Last year, Litquake (Thu/10-October 26), the West Coast’s largest literary festival, opened another chapter with the hiring of new executive director Norah Piehl, who promised to revamp the fest from the ground up, after a fabulous quarter-century of stewardship by founders Jane Ganahl and Jack Boulware. (That pair had turned the tiny 1999 daylong Litstock reading in Golden Gate Park into the sprawling festival that put the Bay Area back on the literary map.)
From the looks of this year’s fest, Piehl has more than fulfilled her promise, retaining both the starry and down-home aspects of the fest while filling in the rest with an incredibly diverse array of programming, authors, and panels. Not that Litquake lacked for those before, but the whole thing can be a little overwhelming!
48 Hills is partnering with Litquake this year to present 17 terrific events—there are details on those below, and we want to see your beautiful, intelligent faces at each and every one. We also want to highlight some other “musts” that we’ll be there for. The celebratory Booksellers Ball kicks off the 25th fest on Thu/10 evening at Club Fugazi, celebrating indie booksellers, and promises some primo elbow-rubbing with authors from around the world, plus drinks, dancing, and a literary-themed drag show—please someone do Wuthering Heights!
I’m literally dying to puff myself up for SWOLE: The Meaning of Muscle Panel + Party on October 21 at the Stud (OK, it’s my bar), at which author-cutie Michael Andor Brodeur will discuss queer masculinities and their various pathologies and crises (there’s a drag show for that, too). Double Feature: Film Noir/Comics Noir at 4-Star Theater on October 13 features hometown superhero Justin Hall in conversation with film-comics crossover artists Robert Mailer Anderson and Peter Hoey about their new graphic novels, and screens two of Anderson’s movies.
And of course the October 26 capper to it all is the wonderfully wild Litcrawl, which wends its way through Mission District bars, laundromats, liquor stores, and every other nook and cranny for dozens of readings and other mayhem.
As for our events, check them all out! Everything below is happening in SF, and presented by 48 Hills.
OCTOBER 11: PAOLA RAMOS ON DEFECTORS: THE RISE OF THE LATINO FAR RIGHT On the eve of this year’s hugely consequential presidential election, award-winning journalist Paola Ramos sheds light on a misunderstood and underestimated electorate: the growing number of Latino voters supporting conservative candidates and policies. Using a combination of deep reporting, effective storytelling, and probing yet compassionate questions, Ramos unpacks the combination of race, identity, and political trauma that has shaped this rightward shift—and urges politicians and activists alike not to ignore the power of this group to shape American politics. Noted Bay Area journalist and interviewer Angie Coiro will join Ramos for this critical conversation. 7pm, KALW. FREE, $10–15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 13: HOW MIGHTY IS THE SMALL INDEPENDENT PRESS? Moderator Tania Malik and panelists Nina Schuyler, Grace Loh Prasad, and Carol LaHines will share a frank discussion about their experiences being traditionally published by small, independent presses. Following a reading, they will delve into the ins and outs of the small press publication process, as well as the cultural impact of smaller presses taking chances on voices that bigger presses find too risky or hard to classify. 1pm, SF Public Library. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 13: MAYOR OF THE TENDERLOIN: DEL SEYMOUR’S FIGHT TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SF Join journalist Alison Owings and Del Seymour, who overcame 18 years of homelessness and addiction to become one of the most respected advocates in San Francisco, as they slip behind the cold statistics and sensationalism. Mayor of Tenderloin reveals a harrowing and life-affirming portrait of Seymour, who, once housed and sober, started Tenderloin Walking Tours and later Code Tenderloin, the remarkable organization teaching homeless, recovering addicts, sex workers, dealers, ex-felons, and other marginalized people how to get and keep a job. Special performance inspired by Del’s advocacy and life by Skywatchers, the multi-disciplinary, mixed-ability ensemble that creates work amplifying the Tenderloin neighborhood’s stories. 2pm, KALW studio. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 13: CELEBRATING DEFIANCE, RESISTING SILENCE This dynamic event showcases writers driven by urgency, addressing pressing issues with narratives that explore the ignored, overlooked, and under-represented. Eirinie Carson, Christopher D. Cook, Sabina Khan-Ibarra, Jesus Francisco Sierra, Brandy Collins, and Rowena Leong Singerwill share stories of resilience and resistance and delve deep into identity, activism, and the pursuit of justice, offering powerful insights into how American culture and politics impact their daily lives as members of under-represented communities. Celebrating Defiance promises an afternoon of powerful storytelling, inclusivity, and the amplification of voices that challenge the status quo. 7pm, Sagrada, FREE. $10–15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 13: MODERN MAGIC WITH MICHELLE TEA The Lost Church is a fitting setting for an enchanting evening of stories and spells, featuring literary icon and self-described “DIY witch” Michelle Tea, whose new book Modern Magic is a companion to her classic Modern Tarot. Michelle will be joined in conversation by Diana Helmuth, author of The Witching Year, and during a special interactive intermission, we’ll also be treated to a glimpse of author Rana Tahir’s “Choose Your Own Adventure”–inspired tarot deck, as well as a taste of the bewitching beverages in Julia Halina Hadas’s WitchCraft Cocktails. The conversation will be guided by writer, educator, and multidisciplinary artist MK Chavez. 7:30pm, The Lost Church. $18.
