SF Weekly

by Hiya Swanhuyser

09/17/03

THURS-SUN 9/18-21

A late-night incident involving underwear, a swimming pool, and uniformed sailors was gleefully reported by onlookers at last year’s Litquake — poet Kim Addonizio was unrepentant, and denied nothing. In all likelihood, other writers were green with envy. Possibly due to the near-universal jealousy of that admirable display of rule-breaking, this year’s organizers have arranged for the literary festival to kick off with a panel discussion called “Creative Demons: Writers Behaving Badly.” Here’s hoping the panelists — Addonizio, Thomas Sanchez, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, and Patrick Hughes — will be encouraged by moderator Kevin Smokler to embrace the unorthodox.

Since last year’s events were packed to capacity even before the whole underpants thing, the 2003 salute to bookishness is bigger and better. “Loudmouths of Lit” (which for some weird reason does not include Lynn Breedlove) celebrates the screeching, rasping, and obnoxious behavior that for some people, in this case Daphne Gottlieb and Tim’m T. West among others, is just part of the writing process. “Tenderloin Temblor,” on Saturday night, features the grimy, street-level observations of tough guys like JT LeRoy and Michelle Tea.

Altogether, 70 writers are scheduled to read, discuss, defend, and celebrate the work they do. It’s pretty much impossible to pick out who the “really interesting” ones are, since the younger and newer authors tend to rival the more famous ones for skill. There’s not a lightweight talent in the bunch, but the proven heavy hitters include Dorothy Allison, Tamim Ansary, and Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh. Don’t take anyone’s word for it, though — see them all at the two marathon read-ins, “Off the Richter Scale,” Saturday and Sunday at Yerba Buena Gardens, Third & Mission streets, S.F. Litquake events begin Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Mechanics’ Institute Library, 57 Post (near Market), S.F. Admission is free-$5; call 393-0100 or visit www.litquake.org for a complete festival schedule.