Sweet 16th

Is it the Critical Mass of poetry? Short answer: No. But the 16th & Mission reading series is, like the illegal bike ride, a beautiful, anarchic, streetside takeover of public space, and you're invited. The 16th & Mission Five-Year Anniversary celebrates half a decade of Thursday night sidewalk readings open to everyone, inspired by and feeding into the BART plaza's already loud mix of evangelists, families, junkies, and … well, you've been there. Sounds like a recipe for the world's worst poetry, right? But it isn't; little-d democracy produces quality at the mic-less open mic, same as it does wherever people are allowed to do what they do unfettered. Proof is in the unexpectedly great 16th & Mission Review chapbook, which lays out the excellence of some (okay, not all) of the participants. Copies of the last six issues are for sale tonight, and the one we looked at was some of the best bus reading we've come across in a long time: philosophical, unpretentious, observant, and funny. Regular performers also include MCs, comedians, and performance artists (organizers point out that "participation from passerby and audience members is common"), all of whom enjoy the no-time-limit, no sign-ups, and no-judging atmosphere.
Thu., May 15, 9 p.m., 2008