Featuring new fiction from Stuart Dybek, as well as Emily Ruskovich and May-Lan Tan making their literary debuts, the summer issue of Zoetrope features a cover designed by Beck. Yes, that Beck. You should help Francis Ford Coppola celebrate the release of one of the city's best (and most underrated!) literary magazines at Cafe Zoetrope in North Beach on Tuesday, July 19 from 6 to 8 pm. There’ll be cocktails flowing, passed plates of light bites, and presumably groovy music. more ›

Jeffrey Eugenides, Susan Orlean, James Ellroy, Mary Roach, Ishmael Reed, Adam Mansbach, Jane Smiley, Chris Adrian, Thomas McGuane, Christopher Moore, Daniel Woodrell, Deepak Chopra, Cyra McFadden, and Guillermo Gomez-Peña are just a few of the authors scheduled to read at this year's Litquake Festival. "Er, like, what's Litquake," you derp? Well, Litquake is the city's annual festival of literature devoted to the printed word. Lots of words. Dangerous words. more ›

PHOTOGRAPHY: After this month, cult-favorite Kodachrome slide film, which stopped being manufactured in 2009, will no longer be processed (which brings a fat tear to this photography-loving contributor's eye). RayKo Photo Center celebrates the glorious and richly colorful life of Kodachrome with a juried exhibition featuring images by 23 different artists from across the country. It truly is the end of an era. (Sigh.) If you have any undeveloped Kodachrome film sitting around, get it processed at Dwayne's Photo by 12/30/2010. more ›

by Matt Baume It's tough times for local booksellers. With Abandoned Planet cleaned out, McDonald's given the heave-ho... more ›

In honor of J.D. Salinger, whose Catcher in the Rye is as fundamental to 10th grade English as FOIL is to 8th grade algebra, we've recapped the top five Holden Caulfield catch-phrases... more ›

Remember back in college where the English professors would badger you to come up with the best paper thesis possible? Your thesis had to be focused, controversial, and most importantly, able to be proven and disproven. Well, we're happy to report that cultural commentator and science writer Ethan Watters... more ›

Well, would you look at that. SFist landed an invite to a VIP party at the Contemporary Jewish Museum for a fete honoring Spike Jonze's re-telling of Where the Wild Things Are. Actually, it was also a benefit for 826 Valencia, the Mission district nonprofit that makes people feel good via honing the writing skills of those less fortunate. Or, it's a pirate store. Anyway, last night's festivities, in the end, were all about honoring Hollywood ilk. more ›

FOOD: Learn how changing your diet can reduce carbon emissions as effectively as buying a new fuel-efficient car in the new book Cool Cuisine: The Global Warming Diet.. Tonight, Cool Cuisine co-authors Eugene Cordero, Professor of Meteorology, SJSU, will present the latest research on the connection between the energy efficiency of our food systems and global warming, and Laura Stec, Chef, will offer practical advice on putting these ideas into action. more ›

The irreverent David Cross, who captured America's hearts (or at least the smart part of America) as the "never-nude," "analrapist" Tobias Funke and who graced SFist's comments with his controversial presence back in '07, has written his first book, I Drink for a Reason. Cross will be personally promoting the book this Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Union Square Borders (400 Post St) prior his show at the Warfield that night. more ›

Jeff Hunt of Muni Diaries forwarded us this beautiful map adorned with literary quotes that have shaped our beloved San Francisco, which was created by Ian Huebert. We love the whimsical typography and colors almost more than the quotes themselves. See a larger version. more ›

As SF Weekly noted yesterday, Lars Russell, a San Francisco-based writer, starting reading the entirety of 's first sentence, which wraps around the to final sentence, making the magnum opus a circular work, et cetera, et cetera, and so forth : more ›

ART: SF Camerawork celebrates its 35th anniversary with a two-part exhibition. Part 1: San Francisco Plays Itself features the work of artists who have contributed to the cultural make-up of the San Francisco Bay Area in a significant way and explores how they document their lives and the lives of others, address specific events, and engage with the local landscape. The exhibit runs through October 10. more ›

FILM: The documentary Bird's Nest: Herzog & de Meuron in China follows two star Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who are building bridges between two cultures, two architectural traditions, and two political systems, as they work on two very different projects: the national stadium for the Olympic summer games in Peking 2008 and a city area in the provincial town of Jinhua, China. more ›

MUSIC: Terrorbird and Smile! present a stellar night of disco pop. Hailing from NYC, octet The Phenomenal Handclap Band will get the dancefloor moving and sweating. Bay Area faves Bart Davenport, Tempo No Tempo, and DJ Neil Martinson will get the party started. more ›

VARIETY: "Backpack Burlesque! Campfire Comedy! Sultry Acts of Nature!," boast the organizers of tonight's Summer Camp-themed Hubba Hubba Revue. Come enjoy a whole line-up of performers at this titillating variety show that won Best of SF 2009 and Best of the Bay 2008. more ›

