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1 JANUARY 2012 — sunday

• No events listed for this date. Find out how to submit your event listing.

2 JANUARY 2012 — monday

• No events listed for this date. Find out how to submit your event listing.

3 JANUARY 2012 — tuesday

CENTRAL:
• Poetry Slam and Open Mic Competition with performance by poet Abe Becker, all ages welcome, compete with two poems, neither over three minutes, The Grind, Campus of the College of the Redwoods, 1211 Del Mar Drive, Fort Bragg, $5/$3 seniors and students with ID, sign up 6:00, slam 7:00
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4 JANUARY 2012 — wednesday

CENTRAL:
• Sunset Book Group discusses Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love and Language by Deborah Fallows, Sunset Branch, San Francisco Library, 1305 18th Avenue, San Francisco, 7:00 (sfpl.org)
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SOUTH:
• Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam, meets weekly, East Village Coffee House, 498 Washington Street, Monterey, sign up 7:30, show 8:00 (831/373-5601, www.eastvillagecoffeelounge.com/entertainment.html)
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5 JANUARY 2012 — thursday

CENTRAL:
• Great Books Discussion Group meets, Fourth Floor Conference Room, San Francisco Library Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, 5:30-7:30 (rsvp by email or phone, 415/387-2125 clifford.louie @ sbcglobal.net)
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• Tourettes without Regrets presents performer Bronkar Lee, burlesque by La Chica Boom, comedy by Steve Danner and F.L.O, hosted by Jamie, Sissy Dewolf and Sideshow Syzgy, live DJ music, poetry slam features slammaster Krystal Asche, Oakland Metro, 630 3rd Street, at Jefferson, all ages, $10, sign up 8:00, show 8:30 (510/763-1146, www.touretteswithoutregrets)
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6 JANUARY 2012 — friday

CENTRAL:
• First Friday Readings presents poet and writing teacher Clive Matson with special guest Lonner Holden, Caffe Roma, 526 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 7:00-9:00 (www.matsonpoet.com)
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NORTH:
• Novelist John Lescroart reads from The Hunter, Book Passage Bookstore, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 7:00 (800-999-7909, www.bookpassage.com)
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7 JANUARY 2012 — saturday

• No events listed for this date. Find out how to submit your event listing.

8 JANUARY 2012 — sunday

CENTRAL:
• City Slam & Experimental Mic forum for lyrical creativity and artistic expression hosted by San Francisco Slammaster Mona Webb, The Luggage Store Gallery, 1007 Market Street, $6-$10 sliding scale, free for those who cannot afford it, 7:30 (415/255-5971, www.luggagestoregallery.org)
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NORTH:
• Northbay Poetry Slam hosted by BeSage, all ages, Hopmonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Avenue, Sebastopol, $7/$5 students with ID, 7:00 (707/829-7300, www.hopmonk.com)
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9 JANUARY 2012 — monday

CENTRAL:
• Canessa Park Reading Series presents poet Norman Fischer, translator and poet Eric Selland, and poet Marjorie Stein, 708 Montgomery Street, at Columbus, San Francisco, $6, 7:30 (415/296-9029)
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• Older Writers Laboratory poetry writing group for senior citizens, newcomers welcome, Bernal Heights Branch, San Francisco Public Library, 500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, 3:30 (415/355-2810, sfpl.org)
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10 JANUARY 2012 — tuesday

CENTRAL:
• Great Books Discussion Group meeting, registration through email or phone, Richmond Branch, San Francisco Library, 351 9th Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-8:30 (rsvp: 415/387-2125, clifford.louie @ sbcglobal.net)
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• Second Tuesday Poetry presents Christina Hutchins, The Stranger Dissolves, and Toby Bielawski, Five Kinds of Fences, a chapbook, open mic for poetry follows, hosted by Catherine Taylor, Albany Library, 1247 Marin Avenue, Albany, 7:00-9:00 (510/526-3720)
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SOUTH:
• Poetry Santa Cruz presents a reading by Pamela O'Shaughnessy, editor of Burning Gorgeous: Seven 21st Century Poets, poet and Soto Zen Roshi Angie Boissevain, poet and children's author Kate Aver Abraham, and poet Kevin Opstedal, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, $3, 7:30 (831/462-4415, poetrysantacruz.org)
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11 JANUARY 2012 — wednesday

