Join us on Saturday, November 22, at 10:00 am for a very special City Lights History Talk and Tour with Peter Maravelis, Event Director at City Lights Booksellers & Publishers.
Founded in 1953 as the first all-paperback bookstore in the United States, City Lights quickly became central to the Beat movement and a touchstone in the fight for free speech. This guided talk and tour will offer insight into the bookstore’s radical literary history, its cultural impact, and its ongoing role as a landmark of San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
Meeting Point: Jack Kerouac Alley, between City Lights and the historic Vesuvio Café (261 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, a 30-minute walk from the InterContinental SF). Please arrive promptly at 10:00 am.
Donation: Optional donation encouraged.
Guide: Peter Maravelis, a native San Franciscan with lifelong involvement in the arts and literary scenes. He is the editor of San Francisco Noir (2005) and San Francisco Noir 2: The Classics (2009), and has produced numerous festivals and performance series celebrating the avant-garde.
RSVP required for this excursion; please log into pamla.ballastacademic.com and register via the Registration tab so we can anticipate attendance numbers.