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.