I know some people like Kansas. Dorothy Gale for one. Kansas was her home and we all know there’s no place like it. And what about your home? Your neighbor's home? The guy who hands you your coffee every morning--what about him? So it was nice to see so many people at the Makeout Room to keep rents (relatively) low despite the fact that it was a rare balmy night in San Francisco, one where you could actually sit outside and watch The Wizard of Oz, which was playing for free a few blocks over in Dolores Park.
First up was poet David West, who wrote Evil Spirits and Their Secretaries. What a great title. One of the poems featured the deer head on the Makeout Room walls who was regular here when this place was a swamp. As if that thing didn’t creep me out enough already, thanks David. The lovely Rachel Howard was up next and read a story called "Dogsitting." Part of it is set in the Presidio pet cemetery. More dead animals. At least those aren't looking at me.
Mark Pritchard took the stage next. He’s the author of How I Adore You. Mark read a story about Garrison Keillor whose tales of loneliness and isolation we can handle because they're told gently. Keillor, he read, is the Walter Cronkite of our time. Adam Mansbach was up next saying he only had a few minutes; he had a new baby daughter at home (congratulations, Adam) and read a great piece from his new novel, The End of the Jews about Risk and Zone a Jewish boy and black boy who were popular as disc jockeys on the bar mitzvah circuit in suburban Connecticut on their way to the big time.
Next we had a short commercial break from Nicole Rivera who has been a volunteer for the Progressive Reading Series practically from the beginning. She’s running for a Democrat County Central Committee and you would be hard pressed to find a better person for the job. She also belted out the phrase "98 we hate, 99 is fine," a few times so we her love even more. Vote for Nicole on June 3rd. More info on Nicole and the Democratic County Central Committee
here.
Nato Green came up next saying he was glad the gay marriage ban was overruled, but that we should take it one step further and make it mandatory, otherwise what’s the point? On another note, his wife is pregnant (congratulations Nato) expecting twins, and he’s letting them pick the gender! It doesn’t get more SF than that. Next up: The All Star Minstrels, Dan and Adam. I swear these two keep getting better and handsomer. Dan sang Woody Guthrie's If You Ain't Got the Do Rei Mei." My how little things have changed in California.
Starlee Kine hit the stage next, one-upped Bucky Sinister who took a heckling last March, and read right off her laptop. Strangely, no one booed her. Is there a bit of a double standard going on with the Progressive audience? She read a story about how she had the chance, but refused, to hug a very cute baby panda bear in China. She has principles.
And finally, Pam Houston read a story called the "Other Woman" who was having something called a lightbulb relationship with the narrator's husband. I have no idea what that means, but neither did her narrator. Maybe you do though. Next month come check it out for yourself. We'll be at the Makeout Room again on June 21st. You’ll hear Andrew Sean Greer, Frank Portman, ZZ Packer and the one and only Eileen Myles. And one more time: Vote No on 98, Yes on 99 if you don’t want to buried under your house.
Monday, May 19, 2008
You're Not in Kansas Yet (part 2)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
May 17!!!
Saturday, May 17
A Special Literary Benefit To
SAVE RENT CONTROL
Featuring Authors: Rachel Howard, Pam Houston, Adam Mansbach, David West, Mark Pritchard
Plus: Sticky Notes from This American Life's Starlee Kine
Josh Bearman's Multi-Media Extravaganza
Comedian Nato Green
and The Progressive Reading Series All-Star Minstrels
Hosted by Stephen Elliott
7pm At The Makeout Room
3225 22nd Street 415 647 2888 $10-20 sliding scale
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Just for Fun
I found this recently, brought to you by our friends at Smith Magazine, Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser who published Not Quite What I Was Planning and were with us back in February. It's called Six Words for Bush and is just as much fun. Here's one of my favorites from Marcus in St. Louis, MO. What six words would you like to say to Bush? 
Sunday, April 27, 2008
You're Not in Kansas (yet)
It’s been a busy week since we last convened at the Makeout Room, at least for me. I don’t know about the boys, but I suspect they’re always busy. You know, saving rent control, wrestling gladiators, whatever. So I offer you here a twitter-like version of the events with help from the talented and lovely Michelle Richmond who wrote the unputdownable Year of Fog.
