July Grotto Notes

Writers' Sampler Menu - A tapas menu of different non-fiction genres: Travel Writing (July 8), Food Writing (July 15), Personal Essay and Memoir (July 22), Better Blogging and Breaking into Magazines (July 29). Sign up for one or more of these 2 hour (7 pm to 9 pm) sessions - $45 per class, or $150 for the series. Taught by Laura Fraser, author of 'An Italian Affair,' contributor to 'Travel & Leisure,' 'Gourmet,' 'The New York Times,' and winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Essay Writing. To register, contact Laura at laura@...

Fiction Bootcamp - Everything you wanted to know (and didn't know you wanted to know) about the craft of writing fiction. This one-day, hands-on workshop will teach you how to plot, organize, and write a terrific story (or novel). Saturday, July 11, 10 am - 4 pm. $155. Taught by Janis Cooke Newman, author of the novel, 'Mary,' chosen as a BookSense Year-End Pick, the Best Historical Novel of 2006 by USA Today, and a Finalist for an LA Times Book Prize. To register, contact Janis at j-newman@....

Memoir Writing: Fact is Not Truth - Memoir and the Art of Honesty - What does truth in memoir really mean? This class will help writers examine the personal story they're trying to tell, and how they can best tell it. Using a combination of in-class writing and reading, students will find the truth that drives their story. Three Monday evenings, August 3 - 17, with an optional fourth session for personal critique. $195 (optional critique session $75). Taught by Rachel Howard, author of 'The Lost Night: A Daughter's Search for the Truth of Her Father's Murder, one of the SF Chronicles Best Books of 2005. To register, contact Rachel at rachel.howard@...

For more information on classes visit the SF Writers Grotto website: http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html







ANDY RASKIN READS AT BOOK PASSAGE, KEPLER'S

Grottoite Andy Raskin will read from his SF Chronicle bestseller THE RAMEN KING AND I at Book Passage (Corte Madera) on Tuesday, July 7, and at Kepler's (Menlo Park) on Thursday, July 9.

For times and more info, visit http://www.andyraskin.com






PO’S UPCOMING “NURTURESHOCK” HONORED WITH EVEN MORE AWARDS

Grotto co-founder Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's ongoing work on the surprising science of children was just honored with two more awards. The first was a Clarion Award, the second was a Mensa Press Award. Their book, NurtureShock, will be published September 1st, with a Newsweek cover story. The foreign rights have already been sold in 8 countries. You can watch the book trailer video and learn more at http://www.nurtureshock.com.





DON’T MISS CHRIS’ “A TALE OF TWO ZIP CODES”

Grotto dweller Christopher Cook has a new story out, A Tale of Two Zip Codes (at http://urbanhabitat.org/rights/recession ) chronicling wealth and poverty in San Francisco. He's teaching journalism at SF State this summer, and working as a project editor for the Public Press' City Budget Watchdog. Chris invites you to attend our Budget Watchdog fundraiser at the Grotto July 13, 6-8 pm, and to make a small donation to help fund this exciting non-profit journalism venture (http://spot.us/pitches/203).




CHRIS COLIN ON CO-HOUSING, 24-HOUR DONUTS AND WHERE TO EAT SOUP IN SAN FRANCISCO

Grottoite Chris Colin wrote in the New York Times last month about the co-housing movement and a cozy, handmade restaurant in the Sunset district:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/garden/11cohousing.html and
http://events.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/travel/28bites.html

And if 3 a.m. beer, donuts or fried ham are your thing, read his profile of San Francisco's ancient Silver Crest diner, where the mom-and-pop owners haven't locked their front door -- or slept much -- in four decades:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/06/10/onthejob061009.DTL




KATHRYN WINS IOWA SHORT FICTION AWARD

New Grottoite Kathryn Ma has won the Iowa Short Fiction Award for her book All That Work and Still No Boys, forthcoming in September 2009 (University of Iowa Press). The book was recently featured on The New Yorker at http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2009/05/titlespotting-super-catchy.html (click on the second slide). Check out Kathryn's new website at http://www.kathrynma.com/





JD’S “DOWNTOWN MIRROR” RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE TOP PUBLIC ARTWORKS IN THE COUNTRY

Grotto artist JD Beltran’s public artwork for the city of San Jose was just recognized as one of the top public artworks in the country for 2009 by the Public Art Network. Read more at http://www.artsusa.org/networks/public_art_network/year_in_review/default_001.asp

JD and collaborator Scott Minneman also will be debuting another iteration of their interactive artwork “The Magic Story Table” featuring stories, prose, secrets, and urban legends of the Greater Cleveland area at next week’s IngenuityFest, July 10-12. It was featured recently in the Cleveland Plain Dealer at http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2009/06/ingenuityfest_collects_stories.html

Read more about The Magic Story Table at http://ingenuitycleveland.com/jd-beltran-scott-minneman





ESCAPE TO THE PERFECT WRITING RETREAT THIS FALL, AT A DISCOUNT

The perfect writing retreat: Rent Casita Laurita in San Miguel de Allende this fall at a 20% Grotto discount.

"If you're sitting there wondering, hmmm, should I send in another annoying application to Yadoo or rent Casita Laurita, I'd do the latter. It's such a nice place to write. I've almost finished my novel after being stuck for months. It is an amazing pad. It's also a great base for jaunting off to less American-inhabited towns." --Katie Crouch, author, “Girls in Trucks”

Go to http://www.casitalaurita.com




EARLY BUZZ BUILDING FOR MELANIE GIDEON’S THE SLIPPERY YEAR!

