December-January 2000 RETURN TO HOME PAGE FEEDBACK

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The Noe Valley­Sally Brunn Library is launching a new poetry series that will be held on one Wednesday night a month. Branch Librarian Roberta Greifer's longstanding interest in poetry was the spark for the series, which kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 13, with a reading by award-winning poet Kim Addonizio.

Addonizio, a former Noe Valleyan, is the author of three poetry collections, The Philosopher's Club, Jimmy and Rita, and Tell Me, as well as a short story collection titled In the Box Called Pleasure. She teaches poetry workshops in San Francisco and Berkeley and co-authored The Poet's Companion, a guide to poetry writing. "Virgin Spring," a poem that appears in Tell Me, was selected this year for the anthology Best American Poetry.

Addonizio has won two NEA fellowships, a Commonwealth Club poetry medal, and a Pushcart Prize. A San Francisco Chronicle review dubbed her "Poet Laureate for the Down and Out" and mentioned her "striking looks and get-ups and the dramatically appealing persona she presents at readings."

The second session, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, features two other San Francisco poets. Priscilla Lee is an Asian-American writer whose collection Wishbone has just been published. It chronicles the life of a woman straddling two cultures. A recipient of both the Emily Chamberlain Cook Poetry Prize and the James D. Phelan Literary Award, Lee has seen her work published in Ploughshares, the Kenyon Review, and Zyzzyva magazine.

Joining Lee on Jan. 24 will be Yvonne Cannon, a Richmond District poet who has published her work in the journal Confrontation, the Santa Clara Review, and most recently in Zyzzyva. Cannon describes her poetry as narrative in form, with lots of humor and irony. "It's storytelling, which makes it nice for readings," she adds.

Both sessions will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the library at 451 Jersey St. For more information, call 695-5095.

Works Created by the Disabled

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Creativity Explored of San Francisco is holding its annual Holiday Open House and Art Sale, featuring one-of-a-kind art works in a variety of media, including ceramics, paintings, drawings, textiles, sculptures, and assemblages. Creativity Explored is a visual arts studio for adults with developmental disabilities. Some of the artwork that will be on sale has been exhibited nationally and internationally. You can also pick up a 2001 calendar featuring the studio's artworks.

There'll be a preview and reception on Friday, Dec. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m., followed by the sale on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2 and 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The studio is located at 3245 16th St., between Dolores and Guerrero streets.

For more information, call 863-2108 or email cesf@wenet.net. You can also check out the group's web site at www .creativityexplored.org.

Welcoming Your Child

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"When I had my first child, we had a bris for him, but it didn't feel personal enough. So when my second child was born, I wrote a welcoming ceremony for her." That was the seed for Andrea Alban Gosline's new book, Welcoming Ways: Creating Your Baby's Welcome Ceremony with the Wisdom of World Traditions. Gosline will be signing the book and leading parts of the ceremonies at Natural Resources on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.

If you want to add to your own culture's traditional ceremony, or design a celebration unique to your family, the examples in the book will give you ideas from a variety of cultures, from Borneo to Bali. After a description of each of the welcoming or naming rituals found in these far-flung places, the book includes a sample ceremony written by Gosline.

Parents and their children of all ages are invited to come and participate in the ceremonies. Snacks will be provided. Natural Resources is located at 1307 Castro St., near 24th Street. For more information, call 550-2611.

Value Added Art Show

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A new artist series will premiere this month at Value Vacation (formerly Dirt Cheap Travel). Oil paintings by Noe Valley artist Dennis Gardner and works in clay by Noe Valley artist Carol Badran will be shown Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 7­10, with an artists' reception and holiday party on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Value Vacation is located at 3901 23rd St., at Sanchez. For more information, call 824-2550 or visit the travel agency's web site at www.valuevacation.com.

Take a Teddy Bear to Tea

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Lovejoy's Tea Room will be offering three Teddy Bear Teas, for children under 10, during the month of December. This special holiday tradition includes storytelling, a special tea menu, and a gift for each child. Children are encouraged to dress up and bring their favorite teddy bear, or other toy.

The teas will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. Lovejoy's is located at 1351 Church St. Seating is limited, so call for a reservation or more information at 648-5895.

A Santa with Serious Whiskers

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Whether your dog has been naughty or nice, you might want to walk him to the Noe Valley Pet Company on Sunday, Dec. 10. That's because "Santa PAWS" will be there to pose for pictures with you and your pet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The cost for a photo session is $10 to $15, and all proceeds will benefit PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), a nonprofit organization serving low-income pet owners living with AIDS.

Founded in 1986, PAWS currently helps 350 humans and 650 animals with food deliveries, vet care, dog walking services, litter box maintenance, grooming, and foster care to adoption if needed. During the holidays, PAWS also assembles a gift bag for each client, containing such useful items as toothpaste, toothbrushes, pet shampoo, and toys.

If you wish to support PAWS but lack a furry friend to have your picture taken with, you are welcome to make a donation for the holiday gift bags. Items that would be especially appreciated are new cat toys, dog toys, treats, and money.

The Noe Valley Pet Company is located on Church Street at the corner of Cesar Chavez. To find out more about the event, call 282-7385. To get the scoop on PAWS, call 241-1496 or log on to www.pawssf.org.