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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240229T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240229T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240203T233633Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240203T233634Z
UID:10000969-1709229600-1709236800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Making a Way Out of No Way
DESCRIPTION:My story is not a single story\, but a series of connected narratives\, woven together into one life. ~ Arnold T. Grisham \nMore than a mere autobiography\, Making a Way of No Way details the life and experiences of a child born to a working-class Black family in Chicago’s West Side during the 1940s. The crucible of Arnold Grisham’s family and Chicago’s South Side community produced a young man who\, against long odds\, attended and graduated from DePaul University\, ultimately earning an MBA in finance. Grisham’s career in banking is a testament to his courage and commitment to breaking through racial barriers and redefining possibilities for those who would follow. It is also a personal story\, involving struggle\, pain\, loss and renewal.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/making-a-way-out-of-no-way/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240215T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240215T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240203T233400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240203T233401Z
UID:10000968-1708020000-1708027200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Illustrated Black History
DESCRIPTION:with author George McCalman in conversation with Tonya Foster\nJoin artist and author George McCalman in conversation with poet and professor Tonya Foster on McCalman’s book\, Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen. Illustrated Black History is a breathtaking collection of original portraits depicting black heroes—both famous and unsung—who made their mark on activism\, science\, politics\, business\, medicine\, technology\, food\, arts\, entertainment\, and more. Beautifully designed with over 300 unique four-color artworks and accessible to readers of all ages\, this eye-opening\, educational\, dynamic\, and timely compendium pays homage to Black Americans and their achievements\, and showcases the depth and breadth of Black genius.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/illustrated-black-history/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240208T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240208T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240203T232518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240203T232519Z
UID:10000967-1707415200-1707422400@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Searching for Patty Hearst
DESCRIPTION:On the night that Patty Hearst was kidnapped in 1974\, journalist Roger D. Rapoport was a short drive away in his El Cerrito home. He quickly became one of the primary reporters covering the saga as it unfolded in real time. His reporting gave local and national readers a window into one of the most bizarre and polarizing crimes in U.S. history. Now\, fifty years later\, he has written a novel\, Searching for Patty Hearst\, that draws heavily from that time. In this compelling new book\, he explores alternative theories of the crime and delves into the complex psychology of many of the key actors in a drama that kept the country riveted. With a wry sensibility and insider knowledge that Rapoport is one of the few people to possess\, Searching for Patty Hearst goes beyond the tabloid headlines to tell the story in all its depth.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/searching-for-patty-hearst/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240201T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240201T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240106T040920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T040921Z
UID:10000941-1706810400-1706817600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Lunar New Year and The Year of the Dragon: What Will It Bring?
DESCRIPTION:For this Lunar New Year celebration\, we welcome back renowned Bay Area author Maxine Hong Kingston\, historian and former parade director David Lei\, educator Linda Lei\, and Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)\, Stephen Gong. They will talk about how Lunar New Year has been celebrated in San Francisco\, share memories of family traditions\, explore the myths\, rituals and qualities associated with the Dragon\, and offer predictions for the year.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/lunar-new-year-and-the-year-of-the-dragon-what-will-it-bring/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240125T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240125T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240106T040351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T040355Z
UID:10000940-1706205600-1706212800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:When We Walk By
