Red Hill Books

News Archive

Autumn Notes

It's officially Fall in San Francisco- time to put your clothes back on, can the last of your tomatoes and finish knitting that scarf you started last winter.
We've been busy at Red Hill Books too- when you visit us next, you may notice that a lot of things have been moved around (yes, the couch is still here, never fear!). If you can't find your favorite section, don't be afraid to ask us to point you in the right direction. We hope you'll agree that the changes are for the better; we love how much more open the store already feels.
We've pared down the events schedule this month, which means that although all your favorite Sunday bands will be playing their regular schedule, we won't be doing a Full Moon Concert for October. We will, however, have a fabulous mystery writer reading from her new book on Halloween Eve (Halloween-een?), and we will be handing out treats on Red Hill's front steps starting at dusk on Halloween. We also have a ton of great events planned for November, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, there's a gazillion amazing book-related things to do in the City in October. Banned Books Week is September 27th through October 4th, and the San Francisco Public Library has a fun and informative bevy of events set up to mark it. Visit their website for more information and a full schedule.
You may already know that the Library's Fall pick for the One City One Book Program is Bernal Heights resident Tamim Ansary's West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story. What you may not know is that Mr. Ansary is lovely human being and a wonderful storyteller; stop by Red Hill to hear us gush about him and pick up a copy of his book- it's an immensely satisfying and enlightening read. He'll be reading at numerous venues around the city in October, so be sure to pick up a schedule at Red Hill or visit the library's website for more information. As if that isn't enough, the library is also launching "Afghanistan 1970-1975: Images from An Era of Peace," a photographic exhibition on display at the Main Library from October 11th to January 18th. The exhibition monograph will be available at Red Hill Books as well as other indies all over the city, should you want a piece of the action for yourself!
And last, but never least, Litquake, San Francisco's own literary festival, is happening from the 3rd to the 11th- you can find a full schedule on their website too. This is perhaps your only chance this year to hear Tobias Wolff read, watch Michelle Tea collaborate on a dance with a choreographer, and take part in a roundtable discussion on the Steampunk literary phenomenon, all in less than 8 days.
Go out and have fun, then come back and report to us. We'll be here, Obama Mama breath mints, Annie Oakley action figures, tons of great books and all.

Posted 10/1/08

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, Baby

Save the dates! Red Hill Books is participating in this year's Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema.
We will show short independent films for kids on August 30th. Yes...we will be showing the films indoors....

It's gonna be a blast!

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema a whirl-wind 10+ days of screenings and special events - starting on Saturday, August 23 and finishing on Sunday,
September 7. If you can't keep up with all of the scheduled screenings, look no further than one of the 5,000 postcards mailed out to Bernal neighbors. We've got quite a stack on our front desk!

Also, team up for the first "24-hour Video Challenge" as Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema invites individuals to produce a 1-minute video in a one-day competition similar to Cinemasports. The competition
requires a team of individuals to meet, conceptualize, shoot, edit and post a
1-minute video in a 24-hour time period. A screening of the participants' work
follows with the best of the contestants' work to be screened alongside our regular
line-up at Holly Park on Saturday, August 30. To understand the challenge, go
to our YouTube promo posted at http://www.youtube.com/user/BHOutdoorCinema2008

So with all this in mind, we still have to ask, Can you help us out?
This season Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema is looking for some key Volunteer Coordinators to help produce and stage the 5th annual summer series. We have a small honorarium for persons
who help us with:

* Publicity - distributing announcements electronically
* Submissions - coordinating work of Selection Committee
* Hospitality - setting up Meet-the-Filmmakers receptions
* Program ad sales - working with new and existing advertisers

The tasks require varying time and effort between July-August. Go to http://www.bhOutdoorcine.org for more information.

Posted 7/22/08

Story Hour is Now Three Mornings a Week at Red Hill

Nothing like getting the day started with a good story and a song or two.

Every Wednesday at 10am, all the kids can count on Patrick Sosa to provide the best show on Cortland Avenue as Story Hour continues with Cherrios, board books and the hokey pokey! Patrick's always got a good story to tell!

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am, artist, itinerant librarian, and longtime Bernal neighbor, Valerie Reichert gets everybody reading, clapping and singing along. We are happy and we know it.

Posted 7/3/08

We'll Trade Ya!

