Cervantes, Lorna Dee

Native San Franciscan, Lorna Dee Cervantes is the author of Emplumada, From the Cables of Genocide: Poems on Love and Hunger, and Drive: The First Quartet.

Sarah Vowell at The Booksmith

Thursday, October 15
7:30 pm
Free
Litquake and The Booksmith combine forces to co-present Sarah Vowell, author of The Wordy Shipmates, an irreverent yet informed history of America’s Puritan roots which is now available in paperback. In addition to writing several bestselling books, Vowell also appears regularly on The Daily Show and NPR’s “This American Life.”

See an exclusive Litquake interview with Sarah at 7x7.com!

The Booksmith
1644 Haight St.

Subterranean SF: Hard-Boiled Writing with an Edge

An evening of readings exposing San Francisco’s sinister underbelly. Join a darkly inspired roster of literary and crime fiction masters as they delve into the shadowy realms of mayhem, murder, and much more.

Hosted by San Francisco Noir 1 & 2 editor Peter Maravelis. With Robert Mailer Anderson, Cara Black, Craig Clevenger, David Corbett, Don Herron, Peter Plate, Dominic Stansberry. Start time 7 pm.

This event is admission by invite only. Invites are free, but available only at the front counter at City Lights Bookstore. They are available on a first come, first serve basis. Limited seating.

Call in advance to check on availability before dropping in. 415-362-8193. When approaching the desk clerk, ask for the "black envelope."

Litquake Schedule: Friday, Oct. 9

Litquake and Kepler's whet your literary appetite with Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, live and in person at the Kepler’s store in Menlo Park. The festival then launches with Black, White, and Read: Litquake’s Book Ball at the Herbst Theatre, our only-in-SF mashup of recession elegance, literary hijinks and smarty-pants schmooze!



6:30 pm: Berkeley Breathed, author of Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster
8 pm: Black, White, and Read: Litquake’s Book Ball



6:30 pm
Berkeley Breathed, author of Flawed Dogs: The Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster
Litquake and Kepler's co-present Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, and the release of his first illustrated novel.
Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; (650) 324-4321 Admission: free
8 pm
Black, White, and Read: Litquake’s Book Ball
Litquake kicks off its ten-year anniversary with our first-ever opening night Book Ball, a mashup of Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White ball and a list of only-in-SF ingredients: recession elegance, literary hijinks and smarty-pants schmooze. Mingle with authors, extend your pinky with a cocktail or down our limited edition Litquake beer, all while enjoying arias from Bay Area Bach, grooving with the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo and taking in a world premiere performance of an original musical tribute to Litquake. DJ dancing to follow. Note our tenth anniversary rollback ticket pricing! Attire: Fabulous and mysterious* * Optional cloaking device: party masks of famous authors will be available at the door -- or be who you want to be and concoct one of your own!
Green Room (above Herbst Theatre), 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street, San Francisco; (415) 392-4400 Admission: $19.99 includes one drink & nibbles; available at brownpapertickets.com

Litquake Schedule: Saturday, Oct. 10

The SF Main Library’s Koret Auditorium hosts Litquake’s traditional “Off the Richter Scale” reading series from 11 am to 6 pm, with each hour devoted to a different literary style and genre. Evening events range from musicians and music writers, to sci-fi authors of color, and queer fiction read out loud in a barbershop!



11 am-5 pm: Off the Richter Scale
6 pm: Chaos Is a Friend of Mine
7 pm: Color Me SF:The Science Fiction Worlds of Octavia Butler & Carl Brandon (Note: 7 pm is the correct starting time.)
8 pm: Be Afraid! Evil Queens, Menacing Dykes, and Secret Gay Agendas


11 am- 5 pm
Off the Richter Scale
Writers who will shake up your literary world! A whirlwind reading tour through a vast array of literary styles and genres, from nonfiction to science fiction to poetry, memoir and visual works. Book sales and signing to follow.
San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
(415) 557-4595
Admission: free
11 am-12 noon
The Way Things Were: Biography and History
Dan Dion, David Helvarg, Gary M. Pomerantz, Kirsten T. Saxton, Linda Himelstein, T.J. Stiles