DESCRIPTION:When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America\, showing us what we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters\, insecure housing\, or on the streets. The book brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first\, community-driven solutions\, offering social analysis\, economic and political histories\, and the real stories of unhoused people. \nKevin F. Adler is an award-winning social entrepreneur\, nonprofit leader and author. Since 2014\, he has served as the Founder and CEO of Miracle Messages\, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems and financial security\, primarily through family reunification services\, a phone buddy program and direct cash transfers\, including one of the first basic income pilots for unhoused individuals in the United States. \nMotivated by his late mother’s work teaching at underserved adult schools and nursing homes\, and his late uncle’s 30 years living on and off the streets\, Kevin believes in a future where everyone is recognized as invaluable and interconnected. Learn more at kevinfadler.com or follow him @kevinfadler. \nShireen McSpadden is the Executive Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing for the City and County of San Francisco. She was appointed by Mayor London N. Breed in April of 2021\, after a nation-wide search. Her experience and connection to communities will help the Department meet its strategic goals of serving our most vulnerable residents\, including the critical work of delivering on the promise of the Mayor’s the Homelessness Recovery Plan. Shireen has over 30 years’ experience providing services to people with disabilities and seniors\, in both the nonprofit and public sectors. In 2020\, she was recognized for her anti-ageism work by Time Magazine\, named as one of 16 people and groups fighting for a more equitable America. She has served on several boards and committees including the San Francisco Long Term Care Coordinating Council\, the San Francisco Palliative Care Work Group\, and the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/when-we-walk-by/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events,Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240118T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240118T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240106T040025Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T040027Z
UID:10000939-1705600800-1705608000@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:A People's History of SFO
DESCRIPTION:Starting with the very land SFO was built on\, A People’ History of SFO sees the airport as a microcosm of the forces at work in the Bay Area—from its colonial history and early role in trade\, mining\, and agriculture to the economic growth\, social sanctuary\, and environmental transformations of the twentieth century. In lively\, engaging stories\, author Eric Porter reveals SFO’s unique role in the San Francisco Bay Area’s growth as a globally connected hub of commerce\, technology innovation\, and political\, economic\, and social influence.\, \nEric Porter is Professor of History\, History of Consciousness\, and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz\, where he is also affiliated with the Music and Latin American and Latina/o Studies departments. He previously taught in the American Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz as well as at the University of New Mexico and the University of Nevada\, Reno. His research and teaching interests include Black cultural and intellectual history\, US cultural history\, jazz and improvisation studies\, urban studies\, and comparative ethnic studies. Among his previous books are two University of California Press publications: What Is This Thing Called Jazz? African American Musicians as Artists\, Critics\, and Activists (2002)\, winner of an American Book Award\, and\, with the photographer Lewis Watts\, New Orleans Suite: Music and Culture in Transition (2013).
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/a-peoples-history-of-sfo/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events,Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240116T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240116T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240106T033919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T033921Z
UID:10000938-1705426200-1705433400@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Special Event with Grandmaster Sam Shankland
DESCRIPTION:Mechanics’ Institute is proud to welcome GM Sam Shankland for a special author talk and book signing event in the Chess Room on Tuesday\, January 16 at 5:30 pm. \nSam Shankland is an American Chess Grandmaster and the 2018 US Chess Champion. He is a 10 year veteran on the US Olympic Team\, a two-time Olympiad Gold Medalist (2014 and 2016\, Silver Medalist in 2018)\, a former World u-18 co-champion (2008)\, and the winner of dozens of international tournaments across four continents. His peak FIDE rating of 2731 FIDE placed him at #21 in the world. In addition to his playing career\, he has worked as an analyst for World Champion Magnus Carlsen in preparation for the 2014 and 2016 World Championship matches\, he has published four books as well as nine online opening database courses\, and he is a co-owner and co-founder of Killer Chess Training. \nSam has won two Olympic Gold Medals as well as a Silver\, the US Championship\, the American Continental Championship twice\, the Prague Masters\, the Biel Masters\, the Capablanca Memorial\, the Edmonton International\, the Fagernes International\, the Chinggis International twice\, the Dresden Open\, and the Barcelona Open. He has played in four World Cups\, and he finished in fifth place in the most recent one. He has played for the United States Olympic Team from January 2013 onwards\, and is the highest scoring player in the team’s history. \nThis event will be held at 5:30 pm in the Chess Room\, before the New Year Tuesday Night Marathon. No registration is required to join the Author Talk with GM Sam Shankland. Books will be sold onsite.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/special-event-with-grandmaster-sam-shankland/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240113T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240113T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20240106T033701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240106T033703Z
UID:10000937-1705150800-1705158000@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Teacher Tea: Do Your Lessons Love Your Students?
