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