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WEDNESDAY 24
Andrew Sean Greer Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 7:30pm, free. The best-selling author reads from his new novel, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells.
THURSDAY 25
“Annual Day Out of Time: Free Green Day 2013” Ocean Beach Fire Pits, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 1000 Great Hwy, SF; facebook.com/flyingserpentproductions. 7-10pm, free. Meditation and music are a part of this event aiming to “give thanks to the universe, unite people through art, and promote peace through culture.”
Susan Choi Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 7:30pm, free. The Pulitzer Prize nominee reads from her new novel, My Education.
Michael Koppy Book Passage, One Ferry Building, SF; www.bookpassage.com. 6pm, free. The author-guitarist presents Ashmore’s Store, a CD and companion book with songs and stories about growing up in the Deep South.
William Bryant Logan Bone Room, 1573 Solano, Berk; www.boneroompresents.com. 7pm, free. The author discusses and signs Air: The Restless Shaper of the World as part of the Bone Room’s “Natural History Salon” series.
FRIDAY 26
“The Sketchbook Project” SF Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island, SF; www.sfcb.org. 4-8pm. (Also Sat/27, 2-8pm; Sun/28, noon-6pm). Free. The touring, crowd-sourced Sketchbook Project, a mobile library comprised of over 1,000 sketchbooks from around the world, visits San Francisco as part of a multi-city tour.
SATURDAY 27
Berkeley Kite Festival Berkeley Marina’s Cesar E. Chavez Park, 11 Spinnaker Way, Berk; www.berkeleykitefestival.com. 10am-6pm, free. Through Sun/28. Live music, food, a petting zoo, and, of course, all things kite — kite-making, kite battles, giant creature kites, the Kite Team of Japan — highlight this 28th annual festive family event.
“Hand to Mouth #59” Rebound Bookstore, 1611 Fourth St, San Rafael; www.reboundbookstore.com. 4-6pm, free. Poets Terry Lucas and Iris Dunkle read from their new books.
“MakeArt Workshop: Poster Art” Museum of Craft and Design, 2569 Third St, SF; www.sfmcg.org. 1:30-3:30pm, $10. Aimed at kids ages 6-12, this workshop includes a tour of “Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller,” plus a poster-designing activity inspired by the colorful work of Herman Miller creative director Steve Frykholm.
Renegade Craft Fair Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, Marina at Buchanan, SF; www.renegadecraft.com. 11am-7pm, free. Through Sun/28. Over 250 modern crafters (jewelry, toys, textiles, paper goods, food, clothing furniture … you name it) descend on Fort Mason for this lively fair. Other attractions include a make-and-take workshop, a photo booth, snacks and beer, and more.
SUNDAY 28
“LaborFest BookFair” Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission, SF; www.laborfest.net. 10am, free. A full day of events — including author readings, panel discussions, and film screenings — highlight this sixth annual event.
“Sundays in Kerouac Alley” City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus, SF; www.citylights.com. 2-4pm, free. Long-running literary road show Sister Spit takes over Kerouac Alley with host Michelle Tea.
MONDAY 29
“An Evening of Poetry” Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 7:30pm, free. Adam Fitzgerald, Dorothea Lasky, and Geoffrey G. O’Brien read their works.
“45th Anniversary of the San Francisco State Strike: Labor and the Lessons for Today” ILWU Local 34 Hall, 801 Second St, SF; www.laborfest.net. 7pm, free. Remember SFSU’s landmark strike in favor of ethnic studies classes and open admissions policies with a panel discussion and screening of documentary The Turning Point: SF State ’68 Strike.
TUESDAY 30
“Tesla to Tomorrow: A Monthly Film and Discussion Series on Energy Issues” Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar, Berk; www.bfuu.org. 7pm, $5-10 suggested donation. Gather to discuss the development of commercial electricity and other topics, as well as view two films: The Missing Secrets of Nicola Tesla and A Machine to Die For.
“Watermusic in the Tracks: The Halcyon Days of Cable Cars in San Francisco” St. Philip’s Catholic Church, 725 Diamond, SF; www.sanfranciscohistory.org. 7:30pm, $5. Cable car history and illustrated stories with Friends of the Cable Car Museum director Michael Phipps. Presented by the SF History Association. *