DESCRIPTION:Opening Reception\, Spiral Making and Pedagogical Exploration (1:00-2:00 pm) \nExplore the art of pedagogy and spiral your way into transformative teaching! Engage in hands-on activities that will leave you inspired and ready to create meaningful connections in your classroom. \nBook Talk/Q&A: Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? (2:00-3:00 pm) \nDive into a thought-provoking discussion as we pore over the pages of Do Your Lessons Love Your Students? — discussing ways we can craft lessons that not only educate but genuinely care for our students’ growth and wellbeing. Mariah and Jessa from Studio Pathways will share their insights\, experiences\, and expertise on transformative pedagogy\, leaving you with invaluable knowledge to enhance your teaching approach.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/teacher-tea-do-your-lessons-love-your-students/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240111T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20240111T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20231211T205758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231211T205759Z
UID:10000912-1704996000-1705003200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:New Year Wellness and Renewal
DESCRIPTION:Refresh and rejuvenate your body\, mind\, spirit\, and attitude with our second annual New Year Wellness and Renewal program. The program will feature Dr. Dacher Keltner\, Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life\, and Dr. Aric Prather\, co-director of UCSF’s Aging\, Metabolism\, and Emotions Center and author of The Sleep Prescription. Dr. Keltner and Dr. Prather will share their inspiring work and practices to encourage better health and living habits\, along with short exercises to incorporate into your everyday life.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/new-year-wellness-and-renewal/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events,Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231130T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231130T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20231103T212741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231103T212743Z
UID:10000883-1701367200-1701374400@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:The Deserts of California: A California Field Atlas
DESCRIPTION:The San Francisco Chronicle #1 bestselling author Obi Kaufmann of the canonical California Field Atlas returns with an epic\, forward-looking exploration of the state’s arid eastern regions. \nThe Deserts of California: A California Field Atlas blends science and art in Kaufmann’s signature style to throw into relief ecological insights greater than either might yield alone. Through expressionistic mapmaking\, wildlife renderings\, and geographic conservation guides\, Kaufmann explores the marvels of and threats to these resilient yet sensitive ecosystems. \nOf a piece with his best-selling books The Forests of California (2020) and The Coasts of California (2022)\, The Deserts of California rounds out Kaufmann’s expansive California Lands Trilogy. Individually and collectively\, these volumes set out to transform entrenched colonialist attitudes toward the American West\, and transform our concept of nature from a resource for extraction to a shared and cherished inheritance.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/the-deserts-of-california-a-california-field-atlas-2/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231116T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231116T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20231103T165951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231103T165952Z
UID:10000882-1700157600-1700164800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Portal: San Francisco's Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities
DESCRIPTION:Join two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist John King in discussion on his new book Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities. \nKing’s narrative spans the rise and fall and rebirth of the Ferry Building. Rich with feats of engineering and civic imagination\, his story introduces colorful figures who fought to preserve the Ferry Building’s character (and the city’s soul) – from architect Arthur Page Brown and legendary columnist Herb Caen to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein. A book for city lovers and visitors\, architecture fans and pedestrians\, Portal is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of San Francisco and the future of American cities. \nJoin us for this informative discussion\, book signing\, and audience Q&A\, where King will answer questions on everything from parklets to Salesforce Tower. \n“This book is much more than a history of San Francisco’s ferry terminal; it’s a window to the soul of a great city. John King gives us a lively and revealing account of a remarkable building that has endured against all odds and assumed new meaning. There are lessons here for every city.” Inga Saffron\, Pulitzer Prize–winning architecture critic \n“John King is an architectural Indiana Jones\, revealing the careening drama and the struggle for consensus as to what a city should be. An account that is both authoritative and fun to read.” Anthony Flint\, Senior Fellow\, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy\, and author of Wrestling with Moses \nJohn King is urban design critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and a two-time Pulitzer finalist\, the author of two guidebooks to San Francisco architecture\, and an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He lives in Berkeley\, California.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/portal-san-franciscos-ferry-building-and-the-reinvention-of-american-cities/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231109T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231109T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230930T054751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230930T054752Z
UID:10000860-1699552800-1699560000@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:The Intersection of A.I.\, Authorship\, and Ethics
