MONDAY, JUNE 16 

Vigil to Honor the Life of Anita Gay at 5 p.m. at Ashby and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. 655-7313. www.justiceforanita.org 

“Democratic Struggles in the Muslim World and the Rise of Neocolonialism” with Agha Saeed at 7:30 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Free, open to all. www.berkeleygreens.org 

Insect Discovery Lab for ages 3 and up at 6:30 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

World Affairs/Politics Discussion Group, for people 60 years and over, meets at 9:45 a.m. at Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave, Albany. Cost is $3.  

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

Dragonboating Year round classes at the Berkeley Marina, Dock M. Meets Mon, Wed., Thurs. at 6 p.m. Sat. at 10:30 a.m. For details see www.dragonmax.org 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577.  

TUESDAY, JUNE 17 

Living Graveyard and Reading the Names of Californians who have died in Iraq and the names of Iraqis who have died from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St. Bring a pad to lie on and a white sheet to cover yourself with. 655-1162. www.epicalc.org 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit the Lone Oak area od Tilden Regional Park. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

Gay Pride Day for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, f1901 Hearst Ave. Sponsored by the NBSC and the Coming Out Again Group. 981-5190. 

Safeway on Solano Community Meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Haver Hall at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 849-4811. 

Music for Monotones Non-singers can improve their skills with Fran Avni at 7 p.m. at JCC East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. Co-sponsored by Aquarian Minyan. Donation $10-$15. 843-3131. 

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition “Big Oil: Enemy of Working People” A community discussion at 7 p.m. at 636 9th St. at MLK, Oakland. 435-0844. answer@ANSWERsf.org 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

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 

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. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. Monthly field trips. 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 offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts, and always welcome new members over 50. 845-6830. 

Sing-A-Long Group from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave., Albany. 524-9122. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 

Walking Tour of Oakland City Center Meet at 10 a.m. in front Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

Walkin’ In Pride Celebrate LGBT Pride Month with a nature walk from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Brinones, Bear Creek Staging Area. Bring layered clothing and water, no dogs please. 525-2233. 

“Root of All Evil” A documentary with with Richard Dawkins, on the state of the three Abrahamic religions in the world today, at 7:30 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Donation $5. www.Humanist Hall.org 

Simplicity Forum Learn the health and spitutal benefits of simple living at 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. at Ashby. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday 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. 548-9840. 

Theraputic Recreation at the Berkeley Warm Pool, Wed. at 3:30 p.m. and Sat. at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Warm Pool, 2245 Milvia St. Cost is $4-$5. Bring a towel. 632-9369. 

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station, corner of Shattuck and Center. Sing for Peace at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www. 

geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

Teen Chess Club from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda at Hopkins. 981-6133. 

Morning Meditation Every Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 7:45 a.m. at Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way at 6th. 486-8700. 

Stitch ‘n Bitch at 6:30 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 

Educator’s Workshop “Kids in Gardens” Learn about teaching from a school garden, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Melrose Leadership Academy, Oakland. Cost is $49, and includes lesson plans and course reader. 665-3430. www.thewateshedproject.org 

“Beyond the Recruiter” Boot Camp Tour for youth, June 22-27, to visit military bases, veterans groups, and families affected by the war. Orientation session from 6 to 7 p.m. at 1470 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. For information call 619-857-4947. www.baypeace.org 

Temescal Street Cinema “Light and Shadow” short experimental films, at 8:30 p.m. outdoors at 49th and Telegraph. Bring a chair. www.temescalstreetcolletive.org 

Berkeley Communicators, a Toastmaster’s club, meets at 7:30 a.m. at Au Coquelet, 2000 University Ave. Rob.Flammia@gmail.com  

Avatar Metaphysical Toastmasters Club meets at 6:45 p.m. at Spud’s Pizza, 3290 Adeline at Alcatraz. namaste@avatar. 

freetoasthost.info  

Fitness Class for 55+ at 9:15 a.m. at Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 

Berkeley Youth Alternatives Garden Volunteer to help maintain the organic gardens. Tasks include weeding, sowing, transplanting, bed preparation, harvesting, fix-it projects, and more. Meet at 10 a.m. at the main garden, Bancroft Way, between Bonar and West. 647-0709. www.byaonline.org 

Iraq Moratorium Day and Vigil to Protest the War from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corners of University & Acton. Sponsored by Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenant’s Assoc & Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

Summer Solstice Gathering at 7:30 p.m. at the Interim Solar Calendar, César Chávez Park, Berkeley Marina. Mini-Workshop on Astronomy and the Seasons.  

