Lunch Pals? Coffee Pals?

Imagine yourself going to either lunch or coffee with a noted writer or a local personality. Imagine what it would be like for you to listen to that person's stories, hear their advice and gain their perspective on their craft. Imagine looking that person in the eye and asking them any question that is on your mind.

Here's your opportunity to take advantage of a great opportunity to learn from someone who has been there. Take the person of your choice to your favorite restaurant or coffeehouse. Or, take them to their favorite restaurant. Either way the tab is on you, the bidder. And the experience should prove to be invaluable!

Sal Glyn	Managing Editor for book publishers in the SF Bay Area and also a Freelance Editor. Sal has published The Dog Walked Down the Street: An Outspoken Guide for Writers Who Want to Publish. Sal will look at 10 pages of your work, offering advice and criticism.
David Meltzer	Began his literary career in the Beat heyday, reading poetry to jazz at the infamous Jazz Cellar. David is currently a teacher of Humanties and Poetry at San Francisco's New College.
Mark Bittner	Local Bohemian who rose to fame protecting his beloved wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, which resulted in a movie about him and his birds.
Judy Irving	The filmmaker of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. She recieved her Masters in Film and Broadcastig from Stanford University and currently is executive director of Pelican Media, a San Francisco non-profit which produces environmentally themed films.
John Allen Cassady	The son of Carolyn and Neal Cassady, John has stories no one else does. He grew up with Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey and The Grateful Dead hanging out in his living room!!
Jami Cassady & Randy Ratto	The daughter of Carolyn and Neal Cassady, and her husband Randy. Spend an evening in their home eating dinner and poring over their Beat memorabilla with personal stories about Jami's famous parents and the people they knew. (2 people max.)
Carl Nolte	As a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Carl has been a reporter and editor for nearly 50 years. He's also the author of several books on San Francisco history.
Jack Hirschman	Jack Hirschman is the current Poet Laureate of San Francisco. His colleagues have included Allen Ginsberg and currently Lawerence Ferlinghetti. Jack is known for his energetic, politically charged poetry, and is a prolific translator of poetry in many languages. His recently-published magnum opus, The Arcanes, encompasses 30 years of his work.
Robert Altman	Local photographer who "was there" on the rock & roll scene in the 1960s. His iconic photos have graced the cover of Rolling Stone numerous times. Altman recently published a beautiful book of photography, The Sixities, which has been called "The Yearbook of a Generation."
ruth weiss	One of the original writers of the Beat generation, and a part of the North Beach scene prior to the arrival of Kerouac and Ginsberg, ruth was the first to combine poetry with live jazz; a performance styling that became a defining aspect of the Beat generation itself. ruth continues to write, is a painter and performance artist, and in recent years has been collaborating with jazz musicians in Vienna, Austria.
David Amram	David Amram has composed over 100 orchestral and chamber works, written two operas, and early in his career, wrote many scores for theater and film, including Splendor in the Grass and The Manchurian Candidate. He plays French horn, piano, guitar, numerous flutes and whistles, percussion, and a variety of folkloric instruments from 25 countries. A personal friend of Kerouac, he also wrote the score and acted in the Beat classic, Pull My Daisy. David lives in NY and travels extensively. The lunch will take place in a mutually agreed upon city.
Al Hinkle	Al Hinkle (aka. 'Big Ed Dunkel' in On the Road) rode along with Jack and Neal in the '49 Hudson, and the three shared many adventures. Some are recounted in On the Road; the others...well, we're sure Al will be happy to tell you...
Anne Marie Murphy	Anne Marie Murphy, a former lover of Neal Cassady, is no stranger to the Beat scene in both North Beach and in New York.
Chris Felver	An esteemed and prolific photographer, Chris Felver has captured the Beat generation extensively on film. His latest book, Beat memorializes the writers and artists of the North Beach scene.
Dave Getz	You probably know Dave Getz as the drummer for Big Brother & the Holding Company. Dave was involved in, and helped to shape, the legendary rock & roll movement of the Sixties.