12 noon-1 pm
As I Recall It: Memoir
Andy Raskin, Canyon Sam, Genine Lentine, Holly Payne, Sophia Raday, Steven Winn


1-2 pm
A Different Way of Seeing Things: Poetry
Diane di Prima, Alexandra Teague, Brian Teare, Camille T. Dungy,  Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, Paul Corman-Roberts


2-3 pm
In Other Worlds: Science Fiction & Fantasy
David P. Murphy, John Shirley, Peter S. Beagle, S.G. Browne


3-4pm
Visualize This: Graphic & Illustrated Works
Annice Jacoby, Ben Fong-Torres, Camille Picott, Ivory Madison, the Stanford Graphic Novel Project


4-5 pm
May You Live in Interesting Times: Just the Way Things Are
Geoffrey Nunberg, Jane Vandenburgh, Jess Walter, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Wagner James Au


6-8 pm
Chaos Is a Friend of Mine
Authors and musicians spew forth on the topic of music. With Sam Barry, Alan Black, David Comfort, Jon Ginoli, Linda Robertson, RU Sirius, Denise Sullivan, and Richie Unterberger. Emceed by Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware. Book sales and signing to follow.
Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk Street, San Francisco; (415) 923-0923
Admission: $5 at the door
21 and over
7 pm
Color Me SF:
The Science Fiction Worlds of Octavia Butler & Carl Brandon
Join us for a panel on Octavia Butler, one of science fiction's preeminent authors of color. Readings, audience Q&A, and discussion of the Carl Brandon Society, "dedicated to addressing the representation of people of color in the fantastical genres." Moderator: author Terry Bisson. Cash bar to benefit the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Note: 7 pm is the correct starting time.
Variety Preview Room Theatre, 582 Market Street, First Floor, San Francisco
(415)572-1015
Admission: $5 at the door
8 pm
Be Afraid! Evil Queens, Menacing Dykes, and Secret Gay Agendas
From lurid pulp novels to YouTube sermons, America's fear of the gay menace still runs strong. They could be your neighbors or your children's teachers. They could be lurking in your locker rooms and your foxholes, moving, one step at a time, closer to world domination. Are these just crazy conspiracies, or is there something real to fear about the shadowy queens and dykes forced to skulk on the edges of society? Readings by Marcus Ewert, Justin Chin, Aaron Shurin, Justin Hall, Monica Nolan, and Meliza Bañales.
Joe's Barbershop, 2150 Market Street, San Francisco
(415) 255-9096
Admission: $5 at the door

Litquake Schedule: Sunday, Oct. 11

Sunday afternoon at the Koret, our “Shaken and Stirred: Litquake in Conversation” presents hour-long panel discussions that highlight the cutting-edge subjects of literary life, from genre writing, to science, books to film, and the value of the essay. British author Roz Savage is at Books Inc., our customized Literary North Beach Walking Tour begins at 5 p.m., and the evening continues with the exclusive Bay Area premiere of the 2008 documentary film One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, and festival favorite Barely Published Authors at the Make-Out Room.



12:30-4:30 pm: Shaken and Stirred: Litquake in Conversation
3 pm: Roz Savage, author of Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean
5 pm:Literary North Beach Walking Tour
7 pm: Barely Published Authors
7:30 pm: One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur


12:30 pm-4:30 pm
Shaken and Stirred: Litquake in Conversation
An afternoon of invigorating panel discussions that highlight the cutting-edge subjects of literary life. Book sales and signing to follow.
San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
(415) 557-4595
Admission: free
12:30-1:25 pm
Genre Writing: Literary Ghetto or Publishing Opportunity?
It’s no secret that the mainstream book business doesn't consider fiction like thrillers, romances, and mysteries “literary.” And yet these types of novels are not only extremely popular, they’re often easier for writers to sell to agents and publishers. Some of the Bay Area’s top genre authors will talk about this dilemma and about how strong protagonists, good writing, and great storytelling don’t have to be limited to “literary” fiction. Moderator: Pamela Feinsilber. With Jessica Barksdale Inclan, Laurie R. King,  Christi Phillips.

1:30-2:25 pm
Outside the Lab: Meshing Science with the Real World
Science writers and journalists explore the humane and ecological sides of scientific inquiry. Moderator: David Ewing Duncan. With Peter Laufer, Susan Freinkel, Douglas Carlton Abrams.

