Oakland Review of Books

drop your venmo

Oakland Review of Books calendar of (not just) literary events, March 10 - March 15 Temporarily Removed

Oakland Review of Books calendar of (not just) literary events, March 10 - March 15: www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/calendar/

AI cameras are everywhere — and people are paying the price for their mistakes Flock Safety's license plate readers are used by police in thousands of communities. When the cameras make mistakes, the consequences can be severe.

“In a dozen instances, misreads by Flock's automated license plate readers, or a lack of verification by officers, resulted in people who hadn't committed crimes being stopped at gunpoint, sent to jail, or mauled by a police dog, among other outcomes.”

it's a movement!

MINE the Carquinez Strait

More and more are saying it

The Tech Bro Problem in Public Art When Burning Man aesthetics meets Silicon Valley ambition in San Francisco’s Big Art Loop, the metrics of value are called into question

glad we are finally openly acknowledging how dogshit sf's public art is
www.frieze.com/article/tech...

Jeffrey Epstein comes to Oakland Searching for the East Bay in the Epstein files so you don't have to.

Epstein came to the East Bay for the same reasons so many dickheads in history sought out the Pacific: fragrance, tea, more efficient routes for the conduct of trade.

Fretting Chris Thile shocks and awes in Berkeley as a new war dawns in Iran.

"I think I’m done with that thing where musicians vaguely allude to how awful things are in the world, saying how saddened and ashamed they are by humanity, only to then suggest that music is, at least, one thing that’s good, and at least we can have music." www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/fretting/

Another unexpectedly spectacular read from ORB. Oakland vs capital and the NYT.

no jury would convict

Unpaid Debts In the midst of a battle against a dying industry, a Kentucky judge said Oakland owes hundreds of millions of dollars to a bankrupt corporation that exists only on paper. What do cities owe to whom as...

"We, the people of Oakland, of Richmond, of the West Coast, swimming in fossil capital and particulate matter and perhaps the ocean itself by century’s end, are given a choice: Reorganize or die." @meganwachspress.bsky.social
❤️‍🔥
👀
@oaklandreviewofbooks.org www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/unpaid-debts...

The original piece is a banger:

How It’s Made: A 7,000-Word Story on Coal in Oakland “This is the only time in my entire life, I think, where I wrote long and someone was like, ‘Well, could you make it longer?’”

People said they wanted more culture pieces on Bsky, right? For COYOTE, I interviewed the @oaklandreviewofbooks.org and @meganwachspress.bsky.social for a behind-the-scenes account of how Megan's 7,000-word feature (!) on coal in Oakland came to be—a phenomenal work of longform journalism.

"Oakland is west of Bay Area and Palo Alto,." is an instant classic in my group chats.

Jeffrey Epstein comes to Oakland Searching for the East Bay in the Epstein files so you don't have to.

Epstein came to the East Bay for the same reasons so many dickheads in history sought out the Pacific: fragrance, tea, more efficient routes for the conduct of trade.

Whatcha been reading?

Whatcha been reading?

Oakland Review of Books calendar of (not just) literary events, March 3 - March 8 Show your moon.

The week in not-just-literary events in Oakland: www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/calendar/

We're ready for you, are you ready for this week?

Oakland Review of Books calendar of (not just) literary events, March 3 - March 8 Show your moon.

CALENDAR DROP! www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/calendar/

nah

Still in the street on which cars are also passing Language, poet, ‘68, tank top, Negra Modelo.

"Machines are only interested in being invented. And also: You’re killing yourself so you can say, “There’s more where that came from.” www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/still-in-the...

The Brooklyn to Oakland connection is strong, but the Oakland to Berkeley connection is stronger, and multigenerational, and is standing on the corner with a beer because it's hot in February.

12 mi today! Thanks to @oaklandreviewofbooks.org for the moral support ;) #running is a great way to experience #oakland, saw all kinds of fun graffiti i hadn’t seen before

Still in the street on which cars are also passing Language, poet, ‘68, tank top, Negra Modelo.

On Fridays, there's poetry at Tamarack, and ORB has the story: www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/still-in-the...

ORB sends good vibes, and has FAITH in your Iliotibial. You will prevail!

Napa’s Biggest Black Culture Festival Didn’t Pay Several Chefs Until They Threatened to Sue Blue Note's Black Radio Experience drew sold-out crowds to Napa Valley. Months later, some contractors were still chasing their money.

"It almost was like a slap in the face," said Napa chef Jammir Gray. "You are here under the guise of wanting to be a part of telling this story of Black music, radio, culture, and food... And then you treat us like dirt."
www.coyotemedia.org/black-radio-...

So much is happening we finally exceeded gmail's capacity to display the full newsletter. Luckily, there's a website you can go to for the full, unfurling, growing glory of this week.

next you're gonna try to tell me that this ISN'T the lake merrit monster?