Join me tonight at the Verdi Club in San Fran for the Litquake Goth Hop. A number of authors have been asked to channel our inner Satan and write short pieces for the evening; I’m working on mine as we speak. Naturally, I planned the outfit long before I even began thinking about the prose. I’ll be wearing that black leather corset that’s never seen the light of day–you know, one of those impulse buys that seemed so practical at the moment of purchase. Not to mention the tallest, most painful shoes I can find. I hear there will be absinthe. Is this where I admit I’ve never had the stuff?

Event organizer Gravity Goldberg explains: “The macabre, the mysterious and the romantic take center stage as Litquake throws its first-ever Goth Hop to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Godfather of Goth, Edgar Allan Poe, who–despite ‘lying in the cold, cold ground’–still knows how to inspire a party. All are encouraged to dress to the nines (or 666s?), dance to their favorite Goth tunes and enjoy the absinthe bar, courtesy of Le Tourment Vert.

“Entertainment will include: An interpretation of Poe’s famous poem ‘The Raven.’ Music by DJ Felina. Random acts of intrigue by sword swallowers, silk dancers, magicians, and more.

“Wanna Take a Stab at Writing Like Twilight? Submit a one-page mash-up to twilight_submissions@litquake.org. During the Goth Hop, two names will be pulled from the vat of entries to read their mash-ups on stage. Reading the entries will be Bay Area authors Andrew Dugas, Ellen Sussman, Bucky Sinister, Oscar Villalon and Charlie Jane Anders, among others.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/richmond/detail?blogid=109&entry_id=45525#ixzz0OB5Uy3LI