An essential piece in California Studies, Redemptive Dreams: Engaging Kevin Starr’s California offers the first critical engagement with the vision of California’s most ambitious interpreter. While Starr’s multifaceted and polymathic vision of California offered a unique gaze—synthesizing central features, big themes, and incredible problems with the propitious golden dream—his eight-volume California Dream series, along with several other books and […]

with Izzy Pludwinski Join us for a peek into a personal journey through the ancient scribal traditions and the world of modern calligraphy. The Hebrew aleph-bet (technically an abjad) is one of the oldest alphabets in existence. Paleographically perhaps 3000 years old; mystically the Hebrew letters existed before the creation of the world. As the […]

Berkeley Repertory Theatre creates ambitious theatre that entertains and challenges its audiences, provokes civic engagement, and inspires people to experience the world in new and surprising ways. Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer joins Mechanics’ Institute to explore how Berkeley Rep became an international leader in innovative theatre. Pfaelzer will discuss the current season including Cult of Love by Leslye […]

Are you a developmental editor, or interested in developmental editing? Join us for an informal chat about this fun and fascinating variety of editing. This event is free to attend and open to all editors.

TBD who leads the meeting. We're meeting virtually on Zoom. BABA meets the third Wednesday evening of each month via Zoom. Members share books, work in progress and information about book events and resources.

This coffee chat centers people who work as editors and are living with disability and/or chronic illness. It is open to everyone. The idea was partly inspired by an active peer group currently hosted by the Society of Authors (https://www.societyofauthors.org/Groups/Authors-Disabilities-Illnesses-Network). Group agreements that will be open for discussion at the start of the chat: * […]

A Lunch and Learn Discussion with Kate Farrell for Women’s History Month 2024 Unable to attend? No worries. Register anyway and receive the replay! Ever wonder why the movie Barbie was a “particular ripple in the universe” as Greta Gerwig, its screenwriter/director, described it? How did the movie appeal more than the average chick flick and become a […]

In this session, Nigel French demonstrates techniques for blending the boundary between text and image. Featuring InDesign, with a strong supporting cast of Photoshop and Illustrator, Nigel will show a series of real-world projects and share his favorite techniques for placing typography at the center of your visual communication. About the Presenter Nigel French is […]

Join us at Mechanics' Institute for an in-person celebration of Stanford d.school's ten books, published by Ten Speed Press. These books are delightful, compact paperbacks filled with mindsets to help you think like a designer and methods to give you the tools to navigate the ambiguous, sticky challenges you face. Join Carissa Carter (author of The Secret […]