Events - Modern Times Bookstore

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	Reading & Discussion Uses of a Whirlwind: Movement, Movements and Contemporary Radical Currents Team Colors Collective - Sunday, August 8 - 3 PM Uses of a Whirlwind, an edited collection of more then thirty contributors, is more than just a snapshot of current activity, organizing, ideas, and questions circulating among today’s radicals. It’s an opportunity for organizers, theorists, strategists, and movement elders to share and connect, to speak honestly of the challenges before us, to articulate new demands and possibilities in the ongoing war against state and capital. A short reading and presentation will be followed by a discussion period, and we ask participants to bring stories and reflection of their own organizing to the event. top of page

	Reading Ethical Borders Bill Ong Hing - Wednesday, August 11 - 6 PM Co-hosted by the Asian Law Caucus (ALC), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), San Francisco Immigrant and Legal Education Network (SFILEN), Filipino Advocates for Justice, Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) and Centro Legal de la Raza. In his topical new book, Ethical Borders, Bill Ong Hing asks, why do undocumented immigrants from Mexico continue to enter the United States and what would discourage this surreptitious traffic? An expert on immigration law and policy, Hing examines the relationship between NAFTA, globalization, and undocumented migration, and he considers the policy options for controlling immigration. He develops an ethical rationale for opening up the U.S./Mexican border, as well as improving conditions in Mexico so that its citizens would have little incentive to migrate. Hing considers the world-wide economic crisis and the social problems that attend labor migration, and argues for a spectrum of changes, including: a new vision of border enforcement; a broader view of the visa system; a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants; and consideration of a guest worker program. top of page

	Reading Creating a Movement with Teeth: A History of the George Jackson Brigade Edited by Daniel Burton-Rose - Wednesday, August 18 - 7 PM Bursting into existence in the Pacific Northwest in 1975, the George Jackson Brigade claimed 14 pipe bombings against corporate and state targets, as many bank robberies, and the daring rescue of a jailed member. Creating a Movement With Teeth illuminates a forgotten chapter of the radical social movements of the 1970s in which diverse interests combined forces in a potent rejection of business as usual in the United States. top of page

	Reading Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love Dave Zirin - Monday, August 23 - 7 PM The fastest-growing sector of today’s sports audience is the alienated fan. Bad Sports cuts through the hype and bombast to zero in on tales of abusive, dictatorial owners who move their teams thousands of miles away from their fan base, use their stadiums as religious and political platforms, or hold communities ransom for millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund their gargantuan stadiums. As the multibillion-dollar sports-industrial complex continues to lumber along, Dave Zirin is the voice in the wilderness, speaking out for the common fan with a tough, passionate, and intelligent voice that will remind readers that there is more to sportswriting than glowing athlete profiles. top of page

	Launch CALYX journal 26.1 Featuring readings by: Michelle Brittan, Anna Belle Kaufman, Lisa Rizzo and Edythe Haendel Schwartz - Wednesday, August 25 - 7 PM CALYX Inc., a non-profit press in Corvallis, Oregon, publishes fine art and literature by women. CALYX produces a bi-annual literary journal which showcases the best women’s writing talent from across the nation. Come celebrate CALYX’s launch of their most recent journal. top of page

	Reading Hobos, Hustlers, and Backsliders: Homeless in San Francisco Teresa Gowan - Thursday August 26 - 7 PM In Hobos, Hustlers, and Backsliders, Teresa Gowan vividly depicts the lives of homeless men in San Francisco and analyzes the influence of the homelessness industry on the streets, in the shelters, and on public policy. This powerful ethnography makes clear that the way we talk about issues of extreme poverty has real consequences for how we address this problem-and for the homeless themselves. top of page

	Reading Kicked Out Featuring editor Sassafras Lowrey and contributors Tommi Avicolli Mecca and Booh Eduardo - Saturday, August 28 - 7 PM In the U.S., 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and tells these forgotten stories of some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Diverse contributors share stories of survival and abuse with poignant accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families. top of page

