Like SF, Cherkovski getting old but still squawking
For the past 40 years Neeli Cherkovski has been living in San Francisco, where he’s put out 16 books and developed an international reputation as a person of letters.
Cherkovski, who has written major biographies of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bob Kaufman and his longtime friend Charles Bukowski, typically writes long, lyrical poems prone to flights of fervor.
On any given day he’s likely to be disheveled, excitable and sporting a fresh coffee stain.
When asked to explain the significance of the crow in his book title, he said, The crow is a scamp, like a Huck Finn or a Tom Sawyer:
[...] when I say the crow, I really identify as if I want to be a person from elder age in a crow outfit, you know, dancing around the fire.
The S.F. Center for the Book hosts an opening reception for its new exhibition Without Type:
The Dynamism of Handmade Letters, which culls from the extensive collections of the new Potrero Hill design library Letterform Archive (6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island St., free). www.facebook.com/events/563008470532035.
David Ulin, Elizabeth Tallent and Anthony Marra join contributors Heather Altfeld and Dan Alter to celebrate the new issue of Zyzzyva (7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, Diesel, A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave., Oakland, free). www.dieselbookstore.com/event/oakland-winter-edition-zyzzyva.
Small Press Traffic hosts its 14th annual Poets Theater, a two-night festival of collaborations among writers, filmmakers and visual artists (7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22-23, California College of the Arts, 1111 Eighth St., S.F., $20-$25). www.facebook.com/events/474154029435671.
Sarah Kobrinsky, Vernon Keeve III and Todd Melicker read at the debut of a new series hosted by Tiff Dressen called Curiosity Poetry Series (noon Sunday, Jan. 24, Scarlet City, 3960 Adeline St., Emeryville, free). www.facebook.com/events/1681709578767420.