2:30-3:25 pm
The Value of the Essay in the 21st Century
The essay is a powerful tool for students, scholars, educators and anyone else who wants to persuade and communicate effectively. In a time when anyone's thoughts can be published almost instantaneously on the web, appreciating the power and understanding the elements of an incisive essay is more pertinent then ever. Presented in conjunction with Stanford Humanities Center. Moderator: Robert Harrison. With Dan Edelstein, Andrea Lunsford, Nicholas Jenkins.

3:30-4:25 pm
Beyond the Book: Adapting Writing for Other Media
What happens when a book attracts interest from other media and vice versa? Two Bay Area writing teams discuss the process of adaptation, and the inherent differences between the printed word and a story told for the screen. Moderator: Oscar Villalon. With Keith and Kent Zimmerman, Logan and Noah Miller.

3 pm
Roz Savage, author of Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean
Litquake and Books Inc. welcome British author Roz Savage, who is also an ocean rower, amateur runner, environmental advocate, and motivational speaker.
Books Inc. in the Marina, 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
(415) 931-3633
Admission: free
5 pm
Literary North Beach Walking Tour
You know Kerouac and Ginsberg, but how about Rexroth and Watts? Get acquainted with the literary lights on this ramble through North Beach (approximately 60-90 minutes in length).
Start at the Beat Museum, 540 Broadway, San Francisco
Admission: free
7 pm
Barely Published Authors
Readings by the Bay Area's best up-and-coming masters of prose. With Katie Burke, Joshua Citrak, Andrew Dugas, Luke Heyerman, Robert McLaughlin, Shana McLean Moore, Peg Alford Pursell, Matt Stewart. Emceed by Ransom Stephens.


Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco; (415) 647-2888
Admission: free
21 and Over
7:30 pm
One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur
Exclusive Bay Area premiere of the 2008 documentary film One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, an evocative account of Jack Kerouac’s soul-searching retreat to a rustic cabin in the fog-banked canyons of Big Sur. Directed by Curt Worden. Featuring Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, Tom Waits, S.E. Hinton, Patti Smith, Amber Tamblyn, Jay Farrar, Jack Hirschman, and more.
Barrel House, 80 Tehama Street, San Francisco
Admission: $15
Tickets available in advance at Brown Paper Tickets
21 and over

Litquake Schedule: Monday, Oct. 12

The SF Foundation Center hosts our annual industry panel discussions on how to get your first book published, and sage advice from first-time authors. You may need to clone yourself to guarantee seeing all the evening events, from punk rock storytelling at Broadway Studios, to “Poets in the Pews” at Grace Cathedral, and staged readings of new works by local playwrights!



3-5 pm: Getting Your First Book Published: A Publishing Industry Roundtable FULL
5:30-7:30 pm:  Being Discovered: First-Time Authors Tell All FULL
7:30 pm: Poets in the Pews
8 pm: Journey to the End of the Bay: Punk Rockers Spill Their Guts
8 pm: The Play-Makers

3-5 pm
Getting Your First Book Published: A Publishing Industry Roundtable FULL
Hear insiders' accounts of the publishing process. Learn everything from why your query letter may not be working, to how Web 2.0 might play a role in your publishing plans. Bring your questions.

Moderator: Foundation Center director Janet Camarena. With HarperOne V.P. associate publisher Claudia Riemer Boutote, literary agent April Eberhardt, Scribd.com content and marketing manager Kathleen Fitzgerald, Numina Press Editor-in-Chief Yanina Gotsulsky, literary agent Ted Weinstein.
Foundation Center, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco; (415) 397-0902
5:30-7:30 pm
Being Discovered: First-Time Authors Reveal All FULL
Learn from a panel of newly published, first-time writers about all that was involved in making their dream of writing a reality. Topics covered will include: finding the time and discipline to regularly write, identifying potential publishers, getting noticed by literary professionals, dealing with rejection, and publicizing your book. The authors will also talk about the literary communities they belong to, and how these played a role in the journey to publication.

