A program of short film documentaries on Afro-Cuban culture by Juanamaria Cordones-Cook. Professor Cordones-Cook (Romance Languages, University of Missouri) is an award winning documentary filmmaker who has filmed over 100 hours of events in Cuba, the USA, and Canada on topics related to the Afro-Romance Diaspora culture and literature, such as conferences, interviews, ritual dances, and theatrical performances. She has also filmed a series of living histories of Afro-Hispanic intellectuals -33 already- and is as well directing and producing documentaries in Cuba and the United States. She has completed La silla dorada: antología audiovisual (Havana 2010); Cimarroneando con G.H. (Havana 2011); a series of five documentaries on Ediciones Vigía, Un libro único de Estévez / A One-of-a-Kind Book by Estévez; Poéticas visuales / Visual Poetics; La Habana expuesta, un diseño de Estévez / Havana on Display, a Design by Estévez; Entre la palabra y la imagen / Between the Word and…

A new anthology of social justice essays, edited by radical poet and Glen Park neighbor Nellie Wong, will be showcased at Bird & Beckett this Sunday, with readings by contributors on critical issues of the day — education, racism, immigration, LGBT, the penal system, feminism. 50 essays grouped in sections that include: Reading, Writing — Resistance! Crimes of Punishment Sisters Doing It Speaking From the Heart A Global Lens Shaking It Up In Their Footsteps  

Each July, LaborFest floods the City with programs in venues all over town.  Haven’t been paying attention?  Turn to their website and see what you’ve missed and what is coming up in the next ten days or so.  It’s at this link. Tonight, it’s Bird & Beckett’s turn to share the labor movement’s vast riches with you, as the LaborFest Writers Group gathers to share their essays exploring our present cataclysm of outrageous rent hikes, Ellis Act evictions, phony owner move-ins, all indicative of a de facto cultural cleansing that’s going on in the pursuit of a shiny and shallow present whose worth is measured in terms of fat cash flows unavailable to most of us. We’d say it’s important to realize that “most of us” is the key, and that solidarity — a time-honored labor principle — is the only way we’ll win the day. LaborFest programs this month…

Ed Coletti has recently published a new book of poems, The Problem with Breathing, and is joined in this reading by friends and fellow North Bay poets David Magdalene and David Beckman. An open mic follows. Bird & Beckett’s twice-monthly (1st & 3rd Mondays) poetry series is hosted by Jerry Ferraz, a near-legendary peripatetic bard & troubadour.

It’s the Lost Trio plus One!  The one is our fearless and venerated leader, guitarist Scott Foster, and the trio is (are?) Philip Greenlief on reeds, Dan Seamans on bass and Tom Hassett on drums.

Special command return engagement!   Todd Novak and the Benny Hillbilleez! Take singer-songwriter-guitarist Todd Novak from the Cowlicks and Cowlicks bassist Johnnie Hamilton, add drummer Martyn Jones from the Mermen, who also drums for the Cowlicks, and Scott Theakston, who’s played with George Clinton — then set them loose for 90 minutes of killer surf green guitar rave-ups, with a rip roaring repertoire of surf n’ turf, ska, rockabilly and movie music, and yeehaw! you’ve got the Benny Hillbilleez playing the latest installment of our Surf-a-billy Swing Time Dance Party…

Jimmy Ryan leads the band on the 2nd Friday of each month… tonight, Dorothy Lefkovits sings, with Joe Cohen on tenor sax, Stu Pilorz on trombone, Don Alberts on piano, Aaron Cohn on bass.  Ron Marabuto subs for Jimmy Ryan tonight.

Two widely admired San Francisco poets, followed by an open mic.