Folsom fashion, Litquake’s parade of words, Michoacán flavors in Redwood City, Black woman-owned cafe in Mission Bay, Lassen’s open trails, Betty Reid Soskin at 104, SF plates on the Top 100 list, AI art in San Jose, a love billboard on 101, and Oakland’s Tiny Plot podcast.

Inclusive fashion at Folsom

Folsom Street Fair returns Sunday with vendor stalls as vivid as the stages — from sequined kaftans and femme harnesses to hand-cut fringe and heritage leather reworked into new shapes. Five and Diamond, Love Lorn Lingerie, Bearly Covered, Krakenwhip, and CantiqLA each carry their own lineage, from pandemic sewing experiments to decades of queer craft.

Together they build a living archive in fabric and metal, where every strap and stitch carries both pleasure and defiance.   — 48Hills

Litquake season

Litquake returns, starting with the Small Press Book Fair on Sunday at Yerba Buena Gardens, where independent publishers, journals, and bookstores set up shop on the lawn. From there, the festival spreads across the city and beyond through October, with events ranging from a panel on writing about wildfire to an evening with US Poet Laureate Ada Limón.

Later in the month, Alta Journal teams up with Litquake to celebrate John Freeman’s California Rewritten, and neighborhood readings fill bars, bookstores, and back rooms. — Alta Journal

Voices in code

At the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Stephanie Dinkins has turned the gallery into a living conversation. Her installation Data Trust gathers oral histories from Bay Area Black communities, feeding them into an AI system that transforms the stories into moving, evolving projections across 14-foot walls.

Visitors can add their own memories through red rotary phones, weaving personal voices into the shifting digital fabric. Supported by the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions, the project opened to a packed crowd and will remain on view through March 2026. — Bay Area News Group

A plot of their own

In Oakland’s Union Point Park, a group of unhoused residents decided to try something different — building a community where they could write the rules themselves. The new KQED podcast A Tiny Plot follows their experiment, tracing nights in tents, clashes with the city, and the hope of shaping a model for survival.

Reporter Shaina Shealy spent a year recording the daily grind of people who refuse to be defined only by crisis. — KQED

Nation’s oldest park ranger turns 104

Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest park ranger, marked her 104th birthday with hundreds of students at the East Bay middle school that carries her name. She says her life didn’t really begin until 50 — long before she put on a ranger’s uniform at 84.

Before that she ran a Berkeley record shop and wrote songs for the civil rights movement while raising kids in Walnut Creek. Later she worked for state assembly members, pushing for what became the city of Richmond’s Rosie the Riveter Park — where she eventually took the job of telling its stories herself as a ranger. — Richmondside

Quiet season on the peak

In the far northeast corner of California, Lassen Peak rises above a landscape of steaming vents and alpine lakes. This time of year, its 10,457-foot trail is clear of snow, the days are warm, and the crowds have thinned. The climb is short but steep, with views stretching from Lake Helen to Mount Shasta on the horizon.

For Bay Area hikers, it’s about the same drive as Yosemite or Tahoe — without the long lines or packed trailheads. The park’s geothermal basins, often called a “Little Yellowstone,” add another layer of wonder to a fall visit, making the trip feel both otherworldly and close to home. — SFGate

Michoacán in Redwood City

Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum calls Redwood City home to the best Mexican food in the US, thanks to its deep ties to Aguililla, Michoacán. Families brought recipes, bakeries, and taquerias — including Carnitas El Rincón and Panaderia Michoacán — keeping traditions alive for decades.

Rising housing costs have changed the neighborhood, but for those who stayed the food remains a living connection to home and heritage. — KGO

SF on a plate

San Francisco tastes like the city itself — old favorites, new spots, and a mix of chaos and calm. At Piglet & Co, honey walnut shrimp and pork toast carry sticky sweetness, while Hilda and Jesse’s pancakes pile whipped buttermilk and blueberry syrup into a soft, messy tower.

