tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56453168498639570102021-01-12T13:07:03.555-08:00Borderlands SponsorsBorderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-37286906030068692762021-01-08T14:50:00.005-08:002021-01-08T14:50:44.093-08:00Sponsor Letter, January 8th 2021<p>&nbsp;Happy New Year!<br /><br />Given that I'm writing on the evening of Wednesday, January 6th, I've got to say that 2021 is starting off in a way that is, shall we say, "In tune"?, with 2020.&nbsp; But, I'm cautiously hopeful that this year will be better than the last.&nbsp; At other times, I might say, "Hey, it can't be any worse," but after the past two years it would seem too much like tempting fate, so I shan't.&nbsp; So, on to the business at hand.<br /><br />First things first.&nbsp; Welcome to our new sponsors!&nbsp; Folks who have been around for a while are probably sick of hearing me say this but; Thank you so much for your support.&nbsp; I (and the rest of the staff) cannot properly express how much it means to us.&nbsp; That would be true under any circumstances but, after a year like the last one, it goes double (or, perhaps, triple).&nbsp; I'm afraid that the first part of this year is going to be a bit staid compared to usual.&nbsp; The quarterly sponsor social is, of course, on hiatus until it's safe to gather and, likewise, our monthly events are also on hold.&nbsp; But, I hope that by the end of this year, we'll be able to wrap up with quite the party for you all.&nbsp; All that notwithstanding, if there is anything that we at the shop can do for you, just drop me a line and I'll see what I can come up with.<br /><br />Further (and equally huge) thanks to all you sponsors who have already renewed.&nbsp; As always, I appreciate your decision to come along for the ride, another year in a row.&nbsp; Here's a fun fact - of the 86 sponsors who have renewed so far, 58 of you have been supporting us since the first year in 2015. <br /><br />On the topic of renewals, if you haven't yet and would like to . . . well, please go on ahead.&nbsp; You can renew on-line at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/v2/become-sponsor/">https://borderlands-books.com/v2/become-sponsor/</a> or you're welcome to stop by the shop.&nbsp; You can even send us a check, if you'd prefer to do the old-school snail-mail thing (btw, do we even call it that anymore?).<br /><br />But, if you're short on money right now, I've got another idea for you.&nbsp; Goodness knows, this year has been crazy hard for a lot of people.&nbsp; At the same time, social contact and a sense of connection with other people has been really important while, at the same time, it's been really difficult. I don't want to do anything to make either the tight money or the sense of isolation worse.<br /><br />So, if you don't feel like you can afford the cost of a sponsorship this year but you'd still like to be part of this -- just send me a note saying so and your sponsorship will be renewed.&nbsp; As a sponsor, you've been though a lot with us; if you wanna stick around, I wouldn't want to see you go over something trivial like $100.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong though - oh my, we can use the support if you can spare it.&nbsp; I don't want to repeat what I wrote in the store newsletter (which you all should be getting; let me know if you're not), but this year is going to be damn challenging for us.<br /><br />Before I close this note, I do have one neat thing that will be coming up.&nbsp; I'm leaving for Seattle on Friday in a Big Honking Truck to pick up an awful lot of books.&nbsp; I'm guessing it'll be around 200 boxes or, if you're the poor sucker moving them, around 5000lbs.&nbsp; It's the purchase of a complete library belonging to a collector of (mostly) 21st century hardcover first editions.&nbsp; As is our practice, we'll be doing a preview sale, just for sponsors, once we've had time to organize the books.&nbsp; At this point, I'm guessing that it will happen sometime in February but it might be in March.<br /><br />I'm still thinking through the details of how to do such a thing, safely, in the Time Of COVID but, once I have it worked out, I'll let you all know.&nbsp; You can help me out with planning that, assuming you've got time.&nbsp; If you're interested in the sale, drop me a note and let me know if you'd be able and willing to come to the shop in person to look at the books.&nbsp; That is assuming, of course, that we have procedures in place such that coming into the shop was safe per CDC and Heath Department recommendations.&nbsp; You can reply to this email if you wish, or you can write me at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />That's about all I've got for today.&nbsp; I hope that your New Year thus far has been as happy and peaceful as possible.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan</p>Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-51915699748778497382020-12-01T17:31:00.005-08:002020-12-01T17:31:56.199-08:00Sponsor Letter, December 1st 2020<p>&nbsp;Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />I hope that the beginning of the holiday season has been happy and peaceful for you all.&nbsp; I hope that you'll forgive the lack of a sponsor note last month but, as I mentioned in the store newsletter, though the year has been pretty crazy, the day-to-day at the shop is pretty boring so I didn't have much to tell you about.&nbsp; However, this month I do have a few things to mention.<br /><br />Sponsorship Renewals<br />We're ready to start accepting pre-orders for your 2021 sponsorship on-line.&nbsp; The link is here - <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship</a> . We've made one change this year; after many years of requests, there is now an option to have your sponsorship automatically renew each year. When you get to the second page, you'll have the option to make your sponsorship an "Automatic Renewal". &nbsp;<br /><br />You'll also notice that the option of making an extra donation to the "Moving and New Building Fund" is still present. I had hoped to be able to omit that this year.&nbsp; But, I also hoped that we would have gotten moved this year.&nbsp; But, 2020 (and COVID-19) had other plans.&nbsp; If you feel like you can give a little extra help this year, it would be welcome.<br /><br />I'm confident that we'll manage to navigate next year and get moved successfully.&nbsp; But, I am concerned that the state of our funds may mean that the new shop will not, initially, be all that I hoped for.&nbsp; 2020 has been an expensive year for all the reasons that you can imagine and the funds that I had set aside to cover build-out and moving cost have been depleted by about 50%.&nbsp; That doesn't mean we won't be able to move but it could mean that, once we're done, the floors will be industrial carpet, rather than wood, and the bookshelves may be the same as we have now, rather than the built-ins that I was planning.<br /><br />How that shakes out (and, on a more fundamental level, how we continue to operate) is going to be, at least partially, dependent on the support that you can show us this year.&nbsp; So, as always, I would love to have your support in 2021 but, if you decide that this is the year you need to direct your money elsewhere -- thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support you've given us.&nbsp; It changed Borderlands for the better in more ways than I think anyone could have imagined and I appreciate it more than I can say.<br /><br />Private Shopping<br />In addition to offering the curb-side pickup that I mentioned in the Newsletter, we're also offering another service for sponsors to help you stay safe this winter.&nbsp; If you're concerned about the exposure risks in being out in public, we are offering private shopping by appointment.&nbsp; You can arrange with us to come in outside of normal business hours and you'll be the only person in the shop other than the person working the counter.&nbsp; We have appointments available every day at 6:15 and 6:30 pm but we're also happy to accommodate other times, either before 11 am or later than 6:30.<br /><br />If you're interested, just drop me an email at sponsors@borderlands-books.com or call the shop and let me know what time you'd like to come in. You're welcome to come alone or you can bring guests with you if you like.&nbsp; We'd prefer that you limit your visit to 30 minutes but, if you'd like to have more time, let me know and we'll work it out. Before you arrive, we'll have the air filters on full and the rear window open to clear the air in the shop and we'll also sanitize the counter and bathroom areas.<br /><br />Of course, the safest option will still be to order by mail but, sometimes, it's just not the same.&nbsp; Also, as we get closer to the end of the month, I expect that the postage system will start to have delays and problems due to the sheer volume of shipping.<br /><br />Upcoming Preview Sale<br />Finally, I've confirmed that I will be buying the collection that I mentioned in the last newsletter.&nbsp; I will be getting it in mid-January and my plan is to offer our sponsors a preview sale before any of the books are offered to the public.&nbsp; To refresh your memory, this is a 2000-3000 volume collection of almost exclusively 21st century works in very nice condition and some small presses (Subterranean and Centipede) are well represented so I think there will be some very interesting titles.&nbsp; I do and will not have an inventory until after the sale but, as we did in the past, I will post high-quality pictures of the books on the shelves just prior to the event.&nbsp; If you can't make it in person, you can refer to the pictures and place orders by phone.<br /><br />I'll have more details for you in January or, perhaps, February.&nbsp; And yes, I'm thinking about how to manage the sale while maintaining a safe environment for people who attend in person.&nbsp; I haven't come to any conclusions yet and I'm definitely considering the possibility of doing the entire sale "virtually".<br /><br />And that's about all the news I have for now.&nbsp; When you next hear from me, we'll have seen the back of 2020 and I'm really looking forward to this awful, awful year being over.&nbsp; Please have a safe, happy and calm holiday along with a joyous New Year. &nbsp;<br /><br />I'll leave you with a quote that I think, though appropriate all the time, is especially appropriate in December.