Riff Raff

Poetry and Pros For most of us, it's hard to imagine an open-mike poetry reading series lasting more than 10 weeks, much less 10 years, but this month "Poetry Above Paradise" celebrates a full decade of weekly readings. Folks as diverse as actor Sean Penn, journalist Patricia Smith, Spearhead's Michael Franti, and sci-fi pioneer Fritz Leiber have sharpened their skills, if not their wits, on the intimate upstairs stage. Founding MC Jennifer Joseph, publisher and editor of the award-winning Manic D Press, helped launch the careers of local talents Beth Lisick and Justin Chin from this spot and the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour found it an important enough setting for a documentary on the S.F. poetry scene awhile back. On Sunday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m., beat icon Diane DiPrima reads from her recently released Loba, followed by a fast-paced open reading by anybody with the will to spill at the Paradise Lounge. (S.T.)

Oops This week, a correction and a clarification. First, Riff Raff failed to give credit to writers Markus Naegel and Michael Layne Heath in our item about German magazine Superstar. Sorry, guys. Also, Storyville, which we called a "sleepy jazz club" recently, wrote in to clarify: "The All New Storyville features the best of the new school funk, acid and Latin jazz groups and a tasty selection of the freshest Dee Jays." (J.S.)

Riff Raff riffraff: Robert Arriaga (R.A.), Johnny DiPaola (J.D.P.), Karl D. Esturbense (K.D.E.), Jeff Stark (J.S.), Silke Tudor (S.T.), Heather Wisner (H.W.), and Bill Wyman (