Gola’s Tunisian deviled eggs with roasted shrimp add spice and nutty depth, and Prubechu’s ko’ko’ wings hit with a sharp, citrusy punch. All of them show up on this Top 100 list, a snapshot of a city forever rewriting its menu. — 7x7

Nirvana in Mission Bay

NBA Champ turned storyteller Festus Ezeli gives a strong endorsement to Nirvana Soul Coffee, a local Black woman-owned coffee shop, which recently opened its fifth location in SF’s Mission Bay.

The San Jose-based company recently partnered with NFL star Chidobe “Chido” Awuzie and will soon be opening locations at SFO and San Jose’s SAP Arena. — Festus Feasts

Love on a billboard

Drivers beware: Lisa Catalano is looking for love — and she’s advertising it on Highway 101. The Bay Area bachelorette has put up digital billboards from Santa Clara to the city, directing curious viewers to her website, marrylisa.com, where applicants can fill out a form and see her likes, lifestyle, and non-negotiables.

Catalano, whose fiancé passed away in late 2023, says she’s ready to love again. The billboards sparked TikTok chatter, but she insists it’s not a stunt: “This is a real endeavor. My goal is to meet the love of my life.” — KRON4

Top image: Bearly Covered/Facebook

Previously: Dancers on Buildings, Cowboys in Oakland, and Fun at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk

The annual literary phenomenon known as Litquake is now held in 13 cities around the world, but just like with Major League Baseball teams — the best one is in San Francisco. Litquake was founded here in our fair city, and returns for its 16th year beginning Friday with more than 80 events over nine days at locations both conventional and ridiculous, offering encounters that will appeal to bookworms, poets, writers, bloggers, editors, footnote-takers, and all those who remember these things we used to call “books”.

Look, Litquake has a trailer this year! There’s a huge litter of literary events forthcoming, but we’ve picked out these 16 must-book Litquake 2016 engagements.

Friday, October 7
Shakespeare @ 400: Litquake's Opening Night Gala
William Shakespeare doesn’t look a day over 350, but the 400th anniversary of his death is commemorated at this Elizabethan Opening Night gala with “off-color” performances by SF Shakes, harpist Shelley Phillips and contemporary bard Gary Soto. $30, Green Room San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, Tickets here

Saturday, October 8
I Thought It Sucked: One-Star Reviews of Best-Loved Books
Terrible comments are read by brilliant writers as random ignorants’ Amazon reviews of great novels are given proper literary readings by Lauren Parker, Lydia Popovich, Na'amen Tilahun, and others. $5, Elbo Room, Tickets here

GONZO: 50 Years of Hunter S. Thompson
Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware does the heavy lifting moderating this all-star panel of Hunter S. Thompson’s friends and chroniclers, featuring Susie Bright, Cintra Wilson and Salon co-founder Gary Kamiya. And did you know that there is a forthcoming Hunter S. Thompson anthology edited by the recently deceased Warren Hinckle? There is, and it will be read from. $20, Swedish American Hall, Tickets here

Teenquake + SFPL: Lit Swap
I’d be deplorable to not mention events in the adorable Teenquake series, which include this free public library bookswap, the October 11 Haiku-a-thon at Moleskine and the October 13 Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy. Free, San Francisco Public Library Main Branch,

Sunday, October 9
Riding Out Doomsday: Michelle Tea with Daniel Handler
San Francisco dykon Michelle Tea reads from her new book Black Wave and holds court with Daniel “Lemony Snicket” Handler. $15, American Bookbinders Museum, Tickets here

Poetry in Parks: An All-Day Celebration on Mt. Tamalpais
Could there be a more elegant Sunday than an all-day outdoor poetry reading on Mount Tamalpais? Sip and nibble on things to a marathon of top Bay Area poets at the Mountain Theater at Quiet Lightning’s 100th show. Free, Cushing Memorial-Mountain Theater, Mount Tamalpais

Monday, October 10
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
The website you should be paying more attention to Atlas Obscura has a new book out, and Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders gets its San Francisco launch at this unveiling. Free, Book Club of California