&nbsp; "It's a little embarrassing that after 45 years of research &amp; study, the best advice I can give people is to be a little kinder to each other." - Aldous Huxley<br /><br />The end of this year, more than most (or, perhaps, any) in my memory, will benefit from as much kindness as we can spare.<br /><br />Warmest Wishes,<br />Alan<br /><br /></p>Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-63774511775990136812020-06-29T11:31:00.002-07:002020-06-29T11:31:57.664-07:00Sponsor Letter, June 29th 2020Hi Folks,<br /><br />Honestly, I'm a bit at sea about what to write this month. &nbsp;The last few weeks have been kind of a blur. &nbsp;But, I do have something kind of neat that might interest some of you and I figure that an update on what's going on at the shop might be nice. &nbsp;So, here we go . . . .<br /><br />Something Neat<br />As you'll see in the regular newsletter this month (which will be out shortly), Borderlands is partnering with a writing program called Anam Cara &lt;https://writewithfriends.com&gt;. &nbsp;Rather than go into it here, I'll just point out that sponsors are eligible for a bigger discount than "regular" folks. &nbsp;If you use promo code "borderlandsfriends", you'll get $30 off (rather than the usual $20).<br /><br />Full disclosure: Anam Cara's side of the promotional deal is that Borderlands will get 15% of any signups that come in through our promotion codes. &nbsp;I'm not really concerned about the income (especially not with you-all) but, if the program is good and legit, it might be a nice little bit of extra income for the shop. &nbsp;The most important thing to me, however, is that it is, in fact, good and legit. &nbsp;So, if you do decide to try it out, please let me know what you thought about it. &nbsp;There is an option for a full refund, if you decide you're unhappy with the program.<br /><br />How Are Things Going?<br />There are two answers to that question. &nbsp;There's the "considering current events" answer and the "compared to what was normal" answer.<br /><br />Considering current events things are going pretty well. &nbsp;The shop is open, our systems to deal with the risk of Covid-19 seem to be working well (but &lt;crosses fingers&gt;, check with me in a bit less than two weeks about that), and the staff and customers are all happy with what we're doing. &nbsp;Sales, all combined, are looking like they're going to be around 65-75% of what we did this time last year. &nbsp;That is damn, very good and we're grateful.<br /><br />Combined with the PPP loan, a bunch of new sponsors, and the other fund-raising events that people have put together for us (thank you, Annalee and Charlie Jane!) things are looking alright financially speaking. <br /><br />Compared to what was normal, things are completely up in the air and probably going to stay that way. &nbsp;I don't think that I'm going to have any clear idea of how the rest of the year is going to go until the end of July. &nbsp;That will be the first complete month of having the store open and, by then, I think that the initial rush of people who are clamoring for new books will have subsided. &nbsp;I'll look at those sales and use them for a baseline moving forward.<br /><br />Of course, that's making a bunch of assumptions. &nbsp;First, that the infection rate in the area doesn't get bad enough that we need to regress to curb-side pickups or even mail order only again. &nbsp;Second, that what we're doing to manage infection risks works and no-one at the shop gets sick. &nbsp;If someone does get sick, then we'll have to reassess and, most likely, close for two weeks or more. Despite maintaining social distancing as a staff, we all cross each other's paths enough that we'd all need to quarantine. &nbsp;Third, that . . . well, given this year so far, I'm allowing for more surprises. &nbsp;I think that a meteor is pretty unlikely but we are due for a big earthquake so; let's say I'm being a tiny bit pessimistic.<br /><br />The last thing is what I think is going to happen with our move and the work at the new building. &nbsp;I don't have much to say there. The priority has been getting the Valencia Street store back open and operating safely, so the new building has been on hold. &nbsp;I hope to get back to working on that in July but . . . well, see the previous paragraph. &nbsp;However, I do still plan on moving and finances for the new building are stable for now. &nbsp;I told both of the tenants in the apartments that they should get in touch with me if they're going to have trouble paying rent and both have assured me that they're doing alright. &nbsp;I believe we'll get there, I just have no idea whatsoever what the time-line is going to be.<br /><br />When it all comes down to it, just like everyone else, we're hanging in there, playing the hand we're dealt, and continuing to make the best choices possible. &nbsp;I hope that all of you are doing well and staying safe.<br /><br />All Best,<br />AlanBorderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-69913191429806292942020-06-17T14:32:00.002-07:002020-06-17T14:32:26.098-07:00Sponsor Letter, June 5th 2020Hi All,<br /><br />So, when I went to write this note, I went looking for the one that I sent out in May. &nbsp;And . . . couldn't find it because I didn't send one. &nbsp;This really has been a weird time (I'm sure for all of you as much as for me). &nbsp;Anyway, sorry for the silence.<br /><br />Though there is a note this month, it's going to be a short one. &nbsp;I'm still juggling quite a bit of stuff despite having gotten everything in place for the whole curbside pickup thing. &nbsp;I swear, the sheer amount of paperwork that I needed to get ready, not to mention all the signs I had to put up . . . it all seems like a bit much. &nbsp;And, there's more paperwork coming now that we're heading into actually being open for customers. &nbsp;Plus, as you've seen in the store newsletter, I'm trying to get things moving along at the new shop after too long with no progress.<br /><br />But, I do have some news. &nbsp;First off, assuming that the city continues along its current course, we'll be able to open for customers on the 15th. &nbsp;As I said in the newsletter, we're going to go a little slow and wait 'til the 17th to do that. &nbsp;But, you all are special and so, if you'd like to come to the store to shop, we'll be open just for sponsors on June 15th and 16th. &nbsp;I'll send out complete details next week but I wanted to toss that in your minds now.<br /><br />The second open-for-business thing is that we'll be open by appointment for sponsors outside of normal business hours. &nbsp;If you're in an at-risk group, live with someone who is, or if you just want to be extra cautious -- we've got you covered. &nbsp;If you set up an appointment, you'll be the only person in the shop (other than maybe a couple of staff). &nbsp;For that matter, if you're really concerned, we can keep staff down and just have one person here to let you in and ring you up. &nbsp;We'd prefer to do appointments Monday to Friday either between 9 am and noon or 8 pm and 10 pm but . . . hell, you're a sponsor -- I'll come down here, bloodshot eyeballs and all, at five am if that's what you want. &nbsp;If you're interested, just email sponsors@borderlands-books.com and we'll set it up.<br /><br />And that is about it for this month. &nbsp;In closing, we're all doing fine around here. &nbsp;Having the staff back has been so very, very nice and they are all happy to be out in the world and interacting with real people in real life. &nbsp;Business was a bit slack in May but nothing too dire. &nbsp;Really, comparing year over year numbers on a monthly basis is pretty much a fool's game. Once we're through the 2nd quarter of this year I'll have something meaningful to mention but, for now, it's just day by day, all the way.<br /><br />Warm Regards to You and Yours,<br />AlanBorderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-18796419190460163802020-03-09T19:07:00.002-07:002020-03-09T19:07:34.013-07:00Sponsor Letter, March 9th 2020Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />This will be a short note because . . . oh my . . . is work busy right now. &nbsp;But, mostly in a good way. &nbsp;I'm rushing to get ready for the sheetrock at the new building, as well as getting the plans in place for our big event with N. K. Jemisin next month. &nbsp;Speaking of that event, I've got some information and a question for you.<br /><br />Information first. &nbsp;The seating at the event is not going to be assigned, so it'll be first-come, first-seated. &nbsp;In light of that, we'll be letting sponsors and their guests in a half-hour early at 5:30 pm. &nbsp;That'll give you plenty of time to get good seats and such. &nbsp;But -- because of the size and complexity of the event, we won't be able to check names against a list of sponsors. &nbsp;So, make sure you have your sponsor card. &nbsp;You can just flash that at the door and we'll whisk you right in (along with however many friends you brought with you). &nbsp;If you don't have your card (or, can't find it), no problem. &nbsp;You can stop by the store anytime to get a replacement _or_ you can drop me a line (by replying to this email) and we'll mail a copy out to you.<br /><br />And now, the question. &nbsp;Despite talking with some expert friends of mine, I've been having a hard time figuring out just how serious and bad Coronavirus (COVID-19) is going to be. &nbsp;It seems that it might be more contagious than the usual flu and the case-mortality rate certainly seems to be higher as well.<br /><br />Actually, it's more accurate that I'm trying to figure out how seriously _I_ should take it since it's obviously not possible for anyone to know how serious it's going to be. &nbsp;So, here's what I'm wondering -- relative to that, what steps should I take with Borderlands and when should I take them? &nbsp;The biggest question is, at what point (if any) should I cancel the event with N. K. Jemisin? &nbsp;The lesser question is when (and if) should I close up the shop; at some point; for some period of time?