Although Grottoite Melanie Gideon’s The Slippery Year won’t be on bookshelves until August 4th, it’s already building a nice little buzz. The Slippery Year was included in Time Magazine’s Summer Preview of Books. It also made the Daily Beast’s 13 Hottest Summer Reads list. Check out a preview at http://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Year-Melanie-Gideon/dp/030727067X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243882429&sr=8-1






DON'T MISS THE ZYZZYVA SHOW AT MINA DRESDEN GALLERY THIS MONTH

Mina Dresden Gallery honors ZYZZYVA editor Howard Junker with an exhibition featuring small works on paper done in black and white by artists who have appeared in the journal during its first 24 years.

June 20 – July 18, 2009 at the Mina Dresden gallery, 312 Valencia at 14th st., San Francisco 94103. Gallery open by appointment. 415-863-8312, or see http://www.minadresden.com





THE GROTTO IS NOW ON TWITTER

The Grotto now has a Twitter feed! For late-breaking news about Grotto classes, the SF Bay Area lit scene, and happenings at the Grotto, follow us here:

http://twitter.com/sfgrotto







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JD’S ART PICKS FOR JULY

LORI DEL MAR, SUSAN MARTIN, CANAN TOLON AT THE SFMOMA RENTAL GALLERY

These three artists share an interest in formalism, abstract patterns, and repetition. Martin's sculptures are made of found objects, which she manipulates by tying, joining, binding, grouping, stacking, bundling, folding, bending, twisting, wrapping, or laminating. Del Mar's work employs layers of oil on sheets of aluminum, drawing the eye deeper into the painting from the surface, and from the beveled edges toward the center. Canan Tolon creates abstract canvases with complex repeating patterns reminiscent of a television screen with spotty reception. Through July 10. More information at http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/artists_gallery_exhibitions




ALICE SHAW AT GALLERY 16 – SHOW EXTENDED TO JULY 11

In her exhibition entitled (Auto)biography, Alice Shaw has employed others, such as a handwriting analyst and a psychic, to tell her information about herself that she may not have been aware of. She has taken what she has learned from these sessions and made artwork in response to this new knowledge.

For this show, Shaw, primarily known as a photographer, has also used painting, printmaking, drawing, and other media to illustrate her responses. Shaw looks at the theory that 'digital photography is more closely akin to painting than traditional photographic techniques because of its malleability.' She also believes that the digital arts has created a 'society of skeptics.' Auto(biography) sets out to satisfy these skeptics, and suggests 'we should not always believe what we see.'

Shaw currently has a show in Tel Aviv, Israel and she is participating in two group shows. Sisyphus Office opened May 8th in Houston and Gold Rush opened at The Lab in San Francisco on May 15th. For additional information, see http://gallery16.com/index.php?page=exhibitions






SQUEAK CARNWATH AT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF ART

This survey reflects Carnwath’s groundbreaking artistry and stature as one of California’s leading contemporary artists. Karen Tsujimoto, senior curator of art at the museum, has chosen more than forty works from the past fifteen years—the period since Carnwath’s last major exhibition. As the title indicates, a painting is “no ordinary object” for the artist. Her recurring motifs reflect personal and universal themes; each meticulously applied layer of glaze carries meaning and inquiry. Through August 23rd. More information at http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/exhi_carnwath.html





ROBERT FRANK’S “THE AMERICANS” AT THE SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

I spent a few hours at this exhibition last month and was stunned by its timeliness, prescience, poignancy, and beauty. Robert Frank's The Americans is widely celebrated as the most important photography book since World War II. Including 83 photographs made largely in 1955 and 1956 while Frank traveled around the United States, the book looked beneath the surface of American life to reveal a profound sense of alienation, angst, and loneliness. With these prophetic photographs, Frank redefined the icons of America, noting that cars, jukeboxes, gas stations, diners, and even the road itself were telling symbols of contemporary life. Frank's style — seemingly loose, casual compositions, with often rough, blurred, out-of-focus foregrounds and tilted horizons — was just as controversial and influential as his subject matter. The exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the book's publication by presenting all 83 photographs from The Americans in the order established by the book, and by providing a detailed examination of the book's roots in Frank's earlier work, its construction, and its impact on his later art. Through August 23rd. More information at http://www.sfmoma.org/events/series/1310




ENDS ON SUNDAY!!! NICK CAVE AT THE YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

This spring, YBCA debuted the largest scale presentation of work by Chicago-based artist, Nick Cave, featuring forty of his "Soundsuits"—multi-layered mixed-media, wearable sculptures named for the sounds made when the sculptures are worn. As reminiscent of African and religious ceremonial costumes as they are of haute couture, Cave's work explores issues of ceremony, ritual, myth and identity. He does this through a layering of concepts, highly-skilled techniques and varied traditions, using materials such as fabrics, beads, sequins, old bottle caps, rusted iron, sticks, twigs, leaves and hair. Mad, humorous, elaborate, grotesque, glamorous and unexpected, the Soundsuits are created from scavenged ordinary materials—detritus from both nature and culture—that Cave re-contextualizes into visionary masterpieces. See more information at http://www.ybca.org/tickets/production/view.aspx?id=8191






Happy Summer!





Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.
Albert Camus