|
|
| Today's News |
| Sports |
| Entertainment |
| Technology |
| Live Views |
| Traffic |
| Weather |
| Health |
| Business |
| Bay Area Travel |
| Columnists |
| Classifieds |
| Search |
| Index |
| ||
|
After hours with SF's literary luminaries, plus Barry Zito, Giant Value, McSweeney's the Believer by Beth Lisick, special to SF Gate |
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
|
|
|
| ||
|
The term "embedded journalist" took on new meaning for this columnist last Friday night as I snooped around the San Francisco Main Library after hours eating a canapé and drinking a glass of wine as part of the the seventh annual Library Laureates Dinner. Organized by the Friends and Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library, the 40-year-old nonprofit that funds library services not included in the city budget, the benefit dinner brought together writers of poetry, fiction, children's books, biographies, memoirs, mysteries and cookbooks, along with a host of patrons and bibliophiles, for an evening of completely legal after-hours rabble-rousing in the James Freed-designed Civic Center building. Natty fiction writer and Guggenheim fellow Paul La Farge arrived with his date, poet Tarin Towers, a swinging ringer if there ever was one, who was sporting a faux-fur hat with ears on top of a Baroque-y cyberpunk getup, while "Path of Minor Planets" author Andrew Sean Greer brought his original high school prom date (along with a photo of the two of them on the night in question -- the late '80s never looked so good.) Lawrence Ferlinghetti mingled around the atrium as poet Reginald Lockett made his way across the floor with an elegantly worn leather satchel of poems, and Friends and Foundation co-founders Marjorie Stern and Mig Mayer chatted with City Librarian Susan Hildreth. Literary co-chairs Daniel Handler, the creator of kids'-book sensation Lemony Snicket, and S.F. poet laureate devorah major, both City natives, played up the rivalry of their neighborhood library branches, West Portal and Richmond respectively, as "Moosewood Cookbook" author and health-food revolutionary Mollie Katzen was inundated by fans reminiscing about potlucks of days gone by. How long do you refrigerate the chickpeas when making homemade falafel? After a dinner of grilled quail, honey-roasted figs and potato-fennel gratin by Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, each author addressed the tables in his or her room. From my spot in the lively James Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center, choreographer and children's-book author Remy Charlip charmed the crowd with his story "Fortunately" and revealed the fact that his colorful Nehru jacket once belonged to his ex-lover, the late composer Lou Harrison, and the aforementioned Greer, holding court with a group of attentive gentlemen, conducted a surprise giveaway of his novel after borrowing and unintentionally mutilating my lipstick in a S.W.A.K. maneuver that had the room glued to his every move. We all shuttled out at the end of the night, some grabbing centerpieces or
getting last-minute autographs in the lobby, and all looking a little dazed
after a party among the stacks.
Items about sports stars in bars are usually bad news, bears. But when Oakland A's pitcher Barry Zito dropped into Marina haunt Bar None last Friday night, he was perfectly well behaved. Sharing a frosty Bud Light with a brunette around 1:30 am, after the gal took a sip and passed the drink back to him, spies report he made a comment about "how friggin' sticky" her lip gloss was. Everyone involved, including Miss Honeymouth, shared a laugh at her lips' expense. From my ringside seat at the Makeout Room last Sunday night, pop trio Giant Value really lived up to their name. One of those bands where every member is capable of putting on a micro-show for your viewing pleasure, GV gets a lot of mileage out of their infectiously energetic stage presence and catchy sing-along songbook. Having just released their first full-length recording, On the Move avec Giant Value, they've worked up quite a following, as evidenced by the impressive crowd on the daylight-savings-time evening. Even keyboardist/singer Heather Brubaker's Minnesota-based parents, "Dr. and Mrs. Brubaker" (who got a shout out mid-set from guitarist/singer Dena Connolly, who has apparently known them for most of her life), were there hanging tight. Giant Value also comes equipped with their own props: li'l backlit
silhouettes of themselves aboard bicycles, which are thematically framed in
actual bike tires. Turns out drummer Vinnie Rodrigues is also very
crafty! Giant Value plays at Old Ironsides in our state's capital Thursday,
April 10.
There's always speculation among fans and friends about Elliott Smith's whereabouts, but one thing's for sure: The acclaimed singer/songwriter was indeed spotted at L.A. club Spaceland last week, where local songsmith Michael Zapruder, on a national tour, was on the bill with Smith collaborator goldenboy. Things with Smith were reportedly status quo -- as usual, he was looking a little bit weary. Rumor has it a local art star is putting together a compilation record featuring some of his favorite S.F. bands. Though it remains a mystery who is releasing the record and exactly which artists are on it (save a few hot-to-trot supergroups), talk is that dozens of bands are clamoring for the nod -- and, no doubt, the national recognition -- of being affiliated with the project. New from the McSweeney's crew comes The Believer, an expectedly handsome magazine full of long-ass articles and interviews that appears to have taken the publishing world by surprise last week. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times and on Salon, hardly anyone knew the project was under way, even though the first issue is full of big names like Anne Carson, Terry Gilliam, Salman Rushdie and Beth Orton. A little bird with a big mouth told me the next issue will feature an
in-depth interview of White Stripes singer/guitarist Jack White by
Dave Eggers, in which White speaks not one peep about music, but extensively
about upholstery.
Brushes with fame? Petty gossip? Random information? Let me know.
Beth Lisick is the author of "Monkey Girl" and "This Too Can Be Yours," out on Manic D Press. |
|
· Printer-friendly version
· Email this article to a friend
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