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Allison Richardson, Program Development Director, “Activate America,” YMCA of the East Bay on “Building Healthier People and Communities Through Activate America” 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 524-7468. www.citycommonsclub.org 

Superfest International Disability Film Festival Fri. and Sat. noon to 5 p.m., Sun. 2 to 7 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Tickets are $5-$20/day, sliding scale. for complete list of films see www.culturedisabilitytalent.org 

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, JUNE 21 

Save the Bay Restoration Project Help remove non-native vegetation and promote the health of recently planted native plants from 9 a.m. to noon at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, Oakland. 452-9261, ext. 119. bayevents@saveSFbay.org  

“Lead-Safe Painting & Remodeling” Learn to detect and remedy lead hazards in the home to prevent lead poisoning. Taught by expert staff from the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (ACLPPP), course offers simple solutions property owners can use to safely repair and renovate their homes. Register by phone or download registration form from website. From 10 a.m. to noon at Eastmont Branch Library, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Suite #211, Oakland.Free. 567-8280. www.aclppp.org/homeown.htm 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland “New Era/New Politics” highlights African-American leaders who have made their mark on Oakland. Meet at 10 a.m. and the African American Museum and Library at 659 14th St. 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Solstice Saunter Celebrate the longest day of the year with a hike up Wildcat Peak, from 1 to 4 p.m. discovering flora and fauna along the way and a panoramic view from the top. For meeting place call 525-2233. 

Summer Solstice Salmon Celebration with music and speakers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saturday Berkeley Farmers' Market, Center St. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. 548-3333. www.ecologycenter.org 

“Alternative Materials: Cob and Strawbale” A seminar on two natural building methods from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Building Education Center, 812 Page St. Cost is $85. 525-7610. www.bldgeductr.org/seminars.html 

“Between Two Worlds” A documentary on the Mapuche peoples’ struggle to retain their indigenous culture in southern Chile at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

“Got a problem in the garden?” Visit the master gardener booth at the Berkeley Famers’ Market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Center Street between ML King and Milvia. 639-1275. 

“Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Beneficials to the Garden” with Aerin Moore at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

“Walk in the Wild: An Epicurian Escapade” A benefit for the Oakland Zoo with food, music, and dancing at the zoo. Tickets are $125 and up. www.aoklandzoo.org 

“Building Business, Building Community” A food contest, with chefs on site, and experts on food justice, foreclosure crisis, immigration and small business available to answer specific questions, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at De La Fuente Plaza, 34th Ave. between International Blvd and E12th St., by Fruitvale BART station. 532-5240. erodriguez@anewamerica.org  

Magic by Alex for ages 5 and up at 2 p.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043. 

“Stillness in Movement II” classes on the movement of Taijiquan, five consecutive Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Sliding scale $20-$75. RSVP to 866-732-2320, ext. 6. 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Around the World Tour of Plants at 1:30 p.m., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Oakland Artisans Marketplace Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jack London Square. 238-4948. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 

Where the Wild Things Live Discover homes everywhere, from under a tiny leaf to the tops of tall trees, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center, Tilden Park. 525-2233. 

Green Sunday: “What Indigenous Americans Need From Allies” A discussion with Janeen Antoine, one of the founders of Bay Native Circle Radio, at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave at 65th, Oakland. ACTransit 40, 64, and 17. www.acgreens.org 

Landscape Watering: Make Every Drop Count An introduction to sprinkler and drip irrigation solutions at 10:30 a.m. at Urban Farmer Store, 2121C San Joaquin St., Richmond. Free, but reservations required. 524-1604, richmondclasses@urbanfarmerstore.com  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

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 

Berkeley Chess Club meets every Sun. at 7 p.m. at the Hillside School, 1581 Le Roy Ave. 843-0150. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Betty Cook on “Ancient Tibet; Buddhist Tibet” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 809-1000. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

Sew Your Own Open Studio Come learn to use our industrial and domestic machines, or work on your own projects, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Also on Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $5 per hour. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

CITY MEETINGS 

Zoning Adjustments Board meets Thurs., June 12, at 7 p.m., in City Council Chambers. 981-7410.  

Community Health Commission meets Thurs., June 12, at 6:45 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5356.  

Council Agenda Committee meets Mon., June 16, at 2:30 p.m., at 2180 Milvia St. 981-6900. 

www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/agenda-committee 

City Council meets Tues., June 17, at 7 p.m in City Council Chambers. 981-6900. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil 

Citizens Humane Commission meets Wed., June 18, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6601. 