Moderator: Kemble Scott. With Allison Hoover Bartlett, Seth Harwood, Linda Himelstein, Kathryn Ma, Shana Mahaffey.
Foundation Center, 312 Sutter Street, San Francisco; (415) 397-0902
7:30 pm
Poets in the Pews
Celebrate Columbus Day with some of the country’s most riveting and electric young poets, in the intimate vaulted chapel of Nob Hill's Grace Cathedral. A rare assembly of spirited, passionate, and powerfully contemplative voices. All donations benefit Poetry Flash, the West Coast’s premiere poetry review and event calendar. With Brendan Constantine, Jericho Brown, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, C. Dale Young, Ilya Kaminsky.


Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco
(415) 749-6300
Admission: $5 suggested donation, no one will be turned away
8 pm
Journey to the End of the Bay: Punk Rockers Spill Their Guts
Litquake and Porchlight Storytelling collaborate for true tales of punk-rock anarchy and excess, launching the new book Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive, and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys to Green Day, by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor. Book sales and signing to follow.

Hosted by Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte. Storytellers include Lynn Breedlove (Tribe 8), Anna Joy Springer (Sister Spit, Cypher in the Snow), Bucky Sinister (Gilman spoken-word), Oran Canfield (the Farm), Rozz Rezabek (Negative Trend), Jesse Luscious (Blatz, the Gr'ups), John Geek (Fleshies, Triclops!), Chicken John (Circus Redickuless), Kareim McKnight (Barrington/Cloyne), Johnny Strike (Crime), and Hank Rank (Crime). Live music by the Avengers' Penelope Houston and her band.
Broadway Studios (formerly the On Broadway), 435 Broadway, San Francisco
(415) 291-0333
Admission: $15 General, $30 includes dinner at 6pm; advance tickets to be available at brownpapertickets.com
8 pm
The Play-Makers
New playwrights and supporting organizations talk about how to get started as a playwright in the Bay Area. Staged readings of short plays by local writers, followed by panel discussion on the art,  craft, and business of making plays. With playwrights Eugenie Chan,  Aaron Loeb, and Geetha Reddy. In conjunction with Playwright’s  Foundation, PlayGround, and SF Playhouse.
SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco
Admission: $5-$10 sliding scale

Litquake Schedule: Tuesday, Oct. 13

Many bookstore events to choose from, with bestselling authors like Mary Roach, Thad Carhart, and Project Runway’s Christian Siriano. Mechanic’s Institute hosts a panel discussion “Where the Mind Meets the Brain,” One City One Book author Doug Dorst chats with Adam Johnson at the SF Main Library, the National Book Critics panel discusses literary translation at City Lights Bookstore, and S.F Cinematheque co-presents a multimedia workshop and analysis of James Joyce at Delancy Street Screening Room.



noon/7 pm: Mary Roach, author of Stiff, Spook, and Bonk
3:30 pm: Christian Siriano, author of Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self
6-7 pm: Where the Mind Meets the Brain
6 pm: One City One Book's Doug Dorst in conversation with Adam Johnson
7 pm: Collapsing Borders:Reading Global Culture Through Literary Translation
7:30 pm: Thad Carhart, author of Across the Endless River
7:30 pm: Dreaming Awake: How James Joyce Invented Experimental Cinema and Disguised It as a Book


