January 19, Monday night -- Reading Instant City

Upstairs at the Elbo Room in the Mission District
John Longhi reads from his selection in the sixth edition of the literary magazine, Instant City, edited by Gravity Goldberg and Eric Zassenhuas. The theme for the issue--The Disappeared. What once existed here in San Francisco, but does no longer, like the Sutro baths and the gay scene on Polk Street.

John read a story about a bar called The Chameleon, which was just down the street from the Elbo Room (and is now Amnesia), where, at a poetry reading, MC Bucky Sinister got into a fist fight with a little old homeless man who was offending the pierced, shaved-headed lesbians in the front row with his disrespectful references to their genitalia as compared to sewer holes. The conflict was bloody. The cops showed up. The offending reader was, presumably, arrested, bleeding on the curb, still insisting he get his full five minutes to read. Arrests there were common, John explained. The cops expected that when they went to The Chameleon they'd be taking someone away.

Also at the reading, an announcement was made to rally forces to keep American Apparel, and other chain stores out of the Mission District. We want only locally owned in our neighborhood. Click here for what you can do: Go to the public hearing will be February 5th at 1:30pm, Room 400, City Hall. There will also be an event at the before mentioned Amnesia (don't be afraid, there will be no poetry) on Feb 2nd at 6pm.