GrottoNEWS

ALL NEW SUMMER SCHEDULE OF CLASSES!!

Fri, 07 May 2010 12:23:56 -0800

Check out our all-new summer schedule of classes!

(For more info, and to register, click HERE)

Weekly Classes:

Shaping Your Truth: Summer Memoir Workshop with Rachel Howard, Monday evenings, July 26 - August 30.

Weekend Workshops

How to Break into Travel Writing: A Travel Writing & Photography Workshop with Janis Cooke Newman & Chris Hardy, Saturday, June 5

How to Write Travel Essays and Features for Magazines: A Travel Writing Workshop with Laura Fraser, Saturday, June 19

Grotto Cafe: A Shot of Espresso for the Writer's Brain with Janis Cooke Newman, Saturday, June 26 (Daily writing prompts begin June 21.)

Short Story Bootcamp with Elizabeth Bernstein, Saturday, July 10

Our fall classes begin the week of September 13. We'll be posting those classes sometime in June. To be the first to find out about them, subscribe to Grotto Class Notes (see link along the left side of this page).

May Grotto Notes

Sat, 01 May 2010 08:31:21 -0800

Here is the monthly news of books, art, classes, and more from The Grotto! May classes start this weekend and next, the Bookswap, and Laura's newest!

*

WHAT'S UP WITH GROTTO CLASSES (VOTED BEST OF THE BAY AREA BY SAN FRANCISCO MAGAZINE) ...

Last chance to sign up for these evening classes - beginning next week!

The Pang in Your Heart: A Short Story Workshop with Elizabeth Bernstein (ebernstein@aol.com), 6 Tuesday evenings, May 4-June 8 ($385)

Strictly Workshop/All genres with Janis Cooke Newman (j-newman@comcast.net), 6 Wednesday evenings, May 5-June 9 ($365)

Get Published: A Non-Fiction Intensive with Ethan Watters (ethanw1@mindspring.com), 6 Thursday evenings, May 6-June 10 ($365)

Or, enroll in these weekend workshops STARTING TOMORROW:

The Art of Craft with Laura Fraser (laura@laurafraser.com), THIS Saturday, May 1 ($155)

All About Magazines with Laura Fraser (laura@laurafraser.com), Saturday, May 8 ($155)

Bringing the Reader Inside the Story with Rachel Howard (rachel.howard@gmail.com), Saturday, May 8 ($155)

Imitation Is the Highest Form of Artistry: A Workshop with Rachel Howard (rachel.howard@gmail.com), Saturday, May 15. ($155)

And, two one-day workshops just added for June:

How to Break Into Travel Writing: A Travel Writing/Photography Workshop with Janis Cooke Newman (j-newman@comcast.net) and Chris Hardy, Saturday, June 5 ($155, 10% discount if taken with How to Write Travel Essays and Features for Magazines)

How to Write Travel Essays and Features for Magazines with Laura Fraser (laura@laurafraser.com), Saturday, June 19 ($155, 10% discount if taken with How to Break Into Travel Writing)

To register for any of these classes, please email the instructor. For a more complete class description, visit http://www.sfgrotto.org.

*

CHECK OUT CHRIS’ APRIL ARTICLES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN AND HIS INTERVIEW ON KALW

Christopher Cook is working as communications director for Revenue for All, a coalition of San Francisco groups fighting for progressive taxation and against harmful budget cuts. Check out his Guardian op-ed, Revenue for All, and his in-depth piece on a major labor trial, An Inconvenient War. He was a guest on KALW radio: Love's Labors Lost: Crosscurrents Interview on SEIU (see link below). Chris is seeking agents for his road adventure memoir, Postcards for Jack Kerouac. You can reach him through http://www.christopherdcook.com.