12 noon Q&A, 7pm reading
Mary Roach, author of Stiff, Spook, and Bonk
Join New York Times bestselling author Mary Roach as she reads from and discusses her three books, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Presented in conjunction with the Center for Literary Arts.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 225-229, 150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose
(408) 808-2000
Admission: free
3:30 pm
Christian Siriano, author of Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self
Co-presented by Book Passage and Litquake.
Book Passage, Ferry Building, San Fransico
Admission: free
6-7 pm
Where the Mind Meets the Brain
A philosopher, a neurologist, a psychologist and a noetic scientist walk into a library where they meet a novelist. The novelist asks the first question that comes to mind: What is the relationship between the physical body and the sentient spirit? Things get out of hand when he follows up with: What is awareness? Moderator: Joe Quirk. With Robert Burton, Paul Ekman, Alva Noe, Marilyn Mandala Schlitz.
Mechanics Institute Library, 57 Post Street, San Francisco
Admission: $12 to the public; free to Mechanics Institute Members and Litquake Bestsellers
Available at the door; reservations may be made in advance at (415)393-0100 or rsvp@milibrary.org
6 pm
One City One Book's Doug Dorst in conversation with Adam Johnson
Join us for an insightful and most likely hilarious discussion between Doug Dorst, author of this year's One City One Book selection Alive in Necropolis, and author/Stanford University lecturer Adam Johnson. FoolsFURY Theater Company will open the evening with a staged reading of an excerpt from Necropolis. Audience questions and booksigning to follow, with book sales by Book Bay. Presented in conjunction with One City One Book.
San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
(415) 557-4277
Admission: free
7 pm
Collapsing Borders:
Reading Global Culture Through Literary Translation
In conjunction with Litquake, the National Book Critics Circle presents a panel discussion on how literature-in-translation explores global socio-political currents and what the role of the translator is in a world of rapidly crumbling borders. With NBCC board members Oscar Villalon and Jennifer Reese, The Quarterly Conversation editor Scott Esposito, Virginia Quarterly Review blogger Michael Lukas, and award-winning translator Katherine Silver.
City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
(415) 362-8193
Admission: free
7:30 pm
Thad Carhart, author of Across the Endless River
Co-presented by Kepler's Books and Litquake
Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
(650) 324-4321
Admission: free
7:30 pm
Dreaming Awake:
How James Joyce Invented Experimental Cinema and Disguised It as a Book
Paramedia-ecologist Gerry Fialka’s challenging interactive workshop probes how Joyce’s 1939 meta-narrative book/epic collage Finnegans Wake (and Marshall McLuhan’s Menippean satirized translation) presaged experimental and political activist cinema. Includes ultra-rare film clips from Mary Ellen Bute’s Passages from Finnegans Wake and Hollis Frampton’s Gloria!, and Joyce reading by author/humorist Merle Kessler. Co-presented by S.F. Cinematheque.
Delancey Street Screening Room, 600 Embarcadero Street, San Francisco
(415) 957-9800
Admission: $10  SF Cinematheque members, $15 non-members
Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets

Litquake Schedule: Wednesday, Oct. 14

Elementary schools and children’s authors once again invade the SF Main Library for the first day of Kidquake, local bookstores host visiting authors Kathleen Kent, Linda Gordon, and award-winning chef John Besh, and Amy Tan receives Litquake’s Barbary Coast Award in a star-studded tribute at Herbst Theatre!



10 am-12 noon: Kidquake FULL
6 pm: John Besh, author of My New Orleans: The Cookbook
7 pm: Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretic's Daughter
7-8:30 pm: Fred Rosenbaum, author of Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews and the San Francisco Bay Area FULL
7:30 pm: Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits
8 pm: Litquake's Barbary Coast Award Honoring Amy Tan


10 am-12 noon
Kidquake, Elementary School Program FULL

Join twelve Bay Area children's authors, illustrators, poets, and workshop leaders for a morning of readings, discussion, and special workshops designed to help fuel the imagination of kids from kindergarten to 5th grade.

Grades K-2 authors: Jorge Tetl Argueta, Diana Cohn, Thacher Hurd, Laura Joy Rennert, Rachel Rodríguez
Grades 3-5 authors: Cynthia Chin-Lee, Dave Keane, M. Sarah Klise, Scott Morse


San Francisco Main Library's Koret Auditorum and Latino Rooms, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
6 pm
John Besh, author of My New Orleans: The Cookbook
Omnivore Books on Food, 3885A Cesar Chavez Street (at Church), San Francisco
(415) 282-4712
Admission: free
7–9:30 pm
Fred Rosenbaum discusses Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews and the San Francisco Bay Area. FULL
The Magnes Museum presents Fred Rosenbaum, author of the newly released Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, and curator of the exhibit Jews of the Fillmore. He will discuss the city's largest and most vibrant Jewish neighborhood. In its heyday between the wars, the Fillmore was a bastion of Orthodox, socialists, Zionists, and Yiddishists. But it was also an entertainment Mecca for the entire city.
Jazz Heritage Center, 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
(415) 346-0961
7 pm
Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretics Daughter
Books Inc. in Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness, San Francisco; (415) 776-1111
Admission: free
7:30 pm
Linda Gordon, author of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits
Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
(650) 856-0978
Admission: free
8 pm
Litquake's Barbary Coast Award:
An Evening Honoring Amy Tan
Litquake's third annual Barbary Coast Award for contribution to the Bay Area literary community is presented to Amy Tan, international bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter, and member of the all-author band Rock Bottom Remainders. Join us for this highly entertaining tribute-roast with special guests Rabih Alameddine, Sam Barry, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao, Ben Fong-Torres, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Andrew Sean Greer, Michael Krasny, Roger McGuinn, Elaine Petrocelli, Armistead Maupin, and, of course, Amy Tan. Music by Los Train Wreck. Book sales and signing to follow.
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street, San Francisco
(415) 392-4400
Admission: $25 general, $75 includes post-event reception
Tickets will be available from City Box Office