CENTRAL:
• Novelist Anne Lesbit reads from her debut novel Cabinet of Earths, Books Inc., 1760 Fourth Street, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/525-7777, www.booksinc.net)
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• Berkeley Poetry Slam features Taalam Acey, weekly shows, $150 cash prize, The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, all ages before 10:00, sign up for slam at 7:30, show 8:30, $8 (519/841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com/poetryslam)
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• Great Books Discussion Group, San Francisco Library Noe Valley Branch, 451 Jersey Street, San Francisco, 6:15-8:15 (rsvp: 415/387-2125 clifford.louie @ sbcglobal.net)
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• Radar Reading presents emerging, underground, legendary writers and artists, today features a reading by novelist Joshua Mohr, Termite Parade, multi-media artist and filmmaker Bill Basque, famed novelist and poet Ishmael Reed and his daughter, poet and writer Tennessee Reed, hosted with cookies by Michelle Tea, ask a question at the Q+A, get a cookie, San Francisco Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Room, Main Branch, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, free, 6:00 (415/557-4400, sfpl.org)
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NORTH:
• Sunset Poetry by the Bay presents a poetry reading by Karen Benke, Sister and Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing for tweens and teens, Stephanie Mendel, Bare Branches, and Susan Wooldridge, Bathing with Ants and Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words, Sunset Poetry by the Bay at Studio 333, 333 Caledonia Street, Sausalito, 7:00-9:00 (415/331-8272, www.studio333.info)
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SOUTH:
• Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal presents The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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• Linda Grey Sexton, daughter of poet Anne Sexton, presents Half in Love: surviving the legacy of suicide, her memoir of her mother’s suicide and its affect on her family, Books Inc., 74 Town & Country Village, El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 7:00 (650/321-0600, www.booksinc.net)
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• Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam, held weekly, East Village Coffee House, 498 Washington Street, Monterey, sign up 7:30, show 8:00 (831/373-5601, www.eastvillagecoffeelounge.com/entertainment.html)
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12 JANUARY 2012 — thursday

CENTRAL:
• Poetry Flash presents a poetry reading by Terry Ehret, Night Sky Journey, Bart Schneider, Morning Opera and Mike Tuggle, What Lures the Foxes, Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com; wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired may be requested a week in advance by email, editor@poetryflash.org)
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• Performance artist, writer, activist and pedagogue Guillermo Gómez-Peña celebrates his two recent releases: Conversations Across Borders and Exercises for Rebel Artists: Radical Performance Pedagogy, City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, at Broadway, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)
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• Thursday at Readers Poetry Series presents poets Janice Mirikitani and Daisy Zamora, all sales support the San Francisco Public Library, food and drinks, Readers Café, Building C, South End, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, 6:30 (415/771-1011, www.readerscafe.org)
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• Oakland Slam features a performance by poet and performer Emily Rose, The Oasis Restaurant and Bar, 135 12th Street, at Madison, Oakland, $5 before 9:00 (510/763-0404)
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NORTH:
• Anna Carey reads from her young adult novel, Eve, signing follows, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, free, 3:30 (707/762-0563)
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SOUTH:
• Novelist Adam Johnson reads from his novel, The Orphan Master’s Son, Books Inc., 301 Castro Street, Mountain View, 7:00 (650/428-1234, www.booksinc.net)
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• Former editor of Bicycling magazine Geoff Drake presents Team 7-ELEVEN: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World&and Won, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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13 JANUARY 2012 — friday

CENTRAL:
• Novelist Ellis Avery reads from her new novel The Last Nude, Books Inc. Castro Branch, 2275 Market Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/864-6777, www.booksinc.net)
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• Last Word presents a poetry reading by Larry Beresford and Rose Mark, open reading follows; series is co-hosted by Dale Jensen, Ralph Dranow, John Rowe, and Grace Grafton, good food, Nefeli Caffe, 1854 Euclid Avenue, near Hearst, Berkeley, free, one drink or food item minimum, 7:00-9:00 (510/841-6374)
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• Literary Clown Foolery, a cabaret skit series based on the graphic novel Cat Versus Human by cartoonist Yasmine Surovec and the story collection Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead, by Tosha Silver, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, $10, 8:00 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com; tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/215627)
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• Poet’s Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Roma, 526 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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SOUTH:
• Muse Writing Group, a poetry workshop led by Magdalena Montagne, new-comers and drop-ins welcome, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st, Avenue, Capitola, $10, 7:00-9:00 (831/252-5776, magdarose @ hughes.net, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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14 JANUARY 2012 — saturday

