Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Kickoff Party @ Berkeley Public Library | Jan. 13
This event in the Central Branch Teen Room is a terrific way to begin the year. Celebrate the poetry of today’s youth and cheer on the two candidates who will become the library’s 2026 Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Youth Poet Laureate.
The kickoff party includes poetry readings by a talented group of finalists, performances by local youth stars, and, as always, a few special surprise guest appearances. Snacks and refreshments are served along with the powerful and poignant voices that speak out loud about what it is to live, learn, love, despair, dream, and find meaning and purpose as a young person in America.
Jan. 13, 6–7:30 pm | Free | BerkeleyPublicLibrary.org
A conversation with journalist/editor/author Darwin BondGraham @ Oakland Public Library | Jan. 21
The Oaklandside’s news editor is joined by librarian Ian Hetzner for a lively conversation at the Main library branch about local journalism. BondGraham is the coauthor with Ali Winston of “The Riders Come Out at Night” (2023), which unpacks the Oakland Police Department’s history of corruption and efforts at reform. Topics are likely to include covering City Hall and the OPD, and the shifting news landscape. Exposing truths and lies in complex systems is BondGraham’s specialty, so expect the discussion to be raw, fact-based, and stimulating. Registration ensures updates and assists the library in planning, but does not guarantee a seat. Masks are encouraged and will be available for everyone.
Jan. 21, 6–7:30 pm | Free | OaklandLibrary.org
Photographer Dick Evans and author Hannah Hindley @ Mrs. Dalloway’s, Berkeley | Jan. 21
Evans and Hindley demonstrate the power of two artists in a slideshow and presentation for their new book, “In the Shadow of the Bridge: Birds of the Bay Area.” Speaking with Meredith Elliott of Point Blue Conservation Science, they will invite guests to discover the many wonders of avian species in the Bay Area.
Sparrows, Great Blue Herons, seabirds, egrets and other birds populate Evans’ dramatic, forceful, and always visually stunning photographs. Hindley writes with a special sensitivity about our interdependent ecology and the importance of how humans and the urban environment impact birds and the biodiversity found in the region. Out of the beauty of their combined voices comes an urgency, a sense that choices made and actions taken or not taken matter. The more that is known, the more future decisions will protect, respect, and preserve the richness of our surroundings.
Jan. 21 @ 7 pm | Free | MrsDalloways.com
Poet James Cagney @ Books Inc. Alameda | Jan. 22
Books Inc. Alameda presents the award-winning poet as part of its Book of Light Poetry Series. Cagney will read from his new collection, “Ghetto Koans: A Personal Archive.” Improbably, out of tales of the forgotten and the lives of blue collar hustlers fighting to preserve their dreams comes a language of unique properties and reimagined structural form. Cagney is a resident of Oakland whose work seems to pull the essential nature of his hometown into his grasp, squeeze firmly, and open his hands to present word seeds that grow into vast landscapes of thought. His previous two poetry collections include Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour Of Chaos Theory and MARTIAN: The Saint of Loneliness. His books won the 2021 James Laughlin Award from Academy of American Poets and the 2019 Josephine Miles Award from PEN Oakland.
Jan. 22 @ 7 pm | Free | BooksInc.com
Edit Your Town: the Oakland Wiki Edit-a-thon @ Oakland Public Library | Jan. 31
This three hour collaborative edit-a-thon offers a fun, community-driven opportunity to update and expand the Oakland Wiki. Participates are encouraged to add new information, fix errors, and share unique local knowledge they might have. Local historian and Oakland Wiki contributor Gene Anderson and librarian Camille C. Peters from the Magazines & Newspapers department at the Main Library will explain the fundamentals and lead the activity. All of which makes this a mini course in wiki editing and learning about the vast historical resources in the library’s Magazines & Newspapers room. It’s a fascinating event meant to not only improve Oakland Wiki, but to foster new relationships within the community. People are encouraged to bring their own laptops; a limited number of Chromebooks will also be available for attendees to use. Refreshments will be served and all ideas for improving Oakland Wiki are welcome. The Edit-a-thon takes place on the second floor of the Main Library on 14th Street.
Jan. 31, 1–4 pm | Free | OaklandLibrary.org