<br /><br />As sponsors, you've a vested interest in Borderlands, which is why I'm asking for your opinions. &nbsp;Further, based on my personal knowledge and relationships with many of you, our sponsors are a very smart and broadly educated group. &nbsp;All the other times I've asked you all for advice, I've gotten some truly valuable information so I'd be a fool not to ask you about this. &nbsp;So, let me know what you think. &nbsp;You can reply to this email or you can email me directly at abeatts@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />Warmest Regards,<br />Alan<br /><br />Upcoming Events -<br /><br />The Arroyo Abrilongo &lt;<a href="https://www.portugalist.com/smallest-international-bridge/">https://www.portugalist.com/smallest-international-bridge/</a>&gt; bridge version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, March 22nd at 3:00 pm -- Chana Porter reading from and signing THE SEEP<br /><br />(2) Sunday, March 29th at 6:30 pm &nbsp;-- SF in SF with author Dominica Phetteplace at American Bookbinders Museum<br /><br />(3) Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsors' General Meeting [Sponsors and Guests only]<br /><br />(4) Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 pm (Doors at 5:30 pm for sponsors, 6:00 pm for the public), Castro Theatre -- N.K. Jemisin, reading from and signing THE CITY WE BECAME<br /><br />(5) Saturday, April 4th at 3:00 pm -- Max Barry reading and signing PROVIDENCE<br /><br />(6) Saturday, May 9th at 3:00 pm -- Maggie Tokuda-Hall signing for THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA, in conversation with Annalee Newitz.<br /><br /><br />The King Fahd Causeway &lt;<a href="http://www.bahraincustoms.gov.bh/king_causeway.php">http://www.bahraincustoms.gov.bh/king_causeway.php</a>&gt; version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, March 22nd at 3:00 pm -- Chana Porter reading from and signing THE SEEP. &nbsp;We are delighted to welcome Chana Porter to Borderlands Books for their debut novel, THE SEEP. &nbsp;This new utopian novel eschews sci-fi tropes and will keep you glued to every twist and turn. &nbsp;From the publishers' website: "Chana Porter is a playwright, teacher, MacDowell Colony fellow, and co-founder of The Octavia Project, a STEM and fiction-writing program for girls and gender non-conforming youth from underserved communities. &nbsp;She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is currently at work on her next novel."<br /><br />(2) Sunday, March 29th, 6:30 pm -- SF in SF with author Dominica Phetteplace at American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St, San Francisco, CA &nbsp;-- (Suggested donation $10.) &nbsp;Doors and bar at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm. &nbsp;We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! &nbsp;This month we're joined by the fabulous Dominica Phetteplace! &nbsp;The author will read a selection from her work, followed by Q&amp;A from the audience moderated by Terry Bisson. &nbsp;The author will schmooze &amp; sign books after. &nbsp;Books will be available for sale. &nbsp;Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. &nbsp;Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum. &nbsp;Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.<br /><br />(3) Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsors' General Meeting [Sponsors and Guests only]. &nbsp;Join us for a recap of the prior year and our goals for the upcoming year, including the status of our move to Haight Street.<br /><br />(4) Thursday, April 2nd, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre (Doors at 5:30 pm for sponsors, 6:00 pm for the public) -- Borderlands Books is pleased and excited to host N.K. Jemisin, the three-time Hugo Award winning and NYT Bestselling author of The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky), at the historic Castro Theater!<br /><br />TICKETS &lt;<a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4526884">https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4526884</a>&gt;<br />Her most recent novel is The City We Became; "Five New Yorkers must come together to defend their city from an ancient evil in this stunning new novel. Every great city has a soul. &nbsp;Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. &nbsp;New York City? &nbsp;She's got six. &nbsp;But every city also has a dark side. &nbsp;A roiling, ancient evil stirs in the halls of power, threatening to destroy the city and her six newborn avatars unless they can come together and stop it once and for all."<br />Ms. Jemisin will present a reading from her new novel and then answer questions from the audience. &nbsp;Afterwards, she will be available to sign a limited number of copies of her work, which will be available for sale at the event.<br />A Note About Ticket Prices<br />Due to the number of people who would like to attend this event, Borderlands has chosen to rent a larger venue than the bookstore. &nbsp;As a result, we are asking for a suggested donation of $20 to help cover the associated costs. &nbsp;However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. &nbsp;If $20 is beyond your budget, please choose one of the lower ticket prices. &nbsp;Or, if even $10 is too much, please arrive at the event and donate what you can. &nbsp;As long as there are available seats, everyone is welcome. &nbsp;After our costs have been recovered, the excess funds will be retained to allow Borderlands to host events of this size in the future.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, April 4 at 3:00 pm -- Max Barry reading and signing PROVIDENCE -- We are happy to welcome Max Barry to Borderlands! &nbsp;Max is the author of LEXICON, MACHINE MAN, and many other novels, but this current one may be his most inventive yet. &nbsp;From the publisher: "Seven years after first contact, Providence Five launches. &nbsp;It is an enormous and deadly warship, built to protect humanity from its greatest ever threat. &nbsp;On board is a crew of just four -- tasked with monitoring the ship and reporting the war's progress to a mesmerized global audience by way of social media. &nbsp;But while pursuing the enemy across space, Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson confront the unthinkable: their communications are cut, their ship decreasingly trustworthy and effective. &nbsp;To survive, they must win a fight that is suddenly and terrifyingly real."<br /><br />(6) Saturday, May 9th at 3:00 pm -- Maggie Tokuda-Hall signing THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA, in conversation with Annalee Newitz. &nbsp;Please join us for another entertaining adventure with local favorite Maggie Tokuda-Hall, who will be thrilling us with her latest work (and first novel)! &nbsp;From the publisher: "The pirate Florian, born Flora, has always done whatever it takes to survive -- including sailing under false flag on the Dove as a marauder, thief, and worse. &nbsp;Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a highborn Imperial daughter, is on board as well --accompanied by her own casket. But Evelyn's one-way voyage to an arranged marriage in the Floating Islands is interrupted when the captain and crew show their true colors and enslave their wealthy passengers. &nbsp;Both Florian and Evelyn have lived their lives by the rules, and whims, of others. But when they fall in love, they decide to take fate into their own hands --no matter the cost. &nbsp;Maggie Tokuda-Hall's sweeping fantasy, full of stolen memories, illicit mermaid's blood, double agents, and haunting mythical creatures, conjures an extraordinary cast of characters and the unforgettable story of a couple striving to stay together in the face of myriad forces wishing to control their identities and destinies." Maggie will be in conversation with local author, journalist, and podcaster Annalee Newitz!Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-33317419622515715912020-02-03T22:30:00.001-08:002020-02-03T22:30:15.440-08:00Sponsor Letter, February 3rd 2020Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />I've got some great news -- though it's taken a bit longer than it did last year, we hit 300 sponsors for 2020 exactly one week ago! &nbsp;So, we're certainly going to be open for the rest of this year. &nbsp;Right now the sponsor count is at 310 and I do hope that it will continue to rise. &nbsp;By way of comparison, we had 547 sponsors last year and 639 the year before. &nbsp;My sincere thanks to all of you who have renewed. &nbsp;As I've said at least five times before -- without you we wouldn't be here.<br /><br />Last month I wrote that the sponsor program (and the trust you've placed in me) is something that I really appreciate. &nbsp;I didn't have space or time last month to explain in detail but I'll try to do it now.<br /><br />Five years ago, the idea of sponsorships allowed us to keep Borderlands open. &nbsp;That, all alone, was truly remarkable. &nbsp;Over the years you've heard from me and from others on the staff what that meant to us personally. &nbsp;And I hope that you've read some of the news articles about what we accomplished and how it's been an inspiration for other small businesses.<br /><br />But, in all that time, I haven't described the series of effects that have rippled out from that original accomplishment. &nbsp;Perhaps "rippled" isn't the right term. It's been more like dominos falling.<br /><br />The first domino was the way sponsorships made me think about the business differently. &nbsp;Instead of being my private domain, that I could do with what I wished, I came to see it as something more like a public trust. &nbsp;Something that you had given me control over; for the benefit of not just me, or the staff, but for all of you. &nbsp;And, further, for all of our customers and our customers-to-be.<br /><br />That meant that I had an obligation to figure out how to keep Borderlands operating for as long as possible. &nbsp;Which caused the next domino to fall when I realized that the only way to have a fighting chance of staying open for decades was to buy a building to house the shop.<br /><br />But that realization wouldn't have meant much were it not for your continuing support. &nbsp;All together, you have given more than just the minimum that was necessary to keep the store open. That minimum has always been 300 sponsors. &nbsp;Yet, every year, many more people than that have chosen to support us. &nbsp;I'll not list all the numbers here but we have never had less than 500 sponsors and most years it's been over 600.<br /><br />That greater-than-required support allowed me to save enough money that the idea of making a down-payment for a building wasn't utterly impossible . . . it was just mostly improbable. And so I went looking. &nbsp;For almost two years. &nbsp;I made several offers on buildings but none of them worked out. &nbsp;Until I ran across our building on Haight St.<br /><br />And then the next domino fell. &nbsp;As it turned out, the down payment I had put aside wasn't really enough and, further, getting a mortgage was (pretty much) out of the question. &nbsp;Inspired by, once again, the support you had given me, I decided to try borrowing the money from our customers. &nbsp;Starting with you, our sponsors.