Revenue for All is at http://www.sfbg.com/2010/04/06/revenue-all

An Inconvenient War is at http://www.sfbg.com/2010/04/13/inconvenient-war

The KALW interview is at http://kalwnews.org/audio/2010/04/14/christopher-cook-loves-labors-lost-between-seiu-and-roselli_301230.html

*

LAURA FRASER'S NEW BOOK “ALL OVER THE MAP” DEBUTS JUNE 1ST, AND IS ALREADY RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS

“All Over The Map makes you want to pack your bags, explore the world, mend your broken heart, and totally reclaim your life.” Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed

“Brave, honest, and compulsively readable. I truly laughed and cried.” Mary Roach, author of Stiff, Spook, and Bonk

“A winning coming-of-middle-age memoir.” Booklist

Please join Laura at one of these readings:

June 3rd, 7:30 PM, The Booksmith

June 5th, 4 PM, Book Passage (Corte Madera)

June 11th, 7 PM, Copperfields Books (Santa Rosa)

June 13th, 3 PM, Diesel Bookstore (Oakland)

June 16th, 7:30 PM, Capitola Book Caf頨Capitola)

June 22nd, 6:30 PM, San Francisco Public Library (100 Larkin Street)

June 23rd, 10:30 AM, Towne Center Books (Pleasanton)

June 27th, 3 PM, Clayton Books (Clayton)

To order an autographed copy personalized to you, go to: http://www.booksmith.com/book/9780307450630

For more information, go to http://www.laurafraser.com

*

THE BOOKSMITH BOOKSWAP HAPPENS ON FRIDAY, MAY 7!

Every two months, The Booksmith hosts BOOKSWAP, a very social evening where all the smart, creative lit-minded souls of San Francisco meet to enjoy good company, a swell atmosphere, delicious Reverie Food, free-flowing wine, wise discourse, hilarious anecdotes, and all the best in favorite books -- and the company of other book lovers, including guest authors/hosts. Bring a book -- a book you loved but can part with, and that you want to passionately tell others about -- and you'll receive one in return, plus we'll give you 20% off on any purchases for the evening.

Friday, May 07, 2010 6:30 PM

The Booksmith
1644 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117

With special guest host author LEWIS BUZBEE!

Space is very limited -- these events sell out, so we urge you to get your tickets well in advance!
Online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/90777
Or at the store:415-863-8688

*

THE MONTHLY RUMPUS CELEBRATES MAKING MISTAKES ON MAY 10TH

The Rumpus Proudly Presents: Fresh Starts and New Mistakes

May 10th at The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, 7pm.

Featuring authors Keith Lee Morris, Jillian Lauren, Beth Lisick, and Andrew Sean Greer!

With Comedy by Kyle Kinane. Music by Michael Mullen. Plus a special guest, our very own Ted Wilson! 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 Stephen Elliott, back from NYC!

Order your tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/110107

NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.

*

KATHRYN READS AT THE CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA ON MAY 18TH

Can't get to Shanghai for the World Expo 2010 this summer? Come hear Grottoite Kathryn Ma read at the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:00 pm.
More on the Chinese Historical Society of America in San Francisco here

*

MATTHEW ONE OF NEXT VICTIMS OF LITERARY DEATH MATCH

The Literary Death Match SF is proud to bring you Episode 29. The LDM features four readers fighting to survive in the harsh reality that is the literary world: a brutal smackdown of words, punctuation, and ideas.

Ep. 29 will be a literary variety show, spotlighting poetry, playwriting, and bedlam.

Our show includes the accomplished Matthew Zapruder (author of three collections of poetry: American Linden, The Pajamaist, and Come On All You Ghosts), the dynamic Jeremy Hatch (film editor of TheRumpus.net), past beloved co-host/hula hooper/exotic dancer/playwright Braden Marks, and dreamboat poet Randall Mann (author of the collection of poems Breakfast with Thom Gunn).

The readers will be judged by the following experts: Andrew Leland, managing editor of the Believer and author of pseudo-erotic flash fiction on his website, Good Jobbbbbbbb; professional funny lady Emily Heller; and Bucky Sinister, a misunderstood poet and self-help author of Get Up: 12 Step Recovery for Misfits, Freaks, and Weirdos.

Co-hosted by Alanna Nemzoff Coby and LDM SF producer Elissa Bassist.

Four readers enter; one will remain. The LDM is a reading series that's competitive; it's great fun and an inspiring crucible of talent in a package that's all smiles and cheer and friendly intellectual combat.