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., June 19, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415. 

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., June 19, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6950.  

Transportation Commission meets Thurs., June 19, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7010.  

MONDAY, JUNE 16 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Bloomsday at the Berkeley Public Library with a reading of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. outside the library at 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6121. 

Celebrate Bloomsday with Thomas Lynch reading from Joyce’s “Ulysses” at noon at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Peter Heehs talks about “The Lives of Sri Aurobindo” Indian philopsher and political leader, at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Poetry Express with Tim Donnelly at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. 644-3977. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Jazzschool Studio Band at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $8-$12. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

TUESDAY, JUNE 17 

CHILDREN 

Crosspulse Rhythm Duo in a special evening for children and their families at 6:30 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

THEATER 

Paradox, guerrilla theater, movement, and video, Tues.-Thurs. at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Philip Moffitt discusses his new book “Dancing with Life” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

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

Ron Hansen reads from “Exiles” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Yuan-tsung Chen reads from her new book “Return to the Middle Kingdom” at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 98 Broadway, Oakland. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Sauce Piquante at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $9. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com  

Ryan Shaw at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 

FILM 

Latino Film Festival “Super Amigos” at 6:30 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, Madeline F. Whittlesey Community Room, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. Free. 620-6561. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Elisabeth Pisani discusses “The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Aaron Shurin, poet, at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

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

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Summer Sounds at Oakland City Center with Natasha Miller, jazz vocalist, at noon at 12th and Broadway, Oakland.  

Michael Coleman’s BEEP at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

A Cure for the Mondays, A-OK’s, The Happy Adams at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Barbara Hadenfeldt Quartette at 7 p.m. at Le Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave. www.lebateauivre.net 

Whiskey Brothers, old time and bluegrass, at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

Conjunto Rovira at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Ezra Gale Trio at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Ivan Lins at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$18. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, JUNE 19 

THEATER 

Paradox, guerrilla theater, movement, and video, at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $6-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Double Vision: Cubist and Abstract Expressions” Works by Carol Manasse and Steve Carlson. Conversations with the artists at 5 p.m. at Craft & Cultural Arts Gallery, State of California Office Bldg., 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8710. 

FILM 

Louder, Faster: Punk in Performance “Target Video” with filmmaker Joe Rees in person at 8:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Theodore Hamm describes “The New Blue Media: How Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, Jon Stewart and Company are Trasforming Progressive Politics” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Ed Park, editor of “The Believer,” reads from his debut novel “Personal Days” at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Marianne Wiggins reads from her latest novel “The Shadow Catcher” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

Ron Arons reads from “The Jews of Sing-Sing” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Mistah F.A.B., Trackademics, Jack Spirit Collective, Paragon, in a benefit for Oakland Youth Radio, at 8 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10 and up. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Ragas and Redwoods with sitarist Josh Feinberg and tabla player Javad Butah at 5 p.m. at UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. Cost is $10-$15. Reservations required. 643-2755. 

Scott Nygaard, Phil Kotapish and Marshsa Genensky at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$219.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Jim Grantham Quartet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Montana Slim, The Bluegrass Revolution, Devines Jug Band at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Jeff Gutman at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Red Earth Project at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $26-$30. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Selector: Dietsnakes at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

FRIDAY, JUNE 20 

THEATER 

Altarena Playhouse “On Golden Pond” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through June 21. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553. www.altarena.org 

Aurora Theatre “The Busy World is Hushed” Wed.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through July 20. Tickets are $40-$42. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Brookside Rep “Franz Kafka’s Love Life, Letters and Hallucinations” Thurs.- Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St., through June 29. Tickets are $16-$34. 800-838-3006.  

Masquers Playhouse “The Full Monty” Fri. and Sat. at 8, selected Sun. matinees at 2:30 p.m. at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond through July 5. Tickets are $20. 232-4031. www.masquers.org 

Shotgun Players “Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at The Asby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through June 22. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org 

FILM 

Superfest International Disability Film Festival Fri. and Sat. noon to 5 p.m., Sun. 2 to 7 p.m. at Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston Way. Tickets are $5-$20/day, sliding scale. for complete list of films see www.culturedisabilitytalent.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Dorothy Hearst reads from “The Promise of the Wolves” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. www.codysbooks.com  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Company C Contemporary Ballet at the 2008 Oakland Dance Festival at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. Tickets are $10-$25. www.companycballet.org 

Homage to Atahualpa Yupanqui with Suni Paz, Rafael Manriquez, Lichi Fuentes, Ramon Ramero and others at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $13-$15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Pacific Coast Jazz: Rebirth of the Cool at 6 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak at 10th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$8. 238-2022. www.museumca.org 

Summer Series of Sound with Jeff Oster, jazz trumpet/flugelhorn at 7:30 p.m. at Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda. Tickets are $15-$20. 865-5060. www.rhythmix.org 

Peter White, smooth jazz, at 8 p.m. at the Claremont Resort, Tunnel Rd. Dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $59-$119. 898-0034. 

Danny Caron Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $14. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Gamelan X at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Mayne Smith & Friends at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Mere Ours and Marianne Barlow at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Raised by Robots, The Long Thaw at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $8. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Mindset, Foreign Nature at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

3rd Date at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Bayonics, Felonious at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

DJ Toph One at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Tiles, Tablets & Messages” An exhibition of ceramic tiles. Reception at 6 p.m. at The Potters’ Studio at 637 Cedar St. at 2nd. Exhibition runs though July 13th. 528-3286. info@berkeleypottersstudio.com 

“Graphic Arts Loan Collection: 50 Years” Reception at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

FILM 

“Between Two Worlds” on the Mapuche peoples’ in southern Chile at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rhythm & Muse Young Performers’ Night with Maurisha Williams and Ryan Wood at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 527-9753. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Solstice Music Festival with rock, pop, alternative, folk, jazz and others from 1 to 7 p.m. along MacArthur Blvd, in Laurel Village, and surrounding Laurel Elementary School. www.laurelsolsticemusicfestival.org 

The Eusebius Duo performs works of Brahms and Schumann wtih Monika Gruber, violin; Hillary Nordwell, piano at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $12-$18. 549-3864. www.trinitychamberconcerts.com 

Garden of Memory: Solstice Celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $5-$12. www.brownpapertickets.com 

Lloyd Gregory Quintet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

2008 West Coast Beatbox Championship with Kid Beyond, Soulati, Infinit, Butterscotch, Many Elements at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com  

Jody Stecher & Bill Evans Secret Life of Banjos at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Planet Loop at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790. www.beckettsirishpub.com 

Ren the Vinyl Archeologist, hip hop, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10. 548-1159.  

Root Doctors at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Scott Waters and Fred Odell at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Alma Desnuda, The Loyd Family Players at 9 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $9. 841-2082. www.starryploughpub.com 

Jazzschool Advanced Youth Jazz Workshop at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Von Iva, Easy Street at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $5. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 

CHILDREN 

Nigerian Brothers with Ken Okulolo at Ashkenaz at 3 p.m. Cost is $4-$6. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

MATRIX: Artists & Curator in Conversation with Mike Mandel, Larry Sultan and Constance Lewallen at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

The Rites Of Summer Poetry Festival, featuring Melinda Gohn, Blake More, Jack & Adele Foley, Mary Rudge, H.D. Moe, Paul Blake, Dale Jensen, Judy Wells, Mark Schwartz, Gary Bolstridge, Jeff Grossman, Marsha Campbell, Ana Elsner, Morton Felix, tentatively ruth weiss & others plus an open mic, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 1735 10th St. A prize will be given for the best Greek costume or dress, potluck Greek dishes will be served & the admission is free with donations welcome. 528-8713. 

Roseanne Olson, photographer, on “This Is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes” at 4 p.m. at Cody’s Books 2201 Shattuck Ave. 559-9500. 

Charles Entrekin reads from his new novel, “Red Mountain: Birmingham, Alabama, 1965” at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 1414 Walnut St. 848-0237. 

Tori Kropp reads from “The Joy of Pregnancy: The COmplete, Candid, and Reassuring Companion for Parents-To-Be” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

“Bluegrass for the Greenbelt” Annual benefit concert for Greenbelt Alliance at 2 p.m. at the Dunsmuir Historic Estate in Oakland, and features Hot Buttered Rum, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, and The Wronglers. Tickets are $25-$60, children under 12 free. www.BluegrassForTheGreenbelt.org 

San Francisco Choral Artists “Songs of Survival: Music of the Holocaust” at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $9-$28. 415-979-5779. www.sfca.org 

“Jazzy Classics, Classical Jazz: The Jewish-American Experience” with Kit Eakle, Jeb Gist, Matt Eakle, Zachary Ostroff and Rory Judge at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 201 Martina St., Point Richmond. Cost is $15. 236-0527. 