<br /><br />As you know, it worked.<br /><br />And that's when the most recent domino fell. &nbsp;I realized that, with a building secured, it would be possible for Borderlands to not just continue for decades but continue long after I'm gone. Hence my plan to create a non-profit, the purpose of which will be to take over the operations (and assets) of Borderlands -- either when I just can't manage the store anymore or when I'm not around to do the job. &nbsp;(I'll go into detail about that plan in the regular store newsletter this month, if you're interested in details).<br /><br />So, there it is. &nbsp;From "What the hell! Maybe we can stay open," to "We're going to make a bookstore that will last for 100 years". &nbsp;It's been a long, weird trip and I'm very happy you've come along for the ride. &nbsp;This year is going to a notable one -- I hope you'll continue to support us as we swing into the home stretch.<br /><br />Warmest Regards,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS If you haven't renewed your sponsorship yet, I'd sure appreciate it if you would. &nbsp;This is going to be a damn expensive year and we can use the help. &nbsp;You can renew on-line at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html</a> &nbsp;Or feel free to stop by the store, or give us a call to renew in person.<br /><br />On the other hand, if money is tight, please let me know. &nbsp;This year, just like every year, we have some "scholarships" that were paid for by your fellow sponsors. &nbsp;One of the reasons for them is to allow sponsors to keep participating, even when cash is in short supply.<br /><br />- Upcoming Events -<br /><br />The Silica House Version &lt;<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-built-worlds-smallest-house-180969149/">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-built-worlds-smallest-house-180969149/</a>&gt; :<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 3:00 pm -- Juliette Wade, signing for MAZES OF POWER with Deborah J. Ross<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 pm -- Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Tracy Clark Flory, Aaron Glantz, Meng Jin, Barbara Tomash, Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders<br /><br />Tuesday, February 11th at 6:00 pm -- Sarah Gailey, signing for UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED, in conversation with Meg Elison<br /><br />Saturday, February 22nd at 5:00 pm -- Katharine Kerr, signing for SWORD OF FIRE<br /><br />Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books [Sponsors and Guests only]<br /><br />Sunday, February 23rd at 6:00 pm -- SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders' Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with Mike Chen, Tiffany Trent, and Juliette Wade, moderated by Terry Bisson<br /><br />Saturday, February 29th at 6:00 pm -- Seanan McGuire, signing for COME TUMBLING DOWN and IMAGINARY NUMBERS<br /><br />Friday, March 6th -8th -- FOGCon in Walnut Creek<br /><br />Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsors' General Meeting [Sponsors and Guests only]<br /><br />Thursday, April 2nd, time TBA -- N.K. Jemisin, reading and signing THE CITY WE BECAME.<br /><br />Saturday, May 9th -- Maggie Tokuda-Hall signing for THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA, in conversation with Annalee Newitz.<br /><br />The Antilia Version <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Chttps://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/mukesh-ambani-antilia-home-mumbai/#s-cust0&gt;">&lt;https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/mukesh-ambani-antilia-home-mumbai/#s-cust0&gt;</a> :<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 3:00 pm -- Juliette Wade, MAZES OF POWER - We're delighted to welcome local author Juliette Wade, showing off her debut novel MAZES OF POWER! From the book description: "The cavern city of Pelismara has stood for a thousand years. The Great Families of the nobility cling to the myths of their golden age while the city's technology wanes. &nbsp;When a fever strikes, and the Eminence dies, seventeen-year-old Tagaret is pushed to represent his Family in the competition for Heir to the Throne. To win would give him the power to rescue his mother from his abusive father, and marry the girl he loves. But the struggle for power distorts everything in this highly stratified society, and the fever is still loose among the inbred, susceptible nobles. Tagaret's sociopathic younger brother, Nekantor, is obsessed with their family's success. &nbsp;Nekantor is willing to exploit Tagaret, his mother, and her new servant Aloran to defeat their opponents. &nbsp;Can he be stopped? &nbsp;Should he be stopped? &nbsp;And will they recognize themselves after the struggle has changed them?" &nbsp;Join us to meet this up-and-coming author who is soon to be a superstar! &nbsp;Juliette will be in conversation with author Deborah J. Ross.<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 pm -- Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Tracy Clark Flory, Aaron Glantz, Meng Jin, Barbara Tomash, Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu, hosted by Charlie Jane Anders - Writers With Drinks is the most awesome spoken-word variety show in the world, hosted by the incredible Charlie Jane Anders, and we're always happy to participate! &nbsp;The amazing lineup this month includes Tracy Clark Flory, Aaron Glantz, Meng Jin, Barbara Tomash, Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu! Cost: $5 to $20, no-one turned away for lack of funds. &nbsp;All proceeds benefit local non-profits. &nbsp;Doors open at 7:00 and Borderlands will be on hand to sell books. <a href="http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/">http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/</a><br /><br />Tuesday, February 11th at 6:00 pm -- Sarah Gailey, signing for UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED, &nbsp;in conversation with Meg Elison - We couldn't be more excited to welcome Sarah Gailey, who will be showing off their brand-new novella UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED! &nbsp;Jude can't stop raving about this book and we're convinced you'll love it, too. &nbsp;Here's the description from the publisher: "Esther is a stowaway. She's hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her -- a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. &nbsp;Her best friend who she was in love with. &nbsp;Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. &nbsp;The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing." &nbsp;Join us to meet Sarah and hear all about your next favorite book! &nbsp;Sarah will be in conversation with local author (and Philip K. Dick Award winner) Meg Elison.<br /><br />Saturday, February 22nd at 5:00 pm -- Katharine Kerr, SWORD OF FIRE - We're always happy to welcome the beloved Katharine Kerr to Borderlands! She's back with the first a new trilogy that will re-introduce readers to Deverry! &nbsp;From the book description: "The bards are the people's voice -- and their sword. &nbsp;All over the kingdom of Deverry, the common people are demanding reform of the corrupt law courts. &nbsp;In Aberwyn, the situation catches fire when Gwerbret Ladoic, second in authority only to the High King, allows a bard to starve to death rather than hear their grievances. &nbsp;Guildwoman Alyssa, a student at the local scholars' collegium, and Lady Dovina, the gwerbret's own daughter, know that evidence exists to overthrow the so-called traditional legal system, if they can only get it into the right hands. The powerful lords will kill anyone who threatens their privileges. &nbsp;To retrieve the proof, Alyssa must make a dangerous journey that will either change her life forever -- or end it." &nbsp;Don't miss this near-legendary author who is at the height of her creative powers right now!<br /><br />Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- &nbsp;Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;[Sponsors and Guests only] Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle! &nbsp;This is our first sponsor social of 2020, and we hope you'll come by to meet fellow sponsors and toast the absolutely incredible fact that YOU made it possible for the store to survive. &nbsp;We've got some great advance reading copies to give away and we're going to have a good time! &nbsp;Bring your favorite treat or drink to share, be super-social, or simply find a book and a quiet corner to commune -- we're just delighted to have you.<br /><br />Sunday, February 23rd at 6:00 pm -- SF in SF (at The American Bookbinders' Museum, 355 Clementina Street, San Francisco) with Mike Chen, Tiffany Trent, and Juliette Wade, moderated by Terry Bisson -- &nbsp;(Suggested donation $10.) &nbsp;Doors and bar at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm. &nbsp;We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! &nbsp;This month we're joined by the fabulous Mike Chen, Tiffany Trent, and Juliette Wade. &nbsp;The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&amp;A from the audience moderated by Terry Bisson. &nbsp;Authors will schmooze &amp; sign books after. Books will be available for sale. &nbsp;Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. &nbsp;Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum. Questions? &nbsp;Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com. &nbsp;More info at <a href="http://www.sfinsf.org/">www.sfinsf.org</a><br /><br />Saturday, February 29th at 6:00 pm -- Seanan McGuire, COME TUMBLING DOWN and IMAGINARY NUMBERS &nbsp;- One of the hardest working authors in genre fiction today, Seanan McGuire is back with not one but two new books! &nbsp;From the publisher: "The fifth installment in New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire's award-winning Wayward Children series, COME TUMBLING DOWN picks up the threads left dangling by EVERY HEART A DOORWAY and DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES. &nbsp;When Jack left Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister -- whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice -- back to their home on the Moors. But death in their adopted world isn't always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. &nbsp; Something terrible. &nbsp;Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. &nbsp;Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome. &nbsp;Eleanor West's "No Quests" rule is about to be broken. Again." &nbsp;From the publisher of IMAGINARY NUMBERS: "The ninth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans. &nbsp;Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. &nbsp;Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she's never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she's a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it's never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change. &nbsp;Maybe that time has finally come." &nbsp;We're always delighted to welcome Seanan and we sincerely hope you'll join us!<br /><br />Friday, March 6-8 -- FOGCon in Walnut Creek. &nbsp;Once again we will be setting up shop at the Walnut Creek Marriott for the 10th (!) FOGCon. &nbsp;This year's featured guests include Mary Anne Mohanraj and Nisi Shawl. &nbsp;Find more details and register here: <a href="https://fogcon.org/">https://fogcon.org/</a><br /><br />Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsor General Meeting [Sponsors and Guests only]. &nbsp;Join us for a recap of the prior year and our goals for the upcoming year, including the status of our move to Haight Street.<br /><br />Thursday, April 2nd, time TBA -- N.K. Jemisin, reading and signing THE CITY WE BECAME - &nbsp;We are truly pleased to host the three-time Hugo winning author of The Broken Earth Trilogy. &nbsp;This event will take place at a local theater venue and there will be a suggested donation of $20 to help offset the rental costs. &nbsp;However, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. &nbsp;There will be advance tickets and we will be sending out a special notice when they are available. &nbsp;Sponsors will have preferred seating (details to come). &nbsp;Please come join us for what may be our biggest event ever.<br /><br />Saturday, May 9th at 3:00 pm -- Maggie Tokuda-Hall signing THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA, in conversation with Annalee Newitz. &nbsp;Please join us for another entertaining adventure with local favorite Maggie Tokuda-Hall, who will be thrilling us with her latest work (and first novel)! &nbsp;From the publisher: "The pirate Florian, born Flora, has always done whatever it takes to survive -- including sailing under false flag on the Dove as a marauder, thief, and worse. &nbsp;Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a highborn Imperial daughter, is on board as well --accompanied by her own casket. But Evelyn's one-way voyage to an arranged marriage in the Floating Islands is interrupted when the captain and crew show their true colors and enslave their wealthy passengers. &nbsp;Both Florian and Evelyn have lived their lives by the rules, and whims, of others. But when they fall in love, they decide to take fate into their own hands --no matter the cost. &nbsp;Maggie Tokuda-Hall's sweeping fantasy, full of stolen memories, illicit mermaid's blood, double agents, and haunting mythical creatures, conjures an extraordinary cast of characters and the unforgettable story of a couple striving to stay together in the face of myriad forces wishing to control their identities and destinies." Maggie will be in conversation with local author, journalist, and podcaster Annalee Newitz!Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-1457838124831898092020-01-07T18:41:00.003-08:002020-01-07T18:41:48.173-08:00Sponsor Letter, January 7th 2020Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!<br /><br />I hope that your holidays were good and that 2020 is treating you very well thus far. &nbsp;At the shop we've all been catching our breath (and catching some sleep . . . finally). &nbsp;Looking back, 2019 really was one hell of a year. &nbsp;It actually had all the earmarks of being a pretty awful one (starting with Cary's death last January and continuing from there) but, surprisingly, none of us feel like it was. &nbsp;Hard, sure, and tiring, without a doubt, but not awful. &nbsp;I hope that you can say (at the very least) the same. &nbsp;Looking forward into 2020 it's seeming like it's going to be another hard one but, I hope, in a positive way rather than in a difficult one.<br /><br />As I've mentioned here before, we have a self-imposed deadline to be open at the new building and selling books there by May 25th at the very latest. &nbsp;Making that deadline is going to take a lot of work but I'm (pretty) confident we'll make it. &nbsp;Granted, I'm willing to accept that "open and selling books" might mean a functioning rest-room and me at a card-table piled with books on the sidewalk, but I think we can do better than that. &nbsp;Check out the regular store newsletter (arriving in your mail box very soon) for more details about our moving plans and such-like.<br /><br />This year we're also going to be losing a member of our staff - Dave Fitzgerald is going to be heading out of SF for Eureka. &nbsp;He and his wife have found a lovely little house up there so; they've decided to stop making their landlord rich in favor of owning a home and being able to pay more attention to their writing. We're damn sad to see Dave go; he's a hell of a fine bookseller on top of fitting in well with the rest of the inmates at The Borderlands Home for Those Who Read Too Much. &nbsp;It's looking like he'll be splitting at the end of February. &nbsp;I've got a bit more to say about that in a moment, but first there's an expected piece of business I need to mention . . . .<br /><br />With the beginning of the year, it's time for sponsorship renewals. &nbsp;Things are looking good so far, in as much as we already have 186 (give or take) sponsors for 2020. &nbsp;But, as always, we need to reach 300 by March 31st if we're going to stay open. &nbsp;So, if you feel like continuing to support our shop and our vision of what a bookstore can be, now is a good time to renew. &nbsp;You can do so online at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html</a> . &nbsp;You're also welcome to renew in person at the store (and, we always love to see you when you come by). &nbsp;Finally, if you'd like to renew by mail (and, in case you're wondering, yes, people do still do that!), please feel free to send a check to: &nbsp;866 Valencia St. &nbsp;SF &nbsp;CA 94110. &nbsp;Sponsorship continues to be $100 per person for the year. &nbsp;I truly appreciate your trust and support over all these years. &nbsp;I'll have a bit more to say about that next month but I don't want to take up too much space in this note because . . . .<br /><br />(OMITTED FROM BLOG)<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />Upcomming Sponsor (and other) Events<br /><br />The Fairyfly Version:<br /><br />Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- &nbsp;Astronomy Lecture, Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park<br /><br />Sunday, January 12th at 6:30 pm -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 3:00 pm -- Juliet Wade, signing for MAZES OF POWER with Deborah J. Ross<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 pm -- Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Tracy Clark Flory, Barbara Tomash, &nbsp;Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu<br /><br />Tuesday, February 11th at 6:00 pm -- Sarah Gailey, signing for UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED<br /><br />Saturday, February 22nd at 5:00 pm -- Katharine Kerr, signing for SWORD OF FIRE<br /><br />Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books [Sponsors and Guests only]<br /><br />Saturday, February 29th at 6:00 pm -- Seanan McGuire, signing for COME TUMBLING DOWN and IMAGINARY NUMBERS<br /><br />Friday, March 6th -8th - FOGcon in Walnut Creek<br /><br />Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsors' General Meeting [Sponsors and Guests only]<br /><br />The Titan Beetle Version:<br /><br />Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- Astronomy Lecture featuring Catherine Espaillat at Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences (55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco). $15.00. &nbsp;If you've not had a chance to hear a lecture at the Academy of Sciences, you are in for a treat. &nbsp;This lecture in particular caught our eye and we hope you can join us. &nbsp;From the website: "We know that planets are born in the protoplanetary disks that surround stars when they are young. &nbsp;How these disks evolve into planetary systems is a fundamental question in Astronomy. &nbsp;Observations have revealed remarkable structures in disks that may indicate the presence of newly born planets. &nbsp;This talk will review these key observations and compare them to current theoretical predictions of planet formation. &nbsp;To conclude, &nbsp;possibilities for future progress in the field will be discussed." &nbsp;Tickets are $15.00 for non-museum members, $12.00 for members and seniors. &nbsp;As usual, if you'll let us know you're going, well keep an eye out for you - just reply to this email to RSVP. &nbsp;For tickets: <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/events/benjamin-dean-astronomy-lectures/baby-planets-and-their-nurseries">https://www.calacademy.org/events/benjamin-dean-astronomy-lectures/baby-planets-and-their-nurseries</a><br /><br />Sunday, January 12th at 6:30 pm -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina St. San Francisco) with authors Cecelia Holland and Kim Stanley Robinson - (Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds.) &nbsp;Doors at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm. &nbsp;We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&amp;A from the audience moderated by author Terry Bisson. &nbsp;The authors will schmooze &amp; sign books after. &nbsp;Books available for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books. &nbsp;Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. &nbsp;Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum. &nbsp;Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 3:00 pm -- Juliet Wade, MAZES OF POWER - We're delighted to welcome local author Juliette Wade, showing off her debut novel MAZES OF POWER! From the book description: "The cavern city of Pelismara has stood for a thousand years. The Great Families of the nobility cling to the myths of their golden age while the city's technology wanes. &nbsp;When a fever strikes, and the Eminence dies, seventeen-year-old Tagaret is pushed to represent his Family in the competition for Heir to the Throne. To win would give him the power to rescue his mother from his abusive father, and marry the girl he loves. But the struggle for power distorts everything in this highly stratified society, and the fever is still loose among the inbred, susceptible nobles. Tagaret's sociopathic younger brother, Nekantor, is obsessed with their family's success. Nekantor is willing to exploit Tagaret, his mother, and her new servant Aloran to defeat their opponents. &nbsp;Can he be stopped? Should he be stopped? And will they recognize themselves after the struggle has changed them?" &nbsp;Join us to meet this up-and-coming author who is soon to be a superstar! Juliette will be in conversation with author Deborah J. Ross.