Events

Psyche Unbound: Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Stanislav Grof

A day-long symposium celebrating the work of Stanislav Grof the world’s leading researcher in psychedelic therapy, breathwork, and the exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Peter Richardson on Hunter S. Thompson and the Weird Road to Gonzo

Peter Richardson in conversation with David Talbot celebrating the launch of the new book Savage Journey: Hunter S. Thompson and the Weird Road to Gonzo

John Nichols in conversation with Congressman Ro Khanna

A discussion exploring John Nichol’s new book Coronavirus Criminals and Pandemic Profiteers: Accountability for Those Who Caused the Crisis

Jordan Stein with Bruce Hainley

Jordan Stein and Bruce Hainley discuss the life and afterlives of Jay DeFeo’s Estocada, a work created in the shadow of her masterwork The Rose

Harry Freedman on Leonard Cohen

Harry Freedman in conversation with Dan Libenson. A spellbinding and unorthodox look into the life of Leonard Cohen, and the way his experiences with religion and spirituality produced one of the greatest musicians of our time.

Nadifa Mohamed

Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Tommy Orange. The Fortune Men is a Booker Prize Finalist based on the true event of the unjust death of Mahmood Mattan, the last man executed in Cardiff for a crime he was exonerated for forty years later.

Jonathan M. Katz

Jonathan Myerson Katz in conversation with David Talbot discussing Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America’s Empire published by St. Martin's Press

Morgan Thomas

Morgan Thomas in conversation with K-Ming Chang. Morgan Thomas’s Manywhere features lush and uncompromising stories about characters crossing geographical borders and gender binaries

Daniel Levin Becker

Daniel Levin Becker in conversation with Ian S. Port celebrating the release of Daniel Levin Becker’s new book What’s Good: Notes on Rap and Language published by City Lights Books

Garrett Hongo

Garrett Hongo in conversation with Maxine Hong Kingston. Celebrating the launch of Garrett Hongo’s new book The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo

Ben Okri

Ben Okri in conversation with Ainehi Edoro Glines. A discussion in celebration of Ben Okri’s two newly released books “Every Leaf an Halleujah” and “Astonishing the Gods”

Monique Jenkinson and Friends

Join Monique and Friends in an evening of frolic and celebration. Celebrating the launch of her new book Faux Queen, following the fierce and fabulous journey of Fauxnique, the first cis-woman to win a major drag queen pageant.

Nahum Dimitri Chandler with Judith Butler and Robert Gooding-Williams

A panel discussion exploring Nahum Dimitri Chandler’s new book “Beyond This Narrow Now” Or, Delimitations, of W. E. B. Du Bois published by Duke University Press

Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985

City Lights in conjunction with PM Press present a weekend-long symposium exploring the radical currents of Science Fiction. Celebrating the US launch of Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985 Edited by Andrew Nette & Iain McIntyre, published by PM Press. Scroll down for registration links

Solmaz Sharif

Solmaz Sharif reads from her new collection CUSTOMS published by Graywolf Press

Wayne Koestenbaum

The fabulous Wayne Koestenbaum reads from “Ultramarine” the third and final volume of his acclaimed trance poem trilogy.

Joseph Matthews

Joseph Matthews reads from The Blast: A Novel published by PM Press

JJ Bola

JJ Bola reads from his new novel The Selfless Act Of Breathing published by Simon and Schuster

Brian Hochman on the history of Wiretapping in the U.S.

John Elizabeth Stintzi

John Elizabeth Stintzi reads from their new novel My Volcano published by Two Dollar Radio

Rae Armantrout with Lyn Hejinian

Rae Armantrout celebrates a new book Finalists published by Wesleyan University Press

David Shields

David Shields celebrating the release of The Very Last Interview by David Shields, published by New York Review Books

Kemi Alabi with Hieu Minh Nguyen and Sam Sax

celebrating Kemi Alabi's debut work Against Heaven  published by Graywolf Press

Alexander Monea

Alexander Monea discusses their new book The Digital Closet: How the Internet Became Straight published by MIT Press.  An exploration of how heteronormative bias is deeply embedded in the internet, hidden in algorithms, keywords, content moderation, and more.

Sarah Dryden-Peterson in conversation with Monisha Bajaj and Esther Elonga

A panel discussion exploring the book Right Where We Belong: How Refugee Teachers and Students Are Changing the Future of Education by Sarah Dryden-Peterson, published by Harvard University Press. This event is presented by City Lights in conjunction with Refugee and Immigrant Transitions and a Consortium of Departments at the University of San Francisco

Gabriela Alemán

City Lights celebrates the publication of Family Album:stories, Ecuadorian author Gabriela Alemán’s rollicking follow-up to her acclaimed English-language debut,Poso Wells.