Same Page SF | A special open mic, a library book sale, and a celebration of local literature
Plus, my favorite book rec of the year (so far!)
Welcome back to Same Page SF, your home for all things local and literary!
I'm Christina, your friendly, well-informed, and unabashedly nerdy bookseller. Each week, I share and signal-boost author events, book clubs, new releases, and community gatherings happening across our city.
On to the goings-on!
Two of the events I was most excited about - and had already written up - sold out over the long weekend: Rachel Kushner on her hotly anticipated spy novel Creation Lake at Booksmith and Tommy Orange of There There and Wandering Stars at Mechanics’ Institute Library.
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Of course, in a place as vibrant as San Francisco - which boasts the most indie bookstores per square mile of any US city - there’s always plenty happening. Here’s what you’ll want to attend this week if:
1) You love intergenerational literary community (and food!)
Gen Blend! Intergenerational Writers Potluck & Open Mic at Ruth’s Table. Thursday 9/5, 5:30-7:30pm, free.
Join Decentered Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to building community through art of all mediums, at Ruth’s Table for a reading series featuring writers from different generations; you’ll hear from Zoe Williams, Diego Plascencia-Vega, Bertha Canty, and Greg Taylor. Readings will be followed by open mic with 3-minute slots and live music. Beverages will be served, but if you’re feeling hungry (or generous), bring food to share!
2) You want to support East Bay Booksellers ♥️
East Bay Booksellers Pop-Up Bookshop at Bathers Library (Oakland). Friday 9/6, 4-8pm, free entry.
In July, EBB was destroyed by a fire; ever since, they’ve been working to rebuild. Since they’re without a brick-and-mortar space, they’re hosting a pop-up at Bathers Library, a “community-supported art book library, small press, work/performance space and weirdo art school.” It’ll be part of the broader Oakland First Friday festivities, which this time around celebrates Korean culture - so once you’ve had your fill of book-browsing, enjoy Fan Dance performances, live music, Taekwondo demonstrations, and delicious Korean dishes.
3) You might have enough books will never have enough books
Friends of the SFPL Book Sale at 1630 17th St. Friday 9/6 and Saturday 9/7, 12-5pm, free entry.
The library’s book sales are always delightful, and this month, they’ll feature an eclectic and eminently browsable mix of literature, comics, art books, children’s books, and more - all for $5 or less! Plus, Friends members save an additional 10%.
4) You’d like to celebrate local authors and translators
43rd Annual Northern California Book Awards at SFPL Main. Saturday 9/7, 2-5pm, free.
Since 1981, the Northern California Book Awards have honored the work of Northern California authors - and California translators state-wide - across categories of Fiction, General Nonfiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children’s Literature. The award ceremony will take place from 2-4pm, followed by a book sale, signing, and meet-and-greet mingle.
Also
MONDAY - -
TUESDAY Jonathan Branfman, PhD, on Millennial Jewish Stars: Navigating Racial Antisemitism, Masculinity, and White Supremacy at Manny’s
WEDNESDAY Eve Driver on What We Can’t Burn: Friendship and Friction in the Fight for our Energy Future at Green Apple Books on the Park | Kenneth Kann on his memoir My Father’s ALS: A Son’s Healing Journey at Bird & Beckett | Meeting of the Black Bird Writers Salon | Fall kickoff of the Bibliophile Society, an online book group focused on contemporary literature, via Book Passage Zoom | Rachel Kushner on Creation Lake is sold out, but Booksmith may accept walk-ins on a first-come, first-serve basis
THURSDAY Virtual conversation between Anita Gail Jones on The Peach Seed and Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Eig via Book Passage Zoom | Bebe Black Carminito on The Curated Board: Inspired Platters & Spreads for Any Occasion at Omnivore | Albert M. Camarillo of Compton in My Soul on a lifetime of teaching about race and ethnic relations | Poetry readings by Paul Nelson and Scott Bird, followed by open mic, at Bird & Beckett | Tommy Orange at Mechanics’ Institute is sold out
FRIDAY Family-friendly launch party for Jacob’s Missing Book by Sarah and Ian Hoffman at Green Apple Books on the Park
SATURDAY Chelsea Bieker on Madwoman, “a gripping story of motherhood and motherloss,” at Book Passage | Freeman Ng on Bridge Across the Sky, a historical novel-in-verse about a Chinese teen who immigrates to the United States, at Books Inc. Laurel Village | Zoë François on Zoë Bakes Cookies: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars at Omnivore | Multi-author book signing at Mission Comics featuring Derek Kirk Kim, Thein Pham, Jason Shiga, and Brianna Loewinsohn | Performance of From One To Another, a homage to Maya Angelou presented by the SF African American Shakespeare Company, at SFPL Potrero
SUNDAY September Book Club on The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood at Bookshop West Portal | Book-signing and workshop with Lana Williams of The Container Garden Recipe Book at Black Bird | Bimonthly meeting of the Children’s Book Writers Critique Group at Books Inc. Laurel Village | Ambika Vohra on her debut The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal at Book Passage | fmsbw press reading with The Page Poets at Adobe Books | Write Now! SF Bay’s Local Color book party at SFPL Main | Launch party for Daniel W. Wright’s Snake Oil at the Beat Museum | Virtual gathering of the SF Silent Book Club
Local & literary news
Three weeks left to complete Green Apple Books and Friends & Neighbors’ Summer Reading Challenge | Black Bird Bookstore & Cafe is accepting proposals for 2025 art shows by Bay Area residents | The SF Chronicle on how Bay Area bookstores are building community in the digital age | KQED Forum with Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, and California bookshop owners
Book-adjacent gatherings
Not *about* books, but around them
🖌️ Silver Sprocket is welcoming host Josh PM and model Serafina for their monthly Figure Drawing Night, featuring a demo followed by several timed poses. Bring your own drawing supplies and a mask! Wednesday 9/4, 7:30-10pm, $0-30.
🌊 Black Bird Bookstore & Cafe is hosting an art opening party for Sachi Cunningham, an ocean photographer, filmmaker, journalist, and SFSU professor. Friday 9/6, 6-9pm, free.
🏚️ Our friends at Sequoia Fabrica, a new nonprofit makerspace at the base of Potrero Hill, are holding a September Open House with crafts, snacks, tours, and demonstrations. Sunday 9/8, 12-3pm, free with RSVP.
Thanks for reading!
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As always, if you have questions, ideas, or events to share, I’d love to hear! Just reply to this email.
Cheers,
Christina
Book recommendations are my love language.
A bonus for paid subscribers: each week I feature a book I’ve recently read and want to recommend.
When I’m loving a book, I can’t help but devour it. But when I’m REALLY loving a book, when I’m simply overwhelmed by how good it is, I force myself to slow down, to reflect and to savor. That’s the case with this week’s recommendation, which I absorbed over the course of a week and haven't stopped thinking about - or raving about - since.
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