Where: Elbo Room, 647 Valencia St.
When: Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm (sharp)
Cost: $7 pre-order*; $10 at the door; $7 with a valid student ID. This event is free for Literary Death Match subscribers

*

BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEXT POP-UP LIVE MAGAZINE EVENT!

Grotto sublettor Douglas McGray reports that Issue 3 of Pop-Up Magazine, on April 16 at Herbst Theatre, sold out in less than an hour. In fact, demand was so heavy it crashed the City Box Office servers. Pop-Up Magazine is the world's first live magazine, created for a stage, a screen, and a live audience. Issue 3 will showcase contributors to the New Yorker, This American Life, the New York Times Magazine, All Things Considered, Harper's, Outside, and Wired, plus Oscar-winning filmmakers, world-renowned photographers, and bestselling authors presenting new work live on stage. As always, the show is followed by drinks and mingling among audience and contributors. Join their mailing list to find out about future shows by emailing info@popupmagazine.com or visit http://www.popupmagazine.com

*

THE GROTTO ON TWITTER

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

Grotto news for April, 2010

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:31:35 -0800

LAURA AND YANN MARTEL, TODD AND ROXANA SABERI: ITS ALL HAPPENING APRIL 21 AND 22

Wednesday, April 21: Grottoite LAURA FRASER in conversation with Life of Pi author YANN MARTEL
The Author of The Life of Pi Returns with Beatrice and Virgil for a Rare Public Talk!

Wednesday, April 21
7:30 PM at Sundance Kabuki

YANN MARTEL
Beatrice and Virgil

Fate can take many forms. For Henry it arrives in an envelope from a stranger containing a story by Flaubert, a play featuring two characters named Beatrice and Virgil, and a note signed "Henry," with an address in the same city. From the moment Henry finds the address and steps into the taxidermist's shop, a place unlike anywhere he has ever been, his life is changed. In this extraordinary feat of storytelling, Yann Martel poses enduring questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity. And just as in Life of Pi, Martel's wit, pathos, and probing humanity will hold readers in thrall.

A brilliant exploration of the limitations of language in understanding who we are and what we are capable of doing in order to survive, Beatrice and Virgilwill elicit endless discussion among readers and is destined to become a storytelling classic. With all the spirit and originality that made Life of Piso beloved, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey.

"Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life." The New York Times Book Review_"A story to make you believe in the soul-sustaining power of fiction." Los Angeles Times Book Review

The award-winning author of four previous books, the most recent of which is What Is Stephen Harper Reading? Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963. He studied philosophy at Trent University, worked at odd jobs -- tree planter, dishwasher, security guard -- and travelled widely before turning to writing. He was awarded the Journey Prize for the title story in The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios. His second novel, Life of Pi, won the 2002 Man Booker, among other prizes. Yann Martel lives in Saskatoon with the writer Alice Kuipers and their son.

Laura Fraser talks with Yann Martel this evening. Fraser is a magazine writer and the author of An Italian Affair and the forthcoming All Over the Map, and an ardent Martell reader.

Sundance Kabuki Theater, 1181 Post Street at Fillmore, San Francisco
Tickets required: Brown Paper Tickets or 800-838-3006
Tickets are $15 per person; your ticket offers a 20% discount on Beatrice and Virgil.

Iranian American Journalist ROXANA SABERI in conversation with TODD OPPENHEIMER
Thursday, April 22

ROXANA SABERI

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS:
MY LIFE AND CAPTIVITY IN IRAN