<br /><br />Saturday, February 8th at 7:30 pm -- Writers With Drinks (at The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco) with authors Tracy Clark Flory, Barbara Tomash, &nbsp;Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu - Writers With Drinks is the most awesome spoken-word variety show in the world, hosted by the incredible Charlie Jane Anders, and we're always happy to participate! &nbsp;The amazing lineup this month includes Tracy Clark Flory, Barbara Tomash, Juliette Wade, and Charles Yu! Cost: $5 to $20, no-one turned away for lack of funds. &nbsp;All proceeds benefit local non-profits. &nbsp;Doors open at 7:00 and Borderlands will be on hand to sell books. <a href="http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/">http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/</a><br /><br />Tuesday, February 11th at 6:00 pm -- Sarah Gailey, UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED - We couldn't be more excited to welcome Sarah Gailey, who will be showing off their brand-new novella UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED! &nbsp;Jude can't stop raving about this book and we're convinced you'll love it, too. &nbsp;Here's the description from the publisher: "Esther is a stowaway. She's hidden herself away in the Librarian's book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her -- a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. &nbsp;Her best friend who she was in love with. &nbsp;Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. &nbsp;The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing." &nbsp;Join us to meet Sarah and hear all about your next favorite book!<br /><br />Saturday, February 22nd at 5:00 pm -- Katharine Kerr, SWORD OF FIRE - We're always happy to welcome the beloved Katharine Kerr to Borderlands! She's back with the first a new trilogy that will re-introduce readers to Deverry! &nbsp;From the book description: "The bards are the people’s voice -- and their sword. &nbsp;All over the kingdom of Deverry, the common people are demanding reform of the corrupt law courts. &nbsp;In Aberwyn, the situation catches fire when Gwerbret Ladoic, second in authority only to the High King, allows a bard to starve to death rather than hear their grievances. &nbsp;Guildwoman Alyssa, a student at the local scholars' collegium, and Lady Dovina, the gwerbret's own daughter, know that evidence exists to overthrow the so-called traditional legal system, if they can only get it into the right hands. The powerful lords will kill anyone who threatens their privileges. &nbsp;To retrieve the proof, Alyssa must make a dangerous journey that will either change her life forever -- or end it." &nbsp;Don't miss this near-legendary author who is at the height of her creative powers right now!<br /><br />Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- &nbsp;Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;[Sponsors and Guests only] Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle! &nbsp;This is our first sponsor social of the year, and we hope you'll come by to meet fellow sponsors and toast the absolutely incredible fact that YOU made it possible for the store to survive. &nbsp;Bring your favorite treat or drink to share, be super-social, or simply find a book and a quiet corner to commune -- we're just delighted to have you.<br /><br />Saturday, February 29th at 6:00 pm -- Seanan McGuire, COME TUMBLING DOWN and IMAGINARY NUMBERS &nbsp;- Details to come!<br /><br />Friday, March 6-8 -- FOGcon in Walnut Creek. &nbsp;Once again we will be setting up shop at the Walnut Creek Marriott for the 10th (!) FOGcon. &nbsp;This year's featured guests include Mary Anne Mohanraj and Nisi Shawl. &nbsp;Find more details and register here: <a href="https://fogcon.org/">https://fogcon.org/</a><br /><br />Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm — Sponsor General Meeting [Sponsors only]. &nbsp;Join us for a recap of the prior year and our goals for the upcoming year, including the status of our move to Haight Street.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-87849806178472935402019-12-05T22:42:00.002-08:002019-12-05T22:42:11.469-08:00Sponsor Letter, December 5th 2019Hi Everyone,<br /><br />Due to a few things coming up and the time it took me to write the piece for the main store newsletter, this note is going to be short. &nbsp;But, at the end of this email you'll find a story that might entertain. &nbsp;It's something I wrote back in 2007 for a series we were doing for the store's ten-year anniversary. &nbsp;It's particularly appropriate now since I'm starting the pre-planning for the design and construction of the new shelves for Haight St.<br /><br />Speaking of Haight St, we passed the last inspection for the new electrical service (that's the one for the new panels we put in the apartments upstairs) so that permit is finally closed. &nbsp;It was the first one we pulled and so having it done is a nice little mile-stone for the end of the year. &nbsp;Other than that, it's just been little bits of work since I last wrote. &nbsp;But, I have high hopes for this month, despite the holidays.<br /><br />One last thing -- if you're planning on joining us at the Dickens Christmas Fair this Sunday, I'm sad to say that I won't be there. &nbsp;Given all the work at Haight St. I missed last month, I decided to work there this Sunday, December 8th. &nbsp;But Jude will be there (along with Jeremy, who will be sporting a fancy new hat). &nbsp;They'll be hanging around the tables near the Green Man Inn from noon until 4:00 pm, if you want to find them. &nbsp;It would also be great if you'd let us know if you're coming -- just reply to this email if you are.<br /><br />You have my sincere best wishes for a calm and happy holiday followed by a lovely New Year.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS: If you'd like to pre-order a 2020 Borderlands Sponsorship online, starting on the 15th you can at https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html &nbsp;Once that goes live, I'll be sending out a quick reminder note to you all.<br /><br />The postcard version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, December 8th at noon -- Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City<br /><br />(2) &lt;private&gt;<br /><br />(3) Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- &nbsp;Astronomy lecture, Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park<br /><br />(4) Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books<br /><br />(5) Friday, March 6-8 - FOGCon in Walnut Creek<br /><br />(6) Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm -- Sponsors' General Meeting<br /><br />The care-package version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, December 8th at noon -- Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City. &nbsp;It's quickly becoming a tradition for us at Borderlands Books, and we couldn't resist another trip back in time at the Dickens Christmas Fair. &nbsp;Feel free to join up with us anytime after noon-- we'll be the ones holding the tankard of ale in honor of Queen Victoria's 200th Birthday. &nbsp;Look for us at the tables near the Green Man Inn on Bell Ringers Alley. &nbsp;Tickets can be purchased directly through their website at https://dickensfair.com/.<br /><br />(2) &nbsp;&lt;private&gt;<br /><br />(3) Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- Astronomy lecture featuring Catherine Espaillat at Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences (55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco). $15.00. &nbsp;If you've not had a chance to hear a lecture at the Academy of Sciences, you are in for a treat. &nbsp;This lecture in particular caught our eye and we hope you can join us. &nbsp;From the website: "We know that planets are born in the protoplanetary disks that surround stars when they are young. &nbsp;How these disks evolve into planetary systems is a fundamental question in Astronomy. &nbsp;Observations have revealed remarkable structures in disks that may indicate the presence of newly born planets. &nbsp;This talk will review these key observations and compare them to current theoretical predictions of planet formation. &nbsp;To conclude, &nbsp;possibilities for future progress in the field will be discussed." &nbsp;Tickets are $15.00 for non-museum members, $12.00 for members and seniors. &nbsp;As usual, if you'll let us know you're going, well keep an eye out for you - just reply to this email to RSVP. &nbsp;For tickets: https://www.calacademy.org/events/benjamin-dean-astronomy-lectures/baby-planets-and-their-nurseries<br /><br />(4) Saturday, February 22 at 7:00 pm -- &nbsp;Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;[Sponsors and Guests only] Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle! &nbsp;This is our first sponsor social of the year, and we hope you'll come by to meet fellow sponsors and toast the absolutely incredible fact that YOU made it possible for the store to survive. &nbsp;Bring your favorite treat or drink to share, be super-social, or simply find a book and a quiet corner to commune -- we're just delighted to have you.<br /><br />(5) Friday, March 6-8 -- FOGCon in Walnut Creek. &nbsp;Once again we will be setting up shop at the Walnut Creek Marriott for the 10th (!) FOGCon. &nbsp;This year's featured guests include Mary Anne Mohanraj and Nisi Shawl.<br /><br />(6) Tuesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm — Sponsor General Meeting [Sponsors only]. &nbsp;Join us for a recap of the prior year and our goals for the upcoming year including the status for moving to Haight Street.<br /><br /><br />The Tale of Minwax Golden Oak and Diamond Finish<br /><br />Many years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, Alan Beatts decided to open a book store. &nbsp;The Alan Beatts then was not like the Alan Beatts you see now. &nbsp;He was younger. &nbsp;He had darker hair, more energy, and a deep-seated aversion to sleeves. &nbsp;He also didn't know much at all about woodworking.<br /><br />But he needed shelves if he was going to have a bookstore. &nbsp;Lots of shelves.