CENTRAL:
• Second Saturdays Poetry & Prose presents David Alpaugh and Robert Sward, open mic follows, refreshments, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru Street, Alameda, 7:00-9:00 (www.frankbettecenter.org)
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• San Francisco Public Library presents a reading by poet Sally Love Saunders, A Poet’s Life: A Life Time of Memories and Poetry, Western Addition Branch, 1550 Scott Street, San Francisco, 2:00-4:00 (415/355-5727, sfpl.org)
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• Tea Obreht reads from her novel, The Tiger’s Wife, Bookshop West Portal, 80 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco, 7:00 (www.bookshopwestportal.com)
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15 JANUARY 2012 — sunday

CENTRAL:
• Golden State Slam & Open Mic features Taalam Acey, Grand Lake Coffee House, 440 Grand Avenue, Oakland, all ages, doors open 6:30, show 7:25 (www.gsslam.com)
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• Small Press Traffic presents Poets Theater, featuring the plays: You Have to Take Care of My Work Together, written and directed by Paul Ebenkamp; Dating By Consensus, written and directed by Lindsey Boldt and Steve Orth; Time’s Machinery, written and directed by Brent Cunningham; The Morton Salt Girl Monologue: NaCl and the Meaning of Her Mark, written and directed by Wendy Kramer; Utopia and Other Drugs, written and directed by Ron Palmer, Stephanie Young and Cynthia Sailers; Precious Princess or PIG Speak, written and directed by Bob Gluck and Jocelyn Saidenberg; Theater (a Thousand Plateaus), written by Kieran Daly and directed by Sara Wintz; Idioterne, written by Joseph Kaplan and directed by Zach Tuck; Barber Shop or Butch Realness Meets Real Butchness, written by Ryan B. Funk and directed by Kevin Killian, CounterPulse, 1310 Mission Street, San Francisco, tickets $15 online, 5:30 (415/626-2060, counterpulse.org, smallpresstraffic.org)
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SOUTH:
• Poetry Santa Cruz presents Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader Patricia Grube, hosted by Joyce Keller, Santa Cruz Main Library, Upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz, free, 2:00 (831/464-8983, www.poetrysantacruz.org)
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16 JANUARY 2012 — monday

CENTRAL:
• Novelist Elizabeth George reads from Believing the Lie, Books Inc., 1344 Park Street, Alameda 7:30 (510/522-2226, www.booksinc.net)
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• A reading by poet and performer David Hadbawnik and editor/poet Micah Robbins, accompanying live music by singer/songwriter Kaitlin McGaw, Bird & Beckett Books & Records, 653 Chenery Street, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/586-3733, www.birdbeckett.com)
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• World premiere of the Lit Slam competition with guest judging by Matrices Press founder Rajshree Chauhaun, featuring performances by poet Jamaal May, Viracocha, 998 Valencia Street, at 21st Street, San Francisco, 8:00 (415/374-7048)
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• Poet’s Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Greco, 423 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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17 JANUARY 2012 — tuesday

CENTRAL:
• Leigh Stein reads from The Fallback Plan, a debut novel, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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SOUTH:
• A reading by graphic novelist Keshni Kashyap from Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary, Books Inc., 301 Castro Street, Mountain View, 7:00 (510/525-7777, www.booksinc.net)
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• Novelist Téa Obreht reads from The Tiger’s Wife, Books Inc., 74 Town & Country Village, El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 7:00 (650/321-0600, www.booksinc.net)
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18 JANUARY 2012 — wednesday

