Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.
Lambda Literary Award Finalists
Tuesday, April 24, 5 pm, at San Francisco Public Library Main Branch, Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room A & B (100 Larkin St.)
Each year, after announcing the shortlists for their LGBT literary prizes, the Lambda Literary Awards holds readings across the country in which the nominated authors can read their work aloud. The Bay Area contingent includes poets, memoirists, children's authors, fiction writers, and romance writers, each of whom have made gay, bisexual, and lesbian themes a part of their work. The reading kicks off with a reception at 5 pm, with the nine shortlisted authors speaking at 6.
Molly Peacock (The Second Blush)
Thursday, April 19, 7:30 pm, at Falkirk Cultural Center (1408 Mission St., San Rafael).
As part of the Marin Poetry Center's third-Thursday reading series, Canadian poet Molly Peacock (above) will visit San Rafael to read excerpts from her latest volume of poetry, The Second Blush, as well as her new memoir, The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins Her Life's Work at 72. Peacock also edits the Best Canadian Poems in English series, and her poems have appeared in The New Yorker and The Paris Review. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for members, and include a signing and reception after the reading.
Amelia Gray (Threats)
Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 pm, at The Booksmith (1644 Haight St.)
Acclaimed short-story writer Gray (AM/PM, Museum of the Weird) has emerged with her first novel, the story of a man attempting to uncover the mystery of his wife's untimely death. As he sinks deeper into despair, the line between his reality and what may be a paranoid fantasy begins to blur. Gray is also notable for her embrace of technology: she funded her last book tour entirely through Kickstarter, and toured the country in a rented van.
Notes & Words 2012
Saturday, April 28, 8 pm, at the Fox Theater (1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland).
While this event is technically not until next week, it's close to selling out, and we wanted to make sure SF literary fans were aware of it. An annual fundraiser for the Oakland Children's Hospital, Notes & Words is a sort of literary Lollapalooza, featuring Michael Chabon, John Hodgman, Kelly Corrigan, and Anne Lamott, with music by Cake. Tickets are steep (they start at $50 and go up as high as $10,000), but with the money benefiting sick kids, it's for a good cause.