OCTOBER 15: PORCHLIGHT STORYTELLING: TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL The Bay Area’s long-running Porchlight storytelling series returns to Litquake for this special edition, featuring tales on the theme of Touched by an Angel: Stories of Mentors, Teachers, Guardians, and Influencers. Featuring stories by Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware and authors Nico Lang (American Teenager), Adam Nimoy (The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father), Eugene Rodriguez (Bird of Four Hundred Voices), Dawn Silva (The Funk Queen), and Christina Vo (My Vietnam, Your Vietnam). Co-hosted by Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick. Music by Marc Capelle. 6:30pm, Swedish American Hall. $20 adv / $25 door.
OCTOBER 16: CALIFORNIA’S FIERCELY INDEPENDENT LITERARY CULTURE Home to the Beats, the modern environmental movement, the Hollywood dream machine, and a population of immense cultural diversity, California has—unsurprisingly—given rise to a literary culture defined by a distinctive Left Coast sensibility. This rich writerly ferment is sustained by an array of fiercely independent literary organizations devoted to the flourishing ecosystem of ideas and art. In this panel, leading voices from the Golden State’s literary landscape—Heyday publisher Steve Wasserman, City Lights chief buyer Paul Yamazaki, Alta Journal’s Digital Editor Beth Spotswood, and Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware—explore and celebrate the cultural work that booksellers, publishers, literary journals, book clubs, and festivals do in service of California’s community of readers, writers, and thinkers. 7pm, City Lights. FREE. $10–15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 18: THE ACHE FOR ANCESTRAL HEALING: THE ROAD MAP BACK To thrive in the present we must connect to the past, but when that past is fragmented by colonization, oppression, and the pressure to assimilate, how can we tap into the wisdom of the generations that came before us? What did our elders know that we are struggling to rediscover? Using traditions that range from curanderismo to community outreach, Sandhya Rani Jha, Alie Jones, Shanthi Sekaran, and Atava Garcia Swiecicki discuss the path before us and the answers within us. Moderated by SFSU professor of journalism Venise Wagner. This event opens and closes with a healing meditation offered by Sagrada Arts proprietor Rebecca Sanders. 7:30pm, Sagrada. $25
OCTOBER 19: POETRY WORLD SERIES: Two teams of award-winning poets, including Armen Davoudian, Luiza Flynn-Goodlett, Cindy Ok, Joseph Rios, Mimi Tempestt, and Dashaun Washington, take turns batting at topics pitched to them by the audience. Fastballs, curveballs, knuckleballs: these poets won’t know what’s coming next! Hilarity and brilliance both guaranteed. Daniel Handler returns as emcee, and eminently qualified umpires Andrew Sean Greer and Brynn Saito will score each batter’s reading. The winning team takes the series title. Don’t forget to bring a topic to stump the poets with! Book sales/signing follow the reading. 6:30pm, Make-Out Room. $17 adv / $20 door.
ALL-DAY ON OCTOBER 19 +20 AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS: THE OUT LOUD SERIES!
