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
Recently in Grotto News
Grottofilms' whimsical road comedy "Full Grown Men" will have its home video release August 25th through Liberation Entertainment. Winner of the 2007 Undiscovered Gems Sundance Channel Audience Award, the film was written by Grotto filmmakers David Munro and Xandra Castleton, directed by David and produced by Xandra. "Full Grown Men" tells the story of a hopelessly nostalgic man who learns the hard way that the best years of his life may still lie ahead. Stars Matt McGrath, Judah Friedlander (30 Rock), Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy), Alan Cumming (X-Men 2, Cabaret), and Deborah Harry (Blondie). You can pre-order on Amazon or save on your Netflix queue by clicking links below. If it's not at your neighborhood video store, contact us via our website and we'll make sure it is. You can read about the "making of" in our series of Filmmaker Diaries for the SF Chronicle (see the link below), and there's a new blog about the current state of indie film distribution at Filmmaker Magazine blog. More information at http://www.fullgrownmenthemovie.com.
Amazon, Netflix, Filmmaker Diaries, Filmmaker Magazine
MELANIE’S “THE SLIPPERY YEAR” GARNERS STELLAR NEW YORK TIMES AND NEW YORKER BOOK BENCH REVIEWS – DON’T MISS THE BOOK LAUNCH ON AUGUST 12-13
We're in for a new spate of Grotto books this late summer and fall, and the accolades are already coming in. Hot off the press is Melanie’s profile in the July 30th New York Times (see link below). And Andrea Walker reviewed Melanie's book in the online New Yorker Book Bench, stating, “By the end of the book I felt like I had just spent several hours knocking back drinks with an especially funny friend. Which is some of my highest praise.” (As Grottoite Caroline Paul remarked, “I like the way the reviewer starts her review all crotchety and at the end wants to have a drink with Melanie. Wait in line, girl. We all want a drink with Melanie.”)
The new lineup of Grotto writing classes begins Jan 12, 2009.
For class descriptions and registration info, go to
The Big Ugly Review is the featured journal at the upcoming Babylon Salon Winter Reading on Saturday, December 6th at 7 p.m. The performance will be held at Cantina, 580 Sutter Street. (just off Union Square). As always, this rollicking reading and performance series promises great literature and fine cocktails. Poet and essayist Lola Haskins headlines the evening, and April Sinclair will read from her work in the current issue of Big Ugly. For more information, please visit www.babylonsalon.com. Admission is free!
On Saturday, October 11, the annual Litquake festival goes out with a bang. The final night is devoted to Litcrawl, the literary equivalent of drinking from the firehose: dozens of readings in a host of venues, all more or less within strolling distance of each other. Go to litquake.org to peruse the full schedule, and while you're planning your path remember us!
We've had a Grotto event on the Litcrawl program for several years now, and we always look forward to it. This year it'll serve as an intimate coda, a small-scale bookend for the larger Grotto Nights event the previous Saturday. This time around the host is Jason Roberts, and the all-Grotto lineup includes Po Bronson, Chris Colin, Rodes Fishburne, Stephanie Losee, Janis Cooke Newman and Todd Oppenheimer.
Rumor has it that this will be an "off the page" evening: the readers will be sharing behind-the-scenes stories about what DOESN'T make it to the page, and why. Expect unprinted sex scenes, tales of editorial clashes and angst between the lines. At the Elbo Room (647 Valencia Street), starting at 7:15. It's free, but you'll have to be over 21.
For more information, see http://www.litquake.org/the-festival/lit-crawl-2008/
Hope to see you there!
Tickets are going FAST! Don't Miss a Special LITQUAKE GROTTO NIGHTS on OCTOBER 4 - A NIGHT OF INTIMACY AT THE GROTTO |
Grotto Nights is Back with “INTIMACY" -- a special LITQUAKE multi-media extravaganza of tight genes, body fluids, and misplaced affections. The evening will feature authors Mary Roach reading from her latest, “Bonk,” plus David Ewing Duncan, Elizabeth Bernstein, Stephen Elliott, Laura Fraser, and Jennifer Traig. Also highlighted will be the work of filmmakers Caveh Zahedi [“I Am A Sex Addict”] and Jay Rosenblatt [“I Used To Be A Filmmaker.”] The evening also features an animated film by the Forbidden Fruit Collective, an audio documentary by Jennifer Durban and art by JD Beltran, Emily Korson, and Jan Blythe. Finally, you’re in for a very special treat with an original music, sound, and video performance by an ensemble that includes composer Marc Capelle, jazz vocalist Faye Carol, and hydrogeologist Michael J. Taffet.
Come and get under the covers with us for an evening of creative hanky panky.
TIME/PLACE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 4, AT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 3200 CALIFORNIA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118, (415) 292-1200. EVENT STARTS AT 8:00, WITH A RECEPTION FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM.
Tickets are going fast! Doors open at 7:30. $20 for JCCSF and Litquake members, $22 for general public.
No-Host Bar/21+. After the event there will be a special party for the audience and performers.
For more information, see http://www.jccsf.org/content_
About Grotto Nights
From 2001 to 2005 the eclectic evenings of literature, film, art and marching bands at Grotto Nights were a mini-San Francisco institution, as were the parties that followed them. But the footlights went out when the event outgrew its space at the Main Library and the writers of the Grotto had to move to new venues. This year, we’re back for a special Grotto Nights at Litquake, and room for everyone at the Jewish Community Center!
Gerard Jones has started a new blog about the struggles he's experiencing as he writes his new book, THE UNDRESSING OF AMERICA, for FSG. After months of wrestling alone with doubt and procrastination, he's taking a fellow Grotto member's advice and opening up about the process, hoping it will help his own work and also be useful (or at least entertaining) to other writers. As he writes in the first post, "This blog will be the story of how I got here, an exploration of what the book is, a showcase for excerpts, a platform for your comments and advice, a confession of my madness, and, in the end, the vehicle through which the book gets written." It's at http://undressingamerica.blogspot.com.
The Grotto is pleased to host a new art reception, featuring the paintings of Shirley Hazlett. The reception will be June 5th, 6-9 p.m. The Southern Wine Group, importers of boutique and artisanal wines from Argentina and Chile, will be pouring.
Shirley Hazlett is a contemporary painter who will be showing fluid, grid-based paintings, referencing the land, horizon, and sky. Shirley's paintings have been exhibited at the California Museum for Women, History and the Arts, the Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, and the San Francisco ArtInstitute, where she currently is completing an MFA in Art, painting.
Join us June 5th for the art reception!
The super-informative Grotto Notes didn't go out this month because there's some stuff going on with our list server. But you can still read them here.
