By Byron Spooner Back in 1972 I helped put together an all-day Vietnam War Teach-In at my high school.  There were lectures and poetry, music and debates.  And although the subject was serious, the atmosphere was celebratory; everyone had the day off from classes and there was the buzz that always pervades when a bunch [...]

Filed under: Byron Spooner | 1 Comment »

The Mind Appliance, by T. G. Lewis (1978). Little gem from the days when personal computing literature showed heavy counterculture and psychedelic influences. (See What the Doormouse Said, by John Markoff for more on this neglected history.) Daily Treats are sweet finds from our Treat Avenue Donation Center. Hungry for more collectibles?  Find us at [...]

Filed under: Daily Treat, Katie Sue Ambellan | No Comments »

By Mary Ellen Hannibal A few years ago, seasoned screenplay writer and journalist Charlie Haas decided to put aside his movie work and focus on a story idea that had been bouncing around for some time. In 2009, the Oakland-based author published his first novel, The Enthusiast. Inducing several laughs a page, The Enthusiast tells [...]

Filed under: Author Interview, Mary Ellen Hannibal, The Writer's Life | No Comments »

Every week, we bring you the best sellers from coast to coast. From the New York Times: Fiction: 1.  House Rules, by Jodi Picoult 2.  The Help, by Kathryn Stockett 3.  Fantasy in Death, by J. D. Robb 4.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith 5.  Worst Case, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge [...]

Filed under: Katie Sue Ambellan | No Comments »

By Oscar Villalon What defines a book as “bad” rarely has anything to do with easily measurable criteria.  Are the sentences grammatically sound? Are the ideas in them coherent? Are the author’s facts indeed correct? If book reviewing mainly rested on such objective metrics, it would be the equivalent of grading a test paper before [...]

Filed under: Oscar Villalon | No Comments »

Each week, we ask our readers what they’re into.  Here are their picks. Send what you’re reading to readers@friendssfpl.org. Kristin H. The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders I wanted to read this book ever since meeting George Saunders at a party and discussing his daughter’s college application process.  I felt like [...]

Filed under: Katie Sue Ambellan, What we're reading | No Comments »

Daily Treats are sweet finds from our Treat Avenue Donation Center.

Filed under: Daily Treat, Katie Sue Ambellan | No Comments »

By Oscar Villalon Is it possible that a world that reads everything online will be a lot more damaging to the environment than one where you rely on dead trees to communicate? It’s a question raised by Nicholson Baker in an essay for the San Francisco Panorama, the prototype Sunday newspaper produced by Valencia Street [...]

Filed under: Oscar Villalon | 2 Comments »

Every week, we bring you the best sellers from coast to coast.

Filed under: Katie Sue Ambellan | No Comments »

Daily Treats are sweet finds from our Treat Avenue Donation Center.

Filed under: Daily Treat, Katie Sue Ambellan | No Comments »