* Laura Fraser planted a Redwood in the Haight (How cool is that?) and does not want to be wearing her Save Rent Control T-shirt next year when she’s living in Kansas.
* Jeff O’Keefe: Thank you for making us feel okay for wanting to have an ice cream sundae in lieu of sex.
* Stephen Elliott does dishes! Hello Stephen, my house?
* Ross Mirkarini has a deep and sexy voice and is the kind of pol we like in SF. That is, one who is in a bar on a Saturday night for a cause he believes in. Thanks for coming out and showing your support, Supervisor.
*Michelle has been hearing strange noises in her house lately and wonders if it’s Charlie’s fault.
* Regarding the All-Star Minstrels: Adam Krefman looks like Joaquin Phoenix and sometimes a young Woody Harrelson. Which movie star does Dan Weiss most resemble? I will be putting up a survey, probably on Facebook, soon. Soon Dan, I promise. In the meantime, check out the song he wrote to save rent control. (Hey, every little bit helps.)
* Message to Yiyun: Just keep writing fiction. Keep it coming. Okay? Thanks.
* Andrew Altschul's book, Lady Lazarus is out now, on the shelves of finer bookstores everywhere and Stephen loves him (in a bromantic way) 9 days out of 10.
Next month is the last chance you’ll have to combine good literature and saving your roof, which reminds me June 3rd: Vote No on 98, Yes on 99, which is the real eminent domain issue. I learned a slogan: it may be silly, (okay, it is silly) 98 we hate, 99 is fine. But if that’ll help you remember, chant it all the way to the voting booth. We’ll see you next month for Mary Roach, David West, Pam Houston, Adam Mansbach, Mark Pritchard, and from This American Life, Josh Bearman and Starlee Kine. Same deal: buy your tickets here and when you’re not living in Kansas this summer you’ll be glad you did.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Poetry For Water
Straight from friends of the Progressive Reading Series . . .
THURSDAY, MAY 1ST, 7:00 PM
An incredible evening with Dave Eggers, Maxine Hong Kingston, Roger Housden, Elizabeth Rosner, Nina Wise, and great music to Bring Clean Water to the Samburu People of Northern Kenya
COWELL THEATRE, FORT MASON
$30 tickets at Fortmason.org/boxoffice
Phone: 415–345–7575
Host/MC: Beth Lisick, author of Helping Me Help Myself
All money raised goes toward building the second of a series of water catchment areas along the migration route of the Samburu people of Northern Kenya, near the border with Ethiopia. The water will save their children from the fatal diseases of polluted water sources, and will also help to sustain the Samburu's fragile nomadic way of life. The groundwork is administered by a global charity, Wherever The Need. David Crosweller, the founder, will be here from London to give a brief talk and slide show on the project.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Coming Up!
Saturday, May 17
A Special Literary Benefit To
SAVE RENT CONTROL
THE PROGRESSIVE READING SERIES
Featuring Authors: Mary Roach, Pam Houston, Adam Mansbach, David West, Mark Pritchard
Plus: Sticky Notes from This American Life's Starlee Kine
Josh Bearman's Multi-Media Extravaganza
Comedian Nato Green
and The Progressive Reading Series All-Star Minstrels
Hosted by Stephen Elliott
7pm At The Makeout Room
3225 22nd Street 415 647 2888 $10-20 sliding scale
www.progressivereadingseries
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Progressive Reading, April 19
- Jane Smiley author of Ten Days In The Hills
- Yiyun Li author of A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers
- Charlie Anders author of Choir Boy
- Michelle Richmond author of The Year Of Fog
- Laura Fraser author of An Italian Affair
- And Jeff O'Keefe
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Sacto + Nicole Rivera
Even in Sacramento, Prop 98 is no good.
On another note, The Progressive Reading Series endorses Progressive Reading volunteer Nicole Rivera for Democratic County Central Committee.