Huzzah! Making Cortland Avenue the Grand Trunk Road of Bernal Heights, we've got trade for your books happenin' again at Red Hill. So thanks for your patience as we took a deep breath and picked apart the shelves so you can get cherry picked editions for your summer reading! So bring it in!
Let's see what you've got! Cause we always love a good trade.

Posted 6/30/08

Happy Pride Everybody!!

Just a quick note to say we hope everyone continues the spirit of Pride Week everyday.
It's been so great to hear people greet each other with "Happy Pride!"

Posted 6/30/08

Read Fast, Leave a Good Looking Shelf or Book Buyer Gone Fishin'

There's nothin' we like more than a good book trade. But right now, fact is, we've got more books than we've bargained for! So all the buyers at Red Hill are making serious shelf space. This means two things for you: our cash/trade deals for books are on hold for a bit...so we can't buy any books off you BUT we have a ton of great books marked way down so you can take advantage of our piles and grab some great reads for summer! And not to worry, our fishing trips never last too long, just long enough come back with a good story. In the meantime, if you want to make a trade now, bring your books to our sister store Dog Eared on 20th and Valencia.

Posted 6/12/08

June Ahern reads from her novel The Skye in June on June 13th

June Ahern reads from her novel The Skye in June

When the MacDonald family emigrates from Scotland to San Francisco, California, young June has visions. They haunt Cathy, revealing her secret past in the Scottish Highlands. June’s religiously rigid and abusive father will not tolerate the visions. This doesn’t stop his feisty redheaded daughter from her interest and curiosity in psychic phenomena and witchcraft.

The family is on the brink of imploding when June and her three sisters come of age in the early 1960’s. "Doomed to hell, every last one of you,” proclaims Jimmy whose four daughters seem to be abandoning Catholicism in favor of the Haight-Ashbury's 1960s psychedelic lifestyle.

Posted 6/2/08

Sara Wingate Gray, The Itinerant Librarian, comes to Red Hill!

Sara Wingate Gray is a poet/performance artist who woke up one day realizing that neither of her arts were big, popular, pay-the-rent professions. So she decided to go on a world tour with her library in a suitcase and loan out books of poetry to anyone interested. The Itinerant Poetry Librarian will be loaning books at Red Hill every Monday starting April 21st from 3:00 to 7:00pm. Saturday, April 19th at 6:30 she will discuss her work.

Sara Wingate Gray is the San Francisco Poetry Center's first visiting poetry scholar. She helped found the independent small press Pen&inc (based at UEA) while still a student, and went on to become a contributing editor of its international literary magazine Pretext.

In 2002, she founded The Poetry Cubicle, an artist-led not for profit, interactive performance space and poetry organization.

She has performed and toured with The Poetry Cubicle at venues across Great Britain and beyond, including the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Norwich Fringe Festival and Amsterdam International Poetry Festival.

From 2004 through 2007 she presented the poetry and spoken word radio programme, The Poetry Cubicle Presents™, on Future Radio FM.

In 2006 she was asked by the BBC to produce a short documentary on her life as a poet for the Video Nation project.

Posted 5/20/08

Beth Lisick, Helping Me Help Myself

Friday, March 14, 7pm. Beth Lisick tells all with a party (and reading) at Red Hill Books. A night of self-actualization and organic fruit coaching.

Beth Lisick is the bestselling author of four books and the co-organizer of the Porchlight Storytelling series, now in its fifth year. Lisick is a local hero and hilarious. Don't miss this fun night at Red Hill!

Grappling with her lifelong phobia of anything slick, cheesy, or remotely claiming to provide self-empowerment, Beth Lisick wakes up on New Year's Day 2006 with an unprecedented feeling. She is finally able to admit to herself that she's grown tired of embracing the same old set of nagging problems year after year. She has no savings account. Her house feels unorganized and chaotic. She and her husband never hang out together. The last time she exercised regularly was as a member of her high school track team almost twenty years ago.

Instead of turning to advice from the abundant pool of local life coaches, therapists, and healers readily available on her home turf of northern California, Beth confronts her fears head-on. She consults the multimillion-dollar-earning pros and national experts, not only reading their bestselling books but also attending their seminars and classes. In Chicago, she gets proactive with “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” in Atlanta, she tries to get a handle on exactly why "Women are from Venus," and in a highly comedic bout on the high seas of the Caribbean, she gamely sweats to the oldies on a weeklong “Cruise to Lose” with Richard Simmons.

Posted 3/20/08