DESCRIPTION:with SF State University Professors Carlos Montemayor\, Denise Kleinrichert\, and Dragutin Petkovic\n\nDiscuss Artificial Intelligence\, Authorship\, and Ethics with San Francisco State University Professors Carlos Montemayor\, Denise Kleinrichert\, and Dragutin Petkovic.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/the-intersection-of-a-i-authorship-and-ethics/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231019T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231019T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230901T010344Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T010345Z
UID:10000806-1697738400-1697745600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Celebrating 150 Years of Cable Cars: Watermusic in the Track
DESCRIPTION:Join historians and authors Mike Phipps and Don Holmgren in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the cable cars in San Francisco. Phipps and Holmgren illuminate Hallidie’s journey to California\, his wire rope use in the gold mines\, plans for the Clay St Hill cable car and subsequent involvement in the patents\, and Pacific Cable Trust. \nSan Francisco’s Cable Cars are known and loved around the world\, a unique and recognizable icon of the City by the Bay. They have climbed the City’s hills\, halfway to the stars\, since 1873\, and are still going strong a century and half later. The present system is only a remnant of a once vast and even worldwide network of cable car lines. The story of San Francisco’s cable cars is a captivating one. They have had a spirited and wild history\, in keeping with the place of their birth. Once part of the pioneering effort to make San Francisco a world class city\, they have survived to the present day\, not as a mere curio or relic\, but as an active and much-loved part of the City’s transit system. A trove of historical photographs\, maps\, diagrams\, and stories help bring their chronicle to life. \nMike Phipps is a native\, fourth-generation San Franciscan and Board Member of the Friends of the Cable Car Museum. He is a graduate of both the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University History Departments. For thirty years he has taught California and United States History\, as well as Western Civilization\, at local secondary schools and colleges. As a Director of the Friends of the Cable Car Museum\, he has given lectures and written historical articles for the museum. His article\, Hallidie’s Folly: The Story of the Clay Street Hill Railroad Cable Cars\, appeared in the Winter 2009 edition of The Argonaut. \nDon Holmgren is a native San Franciscan and a product of the public school system and the California School of Mechanical Arts\, where he majored in mechanical drawing. This was followed by training and apprenticeship programs at Enterprise Engine Company and American Can Company. He continued on with a ten-year stint as a mechanical design draftsman at the California Packing Company. His career was interrupted by two years in the US Army where he served as Artillery Surveyor. He eventually joined the Ortho Division of Chevron Chemical Company\, retiring from there as Drafting Coordinator for their Richmond Facility. In addition to his activities with the Friends of the Cable Car Museum\, Don has contributed to the writing of two books on San Francisco street railway history and authored an article for the Bay Area Railroad Association Journal.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/celebrating-150-years-of-cable-cars-watermusic-in-the-track/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231018T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231018T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230901T010144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T010145Z
UID:10000805-1697652000-1697659200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:San Francisco Past and Present
DESCRIPTION:Oldest San Francisco focuses on the institutions that have helped make San Francisco San Francisco\, featuring brief histories of its oldest restaurant (Tadich)\, oldest bakery (Boudin)\, oldest scientific institution (the Cal Academy). It speaks of civic fabrics—the oldest extant blue jeans (held in a vault at Levi’s) and first rainbow flag (exhibited at the GLBT Historical Society museum in the Castro). In addition to giving its version of some oft-told tales of this city\, it contains some lesser known stories\, about the world’s oldest suicide hotline\, the city’s oldest auto shop and hatmaker. \n  \nSan Francisco Scavenger has more than 300 rhyming clues that take you on a scavenger hunt through 19 different neighborhoods across the 49 square miles of the city. Each riddle includes a photo to help you find museums\, public artworks\, historical sites like the Mechanics’ Institute\, bars and restaurants\, architectural highlights\, and more. Whether you love the thrill of solving a puzzle\, have a desire to learn a little history\, feel the urge to get out and explore\, or even rediscover a city you thought you knew\, find the true spirit of San Francisco in the pages of this book.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/san-francisco-past-and-present/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231018T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231018T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230930T054436Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230930T054437Z
UID:10000859-1697630400-1697637600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:After Sappho
DESCRIPTION:with author Selby Wynn Schwartz in conversation with Professor Loretta Stec\n\nJoin Selby Wynn Schwartz in conversation with Professor Loretta Stec on her debut novel After Sappho\, an invigorating tale of women whose narratives converge and splinter as they forge queer identities and claim the right to their own lives.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/after-sappho/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231012T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231012T203000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230930T054246Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230930T054247Z
UID:10000858-1697135400-1697142600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Catamaran Fall Launch Party