CENTRAL:
• As part of “Fiction Between the Wars,” Evening Book Group presents a discussion of Atonement by Ian McEwan, moderated by Rosalie Gonzales, Albany Library, 1247 Marin Avenue, Albany, 7:00-8:00 (510/526-3720, www.aclibrary.org)
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• Berkeley Poetry Slam, held weekly, features WOWPS FINALS with Laura Yes Yes!, $150 cash prize for slam, The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, all ages before 10:00, $8, sign up 7:30, show 8:30 (519/841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com/poetryslam)
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• Novelist Jarret Kobek discusses the existential psychedelia of ATTA, City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, at Broadway, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)
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• Poet and freelance editor Jennifer Futernick reads from I Never Expected This Good Life, her memoir collection of poetry and short prose, the first offering of the recently returned Capra Press, the legendary literary small press that was first started in Santa Barbara in 1969 by Noel Young, Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com)
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• A reading by graphic novelist Keshni Kashyap from Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• Noe Valley Book Discussion Group meets, San Francisco Public Library Noe Valley Branch, 451 Jersey Street, San Francisco, 7:00-8:30 (415/355-5707, sfpl.org)
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NORTH:
• An evening of conversation with novelists Jack O’Halloran and Don George discussing Halloran’s new novel, Family Legacy, Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 7:00 (www.bookpassage.com)
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SOUTH:
• Poetry Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Art League co-sponsor Sparring with Beatnik Ghosts, a reading with featured poets Charles Atkinson, Ellen Hart, Thomas Hickenbottom, Susan Allison, Jennifer Lagier, and David Swanger, hosted by Daniel Yaryan, half-hour open mic, Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, $5, open mic sign up 6:30, main event 7:00-9:00 (831/464-8983, www.poetrysantacruz.org)
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• Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam, East Village Coffee House, 498 Washington Street, Monterey, sign up 7:30, show 8:00 (831/373-5601, www.eastvillagecoffeelounge.com/entertainment.html)
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EAST:
• Slam on Rye features Sevan Kelee, slammaster Sam Pierstorff, Prospect Theatre Project, 520 Scenic Drive, Modesto, $5 for audience and competitors, admission limited to first 100 people, doors open and sign up 6:30, show 7:30 (www.slamonye.com)
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19 JANUARY 2012 — thursday

CENTRAL:
• Poetry Flash presents a Paroikia Press reading by poets Bill Mayer, Articulate Matter, Steven Rood, I Say Your Name, and Larry Felson, Dawn Out of Order, Moe's Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com; wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired may be requested a week in advance by email, editor@poetryflash.org)
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• Thursday at Readers Poetry Series presents a reading by Clif Ross and Cameron McHenry, all sales support San Francisco Public Library, food and drink, Readers Café, Building C, South End, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, 6:30 (415/771-1011, www.readerscafe.org)
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• Third Thursdays Storytelling Swap, come to share a story, hosted by Cathy Dana, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru Street, Alameda, 7:00-9:00 (www.frankbettecenter.org)
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• West Portal Book Club meeting, San Francisco Public Library West Portal Branch, 190 Lenox Way, San Francisco, 2:00 (415/355-2886, sfpl.org)
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• William Gibson reads from Distrust That Particular Flavor, his first collection of nonfiction, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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NORTH:
• Marin Poetry Center presents “Black Poets Read in Honor of Martin Luther King Day,” featuring Indigo Moor, Through the Stonecutter’s Window, Wanda Phipps, Field of Wanting: Poems of Desire, and Al Young, California Poet Laureate Emeritus, Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission, San Rafael, $5/$3 members, 7:30 (www.marinpoetrycenter.org)
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SOUTH:
• Third Thursday poetry reading features Kathie Isaac-Luke, Chrysalides, open mic follows, Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose, free, 7:00 (408/808-3045, or 408/266-1361)
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• Reading and discussion to celebrate the nonprofit literary journal Memoir (and), featuring Claudia Sternbach, Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses; Santa Cruz Sentinel Arts Editor Wallace Baine; Richard Stockton of True Fiction Radio; essayist Jaclyn Moyer; and poet Charles Atkinson, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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EAST:
• Pierced Ear Poetry features performances by The Saint, The Plea for Peace Center, 630 E. Weber, Stockton, $5/$3 for students with ID, 7:30-10:30 (209/981-2311, www.facebook.com/plea4peacestockton)
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20 JANUARY 2012 — friday

CENTRAL:
• Poet’s Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Roma, 526 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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SOUTH:
• Book Arts Santa Cruz’s Third Friday at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, an evening of readings, workshops and displays, hands-on activities for all ages, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front Street, Santa Cruz, $5/$3 students with ID, 5:00-9:00 (831/464-8983, www.poetrysantacruz.org)
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21 JANUARY 2012 — saturday

