquake is a chameleon. No scene is alien, no setting off limits. [ Watch the entire program! ] |
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Punk Rockers, Poetry, and guide to Litquake day 5 The choice to consider what we are doing as more important than what becomes of us is one we must make every night. We must make it rapidly and incessantly in the darkest of hours and at the crack of dawn there is no turning back. But then the sun rises and inevitably things get easier, the decision no longer has to be made, the push is over. [ Watch highlights, somber and funny and poignant ] |
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Highlights and reflections from Litquake day 3 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. [ Watch Roz Savage talk about sailing across the Atlantic Ocean ... by herself. ] [ Watch some amazingly talented, barely published authors read from the Make Out Room. ] |
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Hold on to your pens and pencils ladies, gentlemen, scholars, scum. The West Coast's largest literary festival continues a celebration of its 10th anniversary today with even more puss and poetry. The last three days have been filled with raucous revelations. We've hollered our guts out and danced blisters into our feet and still biked like crazy from the Literary North Beach Walking Tour to hear Barely Published Authors curdle crowds with a primordial hunger only ghosts can contain. Heroes let go of everything. |
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Highlights and reflections from Litquake day 2 When I left the main library yesterday after having seen 17 writers get 5-6 minutes to speak at will (and I only went to half of the library's first day of events), I wandered around San Francisco like a rabid zombie. Did I need food, coffee, liquor? I didn't sleep at all the night before, staying up to load video and finish my article (I chose to sleep last night), but I knew a nap was not in the cards. I had just been penetrated, with the help of slideshows, by several varying idiomatics, and was going to have to walk that off. [ Watch the rainbow ] |
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This is an in-depth guide where you can find the list of Barely Published Authors and follow their links! |
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Litquake's Book Ball a celebration of culture There are so many people in the room and you don't know what life means to any of them but you know they're all trying to make sense of it somehow, and in some way in the same way, and for a moment in time they're all in the same place: Litquake's Book Ball. Some are trying to make sense of it; some are celebrating; some are confused and awkward, just like anywhere else. Why write? Why delve? To what end anything? I don't know, lord, I don't! But I don't know how to dance either, really, and I did a lot of that. Tonight, I was one of the celebrators. [ Watch the SF JAZZ High School All-Stars who were inconceivably talented and prolific ] [ Witness the arias! ] [ Watch dancing and a birthday cake and Juanita Moore do a special performance! ] |
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Literary Death Match at the Verdi Club a Litquake must So many events for writers are staged in bookstores or formal public forums - good for lectures and book signings, but hardly the kind of thing conducive to the sharing of creative expression; these events are great ways to learn more about an author, take notes on how to be published or what not to say to prospective agents, but hardly the thing to make your blood boil or put the spring back in your step. It was with this in mind that Todd Zuniga, Elizabeth Koch and Dennis DiClaudio set out to create "a more spectacular form of entertainment" (1) and began the Literary Death Match in 2006. |
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First-ever Litquake South Bay event features Mary Roach Two heads are better than one, especially when those heads are creative, open, and eager to share. On Tuesday, October 13th we will see this clearly when Litquake, the West Coast's largest literary festival, teams up with the South Bay's premier lit organization, San Jose's Center for Literary Arts. The Center for Literary Arts hosts free readings, lectures, and seminars on the campus of SJSU and outreach events at San Jose public high schools. For twenty-three years the CLA has brought authors, scholars, and critics to San Jose, including Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and National Book Award winners. |
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Litquake throws party for artists and community Congratulations! You’ve been invited to a party thrown specifically for creative people who have a tenuous grasp on themselves, who, like Friedrich Nietzsche, know that “when a hundred men stand together, each of them loses his mind and gets another one.” All you have to do is bring twenty dollars. |
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Books and booze by the blockful In the land of the hip and radical everyone is interesting and has something to say; everyone can teach someone else something and everyone wants to hear it because we’re hip enough to know there’s always someone cooler and radical enough to know we ain’t radical enough. I’d say it’s blowing in the wind but the wind’s blown most of us here. |
| Writing Groups | |
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New creative writing group incorporates yoga Bikram Writing, like Bikram Yoga, is based on the precept that an increase in blood circulation will increase your creative flow. It is the least precocious, most creative creative writing class I think I've ever been to. |
| West Coast Live | |
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West Coast Live is in some ways a relic of better times, when you could walk or ride your bike down the street and join the part of your community that was engaged in the arts around you and the expressions of others who are either like-and-a-part-of you or those who have come from 'other lands' to share their own ways and flavors, their own tinge and flourish. Wait, this relic survives! Thrives! |
| Theater | |
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There are lines in this play that grasp something very substantial without having to reach; they are not forced, overdone, or overclever. I recently saw David Mamet’s play November and although I liked it I did not find it to be nearly as coherent or well-written as A Merry Forking Christmas. Beyond being saturated with superwit, November is absurd, from start to finish – so absurd that I was unable to write a review of the play without giving away the plot, step for step, because every detail was necessary for an understanding of the story arc. I learned a lesson today: Christmas is not always on the big stage, people. Get yourselves to Off-Market Theaters between now and January 2nd and get you some Chrimmas! Hell, bring your kids. You’ll laugh together, I promise, and when you leave you will have (re)opened the gates of understanding. |
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[Your Name Here] in Brief Encounter A shooting star bursts across the canvas and gradually the bubbles slow and we realize that the bubbles are actually stars. I thought of Nietzsche’s quote: every star needs atmosphere to shine, how the cast was providing this with music—the musicians not static either, but having fun and being expressive—how the lights were used, the delicate balance between live sound and image—all the components that signify a love affair: timing is perfect, every little sensation significant. |
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