DESCRIPTION:Mechanics’ Institute is delighted to collaborate with Catamaran to celebrate their Fall 2023 edition. Featured writers include Stephen D. Gutierrez\, Sean Stiny\, Yaccaria Salvatierra\, Dion O’Reilly\, Jeff Ewing\, Dan Haifley\, and John Briscoe\, who will read from their works.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/catamaran-fall-launch-party/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231005T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231005T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230930T054026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230930T054027Z
UID:10000857-1696528800-1696536000@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:The Right to Read: Book Banning and Censorship
DESCRIPTION:a panel with children’s book authors Marcus Ewert\, Jasmine Stirling\, and Sarah and Ian Hoffman\n  \nThis panel of award-winning children’s book authors will delve into the rapidly escalating national crisis of book banning—from what it’s like to be a banned creator\, to what citizens can do to fight back and protect free speech\, access to knowledge\, and the rights of readers.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/the-right-to-read-book-banning-and-censorship/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events,Childrens Literature,Picture Books
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231004T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20231004T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230901T005811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T005812Z
UID:10000804-1696442400-1696449600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric--and What It Means for America's Power Grid
DESCRIPTION:Join Wall Street Journal reporter and Pulitzer finalist Katherine Blunt as we examine how a powerful company can put people in a powerless (and deadly) situation. \n  \nCalifornia Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric—and What It Means for America’s Power Grid is a revelatory\, urgent narrative with national implications\, exploring the decline of California’s largest utility company that led to countless wildfires—including the one that destroyed the town of Paradise—and the human cost of infrastructure failure. \n  \nPacific Gas and Electric was a legacy company built by innovators and visionaries\, establishing California as a desirable home and economic powerhouse. In California Burning\, Katherine Blunt examines how that legacy fell apart—unraveling a long history of deadly failures in which Pacific Gas and Electric endangered millions of Northern Californians\, through criminal neglect of its infrastructure. As PG&E prioritized profits and politics\, power lines went unchecked—until a rusted hook purchased for 56 cents in 1921 split in two\, sparking the deadliest wildfire in California history. \n  \nCalifornia Burning is a deeply reported\, character-driven narrative\, the story of a disaster expanding into a much bigger exploration of accountability. It’s an American tragedy that serves as a cautionary tale for utilities across the nation—especially as climate change makes aging infrastructure more vulnerable\, with potentially fatal consequences. \n  \n​Katherine Blunt has written about utilities and renewable energy for the Journal since 2018. Her coverage of PG&E\, reported in close collaboration with two colleagues\, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and earned a Gerald Loeb award\, the highest honor in business journalism. The series also won the 2019 Thomas L. Stokes Award for energy and environmental writing\, as well as a silver Barlett & Steele award through the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/california-burning-the-fall-of-pacific-gas-and-electric-and-what-it-means-for-americas-power-grid-2/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230928T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230928T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230728T223241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T223242Z
UID:10000746-1695924000-1695931200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Garden Neighborhoods of San Francisco: The Development of Residence Parks\, 1905-1924
DESCRIPTION:with author Richard Brandi\n\nBetween 1905 and 1924\, at least 36 San Francisco residence parks\, such as St. Francis Wood and Seacliff\,  were planned with the feeling of living in a park in mind. This fascinating book looks at an unexamined area of San Francisco’s architectural history. Join this informative talk and presentation!
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/garden-neighborhoods-of-san-francisco-the-development-of-residence-parks-1905-1924/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230921T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230921T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230728T223039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T223040Z
UID:10000745-1695319200-1695326400@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Vanishing Maps: A Novel
DESCRIPTION:with author Cristina Garcia\n\nFrom the acclaimed author of Dreaming in Cuban\, a follow-up novel that tracks four generations of the del Pino family against the tumultuous backdrops of Cuba\, the U.S.\, Germany\, and Russia in the new millennium.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/vanishing-maps-a-novel/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230914T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230914T203000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230728T222814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T222814Z
UID:10000744-1694716200-1694723400@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:The Future of Libraries: Opening the Doors for Democracy
DESCRIPTION:Hosted by John King\, Urban Design Critic of thee San Francisco Chronicle\,\n\nThe Future of Libraries is our featured program for the Annual Architecture + the City Festival presented by AIA-SF. This event will feature architects Christopher Noll\, FAIA\, LEED AP and Trina Goodwin\, LEED AP from Noll & Tam Architects\, representatives from WRNS Studio and Charles Higueras from Center for Architecture & Design. (Image of interior of Noll & Tam’s award-winning Hayward Public Library)
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/the-future-of-libraries-opening-the-doors-for-democracy/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230913T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230913T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230728T222534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T222535Z