CENTRAL:
• WordTemple Poetry Series presents a benefit contributors reading from What Redwoods Know: Poems from California State Parks, readers include Francisco Alarcón, David Beckman, Janine Canan, Ed Coletti, Iris Jamahl Dunkle, Katherine Hastings, Jodi Hottel, Susan Kelly-DeWitt, Paula Koneazny, Gail Larrick, Hannah Maggiora, Phyllis Meshulam, Lee Slonimsky and Robert Sward, The House of Happy Walls, part of Jack London’s historic home at Jack London State Park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, free, 3:00 (707/938-5216, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=478)
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NORTH:
• Poetry SoCoCo presents a featured poetry reading hosted by Andrew Mayer, SoCo Coffee, 1015 4th Street, at Brookwood, Santa Rosa, 7:00-9:00
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SOUTH:
• Laurie R. King reads from A Study In Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 6:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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22 JANUARY 2012 — sunday

CENTRAL:
• Gift Exchange of Dance: A California Dancer’s Exchange with Eskimos in Alaska features dancer Patricia Bulitt, the first non-native dancer to perform in Hooper Bay Alaska, this event presents her exchange with elder dancers/drummers, dance ceremonies and the Eskimo way of life with a non-traditional storytelling dance and a traditional Eskimo dance performed by Bulitt, refreshments, private home in Berkeley, email rsvp for location details, $25, no one turned away for lack of funds, 3:00-5:00 (rsvp required: creek.dancer @ earthlink.net)
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• Ina Coolbrith Circle presents a featured poetry reading, open reading follows, refreshments, Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, 2:00
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• The Great Night of Rumi and His Soul Friends, an evening celebrating the poetry of Jelluddin Rumi, Hafiz, Kabir, and other poets through spoken word, music, and dance, Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, advance tickets $20.50/$22.50 at the door, 8:00 (tickets: thefreight.org; information: Dan Zola: 510/655-1425, dandalezola @ sbcglobal.net)
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• Small Press Traffic’s Poets Theater features the plays written, acted, and directed by poets: Transient’s Theme: a soap operatic etude, written and directed by Bethany Ides; Debt Play, written and directed by Lauren Levin, Laura Woltag, Lara Durback, Melissa Mack, Anne Lesley Selcer and Tony Valadez; Charles Baudelaire the Vampire Slayer, written by Brandon Brown and directed by Clive Worsley; Dine, written by Biswamit Dwibedy; BUCKSHOT: A RASHOMON, written by Brian Bauman and directed by Kevin Killian; One More Time: a play in parts, written by Edwin Torres and directed by Sophie Reiff; Lycanthropes, loup garoux, 28 nov, lean and mean, written and directed by C.S. Giscombe; Werther Live, On the Radio, written by Gail Scott and directed by Monica Peck; What She Said, written by Rodney Koeneke and George Albon and directed by Lauren Shufran, CounterPulse, 1310 Mission Street, San Francisco, $15 online, 5:30 (tickets: 415/626-2060, counterpulse.org, smallpresstraffic.org)
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NORTH:
• Kelly’s Cove Press poetry reading by Terry Ehret, Night Sky Journey, Mike Tuggle, What Lures the Foxes, and Bart Schneider, Morning Opera, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, 2:00 (707/762-0563, copperfieldsbooks.com)
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23 JANUARY 2012 — monday

CENTRAL:
• Award-winning fiction writer and journalist Ben Ehrenreich reads from his novel Ether with noir novelist Robert Arellano, Curse the Names, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• Mission Branch Book Club discusses One Day by David Nicholls, San Francisco Public Library Mission Branch, 300 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, 6:30-8:00 (415/355-2800, sfpl.org)
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• Older Writers Laboratory poetry writing group for senior citizens, newcomers welcome, Bernal Heights Branch, San Francisco Public Library, 500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, 3:30 (415/355-2810, sfpl.org)
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• Poet’s Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Greco, 423 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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• Novelist Thrity Umrigar reads from her novel The World We Found, Book Passage Bookstore, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, 6:00 (415/835-1020, www.bookpassage.com)
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SOUTH:
• Bill Yenne reads from Julius Caesar: Lessons in Leadership from the Great Conqueror, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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24 JANUARY 2012 — tuesday

