Contra Costa Times (read original article)

SUE GILMORE: BOOKENDS

DON’T LOOK now, but quake season is just around the corner — Litquake, that is.

The 2006 version of San Francisco’s annual weeklong festival celebrating fine Bay Area writers, culminating with the by-now infamous Lit Crawl down Valencia Street to the Mission, doesn’t take place until October. But a rather impressive benefit bash called Booked!, featuring such lit luminaries as Tobias Wolff, Amy Tan, Peter Coyote, ZZ Packer and Ishmael Reed among many others, takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 21 in the Green Room of the Veterans Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.

In addition to the food, the wine and the rubbing of writerly elbows, there will be music provided by Marc Capelle and the Casuals, and a silent auction of donated items both traditional — weekend getaways, signed books, guest certificates — and, well, downright wacko. My personal favorite in the latter category is a “customized” crank call to the friend (or foe) of the winner’s choosing, courtesy of Daniel “Lemony Snicket” Handler.

Tickets to the affair — at which both “shabby chic” and “bling” attire is strongly encouraged — start at $75 for the price of admission for one. More information is available at the Web site at www.litquake.org/fundraisersevents/booked-a-litquake-fundraiser.

Litquake 2006 takes place Oct. 6-14 at 35 San Francisco venues, with more than 350 authors participating.