Life During Wartime: A Night of Porchlight Storytelling
Porchlight is a big turn-on for longtime Litquake fans, and this set of war stories is accompanied by Marc and the Casuals’ Marc Chappelle and — of course — hosted by Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte. $20, Verdi Club, Tickets here

Photo via Facebook

Tuesday, October 11
Ghostland: Colin Dickey at Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose plays host to an author reading of Colin Dickey’s new book Ghostland followed by a discussion certain to be attended by terrifying ghosts of people killed by Winchester rifles. $15, Winchester Mystery House, Tickets here

I Almost Forgot About You: An Evening with Terry McMillan
Get your groove back with Waiting To Exhale author Terry McMillan, whose new book I Almost Forgot About You is just out to outstanding reviews. $15, Swedish-American Hall, Tickets here

Wednesday, October 12
An Evening With John Doe
X guitarist John Doe has a new book out about the late 70’s and early 80s punk scene, Under the Big Black Sun. He’ll read from it and sign copies at this event co-presented by NoisePop. $15, Swedish American Hall, Tickets here

Image: Ellen Datlow via Flickr

Straight, No Chaser: Writers at the Bar
The quintessential Litquake experience is a free drunk-author reading at North Beach’s Vesuvio Cafe, this one featuring Charlie Jane Anders, feminist Muslim Iranian-American comedian Zahra Noorbakhsh and Salon columnist D. Watkins. Free, Vesuvio Cafe

American Lyric: Claudia Rankine in Conversation
Claudia Rankine has the distinction of writing the only poetry book that’s landed on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. Swedish American Hall, $15, Tickets here

Reading Roulette: Literary Karaoke With A Twist
Your ridiculous challenge, should you accept it, is to compete in a literary game show by reading random passages from well-known books in a randomly assigned celebrity impersonation voice. Seduction Feroce host Wonder Dave leads a literary panel that will judge contestants. Make-Out Room, $5, Tickets here

Thomas Dolby, The Speed Of Sound
Thomas Dolby has a new memoir out, and he’ll be blinding us with insights in a discussion with ex-Mythbuster Kari Byron. $15, Swedish American Hall, Tickets here

Litcrawl
The booziest and most open container-y event at Litquake’s is the grand finale Litcrawl, a crosstown hopscotch at venues both indoor and out that will turn out more than 10,000 people and incomparable ensembles of hipster apparel. Full schedule here, events are generally free

Image: Steven Damron via Flickr

Related: The 14 Best San Francisco-Set Novels

Litquake is ready to rumble into its 16th year of lit readings both austere and whack, celebrating the Bay Area’s best authors, bookworms and wordsmiths. Kicking off Friday night and running through October 17, Litquake 2015 offers more than 200 literary events in unconventional and exotic venues over a nine-day schedule. We’ve picked out our 21 favorite events, readings, and parties listed on the jam-packed and extremely lengthy Litquake 2015 schedule... because honestly, who has time to read these days?

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

FISTON MWANZA MUJILLA AND THE MODERN AFRICAN GOLD RUSH: Celebrated Congolese poet Fiston Mwanza Mujilla visits Green Apple Books in the Park to read from his debut novel Tram 83, a fast-paced adventure in the turmoil of the African gold trade. 1231 9th Ave., 6 p.m., Free

FOOLISHNESS, STUPIDITY AND VICE: "Lemony Snicket", otherwise known as Daniel Handler, is joined by satirists and cartoonists Lisa Brown, Will Durst, Mark Fiore and others at Z Space, presumably to talk shit about society and the current human condition. 450 Florida St., 8 p.m., $12

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

EAT, DRINK AND BE LITERARY: An all-day feast of food writers and actual food at Z Space features Inside Scoop’s Paolo Lucchesi, Thomas McNaughton of Flour + Water, Sue Conley of Cowgirl Creamery, The Wild Table author Connie Green and a host of other foodies and food bloggers. 450 Florida St., 11 a.m., All Day Program, Prices Vary

