Here's some big news for the kabillions of fans of pygmy craft doyenne Amy Sedaris. The plucky comic/party planner is appearing at San Francisco's Roxie Theatre this December 4 to read from her book Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.
Like her DIY party book, this one is typical (Amy) Sedaris, by which we mean all hysterical and barbed and darling and practical all at once.
Belying the title, tickets cost $100. But it's a benefit for the Roxie, that creaky old box of cinematic treasures, so ponying up a c-note to learn how to make windchimes from soda cans is in no way ironic. It just means you're a good person or a patron of the arts or something!
Also, the $100 gets you into a meet-and-greet with Sedaris, and the Roxie's promising treats and libations.
An Evening With Amy Sedaris
8 p.m. on Sunday, December 4 at The Roxie Theatre, 3117 16th St. (at Valencia). 415-863-1087. Tickets available here.
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The "standard scientific narrative" about human romantic and sexual relationships goes like this: Men are obsessed with sex and determined to control their mates' sexuality to ensure they continue their own lineage. Women engage in sex with men only to make sure that they and their offspring have food and shelter. Thus, it's "natural" for men and women to pair-bond and be monogamous. So it went for generations. And then along comes Christopher Ryan. In his book, Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships, Ryan and co-author Cacilda Jetha use humor, logic, and boatloads of their own research to debunk the scientific literature that insists humans are "hard-wired" for monogamy, men are "born to cheat," and women tolerate sex but don't really like it.
Ryan, who has a doctorate in psychology and a bachelor's degree in English, appears Wednesday in a panel discussion at Supperclub San Francisco with sexologists and relationship-theory experts. The discussion is followed by a dance party. We spoke with Ryan recently about his book and his research.
The Occupy movement has generated some exciting and downright scary moments in American society. From the heartwarming camaraderie shown by demonstrators in New York City to the Tiananmen Square like scenes in Oakland, the movement is brimming with stories and fables. So we took inspiration from current events to spawn TV programs that might resonate with the Occupy generation. Forget the politically incognizant shows like Gossip Girl, Glee, or The Real Housewives. Here are some ideas for OWS-based entertainment that genuinely touch on issues faced by this nation:
BART 911
What goes through the mind of a BART cop when faced with fare-cheaters and agitated protesters? How does an officer decide between civility and strong-arm tactics while operating on such limited geographic terrain -- where one misstep can mean kissing an oncoming train and leaving work that day in a zipped-up bag? These questions are answered in a new reality series BART 911 -- a penetrating exposé that takes a hard look at the endurance and tolerance among members of a misunderstood and despised public transit law enforcement agency.
At an estate sale last week, I found the January, 1976, issue of Action Wrestling, California's "Official Wrestling Magazine." It's stuffed with asskick the way a cornucopia's stuffed with gourds. Most notable is its reminder that Andre the Giant was a phenomenon of inky, underground image reproduction back when Shepard Fairey was in Underoos.
It also reminds us that -- WWE Raw notwithstanding -- wrestling could at times truly seem raw:
