Although the bookshop is typically closed on Mondays, we’ll be open Monday, March 23rd for two events that hold great meaning for us.

Dan Richman — a poet and musician, a philosopher of the human spirit and the natural world, a toiler in the earth, an activist in the preservation of wetlands and bird habitats, a good friend — passed away a few months ago.

Family and friends will host a gathering in the bookshop at 2pm on Monday the 23rd to honor Dan and celebrate his time among us.

In the first year of our shop, 1999, Dan and two fellow poets inaugurated a quarter century of readings that have become a tradition at Bird & Beckett. Over the years, on many occasions he presented plays, prose and poetry and played classical guitar here. We’ll always miss him and are richer for having known him. Please join us.

At 5pm, poets will convene for a reading of the sort that these times demand of us.

Iraqi poet Ahmed Abdel Sara recites a poem in the ruins of Baghdad’s Al-Mutanabbi street, March 8th, 2007. Photo: Al-Saadi/AFP/Getty Images

On March 5th, 2007, a car bomb destroyed blocks of a street in Baghdad with a history dating back to the 8th century as a site where booksellers displayed their wares and people gathered to exchange ideas. The street has since been repaired, rebuilt and reopened. The world remains besieged by violence.

At 5pm Monday the 23rd, we’ll honor the human spirit that prevails in the face of unspeakable horror, with poets gathering to commemorate the anniversary of a juncture in the Iraq war that presaged the current horrors bedeviling humanity.

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We’ll then take a couple of days simply to sell books and to allow you some time to browse in peace.

On Thursday March 26th at 7pm, the nonprofit organization “Arts for More” will bring an event to the shop called “WORDPlay” — a reading with music featuring poet Kim Addonizio and musicians Danny Caron (guitar) and Peter Barshay (bass). It’s a benefit for Options Recovery Services – Addiction Recovery in the Bay Area — supporting programs and organizations that provide critical resources, healing spaces, and second chances for individuals and families navigating recovery. Pay what you can; any donation is appreciated.

Kim Addonizio is held in high regard as a poet and as a teacher of the art. She is the author of nine poetry collections, two novels, two story collections, and two books on writing poetry: The Poet’s Companion (with Dorianne Laux) and Ordinary Genius. Her poetry collection Tell Me was a finalist for the National Book Award. She also has two word/music CDS: Swearing, Smoking, Drinking, & Kissing (with Susan Browne) and My Black Angel, the companion to My Black Angel: Blues Poems and Portraits, a collaboration with woodcut artist Charles D. Jones.  Her poetry has been translated into several languages including Spanish, Arabic, Italian, and Hungarian. Collections have been published in China, Spain, Mexico, Lebanon, and the UK. Addonizio’s awards include two fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim, two Pushcart Prizes, and other honors. Her latest collection is Exit Opera (W.W. Norton). 

Danny Caron has worked with musical luminaries including blues legend Charles Brown, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, and many others. He has appeared on two Grammy Award–winning albums and most recently performed on Taj Mahal’s Savoy and Maria Muldaur’s One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey.

Peter Barshay, a frequent performer at Bird & Beckett, is a respected Bay Area bassist known for his deep groove, lyrical sensitivity, and wide-ranging collaborations across jazz, blues, and beyond.

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And through the weekend, jazz ensues…

Friday, March 27, 6:00pm
$20 suggested donation (adults) / byob
Students $10. Kids free.
Tony Johnson Quartet
bop, hard bop, post bop & bossa
Bob Kenmotsu, saxophone; Keith Saunders, piano;
Eric Markowitz, bass; Tony Johnson, drums

Saturday, March 28, 7:30pm
$20 cover charge / byob.  Students $10
Benny Amón Trio
classic piano trio repertoire centered in the jazz of the 1950s
Charles Chen, piano; Mikiya Matsuda, bass; Benny Amón, drums

Sunday, March 29, 5:00pm
Audience donations appreciated; $20 suggested / byob
Musicians, contribute what you can
Jam Session, hosted by the Vince Lateano Trio
Ben Stolorow, piano; Peter Barshay, bass; Vince Lateano, drums