Famous (and less famous) writers addressing show business, politics, sociology and their own personal histories are sharing their new releases this month. Also: Best-selling romance writers and debut novelists share their recent titles.
To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
Aug. 3
Jon M. Chu: The director of “Crazy Rich Asians” appears in conversation with Awkwafina to promote “Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen” in a ticketed ($61-$65) City Arts and Lectures presentation. (7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., San Francisco]
Aug. 3
Tony Wade: In his new volume “Growing Up in Vacaville,” the author and accidental historian shares stories from the city’s bygone era, from Fiesta Days parades to Saturday nights at the Vacaville Theatre to Bulldogs and Wildcats everywhere. [2 p.m., Vacaville Town Square Library, 1 Town Square Place, Vacaville)
Aug. 4
Elena Armas: The best-selling romance writer speaks about her latest volume “The Fiance Dilemma” with fellow romance author Tarah DeWitt in a ticketed ($24) event that includes a signed copy of the book. [3 p.m., Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco]
Aug. 6
Raj Jayadev: The San Jose resident, a MacArthur “genius” fellow and co-founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organizing and advocacy organization, discusses “Protect Your People: How Ordinary Families are Using Participatory Defense to Challenge Mass Incarceration.” [7 p.m., Books Inc. The Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #600, Campbell]
Aug. 6
Kiana Krystle: The California Asian-American writer is promoting her debut novel “Dance of the Starlit Sea,” a teen fantasy about an exiled ballerina described as a “lush and sinister blend of paranormal mystery and mythology.” [6 p.m., Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco]
Aug. 8
Dean Butler: The actor best known for portraying Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura Ingalls married on TV’s “Little House on the Prairie,” speaks about “Prairie Man,” in which he shares anecdotes from the show as well as show business experiences that followed. [7 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland]
Aug. 10
William Gee Wong: The Oakland native, author of “Sons of Chinatown: A Memoir Rooted in China and America,” and documentary filmmaker Felicia Lowe speak on Chinese immigration during the Chinese exclusion era through the Angel Island Immigration Station and subsequent integration. [2 p.m., Main Library, Chinese Center, third floor, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
Aug. 10
Eugene Rodriguez: The founder of Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy celebrates the release of “Bird of Four Hundred Voices: A Mexican American Memoir of Music and Belonging” with a party featuring snacks, beverages, live music by the band of Los Cenzontles and book signing. [2 to 5 p.m., Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, 13108 San Pablo Ave., San Pablo; register here]
Aug. 13
Caro De Robertis: The Oakland resident, a San Francisco State University writing professor and native of Uruguay, launches their novel “The Palace of Eros,” described as “a bold and subversive feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros,” in conversation with author Ingrid Rojas Contreras. [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco]
Aug. 13
Nancy Pelosi: In an “Unscripted” ticketed ($55 and higher) event presented by Broadway SF, the former House Speaker appears with retired “Forum” radio host Michael Krasny to discuss “The Art of Power” in which she describes how she became a master legislator, a partner to presidents and leader of the Trump resistance; VIP meet-and-greet opportunities are also available. [7:30 p.m., Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco]
Aug. 14
Rasheed Newson: The novelist discusses “My Government Means to Kill Me,” which follows the journey of a young gay Black man who leaves his affluent family in Indianapolis to navigate 1980s New York City, with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer. [6 p.m., Koret Auditorium, Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
Aug. 14
Caro De Robertis: The San Francisco State University writing professor, author of the queer-defining novel “Cantoras,” discusses their new book The Palace of Eros,” a “subversive feminist retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros,” with author Cristina García. [6 p.m., North Berkeley Library, 1170 The Alameda, Berkeley]
Aug. 14
Abigail Hing Wen: The best-selling Bay Area author of the young adult romance “Loveboat, Taipei” (the inspiration for a Paramount+ movie) speaks with local writer Heather Chavez about her latest book, “Kisses, Codes and Conspiracies.” [6 p.m., Barnes & Noble, Rosenburg Building, 700 Fourth St., Santa Rosa]
Aug. 14
Spencer Fleury: The San Francisco short story writer speaks about “I Blame Myself But Also You,” called by one critic a “sparkling” collection … “that surprises, delights and encourages us to recognize the absurd in the everyday” with Bay Area story author Elizabeth Stix. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
Aug. 15
Abigail Hing Wen: The local writer of the young adult romance “Loveboat, Taipei” launches her Bay Area-set new title “Kisses, Codes and Conspiracies” in conversation with journalist Jenny Gold. [4 p.m., Central Library, First Floor Teen Room, 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley]