<br /><br />In the course of a month, he managed to get shelves. &nbsp;About twenty-five of them. &nbsp;All tall and all unfinished. &nbsp;And that's where the problem began.<br /><br />Anyone who has refinished a coffee table knows how it goes. &nbsp;You sand, then you might put on some kind of stain, and then you add a few coats of some sort of sealer. Wait for it to dry and you're done. &nbsp;It's a nice little bit of handyman work that'll take up a few hours some weekend. &nbsp;But, a good sized coffee table has perhaps 3 or 4 square feet of surface. &nbsp;Twenty-five tall bookshelves have a bit more surface.<br /><br />A lot more surface, actually. &nbsp;Like ten times more surface. &nbsp;Per shelf. &nbsp;Times twenty-five shelves.<br /><br />Alan did a little math and realized he was in hell.<br /><br />So he went looking for some expert advice. &nbsp;Looking through the phone book (remember, back then the internet wasn't quite as useful as it is now), he found a company in town that advertised, "Everything for professional wood finishing". &nbsp;When he chatted with the owner (who didn't seem very friendly or terribly helpful but he was a professional -- the sign outside said so) and explained the situation, the solution was clear: "gel stain and wax," said the professional. &nbsp;A large check was written, warnings about "no returns" were stated, and less than an hour later the finishing began. &nbsp;And then stopped almost immediately.<br /><br />Gel stain is great stuff. &nbsp;It doesn't splash, dries quickly, and goes on evenly. &nbsp;But (and this is a big but), it's a goo. &nbsp;It has to be rubbed on. &nbsp;And it's a really big pain to get into inside corners (of which a tall bookshelf has 34). &nbsp;Call professional.<br /><br />"It's really hard to get the stain into the corners."<br /><br />"Yeah."<br /><br />"What do I do?"<br /><br />"Try using a Q-Tip."<br /><br />" . . . . "<br /><br />"So long."<br /><br />Much brooding ensued. &nbsp;"There is no way that I'm going to finish twenty-five blankity-blank bookshelves with a blanking Q-Tip," thought Alan to himself. &nbsp;By way of distraction while thinking about the problem, he read the instructions for the wax which was meant to follow the stain -<br /><br />"Rub on"<br /><br />"Buff vigorously when dry"<br /><br />"Re-coat every six months to a year . . . RE-COAT every SIX MONTHS to a YEAR!!!!"<br /><br />"@&amp;%##&amp;@! &nbsp;&amp;%$#@&amp; professional! &nbsp;I'll $@#&amp;%$&amp;* him in front of his family and then &amp;&amp;%@#^&amp;^!"<br /><br />More brooding. &nbsp;And then Alan called his bank. &nbsp;Then he called the professional and told him that the stain and wax would be returned tomorrow.<br /><br />"We don't take returns. &nbsp;I told you that."<br /><br />"I know. &nbsp;You're going to this time. &nbsp;I stopped the check. &nbsp;Don't bother trying to deposit it."<br /><br />" . . . . "<br /><br />"So long."<br /><br />The next day, materials returned, Alan went looking for another solution. &nbsp;He remembered one of the people who he had talked with when he was first looking for shelves. &nbsp;This guy had run a bookstore until he realized that selling bookshelves was more profitable (what this means about the book business is an exercise best left to the reader). &nbsp;A quick phone call revealed that there was a product that went on quickly and dried very fast. &nbsp;And, as a matter of fact, the bookshelf guy had a bunch on hand that he'd be happy to sell for a reasonable price. &nbsp;He gotten it for a big project but later decided that lacquer wasn't the right finish to use. &nbsp;Arrangements were made to pick up several gallons the next day.<br /><br />That evening while chatting over a beer with friends, the story of the wood finishing was told. &nbsp;When the new finish, this "lacquer" stuff was mentioned, one of the people around the table, a motorcyclist named Johnny, blanched and asked if Alan had ever used this stuff.<br /><br />"No, but it seems pretty simple. &nbsp;And the best part is how fast it dries."<br /><br />"Yeah, that's one of the reasons they sometimes call it 'flash'. &nbsp;I don't think you should use that stuff."<br /><br />"Why?"<br /><br />"It's too dangerous. &nbsp;You'll blow yourself up."<br /><br />"WHAT!?"<br /><br />"That stuff is really, really, flammable. &nbsp;Pretty much one spark when you've been working with it for a while and the fumes'll send you to Jesus. &nbsp;In pieces. &nbsp;That's the other reason they call it 'flash'. &nbsp;I'm surprised you could find any. &nbsp;The state is trying to ban it."<br /><br />"Oh."<br /><br />Risk is sometimes a subjective thing. &nbsp;One person's "too dangerous" isn't always the same as someone else's. &nbsp;But, Johnny had an interesting relationship with the concept of "dangerous". For example he is perhaps the only person on the planet to have accidentally cut a Nissan pickup truck in half. &nbsp;With a motorcycle. &nbsp;It seems that at 80 miles per hour a Suzuki GS1100 is capable of actually severing the frame of a light pickup truck when it impacts at 90 degrees right behind the cab. &nbsp;Johnny commented later that it didn't seem too dangerous to be going that fast. &nbsp;After all it was a side road and there wasn't any traffic.<br /><br />The next day Alan just didn't bother to show up to get the lacquer.<br /><br />Time for plan C. &nbsp;Discount Builders' Supply is an example of a vanishing breed. &nbsp;It's a huge independent hardware store right near highway 101 in the middle of San Francisco. &nbsp;That's hard enough to find these days but even more unusual, 'Da Builders (as we call it) pays a good wage and has an older staff who pretty much know everything about their specialty. &nbsp;There is no telling how many people they have educated over the years, but that day Alan became one of them.<br /><br />The lady in the paint department listened to the whole story, asked a few questions and said, "Try a Minwax stain. &nbsp;You can brush it on and it dries overnight. &nbsp;Then use a water-based sealer. They dry in about six hours and there aren't any fumes to worry about. &nbsp;You'll have to use a few coats but that's the best way to go."<br /><br />And that's how it worked. &nbsp;It took just over a week of working 12 to 14 hours a day but at the end all the shelves were done. &nbsp;With encouragement from Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits it wasn't even hell. &nbsp;A long job, sure, but not hell.<br /><br />The shelves looked really good.<br /><br />And they still do. &nbsp;The original shelves are still in use nine years later. &nbsp;After a move and several different layouts, they make up the large rolling shelves in the middle of the store. &nbsp;And they've never been refinished.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />PS &nbsp;Today, in 2019, those shelves are still in the shop. &nbsp;They look a tiny bit more worn now but still looking good. &nbsp;And they've yet to be refinished.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-43318585660539677502019-11-21T21:46:00.005-08:002019-11-21T21:46:47.223-08:00Sponsor Letter, November 19th 2019Hi You All,<br /><br />Please forgive a very, very short note this month but I've been quite busy with some family matters and I am. &nbsp;So. &nbsp;Behind. &nbsp;On. &nbsp;Everything. &nbsp;But, I'll have a nice year-end piece for you next month and I'll hope to see you around the shop sometime soon. <br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />The winter solstice version:<br /><br />(1) TOMORROW! Wednesday, November 20th at 6:00 pm -- A Fundraiser for Reading Partners!, Borderlands Books<br /><br />(2) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm -- Reading and signing for NINJA DAUGHTER by Tori Eldridge<br /><br />(3) Sunday, December 8th at noon -- Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City.<br /><br />(4) Omitted<br /><br />(5) Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- &nbsp;Astronomy lecture, Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park<br /><br />The summer solstice version:<br /><br />(1) TOMORROW! Wednesday, November 20th at 6:00 pm &nbsp;-- A Fundraiser for Reading Partners! Join Reading Parters for Books &amp; Brews: Thanksgiving Edition at Borderlands Books! &nbsp;Get in the spirit of the giving season while enjoying light bites and drinks full of fall flavors and connecting with your local community. All ticket sales go directly to Reading Partners' impactful literacy programs that serve over 1500 students in the Bay Area. &nbsp;Tickets are $10; see the link below. This event is hosted by Reading Partners Young Professionals, a community of emerging leaders who are paving the way for a brighter future for students across the Bay Area. &nbsp;<a href="https://donations.readingpartners.org/event/books-and-brews-thanksgiving-edition/e255020">https://donations.readingpartners.org/event/books-and-brews-thanksgiving-edition/e255020</a><br /><br />(2) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm &nbsp;-- Reading and signing for NINJA DAUGHTER by Tori Eldridge. We're happy to welcome author Tori Eldridge to Borderlands for her debut novel! &nbsp;"THE NINJA DAUGHTER is an action-packed thriller about a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja with Joy Luck Club family issues who fights the Los Angeles Ukrainian mob, sex traffickers, and her own family to save two desperate women and an innocent child." &nbsp;Tori's own history is fascinating. . . from her bio, she is "a Honolulu-born thriller writer who challenges perspective and empowers the spirit. She holds a fifth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do Ninjutsu and has traveled the USA teaching seminars on the ninja arts, weapons, and women’s self-protection." &nbsp;We hope you'll join us to meet Tori and check out this new thriller!<br /><br />(3) Sunday, December 8th at noon -- Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City. &nbsp;It's quickly becoming a tradition for us at Borderlands Books, and we couldn't resist another trip back in time at the Dickens Christmas Fair. &nbsp;Feel free to join up with us anytime after noon-- we'll be the ones holding the tankard of ale in honor of Queen Victoria's 200th Birthday. &nbsp;Tickets can be purchased directly through their website at <a href="https://dickensfair.com/">https://dickensfair.com/</a>.