Litquake Schedule: Thursday, Oct. 15

Day two of Kidquake at the library presents more authors and workshops for middle school kids, and bookstore evening events feature bestselling writers Sarah Vowell, James Ellroy, and Tracy Kidder. If that’s not enough, the Supperclub hosts readings in bed from the country’s foremost erotica authors, the Contemporary Jewish Museum hosts authors and artists exploring the works of Maurice Sendak, original short stories will celebrate Charles Darwin at Varnish Fine Art, local noir authors help expose San Francisco’s sinister underbelly at a secret location, and the Literary Death Match spills author blood at the Verdi Club!



10 am-12:15 pm: Kidquake, San Francisco Main Library FULL
5-8 pm: Readings in Bed: A Sensuous Night at supperclub
6-8 pm: Maurice Sendak: A Wild Imagination, Contemporary Jewish Museum
7 pm: Original Shorts: Survival of the Fittest, Varnish Fine Art

7:30 pm: Sarah Vowell, author of The Wordy Shipmates, The Booksmith
7:30 pm: James Ellroy, author of Blood's a Rover, Books Inc. in the Castro
7:30 pm: Tracy Kidder, author of Strength in What Remains, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park
7 pm: Subterranean SF: Hard-Boiled Writing with an Edge, location to be revealed
9 pm: Literary Death Match, Verdi Club


10 am-12:15 pm
Kidquake, Middle School Program FULL
Join seven Bay Area authors, illustrators, poets and workshop leaders for a morning of readings, discussion, and special workshops designed to excite the imaginations of middle school kids in grades 6 through 8.
Grades 6-8 authors: Lewis Buzbee, Hillary Homzie, Wendy Lichtman, Elizabeth Partridge, Zilpha Keatley Snyder


