Same Page SF | Otherworldly novels, deep curiosity, and the art of book design
And feminist history through the lens of women's magazines (yes, please!)
Welcome back to Same Page SF, your home for all things local and literary!
I'm Christina - local bookseller, literary entrepreneur, and unreasonably avid reader. Each week, I share and signal-boost the great things happening across our indie bookstores, library branches, cultural centers, and third spaces - a delightfully varied set of author events, book clubs, new releases, and community gatherings.
⏰ You may have noticed that this issue of Same Page arrived a few hours later than usual (and not just because of daylight savings). I’ve heard from a few readers that Same Page gets lost in the Monday morning frenzy, but I’ve heard from others who really like the typical timing. What’s your preference?
I can’t add an “Other” option to a Substack poll, so if you have feedback not captured by the answer choices, please share by replying to this newsletter!
On to the goings-on!
It’s another great week to be a reader, writer, or book-lover in San Francisco. Here’s what you’ll want to attend if:
1) You’d like your next read to be “a novel of startling originality”
Marie-Helene Bertino on Beautyland at The Ruby in partnership with Green Apple Books on the Park. Tuesday 3/12, 7pm, free (RSVP required).
Join award-winning author Marie-Helene Bertino, in conversation with Kristin Keane, to celebrate her newest novel Beautyland. The wise and tender story of a woman who doesn’t feel at home on earth, reviews have been wildly enthusiastic; Kirkus hailed it as “a heartbreaking book that staggers with truth and beauty” in a starred write-up.
2) You love cultural criticism and Playgirl, especially at the same time
Women’s Magazines and Feminism at SFPL Main, offered Tuesday 3/12 and again Friday 3/15, 12:30-1:30pm, free.
Spend your lunch break with the SFPL and a curated selection of women’s magazines spanning 150+ years. In their words, “for your awe and interrogation, fifteen different women’s magazines from the 1850s to 2020s invite your analysis.” (Anyone else getting
vibes?!) Learn about milestone moments, trace changes in gender roles and beauty standards, and question the goals of each publication.3) You want to peek behind the curtain of book design
Debbie Berne on The Design of Books at Green Apple Books on the Park and via livestream. Thursday 3/14, 7pm, free.
Ever wondered how a manuscript becomes an actual book, why Garamond seems to be the default font, or why so many covers embrace the blob? You’ll have lots to learn from professional book designer Debbie Berne, who’ll be sharing two decades’ worth of tips from The Design of Books: An Explainer for Authors, Editors, Agents, and Other Curious Readers.
4) You want to practice “deep curiosity”
Scott Shigeoka on Seek at Hillside Club in partnership with Booksmith, Berkeley Arts & Letters, and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Thursday 3/14, 7pm, $15+.
Join Scott Shigeoka, “internationally recognized curiosity expert” (what a title!), for a conversation with Jason Marsh about his latest book Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. Admission starts at $15 for students, and seniors, but $37.50 gets you a seat plus a signed copy.
5) You’d like to minimize bookish FOMO
A few of the events I was excited to feature this week are sold out - like RuPaul on The House of Hidden Meanings, Sarah Schulman on Let The Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, and Pedro the Lion performing at Green Apple Books on the Park.
This happens pretty often, and it’s got me wondering: how would you feel about a “mark-your-calendars” email at the start of each month as a perk for paid subscribers? It’d complement the weekly newsletter with advance notice for events most likely to sell out or fill up.
I can’t add an “Other” option to a Substack poll, so if you have feedback not captured by the answer choices, please share by replying to this newsletter!
To give you a sense, here a few things happening next week I suspect may be booked by the next newsletter:
Lauren Oyler launching her essay collection No Judgment
Anna Quindlen discussing After Annie
Angela Davis speaking with Hilton Als in support of Marcus Books, the nation’s oldest Black-owned independent bookstore
Also
A delightfully enthusiastic snapshot of Tee Minot of Christopher’s Books celebrating the launch of Tough Broads by local author Caroline Paul | Submissions are now open for this fall’s Litquake | McKenzie Wark on Love and Money, Sex and Death: A Memoir at City Lights Monday | Gurdeep Loyal on Mother Tongue: Flavours of a Second Generation at Omnivore Tuesday | Readings from Solid Objects Press at City Lights Tuesday | Rita Bullwinkel and friends celebrate the launch of Headshot at City Lights Wednesday | Cory Doctorow on The Bezzle at SFPL Main Wednesday | David F. Khalili on Mental Health Workbook for Men at Book Passage Ferry Building Wednesday | Sistah Scifi Series presents Tlotlo Tsamaase on Womb City at SFPL Main Thursday | Artist and surfer Patrick Trefz on Ode to Travel at Black Bird Friday | Book-signing and photo op with Chelsea Clinton for her children’s book She Persisted: 13 American Women who Changed the World at Book Passage Ferry Building Saturday | Mingoo Kang, Nadia Cho, and Joshua David Stein on Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking at Omnivore Saturday
Book-adjacent gatherings
Not *about* books, but around them
🎤 Looking to share your work at an open mic night? You’ve got options! Visit the Park SFPL branch for poetry and music on Tuesday 3/12 at 6pm and Black Bird for poetry and prose on Wednesday 3/13 at 7pm. Both are free and open to all.
📱Manny’s is hosting Renee DiResta, Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, for a talk on war in the age of hyper-connectivity. How do the ubiquity and immediacy of social media impact perceptions of global conflict? Tuesday 3/12, 6pm, $15 (complimentary tickets available).
🔌 Amidst the latest PG&E rate hikes, ever wonder where your electricity actually comes from? Manny’s is welcoming Barbara Hale of the SF Public Utilities Commission for a deep dive into “the fascinating world of electricity generation and distribution.” Wednesday 3/13, 6pm, $15 (complimentary tickets available).
🎨 The San Francisco Center for the Book is holding a gallery walkthrough with Maymanah Farhat, who will discuss her curatorial process for A Radical Alteration: Women’s Studio Workshop as a Sustainable Model for Art Making. Saturday 3/16, 1-3pm, free (donations welcome).
Thank you for reading Same Page!
If you’re finding Same Page valuable, please consider supporting with $5 per month - because while Same Page is a labor of love, it’s still very much a labor. I know we’re all tired of hearing “for the price of a cup of coffee…” in the context of Substack subscriptions, so I’ll try a different approach: by choosing to pay, you’re signaling that each issue provides you with at least one dollar’s worth of value. (For both our sakes, I hope that’s true!)
Paid subscribers get access to weekly book recommendations and regular book giveaways to support local and visiting authors - not to mention the warm fuzzies of knowing you’re helping make Same Page sustainable.
If payment isn’t possible in these weird economic times, I get it! You can also support by spreading the word about Same Page. Every time you pass it along to a bookish friend or two (or more, but let’s be honest, we’re all introverts here), it helps me grow - and it makes my day.
As always, if you have questions, ideas, or events to share, I’d love to hear from you! Just reply to this email or message me on Instagram.
Cheers,
Christina
Same Page SF
Book recommendations are my love language.
A bonus for paid subscribers: each week I feature a book I’ve recently read and wholeheartedly loved.
This week’s recommendation is a recently released memoir about grief - an unforgettable love story in the most brutal sense.
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