Welcome to City Lights Books
of San Francisco

City Lights is a landmark independent bookstore and publisher that specializes in world literature, the arts, and progressive politics.

Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, City Lights is one of the few truly great independent bookstores in the United States, a place where booklovers from across the country and around the world come to browse, read, and just soak in the ambiance of alternative culture's only "Literary Landmark."... Read more>>

New at City Lights Bookstore

A Coney Island of the Mind 50th Anniversary Edition (with CD) Lawrence Ferlinghetti A million copies in print—translated into over a dozen languages—one of the best-selling and most popular books of poetry ever published, now available in a new hardcover edition containing a CD of the author reading his work. Ferlinghetti is a...

In Defense of Food An Eater's Manifesto Michael Pollan What to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a manifesto for our times "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the...

STANDING UP TO THE MADNESS ORDINARY HEROES IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES Amy Goodman, David Goodman Standing Up to the Madness not only is a timely, inspiring, and even revolutionary look at who wields the greatest power in America--everyday people who take a chance and stand up for what they believe in--but also offers advice on what you can do...

New from City Lights Publishers!

Writings For A Democratic Society The Tom Hayden Reader Tom Hayden The best of Tom Hayden's writings from the turbulent 1960s to the Iraq war.

Voices of the Chicago 8 A Generation on Trial Tom Hayden, Frank Condon, Ron Sossi Dramatically edited transcripts from the explosive 1969 conspiracy trial are paired with historic contextual writings to provide the essential Chicago Conspiracy handbook

Crude Reflections/Cruda Realidad Oil, Ruin and Resistance in the Amazon Rainforest Lou Dematteis, Kayana Szymczak An indigenous community's landmark legal case to hold Chevron accountable for its contamination of the Amazon

Portions From a Wine-Stained Notebook Uncollected Stories and Essays, 1944-1990 Charles Bukowski, David Calonne Essential uncollected work from one of the most infamous and provocative contemporary American writers.

Tau By Philip Lamantia Journey to the End By John Hoffman John Hoffman, Philip Lamantia Two new books from the classic Beat period: mystical poems by Philip Lamantia and the long-lost "Six Gallery" poems by legendary hipster John Hoffman.

State of Exile Pocket Poets Number 58 Cristina Peri Rossi A tender, moving, and multi-layered portrait of the pain, loneliness and permanent nostalgia of exile.