The writers seemed excited—excited to be participating in a twelve-year San Francisco tradition, and to share something that had been written in a fury within the past few weeks. Even for the most experienced, writing is an ongoing process through which they never stop being surprised by what pops up on the page.
Looking around the room at the people of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, I couldn’t stop wondering what everyone was doing at a reading on a Monday night. About a hundred people came out to hear fiction read aloud, not to mention the nine other readings that night in other parts of the city. With over 850 authors and 150 events, this year’s Litquake is the biggest ever.
The stories were quick and entertaining, each one funny and unusual and vivid. Tucking the hefty Litquake Festival Guide into my purse so I could go home and pick out events for the rest of the week, I left the Lone Palm with three resolutions: buy Malena Watrous’s book, keep an eye out for work by Rob Ehle, and go see Charlie Varon’s play Fwd: Life Gone Viral this fall at The Marsh.
See more about Litquake at our events page.