San Francisco Main Library's Koret Auditorum and Latino Rooms, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
5-8 pm
Readings in Bed: A Sensuous Night at supperclub
Put on your nighties and join us at supperclub where the country’s foremost erotica authors will tell us spicy bedtime stories -- from actual beds. Authors Violet Blue, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Stephen Elliott, Geoff Knight and Carol Queen will read excerpts from their books and answer your hottest questions. Moderated by David Henry Sterry, editor of the new anthology Hos, Hookers, Call-Girls, and Rent Boys.
supperclub, 657 Harrison Street, San Francisco
(415) 348-0900
Admission: $10 suggested donation at the door
21 and over
6-8 pm
Maurice Sendak: A Wild Imagination
In conjunction with the Contemporary Jewish Museum's exhibit There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak, Litquake presents Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket (An Unfortunate Series of Events), Lisa Brown (The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story), Thatcher Hurd (Bad Frogs), Elisa Klevin (The Paper Princess) and artist/writer/art critic Jonathan Keats (The Book of the Unknown) as they explore the odd privilege of writing for and about children of all ages. With pictures, some video, and probably an accordion.
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street, San Francisco
(415) 655-7800
Admission: free with museum admission, $5 after 5 pm
7 pm
Original Shorts: Survival of the Fittest
Each year Litquake asks authors to create and share short original stories on a common theme. This year, in conjunction with the citywide Evolve 2009 celebration of the life and work of Charles Darwin, Kathryn Ma, Lori Ostlund, Cornelia Nixon, Sylvia Brownrigg, Russell Hill, and Chelsea Martin will write and read on the theme “Survival of the Fittest.” Co-sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
Varnish Fine Art, 77 Natoma Street, San Francisco (note changed venue)
(415) 222-6131
Admission: free
21 and over
7:30 pm
Sarah Vowell, author of The Wordy Shipmates
Co-presented by The Booksmith and Litquake
The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
(415) 863-8688
Admission: free
7:30 pm
James Ellroy, author of Blood's a Rover
Co-presented by Books Inc.  and Litquake
Books Inc. in the Castro, 2275 Market Street, San Francisco
(415) 864-6777
Admission: free
7:30 pm
Tracy Kidder, author of Strength in What Remains
Co-presented by Kepler's Books and Litquake
Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
(650) 324-4321
Admission: free
7 pm
Subterranean SF: Hard-Boiled Writing with an Edge
An evening of readings exposing San Francisco’s sinister underbelly. Join a darkly inspired roster of literary and crime fiction masters as they delve into the shadowy realms of mayhem, murder, and much more. Hosted by San Francisco Noir 1 & 2 editor Peter Maravelis. With Robert Mailer Anderson, Cara Black, Craig Clevenger, David Corbett, Don Herron, Peter Plate, Dominic Stansberry.
Admission: free*
21 and over
* Note: this event takes place at an undisclosed location. Seating is limited and by invitation only. Please check back at litquake.org for tickets, map, and navigation instructions.
9 pm sharp (doors open at 7:30 pm)
Literary Death Match
Since launching in SF in July 2007, the Literary Death Match has spanned the globe—London, Paris, Beijing—but no question, the most epic episodes of the series have happened at Litquake. Join us for the third Litquake LDM: SF, Ep. 22, as we bring together a cast like never before, with an uber-talented trio of judges: actress/poet Amber Tamblyn, artist extraordinaire Paul Madonna and SF Chronicle cultural scribe David Wiegand, who will pass judgment on a downright stellar literary lineup featuring Tod Goldberg (Other Resort Cities), Frances Dinkelspiel (Towers of Gold), Lynka Adams (A Skeleton at the Feast), and James Nestor (Get High Now (Without Drugs)).
Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
(415) 861-9199
Admission: $15 at the door
21 and over

Litquake Schedule: Friday, Oct. 16

Litquake and Docfest present a special screening of the 2008 performance poetry concert film The Drums Inside Your Chest at the Roxie Theatre, our annual women’s night features “Mouthy Dames” at the Hotel Monaco, our first-ever Teenquake night mobs the SF Main Library with authors, workshops and performances, and San Francisco’s long-running underground publishing reputation is celebrated with a discussion from local zinesters!



5:30 pm: Tom Dolby, author of Secret Society
6-8 pm: Mouthy Dames
6:30-9 pm: Teenquake: Inspire, Create, Re-think the Library
8 pm: Underground Exposed: A Zine Retrospective
9:15 pm: The Drums Inside Your Chest


5:30 pm
Tom Dolby, author of Secret Society
Litquake and Books Inc. welcome Tom Dolby as he presents Secret Society. The local author will be on hand for a reception to launch his newest book. Afterwards at 7:00 PM, the under-18 crowd can join Tom and friends for TeenQuake at the SF Public Library!
Books Inc. in Opera Plaza
601 Van Ness Avenue

Admission: free
6-8 pm
Mouthy Dames!
Litquake presents its annual "women's night," this year called Mouthy Dames! Appearing tonight are women who don't know how to keep their feelings and opinions to themselves -- and aren't we happy about that? Reading vociferously in the beautiful Paris ballroom of the Hotel Monaco are Kim Addonizio, Christine Comaford, Kim Wong Keltner, Terry McMillan, Wendy Merrill, April Sinclair, and Jane Smiley. Emceed by Litquake co-founder Jane Ganahl.
Hotel Monaco, 501 Geary, San Francisco
(415) 292-0100
Admission: $5-$10 donation at the door
6:30-9 pm
Teenquake: Inspire, Create, Re-think the Library
A Friday night carnival of events where 13- to 19-year-olds take over the library after hours! From the Koret Auditorium to the Rotunda to the Teen Center, there will be an extravaganza of author panels, hands-on workshops, a scavenger hunt, and performances by teen writers, artists, musicians, dancers, and more. With authors Betsy Franco, Frank Portman, Tom Dolby, Tom Franco, Ying Chang Compestine, Kristen Tracy, and Sean Beaudoin.


