March Grotto Notes

 PO’S “NURTURESHOCK” GARNERS BOOKS FOR BETTER LIFE AWARD AND MAKES OVER 30 BEST OF 2009 LISTS

Last Monday in New York City, Grotto co-founder Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's NurtureShock won the Books for a Better Life Award. NurtureShock also made over thirty Best of 2009 lists, including those from Library Journal, iTunes, Discover, and The Onion's AV Club. It was one of Amazon's top 100 bestselling books of the year. Huge congratulations to Po and Ashley!



MARCH CLASSES AT THE GROTTO - TWO TERRIFIC WEEKEND WORKSHOPS!

- Travel Writing - From Pitching Editors to Deciding what to pack with Laura Fraser (laura@laurafraser.com) and Janis Cooke Newman (j-newman@comcast.net), Saturday & Sunday, March 13 & 14, 10 am - 4 pm, $275

In this weekend-long workshop, we'll cover everything you need to know to become a travel writer - from how to decide where to go, to coming up with an irresistible angle, to knowing where & how to pitch your story. We'll also do some in-class exercise to help you hone your travel writing skills. And we'll throw in a lesson on travel photography (from a nationally-known photojournalist). Whether you're interested in writing destination pieces for newspapers and magazine, travel essays, or even a full-length travel memoir, this class will give you the tools you need to become a travel writer.

- One-Day Story Story Bootcamp with Elizabeth Bernstein (ebernstein@aol.com), Saturday, March 20, 10 am - 4 pm, $155

In one information-filled Saturday, learn everything you need to know about writing, revising and publishing your short stories. This hands-on workshop will cover every aspect of the craft, using fun in-class exercises and discussion. You’ll learn about all about character, voice, story arc, and point of view, plus how to get started, write convincing dialogue, and create believable heroes and villains. You’ll discover how to use setting to underscore your story, how to fictionalize real people and events, and how to write powerful endings. We’ll talk about the revision process and editing and sharing your work, as well as overcoming procrastination and living the writer’s life. Finally, we’ll talk about publishing and selling your work, including contests and the growing market for flash fiction.

(To register, contact the instructor. For more information, visithttp://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html



GERRY INTERVIEWED IN THE EXAMINER, PLUS HE’S FEATURED IN THE NEXT MONTHLY RUMPUS ON MARCH 8

Grotto dweller Gerry Jones is reading at the Monthly Rumpus on March 8 at The Makeout Room (see below). He also was interviewed recently in the online edition of the San Francisco Examiner, Examiner.com; check it out at http://www.examiner.com/x-37296-SF-Events-Examiner~y2010m2d23-What-do-comic-books-immigrants-imaginary-violence-and-the-Monthly-Rumpus-have-in-common?cid=email-this-article



SLEEP WITH FRIENDS AND GERRY AT THE MARCH MONTHLY RUMPUS THIS MONDAY

The Rumpus and McSweeney’s Proudly Present: 

Sleeping With Friends

March 8th at The Makeout Room, 3225 22nd Street, 7pm.
Get Advance Tickets! Click Here! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/99612

Featuring authors Jesse Nathan, Jami Attenberg, Mark Morford, and The Grotto's own Gerard Jones!

With Performances by Chicken John and comedian Nato Green. Music by the one and only K. Flay. And food provided by The Girl From Empanada. Also chances to win great prizes in our monthly porn raffle. 

$10, cheap! You can’t afford not to go. Hosted by Rumpus editor, Grottoite Isaac Fitzgerald.

Order your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/99612



STEPHANIE’S “OFFICE MATE” CONTINUES TO GET GREAT PRESS, AND SHE GETS TO BE ON CBS

Chronic subletter Stephanie Losee’s two-year-old book “Office Mate” continues to generate press, possibly because the media seems finally to agree that office romance is losing its stigma. The book appeared in Sue Shellenbarger’s column in the Wall Street Journal[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704182004575055191587179832.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines], which prompted CBS to ask Stephanie to appear on The Early Show[http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6231179n] to talk about the increasing acceptance of workplace relationships. Then the web show “Daytime in No Time” performed a skit [http://tv.yahoo.com/daytime/video/oprah-ellen-wendy-williams/17861278/] based on Stephanie’s remarks. Look for Stephanie’s review of Anne Lamott’s new novel “Imperfect Birds” next month in San Francisco magazine.



DON’T MISS MOLLY’S “THE QUIETEST MAN“ IN ONE STORY MAGAZINE

Grottoite Molly Antopol sends news that she has a new story in One Story Magazine – read about it at: http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=story&story_id=132 



CATCH THE LAST DAYS OF JD’S LATEST PAINTING/PHOTO/FILM/VIDEO COMBINATIONS AT MERIDIAN GALLERY THROUGH THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 6

Grotto dweller JD Beltran’s new series, two years in the making, uses a novel combination of painting, photography, Super-8 film, and high definition video to evoke portraits of people and place. JD juxtaposes all of these materials in a single composition to explore how each material evokes its own singular language of meaning. View it at the Meridian Gallery through this Saturday. Meridian Gallery, 11 am – 5 pm, 535 Powell Street (between Sutter and Bush). Phone: 415.398.7229 or seehttp://meridiangallery.org/en/exhibitions/unexpected_reflections.htm

Preview the show at http://vimeo.com/8989596 

You can also read about the making of this body of work at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/beltran/detail??blogid=85&entry_id=58004 , and see more of JD’s work athttp://www.jdbeltran.com



KATIE’S NEW NOVEL “MEN AND DOGS” WILL MAKE ITS DEBUT ON APRIL 12TH

Grottoite Katie Crouch's new novel, Men and Dogs (Little, Brown) is coming out on April 12th. (Early feedback: "accomplished and darkly funny" -PW). 
Some good-time events include a reading and launch after-party at the Booksmith on Haight Street (Wed., April 17th) and a kid-and-dog friendly cocktail hour at Charlie's Cafe on Precita Park (Sunday, April 25th). Mark your calendars!



TRAVEL TO LAURA’S WRITER’S OASIS IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, AT A TERRIFIC DISCOUNT

Casita Laurita: Writer's Retreat in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Grotto Notes subscribers get a 25% discount if they rent Casita Laurita April 15-May 31. Go to www.casitalaurita.com for pix and info. Email phraze@me.com