On the morning of January 31, 2009, Roxana Saberi, a brilliant and fearless Iranian-American journalist working in Iran, was dragged from her home by four men and secretly arrested. The intelligence agents who captured her accused her of espionage -- a charge she denied. For eleven days Saberi was cut off from the outside world, forbidden even a phone call. For weeks, neither her family, friends, nor colleagues had any knowledge of her whereabouts. __After a sham trial that made headlines around the world, the 32-year-old reporter was sentenced to eight years in Irans notorious Evin prison. But following broad-based international pressure, she was released on appeal on May 11, 2009. Now, Saberi breaks her silence to share the full story of her ordeal. _In this compelling and inspirational true story, she writes movingly of her imprisonment, her trial, her ultimate release, and the faith that helped her through it. Her recollections are interwoven with stories of her fellow prisoners -- many of whom were women, student and labor activists, researchers, and academics --many of whom were jailed for their pursuit of human rights, including freedom of speech and religious belief. BETWEEN TWO WORLDS is also a deeply revealing account of this complex nation and the six years Saberi lived there. A citizen of the United States and Iran, Saberi sheds new light on the Iranian regimes inner political workings and the restrictions to basic freedoms that have intensified since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads victory in 2005. __The recent uprisings in Iran -- and the astonishing outbreak of support for Iranian citizens from across the globe -- mark a critical turning point as the nation hangs on the precipice between democracy and dictatorship. From her nuanced perspective, Saberi offers a rich, dramatic, and illuminating portrait of the country as it undergoes a striking transformation.

Roxana Saberi was born in Belleville NJ, and raised in Fargo, ND. An All-American Girl, she won the Miss North Dakota contest in 1997, and was a top 10 finalist in the 1998 Miss America pageant, winning the Scholar Award. She has a Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University, and a second master's degree from Cambridge in International Relations. She has reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio, and Fox News. Saberi moved to Iran in 2003 and later began working on a book about the Iranian people. Following her imprisonment and release she returned to North Dakota, where she currently lives with her parents.

Co-hosting and moderating this evening is Todd Oppenheimer, a journalist working at The Writers Grotto, a San Francisco collective for freelance writers, filmmakers and others devoted to the narrative arts. During his 25 years as a journalist, Oppenheimer has won a variety of national awards for his writing and investigative reporting and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including ABC's "Nightline." His articles have appeared in Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, Columbia Journalism Review, Mother Jones, and an assortment of daily and weekly newspapers

7:30 PM @ Hillside Club(2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley)

$12 advance (Brown Paper Tickets or 800-838-3006), $15 at the door
(Hillside members half price)

ACCOLADES FOR LITERARY LAUREATE KATHRYN, AND A PANEL ON APRIL 22

Grottoite Kathryn Ma, whose short story collection, All That Work and Still No Boys, has won awards and accolades, will be in the company of many amazing authors in April. She will be honored as an SF Public Library "Literary Laureate" on Friday, April 16. She's also part of a panel of "Emerging Asian American Women Writers" at University of San Francisco on Thursday, April 22 at USF at 7:30 pm, and part of the Stanford book fair at Stanford University on Saturday, April 24 (the event runs from 1:00 to 5:00 pm; Kathryn speaks at 2:30 - 3:10 pm). If you are heading to Denver for the AWP Conference, Kathryn has a book signing on Friday, April 9 from 11:00 am to noon at the University of Iowa Press booth at the book fair. More info on all these events can be found here.

http://www.pshares.org/issues/article-detail.cfm?intArticleID=9333

http://kathrynma.com/pages/events.html

Come by and say hello!

CHRIS COVERS THE CITY LAYOFFS IN THE PUBLIC PRESS

Grottoite Chris Cook shares his latest, a quick read on the city layoffs and worker response, and the calls for an alternative to cutting workers and services. "Also check out The Public Press, they do great local news stuff, worth checking in a couple times a week at least. Thanks, Chris"

http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2010-03/city-workers-decry-layoffs-demand-alternatives

March Grotto Notes

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:24:34 -0800

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

New show in the Grotto: woodcuts by Jill Storthz

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:03:50 -0800

You're invited to a reception at the Grotto for our latest exhibiting artist, Jill Storthz! This Thursday, February 25 from 6-8 pm.

Jill uses a reduction method in which a single block of wood is used to print multiple layers of color and texture, as opposed to traditional Japanese woodblock printing, in which more than 75 blocks may be used to create a piece. With this approach, there is no way to reverse the process and fix mistakes made in carving the wood, which is why it is also known as the "suicide" method. This process lends itself well in Jill’s playful approach to carving wood and printing.