LITQUAKE IN THE CASTRO: Top LGBT authors are drawn together at Magnet with Lynn Breedlove, Belo Cipriani and others. 4122 18th St., 1 p.m., Free

LET’S GET UNCOMFORTABLE AND TALK ABOUT RACE: ZYZZZYVA journal editor Oscar Villalon moderates a panel discussion at Z Below featuring Egyptian author and journalist Ethar El-Katatney, former Black Panther newspaper editor Judy Juanita and the voice of the ‘anti-Tiger Mom’ movement Kim Wong Keltner. 470 Florida St., 2:30 p.m., Free

ANTI-MEMOIR, OR I'M TELLING IT MY WAY: Former Board of Supervisors member Carol Ruth Silver is part of this panel of writers who crafted non-traditional memoirs — Silver's, titled Freedom Rider Diary, was written in a Mississippi jail when the Freedom Rides broke out in 1961. San Francisco Center for the Book. 375 Rhode Island St., 7 p.m., $5 donation

STRAIGHT, NO CHASER: WRITERS AT THE BAR: A Litquake tradition at North Beach’s Vesuvio gathers an all-star roster of boozy writers including Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware, NYT bestselling author Michelle Richmond and others, moderated by Alia Volz. 255 Columbus Ave., 7 p.m., Free

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12

PORCHLIGHT - KILL YOUR DARLINGS: The ever-popular Porchlight series brings co-hosts Beth Lisick and Arline Klatt to the Verdi Club to hold storytelling court with Transparent writer Ali Liebegott, satirist Neal Pollack and a slew of other funnybone-ticklers. 2424 Mariposa St., 8 p.m., $20

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13

Image: Jose Guzman Colon

CELEBRITY TWITTERATURE: Drag queens become hashtag queens on the Oasis stage as Helkina, D’Arcy Drollinger and Ben McCoy read moronic celebrity tweets, with retweets being broadcast in real time on the big screen. 298 11th St., 7 p.m., $7

2015 POETRY WORLD SERIES: LITQUAKE EDITION: "Lemony Snicket" a.k.a Daniel Handler emcees a World Series poetry slam at the Make-Out Room with judges Jewelle Gomez, Pam Houston, and Dean Rader scoring poetry points. 3225 22nd St., 7 p.m., $5 advance/$7 at the door

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14

RADAR QUEER READING SERIES AT THE LIBRARY: RADAR Productions’ monthly reading series brings the queer to the Main Library Latino/Hispanic Room with Girl Sex 101 author Allison Moon, indie cartoonist Elizabeth Beier and more. 100 Larkin, 6 p.m., Free

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15

Image: Matthias Clamer

LITERARY BUFFET WITH MICHELLE TEA: Bay Area icon Michelle Tea serves a smorgasbord of literary talent at Zocalo Coffeehouse in San Leandro, with numerous tasty authors and the musical stylings of Young, Gifted & Black. 645 Bancroft Ave., 6:30 p.m., Free

BOOTS RILEY: TELL HOMELAND SECURITY—WE ARE THE BOMB: Oakland hip-hop maestro Boots Riley launches his new book Tell Homeland Security—We Are the Bomb at Z Space with the capable help of W. Kamau Bell and Go the Fuck to Sleep author Adam Mansbach. 450 Florida St., 8 p.m., $5-10 suggested donation

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16

ROMEO AND JULIET: DROPPED INTO THE ’70s: The African-American Shakespeare Company casts adorable teens in a 1970’s funkified Romeo & Juliet presented onstage at the Buriel Clay Theater. 762 Fulton St., 7:30 p.m., $15

SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK & ROLL: SEASON OF THE WITCH BY DAVID TALBOT: David Talbot receives his One City One Book prize for his celebrated SF nonfiction Season of the Witch at a Z Space reception at with local scribes Susie Bright, Ben Fong-Torres and the music of the Ethel Merman Memorial Choir. 450 Florida St., 8 p.m., $25