Butta Fly Soul and Valeria Troutt, jazz, at 8 p.m. at La Peña. Cost is $12-$20, free for youth 18 and under. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Tango No. 9 at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

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

Americana Unplugged with The Mountin Boys at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Through a great arch of blasted oak shambles a mysterious figure, shrouded in a mantle disguising his face. Once unveiled, the rambler looks Moorish, or like some tattooed Tuareg tribesman. He is Gower (played by Shawn Hamilton), a pre-Tudor English poet, transposed to a Mediterranean identity, as he narrates the CalShakes’ production of the Bard’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre. 

Pericles sprawls in a different way than, say, the histories often do. With an air of the fabulous, its protagonists are constantly on the move, and being blown off course, escaping from threats or seeking to be reunited with those lost along the way. The Aegean, Levantine and North African ports-of-call become verbal touchstones, summoning up a sense of mysterious antiquity—and of often-iniquitous deeds in the story: Antioch, Ephesus, Tarsus, Mytilene, Pentapolis—and Tyre.  

It’s a romance, from the ancient tradition of embellished storytelling, though unlike Shakespeare’s comedies taken from old romances and Roman plays. For a long time, this difference in tone, an art of both appearances and indirection, made academics and reviewers alike, uneasy—it seemed most un-Bardlike. But Pericles has often proved its popularity with all kinds of audiences, and more modern styles of staging—including some hybrid with radio drama techniques—have restored the symbiosis of narrative and drama to the drawn-out tale of a hero in constant search. 

But searching for what? Though complicated at first glance, the story is not hard to follow, though the upshot of all this wandering and wistfulness may prove a puzzle, if the audience isn’t content with just a happy end. 

The CalShakes cast is ready for the shifting locales and identities, in any case. CalShakes associate actors returning to perform for another summer—Ron Campbell, Domenique Lozano, Delia MacDougall and Danny Sheie—are joined by Christopher Kelly (in the title role), Hamilton and Alex Morf, as well as Allison Brennan, Mairin Lee, Kristoffer Barrows and Daniel Duque-Estrada, to shape-shift into some fifty characters.  

The regulars seem to keep growing as an ensemble (and Sheie and MacDougall particularly are in top form, slipping in and out of character, with the welcome addition of Morf’s equal flexibility and good comedic skills), with Joel Sass’ adaptation and direction rendering the constant, sealike flux of the tale—with its insistent, thematic chords—clear and entertaining, as the young Pericles seeks a worthy mate ... then pursues and mourns his losses along the way, later brought back from melancholy by miraculous reunions. 

The fantastic element is discussed in the program by the eponymous Laura Hope, company dramaturg, bringing up Sass’ belief that the times are “hungry for miracles” and a use of archetypes to convey what has often been lost in scholarly arguments (one quoted being from the ubiquitous Harold Bloom) over Shakespeare’s exact role in the writing of this collaborative work. 

With the participation of scholar Philippa Kelly as production dramaturg, who presided over last year’s excellent King Lear, and the facility of cast and production staff, there’s both a narrative clarity and delightful vignettes in Pericles, as the action flits from court to shipboard, bawdy house to temple, colloquy of fishermen over a huge catch and a castaway to a tournament for a princess’ hand, with much fun when the actors simulate equestrian footwork. 

But something’s missing behind the bright, shifting surface, hinted at in the wistfulness of much of the tale. There’s a reason the story opens with a riddle of incest and brutal response to its unraveling, and why the assassins and slanderers who crop up either back off or are converted to friends of the beleaguered Prince and his family.  

The specifically allegorical sense of these adventures—and allegory itself changes its face as quickly as the adventures themselves—seems to get lost, or downplayed. Maybe because of that persistent reticence that considers such modes of meaning are out-of-date and merely academic—though filmmaker Raul Ruiz has spoken at the Pacific Film Archive of the common coin of allegoric speech, even on Oprah (”There have been dark clouds in my life ... but I know Spring will come, the birds will sing ...”) and of its protean, poetic nature, constantly refreshing itself and its referents. 

There’s a good discussion of the meaning of Pericles in the Arden Shakespeare volume, of the truly wonderful recognition scene between long-separated father and daughter (and, later, partly lifted from Euripides, husband and wife). The very facility of the multiform “presentational” stage techniques to further the flow of the narrative perhaps also drains the most significant tableaux of their primitive sense of wonder—that absolute touchstone of theater, in which (to paraphrase actor-director Oleg Liptsin) “the performance makes the spectators melt together into one, an audience” in an ecstatic present moment.

