FILM: Filmmakers Mary Kerr and Elaine Trotter present the first half of their documentary, Swinging in the Shadows, which is a work in progress chronicling the untold story of the California beat era. Tonight's screening focuses on Venice West and the LA scene, featuring venues such as Ferus, Syndell Studio, Gas House, Venice West Cafe and the individuals who made the scene what it was. Kerr and Trotter will be on hand after the screening for a Q&A session. (7 p.m., Robert Berman / E6 Gallery, 1632 Market Street)

LITERARY: Journalist Susan Freinkel talks about her new book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, which details the real impact of plastic on our lives through eight familiar plastic objects: comb, chair, Frisbee, IV bag, disposable lighter, grocery bag, soda bottle, and credit card, and "points the way toward a new creative partnership with the material we love to hate but can’t seem to live without." (7:30 p.m., The Booksmith, 1644 Haight Street)

PERFORMANCE: Word for Word's Off the Page presents a staged reading of Lydia Davis' Thyroid Diary, a comical exploration of memory, health and identity, in which "a professor’s wife and translator worries about her underactive thyroid and it’s possible connection to her increasingly unravelling thought processes, wreaking havoc on her work and relationships." (8 p.m., Z Space, 450 Florida Street)