	Release Party Down and Derby: The Insider’s Guide to Roller Derby Alex Cohen and Jennifer Barbee - Sunday, August 29 - Party at 6:30 PM, reading at 7:30 PM! - OFF-SITE: Amnesia Bar, 853 Valencia St (between 19th & 20th St) Written by veteran skaters as both a history and a how-to, Down and Derby is a brassy celebration of every aspect of the sport, from its origins in the late 1800s to the rules of a modern bout to the science of picking an alias to the many ways you can get involved off skates. With the same tough, sassy, DIY attitude—leavened with plenty of humor—that the sport is known for, Down and Derby is the first and last book on derby you’ll ever need. Come party with the Bay Area Derby Girls for the launch! top of page

Tede Matthews Initiative Special Events The Tede Matthews Initiative (TMI) is a new project of Modern Times Bookstore. Honoring the fierce cultural legacy of founding collective member Tede Matthews’ queer literary cultural activism, TMI partners with Mission District community cultural organizations, schools, artists, and educators to launch a series of performances, workshops and free to low cost cultural events to support the Bay Area's activist, artistic, and literary communities. To support us or find out more, click here.


Wild Medicine 101 Herbology workshops by Joshua Muscat - Tuesdays, August 3 and August 10 - 7 PM - $25 In these two accessible workshops, San Francisco Botanical Medicine Clinic founder and herbalist Joshua Muscat will teach the basics of wildcrafting (ethnically wild harvesting) herbs and botanicals, and how to make tinctures and salves from common California wild plants for home use. top of page

Homo Faber: The Labor Theory of Human Origins A Talk by Eugene E Ruyle *presented in Cooperation with the Institute for the Critical Study of Society* - Monday, August 9 - 7 PM It is not generally appreciated that the fossil discoveries of the past century have confirmed the insights of Marx and Engels that labor constitutes the essential feature of humanity. This talk will examine the human labor process, review the fossil evidence, and discuss how the evidence supports a labor theory of human origins and human nature. Eugene E Ruyle is an Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Cal State Long Beach. top of page
Monthly Events

Spanish Book Club/ Circulo de Lectoras/ es de Literatura en Espanol - Fourth Thursdays: August 24 - 7 PM A mix of native speakers and advanced level hablantes, the group has been meeting in the Mission District on a monthly basis for nine years. Participants receive a 10% discount on their book purchases. Los libros estan en la seccion de libros en espanol. Las personas que participan en el grupo reciben 10% de descuento al comprar los libros. top of page

Queer Open Mic - Every fourth Friday: August 27 - 7 PM sign up, 7:30 PM show A monthly event and a Modern Times favorite. Queer Open Mic offers a wild mix of open mic performances and kick-ass features. All ages and kinds of queer are welcome. Five minute max, $3-$5 donation, no one turned away, lots of gay love power. June 25: Featuring Genderfork (with Sarah Dopp) Genderfork is a community expression project about non-traditional gender identities. It was founded by Sarah Dopp, it’s run by a global staff of volunteers, and it gives voice to thousands of beautiful gender nonconforming people from all over. top of page

The Burger Queen Social By the minds of Gay Shame & Ships in the Night - Last Saturday of the month: August 28 - 5:30 PM On the lookout for a way to connect with wildly queer, deviously radical, hella fun queers? Well, here comes the Burger Queen Social! A great opportunity to meet other radical queer folks to hook up for political witchery and great discussion. Free vegan eats and a wicked DJ! top of page

Low-Cost Activist Spanish Classes Taught by Francisco Jimenez - Saturdays - 1-2:30 PM - $15-20 Francisco strives to teach effective, useful spanish to all, no matter your proficiency. The focus is on spanish for activists and polticial organizers. Classes are small (often one-on-one) and tailored to your needs. A necessary foundation for any one doing political work in the Americas. top of page

Gay Shame Weekly Meetings - Every Saturday - 5:30 PM Gay Shame seeks nothing less than a new queer activism that foregrounds race, class, gender and sexuality, to counter gay consumerism and the increasingly hypocritical left. Come to a general meeting: all are welcome. top of page