My goal is to reach the audience, to evoke and provoke,” said Berkeley composer Sheli Nan of the multi-faceted program, for both modern and Baroque instruments and voice, of her music, “The Berkeley Baroque & Beyond Experience,” Friday at Giorgi Gallery. There will be a possible second performance on Saturday. 

The program will include new arias from Saga—Portrait of a 21st Century Child, Nan’s “opera for our time,” as she calls it: “Absinthe Avec Mes Amis,” a violin and harpsichord sonata (with Nan accompanying American Bach Soloists first place winner violinist Andrew Fouts, for whom she composed the piece); “Journey,” a song cycle for baritone and piano; and “The Mad Dance of Judith with the Head of Holofernes,” for solo flute and voice. 

Other performers include Jonathan Davis, Zachary Gordin, Ayelet Cohen, Meghan Dibble, Jo Vincent Parks and Marvin Sanders. Nan will play harpsichord and piano. 

Nan, who refers to herself as “a contemporary Baroque composer,” said her music “draws a great deal from Baroque form, but with 21st Century harmonies—neo-melodic harmonies.”  

With over 16 editions of her music published by East Bay publishers (Peter Ballinger of PRB Productions and Glen Shannon of Screaming Mary Music), Nan’s career as a composer took off when “I was discovered by Charles Amirkhanian [then of KPFA].” Nan declares, “I’m very much a Berkeley phenomenon!” 

Discussing her opera, from which other selections have been presented by San Francisco Cabaret Opera earlier this spring, Nan compared it to work by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht: “an awful theme couched by beautiful music. I often wonder about this as a composer, offering the music to listeners in order to digest hard truths. There’ll be three arias from the second act. The singers are really aligned to the characters, pouring themselves into it. The story’s important to tell; the opera has such immediacy to it. Now, in the third act, I have to decide who lives and who dies. These are my characters! But the old have to make way for the new. Can that be rendered symbolically? Is redemption really a necessity?” 

Nan, who has three CDs and two books (The Essential Piano Teacher’s Guide and the forthcoming Bach the Teacher), as well as many articles on music to her credit, played with a Nigerian band and an Afro-Cuban group and was invited by the Cuban government to play in Cuba in 2003, for which she received special permission from the State Department. 

Her symphony, Signatures in Time and Place, will be performed by the San Francisco Composers Orchestra this fall. 

The Berkeley Baroque & Beyond Experience 

8 p.m. Friday at the Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Blvd., with possible second performance on Saturday. $35 general, $25 musicians and students (CD and glass of wine included). More info at shelinan.com.  

Reservations: 919-4493. 

Happy is the man who hears/The helicopter beat its wings/The sky goes black with flying things/For him it sings,/It’s only music, music.” So sings the Iraqi insurgent cabbie (tenor Mark Hernandez as Omar), as he sets out an Improvised Explosive Device in Lisa Scola Prosek’s one act opera, Trap Door, playing tonight, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in The Lab, 16th St. near Mission in San Francisco.  

As soon as his IED explodes, there’s an American television journalist on the scene (soprano Bianca Showalter as Jane), exclaiming “I don’t know yet/Just what to think/I will reserve my judgment/Who’s in the right/Who’s in the fight/What should I wear/Have they finished my hair?/Can’t even sleep with this terrible heat”—shifting gears into the collective (or imperial) first person for her interview: “We’d like to know, we’d like to learn/we’re deeply concerned/We don’t know just what to think/Will you please tell America/Why you blow up these bombs here everyday!” 

(And Omar, mistaking her for a U.S. official, asks for a visa to New Jersey—“Out on the coastline”—where his cousin has a few taxis: “He’s always been my favorite cousin.”) 

Prosek, who plays piano in the accompanying chamber group under the direction of Martha Stoddard—with Michel Taddei on double bass; Eduard Prosek (the composer’s son), trumpet; Katrina Wreede, viola; Beth Snelling, cello; and Phil Freihofer on oboe—has fashioned an opera from a very particular contemporary sense of both traditional vocal styles (especially Bel Canto) and modern music (among others, she’s studied with Milton Babbitt and Lukas Foss). Her own libretto, taken from images and lines out of a dream, reflects the deeply satiric tradition of her native Rome—ever allusive, ever ironic. Trap Door is a rare, even unique entry among the performed works that have answered to the ongoing war in the Middle East. 