UID:10000743-1694628000-1694635200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:What the Body Holds: Its Shame and Its Pleasure
DESCRIPTION:a discussion and reading with memoirist Isidra Mencos and fiction writer Leslie Kirk Campbell\nIsidra Mencos and Leslie Kirk Campbell will discuss what drew them to writing books that investigate the topic of the female body. They will share ways women (themselves included) have felt shame about their bodies and how both societal expectations and abject repression (political\, religious\, and/or gender-based) affect womens’ attitudes toward their bodies—including how women may self-repress as a consequence of external oppression. Finally\, they will broach how their protagonists came to a point of acceptance of their bodies\, opening to pleasure. Each of these three topics will be illustrated with short readings from their books. The event will end with a Q & A with the audience. A reception\, mixer\, and book signing with light refreshments will follow.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/what-the-body-holds-its-shame-and-its-pleasure/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230720T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230720T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230630T215026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230630T215027Z
UID:10000708-1689876000-1689883200@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Summer Espionage
DESCRIPTION:with authors Linda Joy Myers (The Forger of Marseilles) and Leslie Absher (Spy Daughter\, Queer Girl)\nJoin us as we examine two new books about espionage—one fiction\, one non-fiction. Linda Joy Myers’ novel The Forger of Marseille undertakes topics not often covered in WWII fiction: life in Marseilles\, forging documents\, and details of escaping on foot over the Pyrenees. Leslie Absher’s memoir Spy Daughter\, Queer Girl\, examines the cost of professional and family secrets. \nThe Forger of Marseille \nIn Myers’ engrossing and poignant novel\, Sarah\, a nineteen-year-old Jewish art student escapes Nazi Germany for Paris. Her guide is Mr. Lieb\, a dear family friend who also needs to flee. Briefly\, Paris is an idyll for them both. Sarah even begins to fall in love\, her heart won over by César\, a former doctor who fought the fascists in Spain and now works in the underground. But as the Nazi threat engulfs Europe\, Sarah decides to use her artistic talents for a higher purpose. She becomes a master forger\, creating new identity papers for those in danger. Forced to make a grim and frightening journey to Marseille\, the trio faces their greatest\, and most personal\, challenge yet. In this powerful novel of war\, love\, and courage\, Myers explores identity\, ingenuity\, and the power of art to save lives. \nLinda Joy Myers has integrated her passion for history and her own struggles with intergenerational trauma into her work as a therapist and writer. The power of the truth to educate current generations about the past led Linda Joy to explore the little-known history of WWII in the weeks following the fall of France—which in turn led her to write The Forger of Marseille. She is the author of two memoirs\, Don’t Call Me Mother and Song of the Plains\, and four books on memoir writing. She’s also the founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers. You can learn more about Linda Joy’s work at www.namw.org\,http://theforgerofMarseille.com\, and www.lindajoymyersauthor.com. She lives in Berkeley\, CA. \nSpy Daughter\, Queer Girl: In Search of Truth and Acceptance in a Family of Secrets \nLeslie Absher knows the cost of keeping secrets. Growing up as the queer daughter of a father who worked for the CIA\, she understood that in her family\, there were topics that were not to be discussed. Absher also knows that there is value in speaking your truth. In her debut memoir\, Spy Daughter\, Queer Girl: In Search of Truth and Acceptance in a Family of Secrets\, Absher tells her story of searching for the truth about her father’s spy work while coming to terms with her queer identity. “Dad kept his secrets to himself\, and so did I\,” Absher writes. “Just like him\, I lived a double life. One life had my queer self in it\, and the other didn’t.” Absher ultimately decided to tell her truth\, coming out and even reconnecting with Susan\, her college crush. And she decided that her life as a spy daughter was also hers to reclaim. “I sensed a path opening before me\,” she writes. “A new story. One that was fully my own. I was finally ready to tell it.” \nLeslie Absher is a journalist and essayist. Her work has appeared in The New York Times\, Los Angeles Times\, Huffington Post\, Salon\, The Independent\, Ms.\, Greek Reporter\, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She was runner up for the X.J. Kennedy Award in Rosebud Magazine\, as well as for Bellevue Literary Review’s nonfiction contest. She received a master’s in education from Harvard\, taught G.E.D. to high school dropouts\, and currently teaches writing and study skills to middle school and high school students. She lives in Oakland with her comic book writer/lawyer wife.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/summer-espionage/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230715T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230715T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230630T214425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230630T214426Z
UID:10000707-1689415200-1689418800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Family Story Time in the Library
DESCRIPTION:Gather ’round as a family to hear stories and make crafts nestled in the Library of the Mechanics’ Institute! We’ll read 2-4 stories appropriate for children ages 5-6 and younger plus make a fun craft to take home. All are welcome – bring the kids and grandkids for a story filled morning. \nFamily Story Time will be located on the 2nd floor in the Library. \nStory readers include Librarian Myles Cooper and friends Michael Bragg and Alyssa Stone. \nFamily Story Time will be held on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10-11am. Please register for as many dates as you’re interested in attending. All are welcome!
