"The Beats" Book Signing
Mike Evans

Honoring the 38th anniversary of Kerouac's passing on October 21st, 1969, "Ragged Promised Land" will feature readings from the book, punctuated with live acoustic jazz.

"The excerpts from On the Road have been selected specifically to showcase Kerouac's travels in California," says Rodger Jacobs, the show's director.

Jacobs, an award-winning writer and documentary producer, will be performing the readings at the Beat Museum around the corner from the famed Vesuvio Cafe, where many North Beach writers found inspiration. Jacobs appears alongside Joe Shackel, Jim Reese, Gregg Martinez, and Jan Becker. Acoustic jazz trio Alt Tal will be on hand to round out the show.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of On The Road, the Petaluma community is coming together for a giant Kerouac weekend! John Cassady and Jerry Cimino will kick off the event at 1 PM Saturday with the multimedia performance we've been doing coast to coast. Guest speakers will include Jonah Raskin (author of American Scream), Gerald Nicosia (author of Memory Babe) and poet Joanna McClure. There will be panel discussions and students from various local schools will be involved in the cover-to-cover reading. Weekend pass is $8 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets are available at The Beat Museum or at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma at the door. Free coffee provided on a BYOM (bring your own mug) basis.

Right on the heels of all the hoopla of the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik I being launched on October 4, 1957 comes a very fun event at The Beat Museum. We'll be celebrating the launch of Sputnik II with a presentation and author booksigning of "Screwed Pooch" - the story of "Laika" the very first living being to be launched into space.

A month after the Soviets shocked the world by beating the US into space, Nikita Khrushchev demanded a second satellite be launched to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. Khrushchev got his second satellite and poor Laika - the "Screwed Pooch" - became arguably the most famous dog in history. Come to The Beat Museum to hear author Jan Millsapps tell us about the race to space, the inside details of the Soviet space program and the ugly truth about how a little dog named Laika was "screwed" from the outset! Sure to be a wildly entertaining evening!

Gabor Gyukics and Jack Hirschman

Gabor Gyukics is the author of A Transparent Lion, translations from Hungarian by the great poet Attila József. Join us as Gabor reads from his translations with Jack Hirschman.

3rd Annual
Neal Cassady Birthday Bash
at

A weekend-long celebration to benefit the Foundation for Creative Expression (a 501(c)3 nonprofit)

Special Guest Appearance by Al Hinkle (aka 'Big Ed Dunkel' from On the Road...the guy in the '49 Hudson with Jack and Neal)!

Many more special events and musical guests, and details to be announced...check back soon!

A silent auction of collectible Beat memorabilia.

Join us and celebrate! C'mon...it's Neal's Birthday we're talking about here...you can bet it's gonna be a good time!

More »

Because love hurts...

On this day normally equated with cutesy Hallmark cards, flowers and candy, challenge your partner (or future partner) to a battle of spoken word, hip hop, poetry and/or flowetry skillz in the ring!

Featuring Lightweight Contenders: Tony vs. Tiny
Other Poetry Contenders include:
Jewnbug (heavyweight), Leroy Moore (welterweight), Joel Tan (lightweight), James Tracy (welterweight), Rupert Estanislao, Jay Pugao, Ram, Queennandi, Members of the Po' Poets Project of Poor, the Molotov Mouths, and many more! This event will open with a love poem by undefeated champion Devorah Major.

Referee/Ring Announcer: Jack Hirschman (Poet Laureate of SF)

Panel of Judges: Al Robles, Genny Lim and many more...

Entrance Fee to Fight in the Ring: $20
Spectator Fee: $15 (no one turned away for lack of funds)

to sign up as a poetry "contender" or buy tix to the event, call (415) 863-6306 or go online to: www.poormagazine.org and click on "poetry battle."

This Poor Magazine Produkshun is sponsored by the SF Bay Guardian, San Francisco Bay View, The Beat Museum, City Lights Foundation, and Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP)

Lou Rowan is a native of Southern California. He began his writing career in New York City, where he earned his living as teacher and as an institutional investor. He lives and writes in Seattle. His current projects include a novel about the losing of the West, a sequel to My Last Days, stories, and his editorial duties at Golden Handcuffs Review.

Michael McClure was a leading figure among the Beat generation writers of the North Beach scene, and was one of the poets who read at the Six Gallery. His poetry features an extensive awareness of nature and the animal consciousness in human beings. McClure is also noted for his spoken-word performances with Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and for his skills as a songwriter, having penned "Mercedes Benz," performed by Janis Joplin, and others. McClure's infamous play, The Beard became the subject of an obscenity trial not unlike Howl and the performances of Lenny Bruce, and helped advance the cause of free speech.

Combat Paper

Combat Paper is paper made using uniforms worn while on tour during war. The uniforms are cut into pieces, cooked and macerated in a Hollander beater to make paper.

War veterans using paper and writing as a means to process their experiences while engaged in conflict and/or since they have returned to civilian life. The process allows veterans to reclaim their experiences from making art.

We are proud to announce Harold Norse's return to The Beat Museum for a very special reading and booksigning. Norse—a Beat legend, queer activist, and experimental artist—was called 'the greatest poet of his generation' by his mentor, William Carlos Williams. If you missed Harold's reading last year (in celebration of his 91st birthday), be sure not to miss Harold this time as he reads from his collected poems, In the Hub of the Fiery Force.

Linda King was the girlfriend of Charles Bukowski in the early 1970's, of whom he spoke lovingly and often. Linda is a poet and sculptor (see photo of Bukowski sitting with a bust of himself, created by Linda King). Her busts of Harold Norse, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gregory Corso are on display at the Museum, and additional works will be displayed while she's here. Linda will be reading from her new book, Bukowski Undigested, which will be available for purchase and signing.

Travis Shane Brandon has played street corners and in coffee houses and bars all over San Francisco. In the late 1960s, he hitchhiked around the state of California playing and singing in any establishment that would have him. Later he started hitchhiking back and forth from the West Coast to the East Coast performing wherever he could. Woody Guthrie and "Ramblin' " Jack Elliot have always been his heroes and he has tried to emulate their examples in his own life. In 1972, a bartender at a ski lodge in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California hung the handle of "Travelin' Travis" on him and the name has become his moniker.