CENTRAL:
• Greil Marcus reads from The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• Charlie Newton, Start Shooting, and Kelli Stanley, City of Secrets, discuss their new noir novels and their writing methodologies, City Lights Books, 261 Columbus Avenue, at Broadway, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)
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• Opera Plaza Book Swap, snacks and refreshments, bring a book to trade, Books Inc. at Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/776-1111, www.booksmith.com)
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NORTH:
• Marissa Meyer reads from Cinder: Book One in the Lunar Chronicles, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, free, 3:00 (707/762-0563)
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• Algonquin Books showcases its new and upcoming releases, Naomi Benaron introduces her debut novel Running the Rift, Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 7:00 (800-999-7909, www.bookpassage.com)
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25 JANUARY 2012 — wednesday

CENTRAL:
• Berkeley Poetry Slam, held weekly, features Jared Paul, hosted by Dre, Jamie DeWolf, Sevan, Katelyn Lucas, and Betsy Gomez, $150 cash prize, The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, all ages before 10:00, $8, sign up 7:30, show 8:30 (519/841-2082, www.starryploughpub.com/poetryslam, www.berkeleypoetryslam.com)
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• First Person Singular presents "What's Strunk & White and Read All Over?: The Elements of Style (an act of love)," performed by actors Brian Herndon and Ken Sonkin, refreshments, Pegasus Books, 1855 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, free, 7:30 (510/525-6888, www.pegasusbookstore.com, www.1stpersonsingular.com)
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• Great Books Discussion Group discusses Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat, led by Rosalie Gonzales, Edith Stone Room, Albany Library, 1247 Marin Avenue, Albany, 1:30-2:30 (510/526-3720, rdavis @ aclibrary.org)
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• Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor and founder of Tikkun Magazine, presents his new book Embracing Israel/Palestine, Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, 7:30 (510/849-2087, www.moesbooks.com)
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• Mission Bay Book Club discusses Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, San Francisco Public Library Mission Bay Branch, 960 Fourth Street, San Francisco, 6:30-7:30 (415/355-2838, sfpl.org)
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• Novelist Ran Boudinot reads from Blueprints of the Afterlife, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• Rincón Literario Book Club meets, San Francisco Public Main Library, Paley Conference Room, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, 6:00-7:30 (415/557-4400, clifford.louie @ sbcglobal.net)
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• Susan Sheman reads from her novel, The Little Russian, Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, 6:00 (415/835-1020, www.bookpassage.com)
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SOUTH:
• A reading by Stegner Fellows poet Chiyuma Elliott and fiction writer Anthony Marra, Terrace Room, Fourth Floor, Margaret Jacks Hall, Building 460, Stanford University, Stanford, free, 7:00 (650/723-0011, creativewriting.stanford.edu)
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• Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam, East Village Coffee House, 498 Washington Street, Monterey, sign up 7:30, show 8:00 (831/373-5601, www.eastvillagecoffeelounge.com)
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• Sarah Jio reads from The Bungalow, a novel, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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EAST:
• Mahogany Poetry Slam, Queen Sheba Restaurant, 1704 Broadway at Seventeenth, Sacramento, all ages, $5, 9:00 (916/446-1223, www.queenshebas.com)
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26 JANUARY 2012 — thursday

