The Other Side of the Postcard edited by devorah major Available May 2005 ISBN 1-931404-06-2 $14.95 Read more! The authentic life of a major American city never seen in travelogues and postcards In conjunction with the San Francisco Public Library, poet laureate devorah major made a public appeal for poems that explored the realities of people’s lives in a city as tough and tragic as it is beautiful and exhilarating. This anthology collects the best of this poetry, by celebrated writers, schoolchildren with fresh eyes, homeless people and students, perceptive elders, and working people from every ethnicity and class. A cross-section of the city’s voices offers a passionately experienced response to the city, the nation, and the world,

The Political Edge Edited by Chris Carlsson ISBN 1-93140-405-4 $17.95 Read more! Reflections by 25 San Francisco activists and writers on elections, war, urban hell and transformational politics In the wake of the astonishing popular mobilization on behalf of an underdog campaign to elect Green Party Matt Gonzalez mayor of San Francisco, The Political Edge analyzes emergent political energies, where they came from, and where they’re going. Rarely have contemporary radicals joined forces with cultural rebels and neighborhood activists in an effort to change almost everything about the governance of a city. Cultural and political trends erupt in San Francisco, a city that thrives on dissent and new ideas. With wit and cogency, this book reveals the new dynamics that will reshape urban politics nationwide. Contributors include D.S. Black, Iain Boal, Steven Bodzin, Chris Carlsson, Mona Caron, Hugh d’Andrade, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bianca Henry, Keith Hennessy, Erick Lyle, Quintin Mecke, Alejandro Murguía, Annalee Newitz, Joel Pomerantz, Rick Prelinger, Michael Rauner, David Rosen, Marlena Sonn, Alli Starr, Ahimsa Porter Sumchai, Mattilda aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore, Michelle Tea, James Tracy, Michael Med-O Whitson, & Josh Wilson.

Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Poor in America By Tiny, a.k.a. Lisa Gray-Garcia Available November 2006 ISBN 1-931404-07-0 $15.95 Read more! A daughter’s struggle to keep her family alive, through poverty, homelessness and incarceration Eleven-year-old Lisa becomes her mother’s primary support when they face the prospect of homelessness. As Dee, a single mother, struggles with the demons of her own childhood of neglect and abuse, Lisa has to quickly assume the roles of an adult in an attempt to keep some stability in their lives. “Dee and Tiny” ultimately become underground celebrities in San Francisco, squatting in storefronts and performing the “art of homelessness.” Their story, filled with black humor and incisive analysis, illuminates the roots of poverty, the criminalization of poor families and their struggle for survival. Lisa Gray-Garcia is a journalist, poet and community activist. She is the founder of POOR magazine and the PoorNewsNetwork (PNN), a monthly radio broadcast and an online news service focused on issues of poverty and racism.

San Francisco's first Poet Laureate (1999-2000) has collected here all of his poems set in the city he has lived in for over a half a century. He brings alive, with wit and lyricism, scenes of city life: a baseball game, yachts on the Bay, a couple in Golden Gate Park, an artists' bar, the Green Street Mortuary Marching Band, and many others. Also included are historic photographs of Ferlinghetti and friends as well as his inaugural address as laureate, with his vision of the city's history as a poetic center and suggestions for keeping it that way.

Love Works brings together a collection of Janice Mirikitani's strongest poems on a diversity of subjects: the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II, family relationships, and the quest by people at the margins of society to claim justice, bread, and dignity. Also included is Mirikitani's inaugural address as San Francisco's Poet Laureate for 2000-2002, in which she discusses how poetry can connect people and transform lives.

Janice Mirikitani has lived in San Francisco since 1963. As Executive Director and President of Glide Foundation, she has created and directed programs at Glide Memorial Church for over thirty-five years. She is the author of three poetry books and has edited several anthologies of poetry and prose.

This collection of poetry begins with the poet’s inaugural address as Laureate of San Francisco, a sparkling essay that shows how poetry can please and empower. Strong, introspective and caring, devorah major’s poems capture the challenge and joy of being an artist as they survey the political and social landscapes of one of America’s favorite cities,

“A visionary of hope, with a heart big enough to embrace every neighborhood, street and alley in this magical and poetical city. Here is a poet who shoots straight as Cupid’s arrow. Zing! Right to the heart.” — Alejandro Murguía

devorah major is a poet, novelist, and essayist who has published prize-winning works of fiction and poetry. Among her books are Open Weave, Brown Glass Windows, and street smarts. She lives in San Francisco and works as an editor and arts administrator.