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Image: Litquake

LIT CRAWL: The notorious boozy Closing Night proceeding Lit Crawl is billed as “the world's largest literary pub crawl” covering three-and-a-half hours and countless venues on the Valencia Corridor. Even The Hook-Up Truck is gonna be there! There are dozens of pop-up events all over Lit Crawl, but a few standouts deserve attention. Valencia Corridor, 6 p.m., Free

THE BAWDY BARD: A NIGHT OF NAUGHTY SHAKESPEARE TRIVIA: Comedian Jill Borque and bob vivant Johnny Funcheap preside over a Shakespeare trivia night, with an obvious emphasis on the dirty stuff. Improvised sonnets are also on the the boozy bill at Public Works. 161 Erie St., 6 p.m., Free

CHAOS, CACOPHONY, “BOB” AND SUBLIME STUPIDITY: From the Church of the Subgenius to the Cacophony Society the founding of Burning Man, San Francisco’s tradition of pranksterism is analyzed at The Chapel by a panel featuring Dr. Hal Robbins, John Law, - KrOB and more. 777 Valencia, 7:15 p.m., Free

GOOD VIBRATIONS: SANFRANSEX: San Francisco treasure Carol Queen gets sexy with it emceeing a Good Vibrations rendezvous featuring authors Polly Superstar, Cinnamon Maxxine, Meliza Banales, Avery Cassell, Dorothy Freed and Jackie Strano. 603 Valencia, 7:15, Free

COUNTERPOINT / SOFT SKULL PRESS: Beauty Bar hosts i09 writer Charlie Jane Anders, local legend Bucky Sinister and McSweeney’s contributor Daphne Gottlieb to read their works published on Soft Skull Press. 2299 Mission St., 7:15, Free

THE STAGE: ON AND OFF, BACK TO FRONT!: Bongwater’s Ann Magnuson blazes up a panel at Aquarius Records with writers Brian Grillo and Josh Rosenthal. 1055 Valencia, 8:30 p.m., Free

Sure, Treasure Island may be happening this weekend, but so is LitCrawl, and throughout the week there are dozens of small events around the city for the literarily inclined.

LitQuake, for those unfamiliar, is the annual festival of the writing arts, including fiction, non-fiction, journalism, and poetry, which takes place around town this here third week in October, culminating in the marathon of boozy events on Saturday night that is LitCrawl. There are readings, there are talks with famous writers, and there is much witty merriment in this city that dearly loves its bookstores.

Things actually kicked off over the weekend, but now we bring you some highlights from the schedule beginning tonight.

Tuesday, October 15

6pm - Radar Reading Series with Holly Hughes and Jerry Stahl - Michelle Tea's well curated series at the SF Public Library has a couple of pretty big names this eve: Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight) and performance artist Holly Hughes (World Without End, O Solo Homo).

7pm - Original Shorts - Six well known short story writers (including Peter Orner and Tom Barbash) take over the Glass Door Gallery in North Beach and read from stories around the theme "sitting in the catbird seat."

8pm - Delia Ephron - New York writer Delia Ephron, who co-wrote a number of things with her famous sister Nora and also recently wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is appearing in conversation with Ellen Sussman at Z Space, discussing her new memoir Sister, Mother, Husband, Dog. $26-$30 admission includes a copy of the book.

Wednesday, October 16

7 pm - GoodReads LitQuiz at the Make-Out Room - It's a pub quiz for book nerds that should be a lot of fun. Bring a team, or join one when you arrive.

Thursday, October 17

6:30 p.m. ZZ Packer - The acclaimed author will be reading from her novel Thousands, about the Buffalo Soldiers, and then taking questions at the Museum of the African Diaspora. $10

6:30 pm - Writing Between Worlds - Novelists Andrew Sean Greer and Helene Wecker read and talk about "a history where mystic creatures and time-travel prevail." At the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

7 pm - A Flight of Poets - A reading of poetry paired with six different wines at the Hotel Rex. $15

Friday, October 18

6:30 pm - Writing Between Worlds - Novelists Andrew Sean Greer and Helene Wecker read and talk about "a history where mystic creatures and time-travel prevail."">7pm - Mary Gaitskill - The acclaimed author, whose story was adapted into the film Secretary, will be reading at CCA and taking questions.