Aug. 18
Gerald Henig: The professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay speaks about “America’s Presidents: What Your History Teacher Never Told You,” a compilation of little-known accounts, outlandish stories and dozens of fun facts about presidents. [2 p.m., Belmont Library, 1110 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont]
Aug. 20
Erwin Chemerinsky: The dean of University of California, Berkeley law school launches “No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States,” which argues that the Constitution must be changed or replaced if secession is to be avoided. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley; registration required here]
Aug. 21
Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes: Green Apple Books host the podcasters in a ticketed ($34) offsite event to promote their “shocking, macabre, hilarious and moving” title “Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death.” [7 p.m., The Dairy-Sports Basement Presidio, 610 Old Mason St., San Francisco]
Aug. 22
Karin Fitz Sanford: The Santa Rosa writer appears in conversation with Vinnie Hansen to promote “Running on Empty,” a murder mystery set in Santa Rosa and the second book in her Wine Country Cold Case series. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Montgomery Village, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa]
Aug. 23
Eugene Rodriguez and Friends: The founder of Los Cenzontles – a Bay Area nonprofit cultural arts academy, a band, a production studio and a community space for youth and families — and guest musicians celebrate the release of “Bird of Four Hundred Voices: A Mexican American Memoir of Music and Belonging.” [7 p.m., Kerouac Alley, near City Lights Books, between Columbus and Grant Avenues, San Francisco]
Aug. 24
J.R. Rice: The Bay Area schoolteacher and spoken word artist meets and greets guests interested in his award-winning novella “Broken Pencils,” about an Oakland 18-year-old who goes on a “gripping 12-hour journey through the dark underbelly of San Francisco’s nightlife.” [11 a.m., Copperfield’s Books, 2419 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur]
Aug. 24
Frances Mayes: The best-selling author of “Under the Tuscan Sun” speaks about her new poignant novel “A Great Marriage” with travel writer-editor Michael Shapiro in a ticketed ($35) in-person and online event that includes a copy of the book. [11 a.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Aug. 24
Tom Jenkins: The writer—a physician writing under a pseudonym who cared for Spanish-speaking patients using the Spanish he learned smuggling— introduces his memoir, “The Next Run: A UC Berkeley Student’s Rise to Major 60s Pot Smuggler.” [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley]
Aug. 25
Guy Toby Marion: The Tiburon resident discusses his memoir “Afghanistan: Crossroads and Kingdoms,” which covers his 1970s Peace Corps Service experiences in the country in relation to recent Afghan history. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Aug. 26
Gina Balibrera: The author’s novel “The Volcano Daughters” has been called “a searingly original debut about two sisters and their flight from genocide—which takes them from Hollywood to Paris to San Francisco’s Cannery Row—each haunted by the ghosts of their murdered friends.” [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
Aug. 27
Paula Lehman-Ewing: The social documentarian and reporter covering social and criminal justice issues and marginalized populations, discusses “Reimagining the Revolution: Four Stories of Abolition, Autonomy, and Forging New Paths in the Modern Civil Rights Movement,” with Mohamed Shehk of Critical Resistance, a national organization working to abolish the prison industrial complex. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley]
Aug. 27
Calahan Skogman: The actor from the Emmy-nominated show “Shadow and Bone” (based on the best-selling series by Leigh Bardugo) is promoting his debut novel “Blue Graffiti,” described as “a big-hearted, hypnotic ode to the American Midwest” by one critic, in a ticketed ($32) in-person and online event that includes a copy of the book. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Aug. 29
Paula Lehman-Ewing: The award-winning journalist focusing on social and criminal justice issues and marginalized populations speaks with Ken Oliver about “Reimagining the Revolution: Four Stories of Abolition, Autonomy, and Forging New Paths in the Modern Civil Rights Movement.” [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Aug. 29
Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond: The acclaimed children’s author reads from and discusses her new novel for adults, “My Parents’ Marriage,” a saga detailing three generations of one Ghanian family, with fellow author Alison Hart. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
Aug. 30
Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network: Writers and poets Angie Chau, Lan Duong, Carolyn Huynh, Anastasia Doan Trinh Le, Frank Thanh Nguyen and Hieu Minh Nguyen appear in a session exploring the shift in narratives in Vietnamese American literature from different generations of Vietnamese American writers. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
The post August 2024 author events: Dean Butler, Jon M. Chu, Caro De Robertis, Paula Lehman-Ewing, Frances Mayes, Nancy Pelosi, Eugene Rodriguez, Abigail Hing Wen appeared first on Local News Matters.