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.
Editor's note: In addition to the events listed below, the Litquake festival begins this Friday. We'll have a special post on Thursday with our top picks.
J.R. Moehringer (Sutton)
Saturday, October 6, 7 pm, at Book Passage Corte Madera (51 Tamal Vista Blvd.)
Tuesday, October 9, 7 pm, at Books Inc. Marina (2251 Chestnut St.)
After the success of his memoir The Tender Bar, Moehringer (left) disappeared from the literary scene in order to help Andre Agassi pen his own memoir, the highly-praised Open. Now he's returned with his first novel, a fictional take on real-life bank robber Willie Sutton, who stole tens of thousands of dollars without ever firing a shot, and became a hero to many in the Depression. After evading capture and escaping from prison numerous times, Sutton finally lands in jail, but receives a surprise pardon on Christmas Eve of 1969-- and immediately sets out in search of his first love and first accomplice, who he's been pining for throughout the years.
Michael Ian Black (You're Not Doing It Right)
Sunday, October 7, 7 pm, at The Booksmith (1644 Haight St.)
Black is best known as an actor, member of the comedy troupes The State and Stella, and screenwriter, but his memoir enters some surprisingly dark territory without sacrificing humor. In exploring the difficulties of being raised by a lesbian mom, dealing with a newborn, and using Santa Claus as "bad cop" to get his kids to behave, Black's writing is refreshingly honest and bleakly comic at the same time.
Charlotte Druckman (Skirt Steak: Women Chefs on Standing the Heat and Staying in the Kitchen)
Friday, October 5, 6 pm, at Omnivore Books on Food (3885a Cesar Chavez St.)
Cooking is a notoriously competitive, machismo-filled world, replete with 15-hour days, exhausting labor, and no time off for a family member's funeral, much less maternity leave. How do women who love to cook cope with and change the dynamic of professional kitchens? Druckman interviewed over 70 of the world's best woman cooks, gaining insight into how they're able to balance high demands, low paychecks, stressful working environments, and raising families. Two of SF's top female chefs, Tartine's Elisabeth Pruiett and Waterbar's Emily Luchetti, will join Druckman for the reading.
Gretchen Rubin (Happier at Home)
Thursday, October 4, 6 pm, at Book Passage SF (1 Ferry Building)
In her bestselling The Happiness Project, Rubin volunteered herself as a one-woman test case for getting happier, changing her sleep, exercise, and work habits in an attempt to bring more authentic joy to her life. Her sequel explores how she attempted to also make her home a happier place, underlining the research on how everything from organizing to displaying treasured items to replacing broken items can help bring more joy to our daily lives.