8pm - Gum-Chewing Angel: An Evening With T.C. Boyle - The author will be reading, signing books, and hob-nobbing at Z Space, and if you're a big fan, you can shell out $100 to attend the VIP reception.

Saturday, October 19

6pm to 9:30 pm - LitCrawl - You may think books are dying, but you may think again when you see the Mission light up and fill up with fans of literature, poetry, and alcohol at this annual lit-nerd convention. The events happen in quick succession in three phases, and it's hard to trek too far to catch everything you want, because the fun stuff at the bars definitely fills up. See the full schedule here, and make a plan. Highlights will include this Flannery O'Conner Short Story Prize alumni reading, and the annual reading by the Rumpus crew at the Make-Out Room.

(By Margaret Seelie)

Litquake may have started this past weekend, but it's not too late to dive into this annual literary festival that's been growing in San Francisco since 2002. Tonight's event, "Sometimes It's Hard To Be A Writer: Stories about Doubt, Debt, Drugs, and Determination" promises to be a doozy with real-life stories from authors who have been there.

The lineup includes:

Jamie Ford (New York Times best selling author)

Jerry Stahl (author of I, Fatty, Bad Sex On Speed, and more)

Carrie Galbraith (co-author of Tales of the Cacaphony Society)

Sandra Tsing Loh (author of Mother on Fire, and more)

Keith and Kent Zimmerman (authors of Earth, Wind, and Fire due from Viking Press in 2014)

John Vanderslice (musician and lover of cats)

Part of Porchlight Storytelling Series, tonight's show will be hosted by Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick. Tickets are still available, so go online for $20 pre-sale tickets or pay $25 at the door.

Show starts tonight at 8 PM.

Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street

Do you live at 891 Post, 620 Eddy, 1155 Leavenworth, or 20 Dashiell Hammett? If you do, you're walking the hallowed halls of one of Dashiell Hammett's apartments. But there's nary a neighborhood without notable literary significance in San Francisco, as illustrated by this informative interactive literary map assembled by The Chronicle.

The maps spans the Bay Area and details such literary factoids like Jack London's birth (in a house that was located at 615 Third Street in San Francisco) and grisly deaths (science fiction writer Robert Duncan Milne was run over by a cable car while drunkenly crossing the street at Market and Montgomery). Toggle over to the "Passages" section of the map for a lovely collection of Bay Area literary mentions, from The Joy Luck Club to The Kite Runner to (ahem, Fremont) to Divisadero:

"I come from Divisadero Street. Divisadero, from the Spanish word for 'division,' the street that at one time was the dividing line between San Francisco and the fields of the Presidio. Or it might derive from the word 'divisar', meaning 'to gaze at something from a distance.' "

Absent is the memorable first paragraph of Hunter S. Thomson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, which we'll include here, just for kicks:

January '73

Dawn is coming up in San Francisco now: 6:09 AM. I can hear the rumble of early morning buses under my window at the Seal Rock Inn ... out here at the far end of Geary Street: This is the end of the line, for buses and everything else, the western edge of America. From my desk I can see the dark jagged hump of "Seal Rock" looming out of the ocean in the grey morning light. About 200 seals have been barking out there most of the night. Staying in this place with the windows open is like living next to a dog pound.

Get your literary fix for the day over at The Chronicle's map, which also includes a list of independent bookstores, local authors working today, and upcoming Litquake events.