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/family-story-time-in-the-library/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230714T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230714T203000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230630T214210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230630T214211Z
UID:10000706-1689361200-1689366600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Bastille Day Concert
DESCRIPTION:Come celebrate liberté\, égalité\, fraternité with the fabulous music ensemble Le Jazz Hot Quartet featuring band leader Paul Mehling (solo guitar\, vocals)\, Evan Price (violin)\, Daniel Fabricant (string bass)\, and Jordan Samuels (rhythm guitar). Le Jazz Hot Quartet brings to the stage all the passion and sizzle of French Gypsy Jazz created by guitarist Jean “Django” Reinhardt of the world famous Hot Club de France\, Paris circa 1920. \nDress up or down\, or in tri-colour for this festive night of exuberant music. Dessert will be served and French wines will be available for purchase throughout the evening for une bonne soiree!
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/bastille-day-concert/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230706T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230706T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230630T213828Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230630T213829Z
UID:10000705-1688666400-1688673600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty: The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of Actor M.B. Curtis
DESCRIPTION:with author Richard Schwartz\nA picaresque biography of immigrant and entrepreneur M.B. Curtis of San Francisco\, whose claim to fame was on stage and in silent films\, but also includes many extraordinary ventures. \nWinner of the 2018 Bronze IPPY for biography\, The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty: The Extraordinary Rise and Fall of Actor M.B. Curtis tells the biography of immigrant actor M.B. Curtis who saved the Statue of Liberty in 1886\, though his actions were forgotten. Curtis’ rise and fall from grace is a dramatic arc that rivals anything created for stage. Actor\, producer\, real estate developer\, promoter\, hotelier\, benefactor\, and murder suspect\, M.B. Curtis’s life encompassed the highs of celebrity and fame as well as the lows of failure\, illness\, and a faltering career. \nRichard Schwartz is a historian and the author of Eccentrics\, Heroes\, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley; Earthquake Exodus\, 1906; Berkeley 1900; and The Circle of Stones. Originally from Philadelphia\, Pennsylvania\, he graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. An outdoor enthusiast and animal lover\, Schwartz worked on a Pennsylvania Dutch farm for two years before heading west to find higher mountains. He now lives in Berkeley\, California\, where he works as a building contractor and documents early Native American sites in the Bay Area. The Man Who Lit Lady Liberty (April 2017) is his fifth book and was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library to be included in their collection. The book was also recently awarded the bronze medal in the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/the-man-who-lit-lady-liberty-the-extraordinary-rise-and-fall-of-actor-m-b-curtis/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230629T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230629T203000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230610T221724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230610T221726Z
UID:10000675-1688063400-1688070600@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:NEA Big Read "Interior Chinatown" Grand Finale with Chef Martin Yan
DESCRIPTION:Join Mechanics’ Institute for the finale of our 10 month NEA Big Read series inspired by the themes from Interior Chinatown by author Charles Yu. Throughout the year we explored themes of immigrant identities and assimilation\, the elusive dreams of Hollywood\, and the American Dream. We explored the vibrant community and traditions of Chinatown\, forged new collaborations with our local cosponsors\, and hosted engaging author events\, panel discussions\, and film series. We also enjoyed onsite visits to art exhibits and a film festival. \nInternationally renowned celebrity Chef Martin Yan brings this all together! The evening opens with a special cooking demonstration by master Chef Yan. He will share his personal Chinese-American immigrant story from his first beginnings in the food industry to his world famous televised cooking show\, to his current educational film projects and his advocacy for Chinatowns—in San Francisco and across the country. Don’t miss this exciting evening!
