Film: Independent bookstores under fire
Kepler’s Books will host the Bay Area premiere of “Indies Under Fire,” a documentary film on the effect of giant book chains on the country’s independent bookstores, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 30.
The screening will take place at 700 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, a Menlo Park Presbyterian Church facility. It is free and open to the public.
Following the film, there will be a panel discussion on the state of independent bookselling with producer Jonathan Crosby; Clark Kepler, owner of Kepler’s Books; Hut Landon, president of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association; and Susan MacDonald, former co-owner of Printers Inc.
During the “golden years” of the independent bookstores, there were 5,200 members of the American Booksellers Association. Today there are fewer than 3,000.
Printers Inc. in Palo Alto went out of business during the filming of the documentary, as well as several other small bookstores that appear in the film.
For more information, call 324-4321.
Chicano art event at local libraries
The burgeoning world of Chicano art is the subject of a slide lecture presented by a DeYoung Museum docent at the Atherton library at 7:30 p.m. Monday, September 25.The program repeats at the Woodside library at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 28.
“Chicano Visions” is a touring exhibit drawn largely from comedian and actor Cheech Marin’s private collection of works by Chicano artists. It’s currently showing at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco and includes paintings by 26 contemporary artists.
The library programs are free. The Atherton library is located at 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, and the Woodside library at 3140 Woodside Road. For information, call the Atherton library at 328-2422, the Woodside library at 851-0147, or go online to www.smcl.org.
Volunteers sought for Kepler’s event
Kepler’s Books is looking for volunteers to help the bookstore celebrate the first anniversary of its re-opening and to encourage new participants to join the store’s Literary Circle membership program.The celebratory event, called Kepler’s Day in the Park, runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 14, at Burgess Park, at the corner of Alma Street and Burgess Drive in Menlo Park.
The celebration has a local theme, including works by local authors, art by local artists, and music by local musicians. Books can be swapped: bring a book and leave with a different one. To sign up for a shift, send an e-mail to VolunteerYes@keplers.com.
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