[Chron]

Molly Ringwald has, lately, become a novelist. She's written a spare collection of interrelated stories — a "novel in stories" — on the subject of marriage, friends, and betrayal called When It Happens to You, and it's garnering some good reviews. She's reading tonight at the Verdi Club (2424 Mariposa Street) as part of the lead-up to this year's Litquake, and tickets are very limited. There's also a pre-show reception which includes a copy of the book, limited to only 40 people — we're seeing that there are just five $50 tickets left for that as of 2:15 p.m.

Anyhow, check it out. And also check out this cute interview she just did with Marke B. at the SFBG in which she says she's already at work on a screenplay adaptation of the novel.

This just in: Litquake has released 140 more tickets for their in-conversation evening with Chelsea Handler, host of E!'s popular (and chronically hit-or-miss) Chelsea Lately. She makes her first Litquake appearance on Thursday, October 13 at Z Space (450 Florida Street). Tickets range from $40 to $45 and you can purchase them via Litquake.org or brownpapertickets.com.

Noted comedian, vodka mainliner, and best-selling author Chelsea Handler will appear at San Francisco's esteemed Litquake fall festival. Litquake co-founder Jane Ganahl will appear with the Chelsea Lately host for an "intimate" one-on-one chat at Z Space in the the city's boutique Mission district.

Handler penned such Bukowski-esuqe tomes as My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, and Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me. (Unlike Charles Bukowski's gibberish, however, her delightfully drunken work isn't horrible.)

The show happens on Thursday, October 13, at 8pm. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at door. (Pre-Show reception, for guests 21 and over, goes from 6:30 to 7:30 and will run you $100.)

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, 8/17, at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Jeffrey Eugenides, Susan Orlean, James Ellroy, Mary Roach, Ishmael Reed, Adam Mansbach, Jane Smiley, Chris Adrian, Thomas McGuane, Christopher Moore, Daniel Woodrell, Deepak Chopra, Cyra McFadden, and Guillermo Gomez-Peña are just a few of the authors scheduled to read at this year's Litquake Festival. "Er, like, what's Litquake," you derp? Well, Litquake is the city's annual festival of literature devoted to the printed word. Lots of words. Dangerous words.

However, Litquake is best known for their boozy Litcrawl, proving to be the festival's most anticipated event, which boasts 75 venues "hosting readings in three phases in the Mission" with many bar stops along the way.

Here's a list of some of your favorite authors scheduled to perform, many of them making their Litquake debut.

• Donnell Alexander - Journalist and author part of the Afro Surrealism movement (Litquake debut)
• Chris Adrian - Author of The Great Night and pediatric oncologist
• Brian Christian - Poet and author of The Most Human Human (Litquake debut)
• Catherine Coulter - Thriller and suspense author of 65 novels, 59 of which have made it to The New York Times bestseller list (Litquake debut) Note: this appearance is scheduled but still to be confirmed
• James Ellroy - Master of noir in-conversation with Janis Cooke Newman
• Jefferey Eugenides - Author of the The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex and the upcoming The Marriage Plot (Litquake debut)
• Christa Faust - Mystery “Neo pulp” author (Litquake debut)
• Julia Glass - Author of Three Junes and The World Whole World Over; and I See You Everywhere (Litquake debut)
• Guillermo Gómez-Peña - Author and performance artist
• Sara Gran - Crime and thriller author (Litquake debut)
• Andrew Sean Greer - Author of The Confessions of Max Tivoli and The Story of a Marriage
• Daniel Handler - Author who also moonlights as Lemony Snicket when the mood suits
• Chuck Klosterman - Nationally known essayist with a bent for pop culture and consulting editor for Grantland.com (Litquake debut)
• Jillian Lauren - Former stripper and escort who ultimately fled her life in the harem of the Prince of Brunai and wrote the memoir, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem
• Adam Mansbach - Fiction writer responsible for Go the Fuck To Sleep among other more literary works
• Cyra McFadden - Beloved Bay Area author, columnist and satirist who first came to prominence in the late 70s with The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County (Litquake debut)
• Marc Maron - Comedian and Broadcaster live on stage
• Tom McGuane - Novelist, screenwriter and essayist in conversation with Litquake cofounder Jack Boulware (Litquake debut)
• Christopher Moore - Author and satirist
• Alejandro Murguia - Poet, short story writer and teacher at SF State and two time American Book Award winner
• Susan Orlean - New Yorker writer and author of The Orchid Thief (Litquake debut)
• Mary Roach - Author deservedly known for her one-word titles such as Stiff, Spook and Bonk
• Ishmael Reed - Recipient of the 2011 Barbary Coast Award
• Karen Russell - New Yorker “ 20 Under 40” alum and author of the collection Swamplandia (Litquake debut) Note: appearance is scheduled but still to be confirmed
• Melanie Rae Thon - Noted American author’s work will be part of Stories on Stage (Litquake debut)
• Dan Woodrell - Author who elevated “rural noir” to the status of literature with his novel Winter’s Bone (Litquake Debut)