OCTOBER 19: LITQUAKE SMALL PRESS BOOK FAIR AT OUT LOUD Join a curated spread of small presses and literary magazines for the newly revived Litquake Book Fair in Yerba Buena Gardens! Browse the best in local literature set to a day of readings and performances from the Litquake Out Loud festival, with a special section for presses formerly carried by Small Press Distribution. 11am-4pm, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE
OCTOBER 19: OUT LOUD: WEST COAST PROPHECIES Uniting north & south of califas, we bring you a brown & black rebel yell! Conjuring. Complaining. Plotting. Politicizing. Punking. Mimi Tempestt presents her favorite generation of feminist musings to the battleground with performances from Tori Gesualdo, soledad con carne, and Lourdes Figueroa. 11am, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE, $10–15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 19: OUT LOUD: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS, THE BALLOT WON’T SAVE US Darius Simpson presents María Esqinca, Meilani Clay, and Hernan Ramos—local poets who’ve made explicit political commitments to creating a better world outside of electoral structures with work that incites action, inspiration, curiosity, and the creativity needed for transforming reality. 12:45, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 19: OUT LOUD: ESCAPE Join RAWdance & Litquake’s Elder Project for a unique, collaborative blend of storytelling, dance, and dialogue. Featuring the personal narratives of former Catskills vacationers, including Elder Project’s 98-year-old Irene Zahler, brought to life by 826 Valencia, and excerpts from RAWdance’s evocative dance performance “Escape,” inspired by the history of culturally-specific summer havens. Q&A to follow with the artists and storytellers, exploring the themes of memory, culture, and belonging. 2:30pm, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 20: OUT LOUD: QUEER POETICS A space in motion that embraces love and tenderness to celebrate queer poetics and recognizes the miraculousness of the queer BIPOCX tongue. From the margins of hxstory, we have continuously broken open lung, redefining the poem and her purpose over and over again, making your larynx in our image. We are thousands upon thousands years old. We are the queer at the tip of your tongue, sculpting the language of each other’s bodies. This year, the Pocho Chicanx Poetxs Lourdes Figueroa and Baruch Porras Hernandez team up to bring you a kaleidoscope of voices—MK Chavez, Hilary Cruz Mejia, Jessica Ke’mani, Syd Staiti, Yeva Johnson, and Evelyn Donaji & Camellia Boutros—that have formed and continue to form the Bay Area literary landscape. We seek to tremble your vagus nerve. Noon, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 20: OUT LOUD: FINDING HOME Finding Home follows the journeys of authors who have fought for their sense of belonging, safety, and nourishment by overcoming adversity, reframing their identity, and building community. These poets will be sharing pieces that celebrate the full breadth of the human experience and what “home” means to them. Rhea Joseph presents Lorrie Chang, Papi Grande, Serena Chan, and Denise Masiel. 1:45pm, Yerba Buena Gardens. FREE, $10-15 suggested donation
OCTOBER 20: OUT LOUD: NOR DO I WISH TO SPEAK: A STORYTELLING + POETRY PICNIC Join a conversation among poets in the lineage of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People who write and speak into liberation struggles from America to Palestine. Noor Brody presents Dina Omar, Tehmina Khan, and more. FREE, 3:30pm, Yerba Buena Gardens. $10-15 suggested donation.
OCTOBER 20: MIND GAMES: DARK ARTS AND THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY Disinformation. Propaganda. Artificial intelligence. PSYOPS. Litquake brings together three thinkers to illuminate how the American mind has been gamified by bad actors, creating an invisible battlefield where our democratic future is at stake. In Stories Are Weapons, bestselling author Annalee Newitz delves into America’s deep-rooted history of PSYOPS, from Benjamin Franklin’s Revolutionary War–era fake newspaper to 21st-century culture warriors, transforming democratic debates into toxic wars over American identity. In Playing With Reality, Kelly Clancy chronicles the riveting and hidden history of games from the Enlightenment to now, where games inform our daily lives: the social media and technology that can warp our preferences, polarize us, and manufacture our desires. MacArthur-winning artist and author Trevor Paglen’s work often delves into state secrecy and mass surveillance through the lens of games, image-making, investigative journalism, and numerous other disciplines. Panel moderated by Mother Jones senior reporter and producer for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, Michael Montgomery. 7pm, Gray Area Gallery. $10.
