The 7th annual Norton Awards, a San Francisco Bay area specific award, are given each year for “extraordinary invention and creativity unhindered by the constraints of paltry reason.” They were presented on August 30th at the Tachyon Publications 14th anniversary party held at Borderlands Books in San Francisco. The award is named after and commemorates the memory of Joshua Norton I, Emperor of the United States of America and Protector of Mexico, and is represented by a bust of Norton sculpted by Paul Groendes. The physical award is called a Joshua. It is a juried award, and the judges are Richard Lupoff (author), Alan Beatts (book store proprietor), and Jacob Weisman (editor/publisher). Two awards are given, one to a single work of SF/F/H or to an author in these genres; the second to any creation, creator, or service relating to those genres. The winners for 2009 were:

• Doug Dorst for Alive in Necropolis
• Charlie Jane Anders for Writers with Drinks and io9.com

… and you’re invited!

Tachyon Publications 14th Anniversary Party

Sunday, August 30th: 2 PM – 6 PM at Borderlands Books, 866 Valencia Street (at 20th St.) San Francisco.

Come and help Tachyon Publications celebrate 14 years in publishing, featuring the Emperor Norton Awards, a star-studded tribute to the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction’s 60th Anniversary (with a special giveaway gift for the first 50 guests!), food and drink, and lots of very special guests, like authors Peter S. Beagle & Richard A. Lupoff!

“Saving the world…one good book at a time!”

… and here is a preview of our contribution.

Color Me SF: The Science Fiction Worlds of Octavia Butler and Carl Brandon

7:00 PM, Saturday, October 10

Variety – The Preview Room Theatre, 582 Market St.

$5 admission; cash bar benefiting The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund

Join us for a panel on Octavia Butler, one of science fiction’s preeminent authors of color. The evening will include readings, Q & A moderated by author Terry Bisson, and discussion on the Carl Brandon Society, “dedicated to addressing the representation of people of color in the fantastical genres.”

Apparently we got the dates wrong for the San Fransisco Zine Fest. It should of course be August 22/23, which is a weekend. Sorry.

August 30, 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

14 YEARS OF SAVING THE WORLD, ONE GOOD BOOK AT A TIME!

Please join us for the annual Tachyon Publications Anniversary Party! The Emperor Norton Awards, a special Tachyon giveaway, food, refreshments, and lots of special guests!

More to be announced – keep in touch by checking back here.

Party will be at Borderlands Books, 866 Valencia Street, San Francisco

Saturday, August 29, 1:00 PM to dusk
THE BIG BASH AT THE CLUBHOUSE #3 – celebrating Bird & Beckett’s 10th year!

Jazz – country – afrobeat – food – music – raffle prizes – poets with performances by:

• Jonathan Richman
• 77 El Deora
• Woe Legion
• B&B Jazz All-Stars

$10 at the door or in advance at the shop ; proceeds benefit the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project. Festivities happen at the Miraloma Clubhouse, 350 O’Shaughnessy at Del Vale (on the road that runs up toward Portola from Glen Park alongside Glen Canyon) San Francisco

Sunday, August 23, 2009, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
San Francisco literary magazine ZYZZYVA celebrates its 25th year! Join us when actress Lorri Holt and others do dramatic readings of the first published stories by Jill Soloway, Haruki Murakami, and F.X. “Million Dollar Baby” Toole and other fiction discoveries first published in ZYZZYVA magazine.

San Francisco Public Library – Main Library Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street at Grove, San Francisco

Saturday, August 22, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

The Cartoon Art Museum hosts freelance artist and cartoonist Alex Schumacher on Saturday, August 22, 2009 from 1pm to 3pm as part of its ongoing Cartoonist-in-Residence program. Museum visitors will be offered the chance to talk to him about his comics and watch Schumacher at work.

Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission Street, San Francisco

August 22 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM & August 23 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

SFZF serves as a vital annual showcase of the diversity, vitality and ongoing exuberance of the small-press movement. Writers, cartoonists, crafters, illustrators, printmakers and all manner of artists will be in attendance. While the majority of the exhibitors hail from the Bay Area, creators from across the West Coast and beyond will be represented. While the focus is on zines, all walks of DIY life are represented — comics, arts and crafts, literary presses, and more.

SF Zine Fest was founded in 2002 by Jenn of Starfiend Distro, and brought to you by the hard-working folks at Family Style, Miromi, New Lights Press, Monkey & Seal, and many other wonderful volunteers

SF County Fair Building (formerly Hall of Flowers), 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park

For more information, For more information, please visit the web site.

Update: dates corrected. The event is Sat/Sun, not Fri/Sat.

There are lots of them, starting tomorrow.
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