San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
(415) 557-4595
Admission: free
8 pm
Underground Exposed: A Zine Retrospective
San Francisco has always been home to prolific and influential underground publishers. Join some of the city's best and brightest zinesters in a panel-style discussion about the world of alternative press, followed by readings of their favorite pieces. Beverages for sale, and a chance to win a free Chrome bag! Moderated by Eric Zassenhaus (Instant City). With Layla Gibbon (Maximum Rock n’ Roll), Erick Lyle (Scam, On The Lower Frequencies), John Marr (Murder Can Be Fun), and Tena Scalph (Bitter Pie Comix).
Chrome Bags, 580 4th Street, San Francisco
(415) 503-1221
Admission: free
9:15 pm
The Drums Inside Your Chest
This 2008 performance poetry concert film directed by Stephen Latty offers a raucous new vision of contemporary America poetry. Inspired by the spontaneity and energy of rock concert films, Drums beats with the humor, dirt, song and fire of seven award-winning poets and a vaudevillian magician host.

Directed by Stephen Latty. Featuring Amber Tamblyn, Beau Sia, Buddy Wakefield, Derrick Brown, Jeffrey McDaniel, Mindy Nettifee, Bucky Sinister and Rob Zabrecky. Presented in conjunction with Docfest 2009.
Roxie Theatre, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco
(415) 863-1087
Admission: $10 at the door or online at Brown Paper Tickets in advance.

Journey to the End of the Bay: Punk Rockers Spill Their Guts

October 12, 8:00 p.m.
Litquake and Porchlight Storytelling collaborate for true tales of punk-rock anarchy and excess, launching the new book Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive, and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys to Green Day, by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor.
From the art-damage of San Francisco’s Fab Mab in North Beach, to the still vibrant all-ages DIY ethos of Berkeley’s Gilman Street, Gimme Something Better chronicles over two decades of Bay Area punk, including the Sex Pistols’ notorious final performance, Jello Biafra’s bid for mayor, the creation of Maximum RocknRoll, and the rise of the East Bay pop-punk sound that took the world by storm…This definitive oral history explores the music, progressive politics, divine decadence, and smartass wit of Bay Area punk—with members of Dead Kennedys, Avengers, Flipper, MDC, Green Day, Rancid, NOFX, and AFI.

Penelope Houston of the Avengers
“When punk broke in the Bay Area, with the clamor and the rage, the sex and the safety pins, the sound and the fury, you were either there or you weren’t. If you were there you’re probably in this book. If you weren’t you should read it.”—Daniel Handler
Storytellers include Lynn Breedlove (Tribe 8), Anna Joy Springer (Sister Spit, Cypher in the Snow), Bucky Sinister (Gilman spoken-word), Oran Canfield (the Farm), Rozz Rezabek (Negative Trend), Jesse Luscious (Blatz, the Gr'ups), John Geek (Fleshies, Triclops!), Chicken John (Circus Redickuless), Kareim McKnight (Barrington/Cloyne), Johnny Strike (Crime), and Hank Rank (Crime). Live music by the Avengers' Penelope Houston and her band.
Book sales and signing to follow.
Broadway Studios (formerly the On Broadway) 435 Broadway, San Francisco
Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets
More info: gimmesomethingbetter.com

Black, White, and Read: Litquake’s Opening Night Book Ball

Friday, October 9

8:00 pm
Admission: $19.99 includes one drink & nibbles
Tickets to be available at brownpapertickets.com
Litquake kicks off its ten-year anniversary with our first-ever opening night Book Ball, a mashup of Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White ball and a list of only-in-SF ingredients: recession elegance, literary hijinks and smarty-pants schmooze. Mingle with authors, extend your pinky with a cocktail or down our limited edition Litquake beer, all while enjoying arias from Bay Area Bach, grooving with the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo and taking in a world premiere performance of an original musical tribute to Litquake. DJ dancing to follow. Note our tenth anniversary rollback ticket pricing!



Attire: Fabulous and mysterious*

* Optional cloaking device: party masks of famous authors will be available at the door -- or be who you want to be and concoct one of your own!
Green Room (above Herbst Theatre)
401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street, San Francisco
(415) 392-4400