ART: It's your last chance to view the current exhibitions at SF Camerawork. The Summer Exhibition Cool-Down Party features Ersatz Group Exhibition, Leaving A Mark: Cutter Photozine, and The 2009 James D. Phelan Art Award in Photography. The publication of the Ersatz exhibition catalog will also be announced. more ›

ART: San Francisco artist Micke Tong will be exhibiting a new series of site-specific conceptual art pieces, drawings, and installation sculptures in Micro-Habitat. Viewers can expect to find "low-rider inspired candy colored taxidermy forms infested by cities, pre-fab homes, and other human dwellings made of wood," as well as San Francisco-inspired facades that mimic Victorians, Edwardians, and present-day building aesthetics. more ›

MUSIC: Japanese cowboy possessing amazing yodeling skills Toshio Hirano will perform his beloved bluegrass favorites for adoring fans as part of Amnesia's free Bluegrass Mondays. more ›

Dave Eggers wearing a hat indoors (grumble, grumble) while signing copies of his latest effort, , today at Books Inc on Van Ness. more ›

SATURDAY 1st Annual Super Hero Street Fair anonEvents, Get YER Freak On!, and Climate Theater present "the unique superhero in you." The event includes live music, dancing, art, tasty food, and an awards ceremony for best costumes, which will benefit charities including GIRLS 2000 (Hunters Point Family), SF Food Bank, Green Mary, and more to be announced. Islais Creek Promenade (1700 Indiana St), 1 p.m. to Midnight, $10 w/costume; $20 without. more ›

LIT: Did someone say free Scotch tasting? Enjoy a free tasting of Balvenie scotch with some light snacks, along with raffle prizes, as author Howard Miller celebrates the release of his book You’re Full of Shift, an inspiring collection of stories that show how difficult situations can be shifted to positive opportunities. Musician Shelley Kutliek will also sing from her debut release, Resolution, which combines the genres of pop, jazz, blues and bossa nova. more ›

The first 30 attendees are promised nifty canvas book bags, courtesy of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. And even if you don't meet anyone interesting you'll have a great book or two to curl up with that night. more ›

Although some claim to dislike local scribe Dave Eggers -- probably because he is successful, something writers and alleged writers hate like holy hell -- you should read his new book. It's a work of nonfiction. And it's heavy-ish. It's called Zeitoun. What's it about? Well, it involves a Syrian-American man. And hurricane Katrina. And probably some super sad stuff. But why listen to us when Amazon's product description can explain it to you better. more ›

VARIETY: The Rumpus and Kink.com host a Sex, Music, Comedy Night with Jill Sobule, co-sponsored by The Center for Sex and Culture. The evening includes readings and performances from sex worker authors Zak Smith, Kirk Read, Michelle Tea, Lorelei Lee, and Madison Young (NSFW), comedy by Los Angeles based comedian Kyle Kinane, a short film by Wholphin, and music by Sig Hafstrom and special guest Jill Sobule. more ›

LIT: Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, will be on hand to discuss her adventures with raising chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, a beehive, rabbits, and pigs in her Oakland garden (not all at the same time). more ›

SING-ALONG: Join San Francisco's favorite film critic (and SFist Brock's) Jan Wahl in a Castro Theater-style sing-a-long of the world's most famous "shtetl" musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Shtetl fashion is encouraged. more ›

COMEDY: SF Sketchfest presents San Francisco-based comedy troupe Kasper Hauser for a special one-night show celebrating the release of their book, Weddings of the Times, a parody of the New York Times wedding announcements, complete with helpful wedding tips and lists, including first aid for guests who have been attacked by a shark. The group will start off the show with a live sketch performance, followed by a reading from the book. There will also be a Q&A and book signing moderated by Beth Lisick. more ›

ART: Greg Gossel will exhibit his new collection of appropriated pop culture imagery ranging from pulp novels, romance comics, political references, and fallen icons of the 20th century. His pieces are large-scale multimedia works involving silkscreen, experimental Xerox copy and transfers, as well as various found billboard scraps and signage. The raw nature of the collection builds upon the surfaces with rich depth, paint, print and collage. Tonight is the opening reception, and the show runs through July 7. more ›

MUSIC: Sugary yet melancholic Scottish indie-poppers Camera Obscura, lead by angelic crooner Tracyanne Campbell, will entrance the Fillmore tonight. Lovely, vintage cabaret-inspired, all-female trio Agent Ribbons opens. more ›

ART: Peruse art and enjoy food and drink specials at dozens of venues (including free dessert at Metro Kathmandu!), as part of the Divisadero Art Walk. 6 p.m. // Divisadero Street (from Haight St to Geary Blvd) // free MUSIC: Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, which starts tomorrow night, is having an arena rock-themed Launch Party extravaganza tonight. Local band Live Evil performs as Spinal Tap! Plus The Godz of Rock and live stage versions of ‘80s hair metal videos. more ›