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/nea-big-read-interior-chinatown-grand-finale-with-chef-martin-yan/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230601T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230601T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230507T213009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230507T213010Z
UID:10000651-1685642400-1685647800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Outer Sunset: A Novel
DESCRIPTION:Outer Sunset is a deeply felt story about the intimate place where we revise\, or live without\, our dreams. \nJim Finley—a recently retired English teacher living alone on the shifting edge of San Francisco—has been set\, unwittingly\, on the back porch of life. Trying to harmonize the voices in his head\, he sits most days by his stack of “to-do” books until\, one day\, his daughter comes home with the worst news of her life. Everything changes. As his broken heart reengages\, he steps back into a new world. He sees his ex-wife has launched into a larger life than the one they’d shared. He is surprised to find it easier to talk to his son’s immigrant girlfriend\, or even the remains of a Russian saint\, than to the young man he’s raised. He misconnects with Carol—his first date in decades—a woman he enjoys talking with but doesn’t quite hear. Set in the pre-tech calm before the turn of this century\, Outer Sunset is a deeply felt story about the intimate place where long-lasting growth occurs in our lives; how we revise\, or live without\, our dreams; how to love the flaws of those closest to you and watch a child grow away into someone better than you’d imagined; and how to be shaken by beauty amidst unimaginable loss and remain standing.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/outer-sunset-a-novel/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230522T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230522T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230507T212726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230507T212727Z
UID:10000650-1684778400-1684783800@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Best Minds: How Allen Ginsberg Made Revolutionary Poetry from Madness
DESCRIPTION:with author Stevan Weine\, M.D.\nA revelatory look at how poet Allen Ginsberg transformed experiences of mental illness and madness into some of the most powerful and widely read poems of the 20th Century. \nAllen Ginsberg’s 1956 poem “Howl” opens with one of the most resonant phrases in modern poetry: “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness.” Thirty years later\, Ginsberg entrusted a Columbia University medical student with materials not shared with anyone else\, including psychiatric records that documented how he and his mother\, Naomi Ginsberg\, struggled with mental illness. \nIn Best Minds\, psychiatrist\, researcher\, and scholar Dr. Stevan M. Weine\, M.D.\, who was that medical student\, examines how Allen Ginsberg took his visions and psychiatric hospitalization\, his mother’s devastating illness\, confinement\, and lobotomy\, and the social upheavals of the postwar world and imaginatively transformed them. Though madness is often linked with hardship and suffering\, Ginsberg’s showed how it could also lead to profound and redemptive aesthetic\, spiritual\, and social changes. Through his revo­lutionary poetry and social advocacy\, Ginsberg dedicated himself to leading others toward new ways of being human and easing pain. Throughout his celebrated career Ginsberg made us feel as though we knew everything there was to know about him. However\, much has been left out about his experiences growing up with a mentally ill mother\, his visions\, and his psychiatric hospitalization. With a 40-year career studying and addressing trauma\, Dr. Weine provides a groundbreaking exploration of the poet and his creative process\, especially in relation to madness. This book examines the complex relationships between mental illness\, psychiatry\, trauma\, poetry\, and prophecy―using the access Ginsberg generously shared to offer new\, lively\, and indis­pensable insights into an American icon. Dr. Weine also provides new understandings of the paternalism\, treatment failures\, ethical lapses\, and limitations of American psychiatry in the 1940s and 1950s. \nIn light of these new discoveries\, the challenges Ginsberg faced appear starker and his achieve­ments\, both as a poet and an advocate\, even more remarkable.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/best-minds-how-allen-ginsberg-made-revolutionary-poetry-from-madness/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Author Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230517T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20230517T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T054014
CREATED:20230507T212353Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230507T212354Z
UID:10000649-1684346400-1684350000@pubpronetwork.org
SUMMARY:Storytelling Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening of laughter and storytelling! Local author and host of “The Moth\,” Corey Rosen\, returns to Mechanics’ Institute with storytellers and stand up comedians that have developed new material in his “Your Story\, Well Told” workshops. Come hear stories and jokes being told for the first time. Some performers making their stage debut! Corey Rosen’s book Your Story Well Told will be available for purchase as well. \nCorey Rosen is a writer\, actor\, visual effects producer\, and storytelling teacher based in San Francisco\, California. He hosts The Moth StorySlams and GrandSlams\, and has been featured on The Moth Radio Hour\, Alice Radio’s “The Sarah and Vinnie Show\,” and KFOG’s “The Finch Files” Podcast. Corey is a performer at BATS Improv\, one of the world’s foremost centers for Improvisational Theater and is the author of “Your Story\, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience.” For more information about Corey Rosen – visit: www.coreyrosen.com \nMasks are strongly encouraged for unvaccinated individuals. \nPhotos and/or video may be taken at this event.
URL:https://pubpronetwork.org/event/storytelling-showcase/
LOCATION:Mechanics’ Institute

CATEGORIES:Events
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR