TUESDAY, NOV. 27 

El Cerrito Democratic Club meets to discuss the endorsement of February ballot initiatives, with Abdi Soltani, Executive Director of the Campaign for College Opportunity at 7:30 p.m. at ECDCs new location, El Cerrito United Methodist Church, 6830 Stockton St., near Richmond Ave. Members of the public are welcome. 375-5647. www.ecdclub.org 

“Bicycle Touring in Italy” A slide presentation with Paul and Teri Hudson at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

Lead-Safe Painting and Remodeling Class for homeowners who want to learn to detect and remedy lead hazards in the home. From 6 to 8 p.m. at Emeryville Recreation Center, 4300 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville. Free, but resgistration required. 567-8280. www.aclppp.org 

Berkeley High School Governance Council meets at 4:15 p.m. in the Community Theater Lobby. 644-4803. 

Berkeley PC Users Group meets to discuss computer problems and remedies at 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St., near corner of Eunice. MelDancing@aol.com 

Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 6 p.m. at West Pauley Ballroom MLK Student Union, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment go to www.BeADonor.com  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

“Accupressure for Pain” with Lawrence Schectman at noon at the Fibromyalgia Education Group, Herrick Campus, Alta Bates Medical Center, 2001 Dwight Way, followed by pot-luck. 644-3273.  

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Street Level Cycles Community Bike Program Come use our tools as well as receive help with performing repairs free of charge. Youth classes available. Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 2 to 6 p.m. at at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Community Sing-a-Long every Tues, at 2 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

Fresh Produce Stand at San Pablo Park from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Frances Albrier Community Center. Sponsored by the Ecology Center’s Farm Fresh Choice. 848-1704. www.ecologycenter.org 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 

Birding with the Golden Gate Audubon Society at Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park in Oakland. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the large spherical cage near Nature Center at Perkins and Bellevue. 834-1066. 

“Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power” with Mark Schapiro in conversation with Michael Pollan at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. For tickets contact 415-255-7296. ext. 253. www.globalexchange.org/events 

“Holiday Giving: Think Green, Think Fair Trade, and Don’t Get Scammed” Program and Holiday Party with the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers at 1:30 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, corner of MLK. 548-9696. 

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium with Ruth Tringham on “Multi-scalar Spatial Context of Past Social Practices” at 1 p.m. at Wurster Hall, Room 315A, UC Campus. All welcome. laep.ced.berkeley.edu/events/colloquium 

Small Business Loan Application Night with Lenders for Community Development, a not-for-profit providing loans and business consulting to low-income business owners who cannot qualify for bank loans from 5 to 7 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. RSVP to 1-866-299-8173. buildcredit@L4CD.com  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes and a warm hat. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

After-School Program Homework help, drama and music for children ages 8 to 18, every Wed. from 4 to 7:15 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Cost is $5 per week. 845-6830. 

Teen Book Club meets to discuss derivative titles at 4 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6121. 

War and Peace Book Group meets to discuss “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut at 7 p.m. at Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 16. 

THURSDAY, NOV. 29 

“The Legacy of Berkeley Parks: A Century of Planning and Making” at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.  

BASIL Seed Library Meeting Learn how to support local garden seed saving at 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 658-9178. 

“Using Science and Technologies for Environmental and Health Problems in Developing Countries” with Christina Galitsky of LBNL at the Association for Women in Science meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Novartis, Room 4.104, 4560 Horton St. Suggested donation $5-$10. www.ebawis.org 

Green Collar Jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area at noon at Morgan Hall Lounge, 114 Morgan Hall, UC Campus. 642-6371. 

“Broken Promises, Broken Dreams - Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resiliance” with author Alice Rothchild at 7:30 p.m. at Kehilla Synagogue located at 1300 Grand Avenue, Piedmont.  

Babies & Toddlers Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

FRIDAY, NOV. 30 

“The Camden 28” a documentary on the nonviolent antiwar resistors who were arrested in the summer of 1971 for the break-in at the Camden NJ draft board, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Friends Church, Sacramento & Cedar. 923-1853. 

East Bay Paratransit A community meeting with Assemblywoman Loni Hancock at 1 p.m. at North Oakland Senior Center, 5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, entrance at parking lot at 58th St., Oakland. 559-1406. 

Teen Playreaders meets to read “Hamlet” and other plays based on the classic, at 4 p.m. at Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6121. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from noon to 1 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. 644-8833. 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Donald H. Blevins, Chief Probation Officer, Alameda County, “How the Alameda County Probation System Serves its Citizens” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

SATURDAY, DEC. 1 

Native American Pow Wow with drumming, dancing, Native American crafts and foods, and activities for children, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sun. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Laney College Gymnasium, 900 Fallon St. at 10th, Oakland. Benefits American Indian Child Resource Center. 208-1870, ext. 310. 

Spinning a Yarn Listen to fairy tales inpired by spinners and watch the spinning wheel turn at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Alternative Gift Market, with gifts that can change the world - medical supplies for Darfur, reforestation in Haiti, or shelter for our neighbors here in the East Bay, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. 236-4348. 

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant’s Crafts Fair with world crafts and art from Africa, Central America, Haiti, Palestine, Afghanistan and Tibet, Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way at Dana.  

California College of the Arts Holiday Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oliver Art Center, CCA’s Oakland campus, 5212 Broadway, at College Ave.  

Berkeley Artisans Open Studios Sat and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 16. 845-2612. www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Richmond Art Center Holiday Art Festival with art and craft sale, hands-on art activities for children and silent auction, from noon to 5 p.m. at 2540 Barrett Ave., at 25th St., Richmond. 620-6772. www.therichmondartcenter.org 

Alameda Artists Holiday Open Studios Sat. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A map of open studios is available at www.ci.alameda.ca.us/arpd 

Masala Artist Collective Holiday Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Swarm Gallery, 560 Second St., Oakland. 654-9180. 

Small Press Distribution Holiday Open House with a book sale and readings from noon to 4 p.m. at 1341 7th St. at Gilman. 524-1668.  

Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library Holiday Book Sale with books, pamphlets, and more, at 10 a.m. 595-7417. 

Berkeley Historical Society Walking Tour of “The Hillside School” Built in 1925 by Walter Ratcliff, led by Kay Dolit and Carolyn Adams. Walk is from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. To register and for information on meeting place call 848-0181. www.cityofberkeley.info/histsoc/ 

Plant Natives on Berkeley Paths Join Friends of Five Creeks and Berkeley Path Wanderers to plant natives along pathways in the Upper Codornices Creek watershed. Call to RSVP. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Walk the Upper Claremont with Berkeley Path Wanderers Explore history, trails, and hidden open spaces in the upper Claremont area on a Berkeley Path Wanderers Association walk. Meet at 10 a.m. at Peet’s Coffee, 2916 Domingo. 849-1969. www.berkeleypaths.org 

French Broom Removal Volunteers needed to remove the broom in Redwood Regional Park. We provide the tools. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Skyline Gate staging area, 8500 Skyline Blvd. 812-8265. 

Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild Mushrooms Explore the mysteries of the mushroom, with exhibits, slidetalks, mushroom marketplace, tasty mushroom soup for sale, and hands-on fungus fun for the whole family, Sat. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from noon to 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of CA, 1000 Oak St., at 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2200. 

Book Drive for West County Reads Bring your book donations to Jenny K at 6927 Stockton Ave. and Well Grounded Coffee and Tea, 6925 Stockton Ave., El Cerrito, Sat. and Sun. between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. www.westcountyreads.org  

“Sowing Seeds” Humane Education Workshop for teachers and advocates for social justice and environmental preservation, Sat. from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 240 Mulford, UC Campus. Registration is $125, students $35. Financial aid available. sowingseeds@HumanEducation.org 

Behind the Scenes at Pixar Animation Studios Benefit for the Emery Ed Fund at 11 a.m. at Pixar Animation Studios, 1200 Park Ave., Emeryville. Tickets are $100 and up. 601-4911. 

Political Affairs Readers Group “Class Struggle in a Socialist Market Economy” A discussion at 10 a.m. at the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Sponsored by the Communist Party USA, Oakland Berkeley Branch. Articles available at www.politicalaffairs.com 

Produce Stand at Spiral Gardens Food Security Project from 1 to 6 p.m. at the corner of Sacramento and Oregon St. 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, DEC. 2 

22nd Annual Holiday Appeal for Class-War Prisoners from 3 to 6 p.m. at Berkeley Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita Ave. at Cedar. Cost is $5-$10. 839-0852. 

Making Natural Holiday Wreaths Learn about fir, bay and other flora and how to use them, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. Please bring a pair of small hand-clippers, a large flat box and a bag lunch. Not appropriate for children under 8. Cost of $25-$34. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Berkeley Artisans Open Studios from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 16. 845-2612. www.berkeleyartisans.com 

Richmond Art Center Holiday Arts Festival with arts and crafts, silent auction, children’s art activities from noon to 5 p.m. at 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. 620-6772. 

Albany Holiday Art Show and Sale, with watercolors, drawings, paintings and etchings, acrylic paintings, cards, bookmarks and more, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. 559-7226. 

Masala Artist Collective Holiday Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Swarm Gallery, 560 Second St., Oakland. 654-9180. 

Old Time Radio East Bay Collectors and listeners gather to enjoy shows together at 5 p.m. at a private home in Berkeley. For more information email DavidinBerkeley at Yahoo.com. 

“Using Filters in Photoshop” with Don Melandry, photoimager, at 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6107.  

Cool Schools Warming Campaign for middle and high school students to learn how to take action against global warming in their schools and communities, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the College and Career Center, Berkeley High School, 1980 Allston Way, at Milvia. RSVP to 704-4030. chicory@earthteam.net 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Tibetan Buddhism with Jack Petranker on “Are We Ready for the Truth?” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000 www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, DEC. 3 

“Protecting North Richmond Wetlands” with Rich Walkling of Natural Heritage Institute at 7 p.m. at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin at Masonic. Free. 848-9358. www.fivecreeks.org 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

CITY MEETINGS 

City Council meets Tues., Nov. 27, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Planning Commission meets Wed., Nov. 28, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Janet Homrighausen, 981-7484.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487.

The Nov. 23 story “Judge Throws Out Oak-to-9th Plan EIR” mistakenly stated that Alex Katz, communications director in the Oakland’s city attorney’s office, said the court agreed with the city on 14 of the EIR complaints and with the plaintiffs on 10 issues. Mr. Katz had said the court had agreed with the city on 10 issues and with the plaintiffs on four issues, for a total of 14 issues.

TUESDAY, NOV. 27 

CHILDREN 

First Stage Children’s Theater “Stone Soup: The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $5 at the door. 

FILM 

“Film and Video at CCA: Performative, Gestural, Collaborative Work” with filmmakers in person at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Freight and Salvage Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $4.50-$5.50. 548-1761.  

George Higgins & Jerry Ratch at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College Auditorium, 2050 Center St. 525-5476.  

CJ Pascoe, author, in conversation with Barrie Thorne on “Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity & Sexuality in High School” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585.  

Robert Kuttner discusses “The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Edmund Welles Bass Clarinet Quartet, avant jazz, heavy chamber music, black metal, and classic rock at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club. 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $20. 525-5211.  

LeRoy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 525-5054.  

Singers’ Open Mic with Kelly Park at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Randy Craig Trio , jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Bilal, neo-soul jazz vocalist, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Paula Kamen disucsses “Finding Iris Chang” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 559-9500. 

Mark Schapiro and Michael Pollan in conversation on “Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products: Who’s at Risk and What’s at Stake for American Power” at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $5-$13. 559-9500. 

Melanie West reads from her new legal thriller “Conflict of Interest” at 7 p.m. at Laurel Book Store, 4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 531-2073. 

“Writing Teachers Write” teacher/student readings from the Bay Area Writing Project at 5 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oakland City Center Holiday Concert with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

U.C. Jazz at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $6. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Billy Dunn & Bluesway at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. West coast swing dance at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Rumbache at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Crowsong at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Leni Stern at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Bilal, neo-soul jazz vocalist, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, NOV. 29 

EXHIBITIONS 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“n+1: The Function of the Small Magazine at the Present Time” with editors of the journal on literature, politics and culture at 6 p.m. at 141 McCone Hall, UC Campus.  

Joanna Katz will show slides and talk about her paintings and mixed media pieces in the current show Magpies@Giorgi at 4 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave., at Ashby. 647-3513. 

Elizabeth Currid on “The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City” at 5:30 p.m. at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

“The Legacy of Berkeley Parks: A Century of Planning and Making” with Marcia Grady, Sadie Graham and Louise Mozingo at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.  

Alice Rothchild reads from her new book “Broken Promises, Broken Dreams - Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resiliance” at 7:30 p.m. at Kehilla Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont.  

Stephen Vincent and Pat Reed, poets, at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Adam David Miller introduces “Ticket to Exile: A Memoir” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Tallis Scholars “Poetry in Music for the Virgin Mary” at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Durant and Dana. Tickets are $48. 642-9988.  

Culann’s Hounds at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Irish dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

UC Berkeley’s The Movement Fall 2007 Showcase Thurs. and Fri. at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $9 at the door. ucb.movement.showcase@gmail.com 

Savoy Family Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

John Williams Gordon Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Tracy Sirota, folk rock, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Tresspassers, Bluegrass Revolution at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $7. 841-2082.  

Fred O’Dell & the Broken Arrows at 9:30 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Roy Haynes and Birds of a Feather at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s. Cost is $16-$28. 238-9200.  

FRIDAY, NOV. 30 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “The Man Who Saved Christmas” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Dec. 16. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553.  

Aurora Theatre Company “Sex” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through Dec. 9. Tickets are $28-$50. 843-4822.  

Berkeley Playhouse “Seussical, the Musical” Thurs.-Sat. at 7:30 p.m., Sat. at 2 p.m., Sun. at 3 pm. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through Dec. 2. Tickets are $18-$23. 665-5565.  

Berkeley Rep “After the Quake” at the Trust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through Dec. 21. Tickets are $33-$69. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Black Repertory Group “A Rasin in the Sun” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 3201 Adeline St., through Dec. 14. Tickets are $10-$20. 652-2120. 

Contra Costa Civic Theatre “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., at Contra Costa Civic Theatre, 951 Pomona Ave., at Moeser, El Cerrito, through Dec. 9. Tickets are $11-$18. 524-9132.  

Impact Theatre “A Very Special Money & Run Winter Season Holiday Special” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through Dec. 22. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468.  

Masquers Playhouse “Little Mary Sunshine” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., selected Sun. at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, through Dec. 15. Tickets are $18. 232-4031.  

EXHIBITIONS 

“Site Revamped” Paintings by Marty McCorkle and Rachel Dawson. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at the Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. 444-7411.  

“Commemorating 100 Years of the Hellenic Presence in the Bay Area” A pictoral exhibit and reception at 4 p.m. at Ascension Community Cener, 4700 Lincoln Ave., Oakland. www.ascensioncathedral.org 

“Radical Graphics of Taller Tupac Amaru” opens at 550 Second St., Jack London Square, Oakland. www.proartsgallery.org  

Touchable Stories “Richmond: The Story Continues” Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 6 p.m. at Old Kaiser Cafeteria, Shipyard #3, 1303 Canal Blvd., Richmond. Cost is $6-$12. Reservations required. 619-3675. www.touchablestories.org 

“Purple Holidaze” Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Gallery Eclectix, 7523 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito. 364-7261. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Mark Wilson on “Julia Morgan: Architect of Beauty” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ross Dance Company “Speak” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Laney College, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Cost is $15-$20. 428-9339. www.rossdance.com 

Summer of Love Salute to benefit Berkeley Liberation Radio with the Barry “the Fish” Melton Band, the Nick Gravenites Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $12. 525-5054.  

Marvin Sanders, flute, Lena Lubotsky, piano, at 8 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery 2911 Claremont Ave., at Ashby. 848-1228. 

Circus Oz “The Laughing Gravity Tour” Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 2 and 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $26-$48. 642-9988.  

UC Berkeley’s The Movement Fall 2007 Showcase at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $9 at the door. ucb.movement.showcase@gmail.com 

Babtunde Lea’s “Summoning of the Ghost” Tribute to Electric Miles and Beyond at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Xile and Xocolate with Meklit Hadero from Ethiopia and MamaCoatl from Mexico at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Terrence Brewer Quintet at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373.  

Euphonia at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Tom Paxton at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $26.50-$27.50. 548-1761.  

Kismet-Mahal at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

The Flux, Frame of Mind at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082.  

Swoop Unit at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Roy Haynes and Birds of a Feather at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $16-$28. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, DEC. 1 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Colibri at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $5 for adults, $4 for children. 849-2568.  

Andy Z, imaginative musical journeys, at 11 a.m. at Studio Grow, 1235 Tenth St. Cost is $7. 526-9888. 

“Short Attention Span Circus” with Jean Paul Valjean Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave, off Grand Ave., Oakland. Cost is $6. 452-2259. 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Recent Landscape Photographs by Rob Reiter” Reception at 2 p.m. at The LightRoom Gallery, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

Poster Art of David Lance Goines on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 1186 Cedar St. 

“The Art and History of Early California” opens at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. 

“Caalliiffoorrnniiaa Baakkeelliittee” Photographs by Richard Toronto. Opening reception at 5 p.m. at The Gallery at Lavezzo Designs, 5751 Horton St., Emeryville. 

Beaded Artwork from South Africa, in commemoration of World AIDS Day, on display from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Vital Life Services, 5720 Shattuck Ave. at 57th St., Oakland. 593-6690. 

FILM 

“The Living End” with filmmaker Gregg Araki in person at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Made In Equilibrium” works by Michele Elizabeth Lee, Brady Nadell and Ross Drago. Artist talk at 3 p.m. at ABCo Artspace, 3135 Oakland, Oakland. www.abcoartspace.com 

Anna Furtado on the second installment in her lesbian historical fiction series, “The Briarcrest Chronicles” at 7 p.m. at Laurel Book Store, 4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 531-2073. 

C.S. Giscombe, Susan Gevirtz, Brian Awehali and Catherine Meng read at 2 p.m. at Small Press Distribution Open House 1341 7th St. at Gilman. 524-1668.  

Bay Area Poets Coalition holds an open reading, 3 to 5 p.m., at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street, not in Lodge parking lot. 527-9905.  

Poetry Flash with Susan Kelly-DeWitt and Sandra McPherson at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra “Puccini’s Messa di Gloria” at 8 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations appreciated. 

Showcase of Bay Area Chamber Music Artists from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Piano Club, 2427 Haste St. at Dana. Free, reservations suggested. 415-820-153., www.sffcm.org 

Three Trapped Tigers with Tom Bickley and David Barnett, recorders, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Cost is $8-$12. 549-3864. 

Terry Bradford with Voena children’s choir, at 8 p.m. at Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College Ave. Tickets are $23-$26. 925-798-1300. 

Ross Dance Company “Speak” at 8 p.m. at Laney College, 900 Fallon St., Oakland. Cost is $15-$20. 428-9339. 

Erica Azim, traditional Shona mbira music of Zimbabwe at 8 p.m. at the Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance, 729 Heinz Ave. Cost is $15 at the door. 548-6053.  

Mike Glendinning, guitarist, songwriter CD release party at 2 p.m. at Pri Pri Cafe, 1309 Solano, Albany. Cost is $5. Proceeds will go to the Stroke Awareness Foundation. 528-7002. 

Anton Mitzerak & Kim Lorene, world music, at 7 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Donations welcome. 528-8844. 

Gamelan Sari Raras at 7 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $4-$12. 642-4864.  

Saed Muhssin’s Arab Orchestra of San Francisco & La Peña Community Choru at 8 p.m. at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $15-$18. 849-2568.  

Lloyd Gregory Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ.  

“Musical Night in Africa” at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. 

Sotaque Baiano at 8 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Katherine Peck and Michael Burles at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Ramblin Jack Elliott at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $24.50-$25.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

WeBe3 with Rhiannon, Joey Blake and David Worm, at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Pat Nevins and Ragged Glory at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $10. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Royal Hawaiian Serenaders at 9 p.m. at Temple Bar Tiki Bar & Grill, 984 University Ave. 548-9888. 

SUNDAY, DEC. 2 

CHILDREN 

Asheba with Women of the World at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

EXHIBITIONS 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

Poster Art of David Lance Goines on display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillside Club, 1186 Cedar St. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“For Keeps: Women Tell the Truth About Their Bodies, Growing Older, and Acceptance” with editor Victoria Zackheim, at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman introdce their graphic novel “Shooting War” at 3 p.m. at Comic Relief of Berkeley, 2026 Shattuck Ave 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra “Puccini’s Messa di Gloria” at 4:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St. Free, donations appreciated. 

California Bach Society performs Charpentier’s “In Nativitatem Domini Canticum” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft at Ellsworth. Tickets are $10-$25. 415-262-0272. www.calbach.org 

Voci “Voices in Peace: VII: Winter Stillness” at 7 p.m. at Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $15-$20, free for children under 12. www.vocisings.com 

WomenSing Holiday Concert at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way. Tickets are $10-$25. 925-974-9169. www.womensing.org 

“Messiah-Sing” in Baroque Style at 6 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $10, no one turned away. 525-0302. 

Savoy Family Cajun Band at 1 p.m. at Down Home Music on Fourth St. 525-2129. 

Girl Talk Band, world jazz, at 1:30 p.m. at The Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720 ext 17. 

“Roots, Sass and Jazz” with Rhonda Benin, Darlene Coleman, Muziki Roberson and others at 4 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St. All ages. Tickets are $10-$15. 836-4649. www.blackmusiciansforum.org 

Laurel Ensemble with Lori Lack, piano, and Catherine Seidel, soprano, “All About Igor Stravinsky” at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $10-$15. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Classical South-Indian Dance Performance with Zavain Dar and Rebecca Whittington at 5 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 301 Shattuck Ave. Tickets are $5-$7. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/23493 

Oakland East Bay Symphony “Let Us Break BRead Together” with teh Oakland Symphony Chorus, Mt. Eden H.S. Choir, Kugelplex, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and Piedont Choirs at 4 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway. 625-8497. 

Twang Cafe featuring Doug Blumer and the Beer Hunters, Pam Brandon & Maurice Tani, Chickwagon, at 7:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $10. www.twangcafe.org 

Holly Near at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $26.50-$27.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Junius Courtney Big Band from 3 to 6 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $15. All ages welcome. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Con Alma Jazztet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Troublemakers Union, international music for human rights, at 7 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Ambrose Akinmusire at 4:30 at the Jazzschool. Cost is $20. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Savoy Family Band at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15-$18. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Nate Cooper at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

MONDAY, DEC. 3 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Aurora Theatre Company Script Club “Born Yesterday” by Garson Kanin with Maureen McVerry and Paul Heller at 7:30 p.m. at 2081 Addison St. 843-4822. 

“If Lost Then Found” with Kristin Lucas, artist, at 7:30 p.m. at 160 Kroeber Hall, UC Campus. 643-9565. http://atc.berkeley.edu 

Frank Moore, poetry, at 6 p.m. at Cafe Leila, 1724 San Pablo Ave. 526-7858. 

Poetry Express with Sayre Mingan, youth poet, at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Ed Neff and Friends, bluegrass, at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. 849-1100. www.lebateauivre.net 

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

West Coast Songwriters Competition at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage Coffee House. Cost is $5. 548-1761 www.freightandsalvage.org

Poets Stephen Vincent (author of the newly published Junction Press collection, Walking Theory) and Pat Reed, both Bay Area poets noted for close observation of landscapes, will read 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Pegasus Books, at 2349 Shattuck Ave. 

Vincent is a native of Richmond, and, excepting two years as a Peace Corps volunteer, lecturing at the University of Nigeria-Nsukka, a lifelong Bay Area resident. He lives in San Francisco. A founding coordinator of California Poetry-in-the-Schools, Vincent lectures at the SF Art Institute and teaches creative writing at the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning. He leads a walking and writing workshop for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Program.  

Vincent is the founder and publisher of Momo’s Press and is director of arts for book publisher Bedford Arts. His other titles include Walking (also from Junction Press), Towards Spicer (Cherry on the Top Press) and Sleeping With Sappho (faux ebooks). 

Vincent’s new collection alternates between observations and ruminations of what he sees on his walks, and elegies, especially for his father and his brother, but also for friends and for jazz musician Steve Lacy: “no one ever said the roll/would stop rolling ... / ... we strange ones, so familiar.” 

Repetition and restatement weave together the strands of immediate experience with loss and reflections on language. Poet Beverly Dahlen noted: “[Walking Theory] enhances the ancient association of the foot as measure of the poetic line ... measure becomes metaphor: ‘ ... foot ever to the ground, image by image, / thought by thought, word by word ...’.”  

A whimsical quality also enters in: “Leave a spiral jetty on the hill/little stone by little stone. / vary the color—dark to bright— / say hello, say good-bye.”  

Or, more abstruse: “Falling in love with Aphasia: / ( ) / Will you be mine? / Will you not say a thing? / Breathe on me.”  

Pat Reed was born “under the landing patterns of LAX,” and “grew up with her feet in the Pacific Ocean.”  

After years of “practicing violin ... in a walk-in closet,” she discovered poetry at 19, and moved from Southern California to the Bay Area about 25 years ago.  

She’s studied literature at UC Berkeley, surfed, played fiddle and practiced Soto Zen at Green Gulch Ranch in Marin and at the Berkeley Zen Center. She lives in Oakland, where she’s taught—and written about teaching-—South-East Asian immigrants over about a decade.  

She teaches at Cal State Hayward.  

Her poems often read as quick, sometimes humorous glimpses of nature, with a sense of the gaze that’s perceiving: “Aspen / flip’t the sun- / light /and the speckled deer / bound at me / blink’t big eye / lifted an ear / swiveled its head / & tore at the / thorny berry.” 

The series at Pegasus has featured notable internationally known poets, such as Nathaniel Tarn, as well as local writers. Schedules and info can be found at: pegasusbookstore.com. Clay Banes, series programmer, posts a blog, “eyeball hatred.” 

Owen Hill, who organizes readings at Moe’s Books on Telegraph Avenue, commented, “Clay really knows what he’s doing, and has been programming a good series, though it’s been a little under the radar. I hope it gets more recognition.”

WRIGHT CENTENNIAL  

Oakland Public Theater is launching an ongoing reading project for Richard Wright’s centennial at 7 p.m. Wednesday (the anniversary of Wright’s death in Paris in 1960) at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. The event will feature a reading of “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” focussing on the influence of the church on Wright and his fellow black expatriate writers and others he worked with or affected, such as James Baldwin, Chester Himes and Ralph Ellison. Readings will be drawn from Wright’s and others’ works, as well as biographical materials. Conceived by Richmond playwright and actor Richard Talavera, the series is directed by Oakland’s Norman Gee, and will explore various themes in the life of the author of Native Son, that black sequel to Dreiser’s An American Tragedy, and Black Boy, at different venues every month. Free admission. 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. 534-9529 or richardwrightproject@gmail.com 

Ken Burns’ latest monumental television production is currently being shown on PBS channels. The War follows more than 40 people from 1941 to 1945, focusing on the citizens of Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Mobile, Alabama. The book companion to the series, The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945, is available in public libraries.  

When I watched and listened to The War, the words and photographs of two of the men who appear throughout—Quentin C. Aanenson of Luverne and Eugene Bondourant Sledge of Mobile—were particularly poignant, especially episode 5: “FUBAR—fucked up beyond all repair.”  

I was living in the Unites States during World War II, contemporary with these then-young heroes. Three of my friends had already enlisted. One, a Nisei, was stationed in cold isolated Minnesota teaching Japanese in six-week rotations. Another was shipped overseas in the Queen Elizabeth’s depths and stationed outside London on General Eisenhower’s clerical staff, diving into a rain-filled fox hole during nightly air-raids. The third, with an incredibly high IQ, was assigned to type and “transport” (drive.) They later used their GI Bills—Hisako earning an M.S. degree, Justine a B.A., and Dorothy a Ph.D; none married.  

I sent soap and stockings to my English Red Cross club counterpart, who had been evacuated from London and already lost some of her hearing in the bombings, and she squeezed handwriting onto both sides of scraps of paper. We became lifelong friends a la Helene Hanff’s 84, Charing Cross Road. 

In 1994 I chanced upon a brief television interview of Aanenson describing “A Fighter Pilot’s Story,” a VHS production he had created for his family. The World Catalog indicates its presence in collections of 43 public, academic and military libraries, two of which are in California: the Los Angeles County Public Library at Downey and the Ontario City Library.  

I was so impressed with this compassionate man that I asked the editor of The Library Journal, for which I reviewed videos and books, to consider it for LJ reviews.  

My review from 17 years ago began:  

“Using personal photos, combat film, period music and correspondence, 73-year-old Aanenson created this masterwork to explain his World War II combat experience to his family. The ‘story’ is of a 20-year-old Army Air Corps enlistetee as he learns to fly the P-47 Thunderbolt, meets his future spouse, is commissioned, and flies European missions beginning with D-Day. (It aired on PBS as part of 1994 D-Day commemoration.) This touching first-person narrative and photographs convey the emotional and physical transformation wrought by the brutality of war conveys a young man who ‘nearly lost all hope.’ Sensitivity, insight, and meticulous record-keeping combine with forthright presentation to make this hero’s narrative unique. Essential for all public, college, and most libraries serving adults and young adults...” [Library Journal 120, April 1, 1995] 

Now an elder, Aanenson appears again, contributing significantly to The War as both a narrator and the fighter pilot. The production team wisely uses his military footage and personal films, diary entries and letters to convey the tragic story of one man’s war from a very personal viewpoint. For pilot Quentin Aanenson, combat brought moments of intense anguish. In a clip posted on The War website, he remembers one mission when his plane’s machine gun fire sent the bodies of German soldiers flying. “When I got back home to the base in Normandy and landed, I got sick,” he says. “I had to think about what I had done … that didn’t change my resolve for the next day. I went out and did it again and again and again and again.” 

“For the men of the ‘old breed’ who struggled, bled, died, and eventually won on Peleliu and Okinawa, Sledgehammer is their most eloquent spokesman. I’m proud to have served with them—and with him,” declares U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Captain Thomas J. Stanley.  

Eugene Bondourant Sledge (1923-2001) was “Sledgehammer” to his fellow rifle company Marines and “E. B. Sledge” as author of With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, first published by Novato’s Presidio Press in 1981. UC Berkley’s main collection holds a copy of the illustrated edition for which historian Paul Fussell, another The War narrator, has provided a worthy introduction. Fussell’s own horrific and disillusioning World War II service led to his 1996 book, Doing Battle: The Making of a Skeptic. He writes, “If it was Sledge’s fine sensibility that caused him to suffer more than some, it is that same sensibility that in this book has kept the distinctions firm, the compassion warm, the imagination agile, and the values admirable.”  

Sledge prefaces his book, “My Pacific war experiences have haunted me, and it has been a burden to retain this story ... I’m fulfilling an obligation I have long felt to my companions in the lst Marine Division, who suffered so much for our country. None came out unscathed.”  

One of the many casualties is his initial innocence about human evil: “Something in me died at Peleliu.” 

Today not many Americans can comprehend (let alone pronounce) what happened in places called Bouganville, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Morotai, Noumea, Palau, Pavuvu, Peleliu, Okinawa—other than “The Teahouse of the August Moon.”  

Sledge takes the reader into “the abyss of Peleliu” and on to “the bloody muddy month of May on Okinawa” that almost drove him insane and about which 50 years later he still had nightmares. Supposed to take three or four days, it lasted for almost two months, one of the worst slaughters of Marines in the Pacific. Many now believe that the invasion of this six-square mile island was entirely unnecessary. 

“As I looked at the stains on the coral, I recalled some of the eloquent phrases of politicians and newsmen about how ‘gallant’ it is for a man to ‘shed his blood for his country,’ and ‘to give his life’s blood as a sacrifice,’ and so on. The words seemed so ridiculous. Only the flies benefited … None of us would ever be the same after what we had endured. To some degree that is true, of course, of all human experience. But something in me died at Peleliu. Perhaps it was a childish innocence that accepts as faith the claim that man is basically good. Possibly I lost faith that politicians in high places who do not have to endure war’s savagery will ever stop blundering and sending others to endure it.”  

Following World War II, I began to reject that giving their lives phrase. Today, when, instead, I say taking their lives, at best I get a questioning look. 

Despite the old saw about one picture being worth a thousand words, I shall avoid the likes of the mini TV-series said to be forthcoming from DreamWorks, Inc., creators of Band of Brothers. It “will tell the intertwined stories of three Marines during America’s battles with the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II.” Joseph Mazzello has been cast as Eugene Sledge; filming locations include Australia. 

Nothing can take the place of viewing/listening to “A Fighter Pilot’s Story,” which is extremely verbal, and slowly reading With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. Both are still essential for the collections of all public, college, and most libraries serving adults and young adults. I commend Sledge to those who determine community book-reading; while he’s not in the public library’s collection and the university’s circulating collection is not accessible to ordinary folk, Amazon makes it possible to be in spirit with the Old Breed.