Arts & Culture :: Culture

Witch ways: Christine Cunningham Ashworth's 'Scott Cunningham: The Path Taken'

Witch ways: Christine Cunningham Ashworth's 'Scott Cunningham: The Path Taken'

  • by Jim Piechota
  • Oct 24, 2023

Written by his younger sister, Christine, this biography of Wiccan trailblazer Scott Cunningham (1956-1993) is a fitting and loving tribute to a queer man who helped usher witchcraft into the mainstream.

Mark Abramson's 'Laughing Matters'

Mark Abramson's 'Laughing Matters'

  • Oct 17, 2023

Mark Abramson's sequel of sorts, 'Laughing Matters: Pandemic Diaries from Castro Street 2021-2022' pushes forward from his previous diary-book when the author roamed the empty Castro district where bars and restaurants were closed by the city.

Eddie Izzard and Alex Edelman: Pushing the envelope of stand-up

Eddie Izzard and Alex Edelman: Pushing the envelope of stand-up

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Oct 16, 2023

This month, San Francisco audiences can see two of the brainiest comics currently working in full-length solo shows: queer British entertainer Eddie Izzard, and rising star Alex Edelman.

'We Are Tenacious' — Trans and queer ranchers in new documentary

'We Are Tenacious' — Trans and queer ranchers in new documentary

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Oct 15, 2023

"We Are Tenacious," billed as a classic story of American perseverance, features transgender Alpaca rancher Penny Logue and her dedicated band of queer ranchers who endured threats from a local rightwing militia.

Golden Thread's ReOrient Festival — Middle Eastern playwrights share their stories

Golden Thread's ReOrient Festival — Middle Eastern playwrights share their stories

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Oct 14, 2023

The ReOrient Festival of Short Plays, running at Potrero Stage includes three productions of works by queer and nonbinary Middle Eastern playwrights with a focus on LGBTQ characters.

Going Out, Oct. 12-20, 2023

Going Out, Oct. 12-20, 2023

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Oct 12, 2023

Along with the currently running "Rocky Horror Show" and the upcoming Anthony Rapp musical, "Without You" (see our features in this week's issue), we've also got art exhibits, music concerts, plus bar and nightclub listings in Going Out, each week.

Anthony Rapp's 'Without You' — Musical musings on love and loss

Anthony Rapp's 'Without You' — Musical musings on love and loss

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Oct 10, 2023

From October 19-22 actor Anthony Rapp, whose career took off when he was cast as Mark Cohen in the now classic musical "Rent," will bring his solo musical "Without You" to the Curran Theater.

Alvin Orloff's 'Vulgarian Rhapsody'

Alvin Orloff's 'Vulgarian Rhapsody'

  • by Jim Piechota
  • Oct 10, 2023

Alvin Orloff knows good books. And he's written one, too, with his fourth novel about a group of queer San Francisco residents who feel the pinch of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s.

Justin Torres' brilliant new novel, 'Blackouts'

Justin Torres' brilliant new novel, 'Blackouts'

  • by Tim Pfaff
  • Oct 8, 2023

Justin Torres deploys fluid, engaging writing throughout his new novel, "Blackouts," that's far from frivolous but not shy of hilarity when warranted. In a way all its own, it's a consistent pleasure to read.

Mimi Tempestt: queer poet's 'The Delicacy of Embracing Spirals'

Mimi Tempestt: queer poet's 'The Delicacy of Embracing Spirals'

  • by Laura Moreno
  • Oct 3, 2023

The new groundbreaking poetry collection "The Delicacy of Embracing Spirals," Mimi Tempestt's second book, is being released October 3 by City Lights Books. Since 2017, she has been an integral part of the Bay Area poetry scene.

Reunion: celebrating queer history with the GLBT Historical Society

Reunion: celebrating queer history with the GLBT Historical Society

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Oct 3, 2023

On October 14 the GLBT Historical Society will pull out all stops when it presents "Reunion," the organization's annual gala. The event, which takes place at the Marines Memorial Club and Hotel, promises to celebrate the community's vast queer past.

Going Out, Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2023

Going Out, Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2023

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Sep 28, 2023

You can find plenty of arts and nightlife entertainment options whether you're in San Francisco, Oakland or anywhere in the Bay Area, this week and every week.

Marga Gomez is 'Swimming With Lesbians'

Marga Gomez is 'Swimming With Lesbians'

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Sep 26, 2023

Ahoy, mateys! Lesbian comic Marga Gomez brings her 14th one-person show, "Swimming With Lesbians," to Brava Cabaret October 6-22. Yearning for her first lesbian affair, the main character Isabelle boards a notorious cruise ship "the Celesbian."

Julie Marie Wade - 'Otherwise' author on writing, life and love

Julie Marie Wade - 'Otherwise' author on writing, life and love

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Sep 26, 2023

Award-winning lesbian writer and educator Julie Marie Wade lights up every room she enters. Her joyful spirit qualifies her as the Mary Tyler Moore of literature.