Litquake runs from October 7-15.

There’s sex, love, and betrayal in the Fall Paris Review. Prepare to be seduced.

by Naomi Kirsten

A few years into the millennium, we attended a party at the Paris Review. It was at founding editor George Plimpton’s townhouse on the Upper East Side, where the magazine’s headquarters also resided. The lights were dim—the rooms seemed to glow with a red hue. Large windows looked out languidly onto a dark street that had long given up on fall. By the night’s end, Kurt Vonnegut asked our friend what she was doing after the party—twice—and we couldn’t tell if he remembered that he’d asked earlier, or if the question was some sort of existential experiment. Maybe it was the “Paris” of the Review’s past or the poetry in its pages or Vonnegut’s (possibly) roving eye, but we left the party—not in love—but feeling somehow seduced. It was the literary at its vaguely lurid, and it was lurid because it was alive.

The Paris Review enticed again Wednesday night when new editor Lorin Stein swung by City Lights for Litquake as part of his cross-country whistle-stop tour. The 37-year-old Stein arrives at the 57-year old journal via Farrar, Straus and Giroux where he has edited the literary likes of Jonathan Franzen, Richard Price, and Denis Johnson. He also translated Gregoire Bouillier’s The Mystery Guest.

by Naomi Kirsten

Litquake’s most riveting event just may be its most violent. At least in theory. Literary Death Match co-creator and Opium magazine founding editor Todd Zuniga reveals why literature could use a serious smackdown—and why this Wednesday’s LDM100 may change your life.

SFist: “Literary Death Match” sounds high stakes…and violent. What inspired you to bring the written--and spoken--word to such a potentially aggressive context?

Todd Zuniga: I’ve always called Literary Death Match the great literary ruse—it’s got a big, violent name that lures interest from people outside the lit-nerd crowd, which has always been my focus: putting literature back into the pop culture conversation, and not just preaching to the lit choir. Once the event kicks off, there’s so much general giddiness, performative joy, fantastic writing, and, ultimately, edutainment. Onlookers feel these tendrils of glee loosed inside them and—by the end—they understand that the event is about as true a celebration of words and humor as it comes. Which is where the drinking comes in. And the morning after, they race to a bookstore.

The lineup for this year's Litquake, San Francisco's tribute to the written word, looks like a smashing one. Why? Because it vboasts a special appearance by a very special cinematic legend and infamous felons. Of course, we're talking about Winona Ryder. The actress and sometimes San Francisco resident will appear as part of a tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti and City Lights Bookseller. Sure, other stellar names will also help out (guitarist Lenny Kaye, Michael McClure, New Yorker cartoonist Eric Drooker, Ishmael Reed, former San Francisco Poet Luareates Jack Hirschman and devorah major, the rad Beth Lisick, Michelle Tea, and the Marcus Shelby Quart), but we are saving our pennies and holding our breath for Ryder.

This year’s list of authors is "a mix that is as both as broad and eclectic as anything Litquake has ever presented: and includes:

The 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake was also the 10th anniversary of Litquake's Lit Crawl through the Mission. Here are a few pictures from the festivities, with more here.