After listening to this podcast of Kulbir Dhaliwal on call with 911 in the immediate aftermath of the December 25 tiger attack at San Francisco Zoo, you’ll hope you never have a need to call for emergency services in San Francisco. While the kid’s brother is bleeding, and the tiger is on the scene, the 911 operator keeps telling the desperate caller that the paramedics are at the zoo gate, but can’t get in to the zoo because it might be dangerous for them to go in. In a voice that sounds just like Catherine Keener, she keeps telling...
Monthly Archives: January 2008
hobart
I luhrv this spiffy online journal, Hobart, which I just discovered this morning, as of five minutes ago, which makes it the first literary journal I have “discovered” before 4:45 a.m. It appears to be published monthly. The design is simple and delightful. Apparently they do print issues too. I’ve been up for quite some time, working on my new book and battling what appears to be a burgeoning case of walking pneumonia. And this upcoming event at St. Mary’s College of Moraga, sent to me by event host Mary Volmer (author of Crown of Dust) : “Channeling Mary...
when the water leaves us
I love the title of Laura van den Berg’s story collection, What the World Will Look Like When the Water Leaves Us, which will be published by Dzanc Books in 2009. Dzanc has already proved to be a publisher worth getting excited about, with a slew of good offerings on the slate for the future: Yannick Murphy’s quirkily delectable new story collection, In a Bear’s Eye (2008) and Michael Czyzniejewski’s Elephants in Our Bedroom (2009). See all of the forthcoming Dzanc Books titles here. Meanwhile, disturbing news out of my old neighborhood, San Francisco’s Castro district.
progressive reading series
The much-beloved Progressive Reading Series has a new website. The San Francisco series happens on the third Saturday of every month through the 2008 elections at 7pm at the Makeout Room. It is a Party Progressive event, hosted by Stephen Elliott, author of Happy Baby and editor of Sex for America. For advance tickets, visit Act Blue. The first event of 2008 will be on January 19, featuring Tobias Wolff, Walter Kirn, Jami Attenberg, Ali Liebegott, and Adam Johnson.
Mavericks Today!
Officials are asking people not to descend upon Montara State Beach to watch the annual Mavericks big-wave surfing competition today, as the cliffs along the beach are fragile due to recent weather conditions. I’m guessing it will be a tough ride from the city today along the tiny two-lane coast road, especially rounding the bend at the notoriously hairy Devil’s Slide. But you can watch the live webcast of the competition here. Read about the history of Mavericks here. What’s Mavericks, you ask? “Supremely harsh conditions and the giant, unpredictable waves both contribute to the Contest’s allure. So do...
The international bestseller about one woman’s search for a missing child…
"Mesmerizing." ~Library Journal, starred review.
Stop dreaming, start writing!
