Branded "the literary equivalent of Rufus Wainwright" by the Chron - oh, Chronicle, you kill us! - Kirk Read is putting on a show, folks! And it's jammed packed with multimedia sorcery, poignancy, music, , hilarity, and a real live penis. (Check out a clip of the show right here why don't you?) We chatted with Read recently, demanding to know more about him, his show, his love of SF, and his drinking habits.

(Oh! And at tonight 10 p.m. show of This is the Thing, Kirk is offering free tickets to the first four respondents. Email [email protected] with "Ticket giveaway for This is the Thing" in the subject line, and you might get on the list!)

Here's what went down:

OK, how long have you lived in San Francisco?

I moved to San Francisco 10 years ago from Virginia. I was editing a monthly queer newspaper a mile away from Pat Robertson's media empire. So it was a big move. I live in the Mission and my landlady feeds hundreds of pigeons. I've come to appreciate the pigeons. It's a waste of energy to scorn pigeons.

Good Lord, what makes you stay here so long?

I love the scale of San Francisco. I tried living in New York but it stressed me out too much. I think of New York as an angry father. I think of San Francisco a comforting mommy. I grew up in a small southern town in Virginia, so I love the fact that it's a big city with a smalltown vibe. San Franciscans have access to the natural world that's unbelievable. I love going camping on the Yuba River. I understand when people romanticize previous eras of San Francisco. It's easy to believe that you were born too late when people start talking about how great things were in the 70s or the early 90s. But as far as I'm concerned, each of us is responsible for creating a new golden age right now.

Now, tell us about your new show?

bon mots