CENTRAL:
• Bernal Book Club discusses Breakfast with Buddha, by Ronald Merullo, San Francisco Library Bernal Heights Branch, 500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, 4:00 (sfpl.org)
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• Readers Poetry Series presents a reading by John Curl and Mahnaz Badihian, food and drink available, sales benefit San Francisco Public Library, Readers Café, Building C, South End, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, 6:30 (415/771-1011, readerscafe.org)
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• Novelist David Rocklin reads from The Luminist, Books Inc. Marina Branch, 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/931-3633, www.booksinc.net)
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• Heather Donahue reads from Growgirl: How My Life After the Blair Witch Project Went to Pot, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• Holloway Series in Poetry presents a reading by poet Lorna Dee Cervantes, Ciento: 100 100-Word Love Poems, Wheeler Hall, Third Floor, Maude Fife Room 315, University of California campus, Berkeley, 6:30 (www.holloway.english.berkeley.edu)
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• Two Voices Reading Series, sponsored by Center for the Art of Translation, presents translator Perry Link, author of books on Chinese language, literature, and human rights in China, discussing his newest translation, No Enemies, No Hatred: Selected Essays and Poems by Liu Xiaobo, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, Mechanics Institute, 57 Post Street, San Francisco, $12/MI and Asia Society members, CAT mailing list subscribers free, 6:00 (www.catranslation.org)
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• Poet and scholar Sandra Gilbert reads from her new poetry book, Aftermath, signing follows, Diesel Bookstore, 5433 College Avenue, Oakland, 7:00 (510/653-9965, www.dieselbookstore.com)
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• An evening of conversation featuring authors and activists Rebecca Solnit and David Graber discussing Graber’s new work Debt: The First 5000 Years, City Lights Books, 261 Columbus Avenues at Broadway, San Francisco, 7:00 (www.citylights.com)
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NORTH:
• Writers Read presents a poetry reading by David Smith-Ferri with open mic reading for poetry and prose, slots limited to six minutes, Arts Center Ukiah’s Corner Gallery, 201 South State Street, Ukiah, featured reading 7:00, open mic 8:00 (707/462-1400, artcenterukiah.org, coloredhorse.com/WritingPoetry/PoetryEvents)
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• Novelist Kathryn Kay reads from The Glider, Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 7:00 (800-999-7909, www.bookpassage.com)
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• Poetry reading by Susan Kolodny, After the Firestorm, and Leonore Wilson, Autumn Solstice, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, 616 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, 7:00 (www.ohanloncenter.org)
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• Children’s author Lauren Myracle reads from Shine and Oopsy Daisy: A Flower Power Book, book signing follows, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, free, 3:00 (707/762-0563)
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SOUTH:
• World Affairs Book Club discusses The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters, by B.R. Myers, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola (831/4624415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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27 JANUARY 2012 — friday

CENTRAL:
• Booksmith Bookswap features a conversation with novelist Peter Orner, Love and Shame and Love, open bar with unlimited food, and discounts on books, bring a book with “The Great American Family” as a theme, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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• A conversation featuring writer Pico Iyer and travel journalist Don George discussing The Man Within My Head, Iyer’s new book about Graham Greene, Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, 6:00 (415/835-1020, www.bookpassage.com)
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• Poet’s Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Roma, 526 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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• Youth Speaks Final Friday Open Mic, for poets under 21, hosted, produced, and promoted by members of Spokes, 826 Valencia Street, San Francisco, free, sign up 6:30, reading 7:00-9:00 (www.youthspeaks.org)
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SOUTH:
• "Corridors: Exploring the Urban Woodland," a reading and open mic for nature poetry focusing on the precarious border between nature and development, featured readers and presenters include poet Judy Halebsky, Sky+Empty; poet Gail Entrekin, editor of Canary, the online literary magazine of the environmental crisis; poet Ainsley Kelly, poetry editor of the Santa Clara Review, open mic follows, refreshments, Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, 438 Coleman Avenue, San Jose, eighteen-years-old and up, free, 7:00-9:00 (rsvp required, space is limited, contact: 408/298-7657, steph @ grpg.org; www.grpg.org)
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28 JANUARY 2012 — saturday

CENTRAL:
• Fourth Saturdays Poetry & Prose presents Wulf Losee and Gary Turchin, hosted by Jeanne Lupton, open mic follows, refreshments, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru Street, Alameda, 7:00-9:00 (www.frankbettecenter.org)
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• Poetry Discussion Group, bring a favorite poem by you or someone else, Meeting Room, El Sobrante Library, 4191 Appian Way, El Sobrante, 3:00-4:00 (510/374-3991, eweiss @ ccclib.org)
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• Saturday Night Special, a monthly East Bay Open Mic, features poets LJ Moore and Chanel Timmons, with hosts Hollie Hardy and Tomas Moniz, three to five minute open mic slots, Nick’s Lounge, 3218 Adeline Street, Berkeley, 7:00-9:30 (510/652-6425)
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• San Francisco Public Library presents Sit-Down Reader's Theatre, reading selections from the poems of John Keats, DiMaggio Clubhouse, 661 Lombard Street, San Francisco, 2:00 (sfpl.org)
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NORTH:
• An evening of readings by Arctos Press poets from their most recent books: Marin Poet Laureate CB Follett, One Bird Falling; Susan Terris, The Homelessness of Self; Laura Horn, Ordinary History; and Yvonne Pastelle, After Beauty, Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera 7:00 (800-999-7909, www.bookpassage.com)
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• Lori Brizee presents Healthy Choices, Healthy Children, book signing follows, Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, free, 7:00 (707/762-0563)
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29 JANUARY 2012 — sunday