The story, however, is crystal clear, a series of episodes, of tableaux that picture events around Pvt. Able (the splendid baritone and stoic presence of Clifton Romig), following him through a tour of duty, looping back from his questioning in a court martial for killing a civilian (by soprano Eliza O’Malley as the prosecutor, as the chorus scribbles on clipboards); to going to boot camp, then leaving the wives and mothers for deployment; to declaring love to a Laundry Lady (soprano Maria Mikheyenko as Ashley) who spurns him because her Independent Contractor boss (baritone James McGoff) makes so much more than the soldiers; to being wounded on patrol and having morphine dreams in the hospital; to facing off with the enemy in combat; to taking part in an interlude of gospel choir music for a TV music video, and finally, after an incident in the burning heat and flashing light where he shoots an unarmed man, being sent home “to face the music.” 

Making this an opera in the truest sense—a collection of “works” in different media, fused together—are the collaborators: Jim Cave’s remarkable stage direction, that often has the disarming clarity, yet dissociation, of a dream; and Jacob Kalousek’s “soft” scenography: projected video that saturates each scene, more than background for singers acting—more like water for fish to swim in. And the performers swim indeed, singing and often changing roles, borne along by the ever-fluid rhythms and harmonies of Prosek’s score. 

Not singing, or speaking, but a wonderful presence from the start—when he strolls out with a tiny Igloo cooler, glances at his watch, opens the ragged curtain, ushers the cast onstage—Roham Shaikani, a longtime Jim Cave collaborator (as well as with Shotgun Players and Darvag Theatre Co.), eloquently interacts with the ensemble, or looks on, observing. 

Much the same troupe produced Scola’s opera of Machiavelli’s delightfully sardonic Belfagor at Thick House a year ago, but this original is even better: compact, perfectly delineated, yet haunting, with the fleeting sense of a mirage, an apparition, the afterimage of what was or might have been: “And what you reach for slips away/And what you hold you do not want/And then it comes again, you hear the music, music.” 

Walking into Book Zoo feels like stepping into someone’s living room. It’s a funky little used bookstore in North Oakland, with hardwood floors, an abundance of plants, posters, and artwork, a children’s play area, and hanging in the back, an American flag with the peace symbol. Erik Lyngen and Nick Raymond are co-owners of Book Zoo, mavericks who don’t use a cash register or sell books online and are trusting souls who leave a cart with sale books out overnight with a slot in the door for payment. 

The place feels inviting, but Erik and Nick face some serious challenges. The store, at 6395 Telegraph Ave., off Alcatraz, has been open nearly a year and a half in its present location. Business has been slow so far. Erik and Nick couldn’t afford the high rent of a more traditional shopping district, so they settled on a somewhat problematical location. “It’s hard getting people out of their geographical grooves. A lot of people have written off this area. There’s a little bit of everything here, drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, urinating in public, homelessness,” says Erik, 37, a friendly guy with a mop of black, curly hair. 

And then there’s the larger issue of a small independent bookstore attempting to survive in today’s climate of chain bookstores, Amazon.com, and a blizzard of available media options: radio, TV, movies, CDs, DVDs, video games, etc. The East Bay has a relatively high degree of literacy, with an abundance of book lovers, and yet many independent bookstores have not been able to survive here. Cody’s Books and Shambhala Books, two longtime fixtures on Berkeley’s bustling Telegraph Avenue stretch, were forced to close shop in the past few years. 

Dyrell Van Fleet of Bibliomania in Oakland, who sells antiquarian and collectible books, says, “The Internet undersells booksellers. Ten copies are competing against each other, so people who know about books are being replaced by people scanning bar codes.” 

Van Fleet sells books online but admires Erik and Nick for sticking to their principles. “Selling books online would help their economic viability. I’m glad that people like Erik come along, young booksellers with a lot of enthusiasm.” 

Erik and Nick served their apprenticeship at local bookstores and now enjoy being their own boss. It allows them the freedom to buy the out-of-the-mainstream books of radical politics, art, sexuality, and the occult they stock their shelves with, shelves with often playful labels like “druggy fiction” or “bathroom reading.” Many intriguing titles, such as The Way of Endless Life: Taoist Drinking Songs, Tales of Wo-Chi-Ca: Blacks, Whites and Reds at Camp, The Psychic World of California, and Ann Hooper’s Pocket Sex Guide greet customers. 

Erik and Nick honor their core values of simplicity and ease by using minimal technology. They record sales by hand, although later some information might be entered into the computer. They believe selling books online is too far removed from the relaxed, intimate reading experience they pride themselves on creating for their customers. “You can’t easily browse online. They can’t compete with us,” Erik says. 

“It depresses me to think the Internet’s highest function is a home-based shopping mall,” adds Nick, 28, who’s tall and lanky, an appealing combination of shyness and congeniality. 

