Also, THE RELIQUARIUM

I should also mention that this year's Reliquarium is right around the corner, and it promises to be really, really fun! This season's event takes place on Friday, May 21st, which happens to also be the end of the world (according to the many eschatological billboards popping up around the Bay Area! Many now feature a big gold stamp that reads "The Bible Guarantees It!"). As such, we plan to go out with a bang! Activities include an end-times dance party, reenactments of scenes from the end of the world, and a literary time capsule (which we might be burying in David Buuck's backyard?!). And I promise to personally ensure that whatever beverage we serve will not be the weird-tasting punch we served at Poet's Theater!

But the real attraction is the auction of reliquaries "representing the artistic DNA of the smart and famous." Writers and artists of all stripes have banded together to donate relics that represent their practice in a substantial way, and we'll auction these one-of-a-kind rarities to benefit Small Press Traffic! The relics are starting to arrive at SPT Central as we speak, and it's way interesting to see how folks represent their practice. The list of contributors alone is pretty impressive: Steve Benson, Charles Bernstein, Julian Brolaski, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Enrique Chagoya, Thom Donovan, Elaine Equi, Coco and Rob Fitterman, Kim Rosenfield, Kathleen Fraser, Bob Gluck, Judith Goldman, Tracy Grinnell, Nina Katchadorian, Kevin Killian, Joanne Kyger, Nathaniel Mackey, Harryette Mullen, Eileen Myles, Sina Queyras, Ariana Reines, Larry Rinder, Camille Roy, Kaia Sand, Fiona Templeton, Edwin Torres, Tyrone Williams, etc. etc.! Pretty for real, no doubt...

And while we'll be accepting bids through SPT's website, it's one of those feel-good, end of season, almost summer, school's out, nothing better to do sort of events that are most fun to experience in person. And if it turns out it really is the end of the world, at least we'll be together! Mark yr. calendars...

THE RELIQUARIUM
Saturday, May 21st, 7:30 pm
CCA Graduate Writing Lounge
195 deHaro Street, San Francisco