CENTRAL:
• Creek Dancer/Storytelling Tea Party Slide Show features dancer Patricia Bulitt presenting and discussing her creek dance performances; she’ll perform a companion piece from her community project, “There’s a Tree Whistling Its Message Through the Kettle”—A Women and Girls Tea Party and Storytelling Ceremony, refreshments, Berkeley, email rsvp for location details, $25, 4:00-6:00 (rsvp required: creek.dancer @ earthlink.net)
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• The Slide Series presents an evening of readings by Dodie Bellamy, the buddhist, Donna de la Perrière, Saint Erasure, Linda Norton, The Public Gardens: Poems and History, and Jordan Karnes, featured work by photographer Aubrey Trinnaman, and a musical performance by Yesway, hosted by Ryan Funk and Francisco Delgadillo, Funk/Delgadillo Residence, 36 Seward Street, across from the Seward Street Slides, San Francisco, $5 donation, 7:00-9:30
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• Small Press Traffic presents a poetry reading by Tyrone Williams, Brent Cunningham, and Lyn Hejinian, Artist Television Access, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, 5:00 (smallpresstraffic.org)
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• Poetry Flash presents a reading by LA novelist and poet Terry Wolverton, Stealing Angel, and Mendocino poet Devreaux Baker, Red Willow People, Diesel, A Bookstore, 5433 College Avenue, Oakland, 3:00 (510/653-9965, dieselbookstore.com; wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreters for the deaf and hearing impaired may be requested a week in advance by email, editor@poetryflash.org)
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NORTH:
• Conflux Press poets read from their books: Karen Benke, Karla Clark, Ed Coletti, CB Follett, Janet Jennings, Melanie Maier, Beverly Momoi, Daniel Polikoff, Susan Terris and Abby Wasserman, Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 4:00 (800-999-7909, www.bookpassage.com)
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• Reception for the new Poet Laureate of Sonoma County Bill Vartnaw, Sonoma County Public Library, Third and E Street, Santa Rosa, 3:00
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30 JANUARY 2012 — monday

CENTRAL:
• Older Writers Laboratory poetry writing group for senior citizens, newcomers welcome, Bernal Heights Branch, San Francisco Public Library, 500 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco, 3:30 (415/355-2810, sfpl.org)
  event page
• Poet's Gallery hosts open mic night, Caffe Greco, 423 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, 6:30-9:30
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SOUTH:
• Lane Lecture Series presents a reading by novelist Ann Patchett, Bel Canto, Cemex Auditorium, Zambrano Hall, Knight Management Center, Stanford University, Stanford, free, 8:00 (650/723-0011, creativewriting.stanford.edu)
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31 JANUARY 2012 — tuesday

CENTRAL:
• Ben Marcus reads from his new novel The Flame Alphabet, City Lights Bookstore, 251 Columbus Avenue, North Beach, San Francisco, 7:00 (415/362-8193, www.citylights.com)
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• City Arts & Lectures California Academy of Sciences Conversations at the Herbst presents Dr. Jane McGonigal, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, in conversation with Ryan Wyatt, Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, $22/$20 members, 8:00 (415/392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com, www.calacademy.org/lectures) )
  event page
• Contemporary Writers Series presents poet Tyrone Williams, The Hero Project, c.c., and On Spec, Mills Hall Living Room, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 5:30-7:00 (www.mills.edu/academics/graduate/eng/the_scene/writers_series.php)
  event page
• Victoria Costello reads from A Lethal Inheritance: A Mother Uncovers the Science Behind Three Generations of Mental Illness, The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, 7:30 (415/863-8688, www.booksmith.com)
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SOUTH:
• Lane Lecture Series presents a colloquium with novelist Ann Patchett, Terrace Room, Fourth Floor, Margaret Jacks Hall, Building 460, Stanford University, Stanford, free and open to the public, 2:00 (650/723-0011, creativewriting.stanford.edu)
  event page
• Susyn Reeve presents The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy, Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, 7:30 (831/462-4415, www.capitolabookcafe.com)
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