Grotto Notes for February

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:57:44 -0800

ETHAN BANTERS WITH JON STEWART ON THE DAILY SHOW

Grotto Co-founder Ethan Watters graciously held his own recently on The DAILY SHOW with Jon Stewart, in discussing Crazy Like Us, his new book. See Ethan and Jon Stewart at 02:51 of the recap athttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/fri-january-29-2010/recap---week-of-1-25-10

JD DISCUSSES HER LATEST BODY OF WORK, MATERIAL LANGUAGE AT MERIDIAN GALLERY THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH

Also this Thursday, Grotto dweller JD Beltran will be discussing latest body of work, Material Language at an artist panel discussion, from 7:30 8:30. Her new series uses a novel combination of painting, photography, film, and video, whereby JD juxtaposes all of these materials in a single composition to explore how each material evokes its own singular language of meaning. JDs work is featured on the entire first floor of the gallery. The exhibition Unexpected Reflections, curated by Terri Cohn, also highlights the work of artists Jim Campbell, Gigi Janchang, and Marion Grey on the other floors. Preview the show at http://vimeo.com/8989596 , and you can get more information athttp://meridiangallery.org/en/exhibitions/unexpected_reflections.htm See more of JDs work at http://www.jdbeltran.com

Ethan and Todd in conversation, February 4th!

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:56:40 -0800

Ethan Watter's has been getting a lot of national attention (including a recent appearance on The Daily Show) for his new book Crazy Like Us. But this Thursday, February 4th, will be a unique event that promises to be particularly fascinating: Ethan will be interviewed by his fellow Grottoite Todd Oppenheimer for Berkeley Arts & Lectures

Tickets are $12 in advance; $15 at the door. The conversation begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Club (2286 Cedar Street, Berkeley. For more information, see the Berkeley Arts & Letters site, brownpapertickets or call (800) 838-3006.

In case you haven't tapped into the buzz yet, nere's an overview of Crazy Like Us:

American culture is homogenizing the way the world goes mad. Our exportation of everything from movies to junk food is a well-documented phenomenon. But neither our golden arches nor our bomb craters represent our most troubling impact on the world: the bulldozing of the human mind itself. In CRAZY LIKE US, leading trend-spotter and science writer Ethan Watters shows that we are not only changing the way the world treats and understands mental illness, we are actually changing the symptoms and prevalence of the diseases themselves.

In CRAZY LIKE US, Watters reveals how:

American versions of depression, post traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders are spreading around the world like contagions -- and we are the ones spreading them.
Western trauma counselors rush to far off countries to save the day without taking into account that the psychological reactions to trauma vary dramatically from culture to culture. (What would we have thought if New Guinea shamans arrived in New Orleans to counsel Katrina survivors)?
Anorexia rose in Hong Kong over the last two decades not only because of western fashion and diet crazes but because we exported the idea of the illness itself!
Our Western biomedical conception of mental illness has been show to increase the social stigma placed on the mentally ill around the world.
America believes it has a rightful place as the therapist to the world. Given the state of mental health in our culture, Watters argues it is time to rethink our generosity.
Watters travels the world to illustrate the ways in which Western influences have changed mental illness. In Hong Kong, he meets teenagers who have learned from American culture that anorexia is the modern way to express distress, and who began refusing food after a wave of Western celebrities and researchers began raising awareness. In Zanzibar, he witnesses a much milder and more bearable form of schizophrenia than what we have in the States. In Sri Lanka, he sees western crisis counselors bungle the treatment of tsunami victims and actually cause the community more distress. And in Japan, he tells the story of the drug companies selling depression itself to create a market for a new drug.

Ethan Watters is the author of Urban Tribes, an examination of the mores of affluent “never marrieds” and the coauthor of Making Monsters, a groundbreaking indictment of the recovered memory movement. A frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Discover, Men’s Journal, Details, Wired, and NPR, he has appeared on such national media as Good Morning America, Talk of the Nation, and CNN.

Todd Oppenheimer works as a journalist at The Writers Grotto. During his 25 years as a journalist, Oppenheimer has won a variety of national awards for his writing and investigative reporting and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including ABC's "Nightline." His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, Columbia Journalism Review, Mother Jones, and an assortment of daily and weekly newspapers. He is the author of The Flickering Mind: Saving Education from the False Promise of Technology, a finalist for the Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award.