They feel that Book Zoo’s friendly ambience and eclectic selection of high-quality, affordable books will eventually bring in more customers. They are the only workers in the store, which they see as a distinct advantage: it cuts down on paperwork for employees and allows Erik and Nick to coordinate their used book buying, giving Book Zoo a more coherent character than stores with several different buyers. 

They’re firm believers in word-of-mouth and would like to have regular author events, which would help spread the word to the numerous independently thinking book lovers. But Erik and Nick have limited time; each works second jobs, Erik at the Institute of East Asian Studies at UC Berkeley and Nick at the Oakland Public Library. In addition, Erik is married and has a 2-year-old daughter, Ramona. 

Still, there are occasional author events at Book Zoo. On a cool, gray Sunday afternoon, I attended a screenprinting demonstration by John Isaacson, author of Do It Yourself Screenprinting, with the subtitle Turning Your Home into a T-Shirt Factory. About 15 people, mainly young women, some new to the store, were in attendance. Anyone who wanted to got the chance to make a print, including Erik’s daughter. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I didn’t make a print but was happy to discover a copy of Selected Essays by Robert Louis Stevenson, in good condition, for only $4. 

The turnout pleased Erik, who remarked, “Drawing a young crowd is our only hope of survival because the core of used bookstore customers are 50- to 60-year-old men. They’re automatic; you don’t have to make a big effort to get them.” 

He spoke excitedly about a poetry reading at the store given by two 1960s icons and current political activists, John Sinclair, a founder of the White Panthers, and Ted Rosenthal, ardent marijuana advocate. “John’s poetry lit up the small room. It’s nice knowing we could stage events that tie us into a higher stream, history that’s still happening. The community involvement at our readings when there are good exchanges reminds us it’s not just an anonymous space.” 

I understood Erik’s feeling of exhilaration, having once been a bookstore reading series coordinator myself. Also, his comments made me realize that Book Zoo has a strong ’60s flavor, a sense of exploration, of going against conventional wisdom, as well as a longing for community. Perhaps these qual-ities, combined with Book Zoo’s small town feel, make it unique among local bookstores. 

In the mid-’90s, Erik and his wife, Sarah Guy, spent two years teaching English in Japan, followed by a year traveling about the United States supporting themselves by odd jobs. They settled down in Oakland, California in 1999. The following year, Erik got a job at Walden Pond Books and became fast friends with co-worker Nick. When the idea of opening his own bookstore began calling to Erik, he and Nick discussed becoming partners.  

In 2003, they opened a tiny, cave-like store called Book Zoo on Telegraph Avenue and Blake Street in Berkeley, about a mile from their current location. They closed the store three years later, reluctantly acknowledging it was a lost cause. Nick recalls, “It seemed to attract every esoteric personality. We were very lenient at first about drug use and other behavior. Sometimes people used the bathroom for hours at a time. This store has more room and more sunlight. There’s a more diverse population, and it’s a lot more kid-friendly.” 

Erik’s wife Sarah and daughter are in the store a lot, mingling easily with customers, adding to Book Zoo’s personal flavor. Sarah is blonde, blue-eyed, and has a quiet, calm manner. She teaches kindergarten at Archway School, a small private school in Berkeley. She says, “The hardest part is the money burden. Everything I make at Archway goes back into the store at this point.”  

But she smiles recalling how Book Zoo got launched, with friends enthusiastically pitching in to build shelves and paint. 

Steve Margulis and Peter Herkoff are former colleagues of Erik’s and Nick’s at Walden Pond Books. Margulis says, “Since Erik and Nick opened their first bookstore, I’ve seen how much they’ve learned. Their stock is so much better now than at the hole-in-the-wall. There are feel-good vibes the moment you walk in now. They’re still working out their philosophy. Will it be a neighborhood store or one that draws people from further away?” 

Peter adds, “Erik and Nick have a lot of integrity and passion and knowledge of books. They’re very eclectic, which is good but also limiting. They have a certain philosophy of not carrying popular literature. As a neighborhood bookstore that feels right, but you worry about their long-term sustainability. They’re a throwback to a different world, like the old general store.” 

And Sarah puts Book Zoo in a larger perspective. “I want more independent stores like this where you can ask questions about what’s important to you. I want to live in a community where I know the people who run the stores, and they know their customers.”  

BOOK ZOO 

4-10 p.m. Thurday and Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  

6395 Telegraph Ave.  

654-2665. http://bookzoo.net.