Parents, teachers and anyone who works or plays with young children will find much of value in Sydney Clemens’ new work, which springs from Reggio Emilia pedagogical principles and insights. For decades, Sydney, who has been a Glen Park resident for more than half her life, has written about young children and has given talks internationally. She is particularly known for her respectful attitude toward young children. Sydney’s new book, Seeing Young Children with New Eyes: What We’ve Learned from Reggio Emilia About Children and Ourselves, co-written with Leslie Gleim, is available at Bird & Beckett.

Take singer-songwriter-guitarist Todd Novak from the Cowlicks, drummer Martyn Jones from the Mermen (who also drums for the Cowlicks) and Cowlicks bassist Johnnie Hamilton, add ScottTheakston (who’s played with George Clinton) playing some killer surf green guitar, then set them loose for 90 minutes 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… now happening every second Sunday of the month!  

Forum is the student-run literary journal put out twice a year by students at City College of San Francisco.  Join us for a party and reading to celebrate the launch of the spring 2015 issue, which features the work of dozens of fiction writers, essayists, poets and visual artists. Dedicated to providing a platform for the contemporary, urban voices of CCSF, Forum collects, edits and publishes quality works of literature and the visual arts as produced by the CCSF family. Publication is open to any who have ever been involved with the school, whether as student, educator or employee.  Many fine creative artists have been associated with CCSF through the years, and many have had work in Forum since its founding in 1937.  Here’s to a long, long run for a fine publication and a crucial institution!

Come out this first Tuesday, February 3rd 7–9pm for the grand opening of Gallery Ex Libris (tucked inside Bird & Beckett), exhibiting recent lithographic monoprints by local artist Robbie Sugg! galleryexlibris.com

Straight out of North Beach… The Love Gangsters! Are you ready, Glen Park? Hell yes, you are…    

  Pianist Gaea Schell, bassist Fred Randolph & drummer Tony Johnson join Dave Rocha, one of the Bay Area’s top jazz trumpet players, in our Sunday afternoon which way west? concert series, now in its sixth year of weekly sessions. Dave has worked in the New York big bands of Lionel Hampton and Machito, and with the Latin/Salsa bands of Orchestra Monterey, Tito Garcia and Martin Franco. Since relocating to San Francisco, he’s become a fixture on the scene with his own small unit and teaching gigs.