The Grotto Goes Crazy @ LitQuake/LitCrawl

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:59:30 -0800

It's that time again -- the Grotto's annual LitQuake/LitCrawl show!

PSYCHO BABBLE: STORIES ABOUT CRAZY PEOPLE AND CRAZY IDEAS
Saturady, Oct. 17
Casanova Lounge (527 Valencia, bet 16th and 17th)
Time: 6pm (sharp!) to 7pm

Come out this Saturday evening and enjoy some true--and truer-than-true--stories about crazy people, including sneak peeks at highly anticipated new books from Grotto writers! Grottoites are also reading at other LitQuake/LitCrawl venues, so check the schedule:

http://www.litquake.org

September Grotto Notes

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:25:19 -0800

PO’S ALREADY SUCCESSFUL “NURTURESHOCK” HITS THE AIRWAVES AND SOON, THE BOOKSTORES

If you didn't catch Grotto co-founder Po Bronson talking about his new book, NurtureShock, last Thursday on All Things Considered, he also was on Good Morning America Monday morning (this morning), and will be on CNN with Campbell Brown Monday night (tonight) at 8 pm. NurtureShock has already hit #15 on Amazon and surely will go higher as next week one of his and Ashley's chapters, "Why White Parents Don't Talk About Race," will be on the cover of Newsweek. Next Thursday night he'll be on Nightline and early the following week on Fresh Air. Po's events in the Bay Area don't start until the end up September, when he'll be with Ayelet Waldman ("Bad Mother") at the Commonwealth Club September 30th. Then he's at Book Passage October 4th and then doing a KPFA event with Berkeley Arts & Letters on October 6th. You can follow it all on http://www.nurtureshock.com.

Meet the Teacher Night - Wednesday, Sept. 9th

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:21:31 -0800

Join us at the Grotto for a glass of wine and the finest snacks Trader Joe's can offer.

This is a terrific opportunity to check out the Grotto, as well as chat with some of our teachers (and their students) about all our upcoming classes. 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. No need to register, just come on by.

Full Grown Men DVD Release Aug 25

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:18:05 -0800

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

August Grotto Notes: Accolades! Melanie, Steve, Kathryn, and Allison!

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:05:12 -0800

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.”)

July Grotto Notes

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:28:40 -0800

DON’T MISS JILL SOBULE, COMEDY, MUSIC, AND SEX AT THIS TUESDAY’S RUMPUS SHOW

This Tuesday, July 7, 7pm The Rumpus and Kink.com present:

Sex-Music-Comedy Night featuring JILL SOBULE

Hosted by Grottoite Stephen Elliott and Co-sponsored by The Center for Sex and Culture

WHERE: The Makeout Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco

Featuring readings and performances from sex worker authors: Zak Smith, Kirk Read, Michelle Tea, and Madison Young

Comedy by Los Angeles based comedian Kyle Kinane

Songstress burlesque by Mariel a la Mode

Music by Sig Hafstrom

And Special Guest Musician JILL SOBULE

Purchase Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/70578

Catered reception, 5pm at The Latin American featuring the artists and special guests from Kink.com

$20 event, $55 event and reception. More information at http://therumpus.net/sections/rumpus-events/

JULY IS THE MONTH TO TAKE A SUMMER WRITING CLASS AT THE GROTTO!

This summer, we're offering a terrific bunch of one-day and shorter multi-week classes. And the Grotto was just awarded a mention in the 2009 BEST OF THE BAY: BEST WRITING CLASSES [see the link at http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/write-novel ], so check it out for yourself!

Grotto Writing Classes -- SF Mag's Best of the Bay!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:37:05 -0800

San Francisco Magazine hails the Grotto writing classes in its Best of the Bay Area issue! http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/write-novel

Summer classes start in July...get more info at http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes

Mina Dresden Gallery showcases ZYZZYVA artists

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:21:35 -0800

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

Opening reception: Saturday, 20 June, 6-8 pm

Mina Dresden Gallery, 312 Valencia at 14th st., San Francisco 94103

Gallery open by appointment. 415-863-8312. www.minadresden.com