<br /><br />(4) Omitted<br /><br />(5) Monday, January 13th at 7:30 pm &nbsp;-- Astronomy lecture featuring Catherine Espaillat at Morrison Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences. &nbsp;$15.00. &nbsp;If you've not had a chance to explore the Academy of Sciences, you are in for a treat. &nbsp;This lecture in particular caught our eye and we hope you can join us. &nbsp;From the website: "We know that planets are born in the protoplanetary disks that surround stars when they are young. &nbsp;How these disks evolve into planetary systems is a fundamental question in Astronomy. Observations have revealed remarkable structures in disks that may indicate the presence of newly born planets. &nbsp;This talk will review these key observations and compare them to current theoretical predictions of planet formation. To conclude, &nbsp;possibilities for future progress in the field will be discussed." &nbsp;Tickets are $15.00 for non-museum members, $12.00 for members and seniors. For tickets: <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/events/benjamin-dean-astronomy-lectures/baby-planets-and-their-nurseries">https://www.calacademy.org/events/benjamin-dean-astronomy-lectures/baby-planets-and-their-nurseries</a>Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-22859185629484674452019-10-10T22:08:00.002-07:002019-10-10T22:08:54.273-07:00Sponsor Letter, October 8th 2019Hi Lovely Sponsors<br /><br />As you can see from this note, I managed to survive the last few weeks. &nbsp;It was quite a thing though. &nbsp;Catch me at the next social or at the Haight St. Open house on the 20th and I'll be happy to tell you a few stories. &nbsp;But, all is good in Alan-land (and Border-land). &nbsp;I also had time to write a little thing this month. &nbsp;You'll find it right after this and before the upcoming events list. &nbsp;Let me know what you think?<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />A Coda<br /><br />I read something last week that tied in quite nicely to what I wrote about last month. &nbsp;Without any further introduction, here it is;<br /><br />"San Francisco has been for most of its 150-year existence both a refuge and an anomaly. &nbsp;Soon it will be neither. &nbsp;Gentrification is transforming the city by driving out the poor and working class, including those who have chosen to give their lives to unlucrative pursuits such as art, activism, social experimentation, social service. &nbsp;But gentrification is just the fin above the water. &nbsp;Below is the rest of the shark: a new American economy in which most of us will be poorer, and few will be far richer, and everything will be faster, more homogenous and more controlled or controllable. &nbsp;The technology boom and the accompanying housing crisis have fast-forwarded San Francisco into the newest version of the American future, a version that also is being realized in Boston, Seattle, and other cities from New York and Atlanta to Denver and Portland."<br /><br />"A decade ago Los Angeles looked like the future -- urban decay, open warfare, segregation, despair, injustice and corruption -- but the new future looks like San Francisco: a frenzy of financial speculation, covert coercions, overt erasures, a barrage of novelty-item restaurants, websites, technologies and trends, the despair of unemployment replaced by the numbness of incessant work hours and the anxiety of destabilized jobs, homes and neighborhoods. &nbsp;Thirty-five percent of the venture capital in this country is in the Bay Area, along with 30 percent of the multimedia/Internet businesses, and the boom that started in Silicon Valley has produced a ripple effect throughout the region from south of San Jose to Napa and Sonoma in the north."<br /><br />"San Francisco has had the most expensive housing of any major American city in the nation for two decades, but in the past few years housing prices -- both sale and rents -- have been skyrocketing, along with commercial rents. &nbsp;New businesses are coming in at a hectic pace, and they in turn generate new boutiques, restaurants and bars that displace earlier businesses, particularly nonprofits, and the new industry's workers have been outbidding for rentals and buying houses out from under tenants at a breakneck pace. &nbsp;Regionally, home sales and rental prices have gone up by 30 percent over the past three years, but the rates of increase is far more dramatic in San Francisco."<br /><br />If you read carefully you noticed that, despite being an accurate description of right-here and right-now, there were a few things that seemed a little bit . . . off. &nbsp;Phrases like, "the multimedia/Internet businesses" with its oddly capitalized "I", or perhaps the inaccurate, "rental prices have gone up by 30 percent over the past three years".<br /><br />That's because it was written at the end of the last century. &nbsp;It's from the opening chapter of Hollow City, by Rebecca Solnit and Susan Schwartzinberg (Verso, 2000).<br /><br />Although I lived in San Francisco through the period that they're writing about, I had forgotten just how exactly the state of San Francisco then matched our current one. &nbsp;At least I had forgotten until I read that passage. &nbsp;History does indeed repeat itself.<br /><br />After reading that, I had two thoughts. &nbsp;My first was that, at the time, my sense of disruption was much less than what I've been feeling these last few years. &nbsp;That might be because I was younger and also less engaged with the overall fabric of the city. &nbsp;Running a bookstore for 20 years does tend to hook you into your community. &nbsp;But, it also could be because what's happening this time around is, in fact, more profound. &nbsp;In 1998-1999 the real center of the action was on the mid-peninsula, whereas this time, it's right in the middle of the city.<br /><br />My other thought was, "How could the people who are (notionally) in charge of the city not see the risk in where we were headed?" Mayor Ed Lee, who not only presided over the beginning of the current boom but arguably was one of its architects, was working in city government in 1999. &nbsp;In fact, he was the Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission -- which is tasked with working to, "increase equality, eradicate discrimination, and to protect human rights for all people". &nbsp;Wouldn't you think he would have remembered 1999 and taken some of those lessons into account before offering tax breaks that were _meant_ to create a tech boom all over again?<br /><br />Or, what about our current Mayor (and former President of the Board of Supervisors from 2015-2017), London Breed? &nbsp;In 1999 she was an intern at the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. &nbsp;I'm betting she had some first-hand experience with the effects of the dot-com boom on housing and displacement. &nbsp;But, does it seem like she remembered those lessons? &nbsp;I'd say; Nope.<br /><br />If I wanted to keep digging, I'm sure that the list would go on and on. &nbsp;In short, a bunch of people involved in running the city experienced _exactly_ what is happening right now but were either too dumb, too greedy, or too careless to take it into consideration this time around. And so here we are . . . . &nbsp;I gotta say, it sorta pisses me off because it probably was avoidable.<br /><br />Fundamentally I think that the obligation of a city's government is to look out for the best interests of the people who live there. &nbsp;In that, I think that the government of San Francisco has failed us over the past eight years. &nbsp;The whole story is a long one and it started around 2011, in the aftermath of the great recession, but the short version is that the Mayor and the rest of the city government made a concerted (and expensive) effort to encourage tech companies to locate in San Francisco, rather than down the peninsula in "Silicon Valley". &nbsp;(If you'd like to read more about that whole story, this article is quite good - https://time.com/14335/twitter-tax-break-san-francisco/) &nbsp;In doing so, they forgot or ignored the lessons of 1999. &nbsp;As a result, San Francisco became a place that was very attractive to people who didn't already live here. And it worked -- far too well for the good of the people and businesses who were already here.<br /><br />If the lessons of 1999 had been kept in mind, steps could have been taken to ameliorate the negative effects of drawing huge numbers of affluent professionals to SF. &nbsp;But, so far as I have been able to find, there was not only no effort made, there was no thought given to it. &nbsp;I don't think that it was malicious. &nbsp;I think it was simply stupid and short-sighted. But, it was also essentially predictable. &nbsp;In a large part because, despite its current stature, the government of San Francisco doesn't (and never has) understood how to operate like a real big city. &nbsp;It still operates in the half-assed, vaguely-but-incompetently-corrupt, gee-we're-doing-the-best-we-can style of a mid-sized, Mid-Western city like Tulsa, Oklahoma, or Birmingham, Alabama.<br /><br />Speaking from experience, when SF actually _was_ just a mid-sized city with nothing much major going on, not only did that system work fine -- it was kind of charming. &nbsp;But, thanks to Mayor Lee and the Board of Supervisors, we are far, far past those days. &nbsp;Sadly, San Francisco may have grown up and become a "big city" with real problems. &nbsp;But, more sadly, it seems that the city government is stuck somewhere around high-school and isn't showing any signs of graduating soon.<br /><br />The diminutive version:<br /><br />(1) Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- THE LADY FROM THE BLACK LAGOON by Mallory O'Meara (part of Litquake's lineup at Alamo Drafthouse).<br /><br />(2) Saturday, October 19th at 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) Litquake LitCrawl Phase 2: Women Imagine Different Worlds and 8:00 pm (PUBLIC) Litquake LitCrawl Phase 3: Adventures in Crime and Time<br /><br />(3) Sunday, October 20th from noon - 4:00 pm -- Borderlands Haight Street open house<br /><br />(4) Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for THE BURNING WHITE by Brent Weeks<br /><br />(5) Saturday, October 26th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for THE SECRET OF LIFE by Rudy Rucker<br /><br />(6) Saturday, November 9th from 7:00 to 11:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, November 16th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- An Evening with Seanan McGuire<br /><br />(8) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for NINJA DAUGHTER by Tori Eldridge<br /><br />(9) Dickens Christmas Fair -- details to follow<br /><br />The multitudinous version:<br /><br />(1) Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Screening of "Creature From the Black Lagoon" and conversation and signing with Mallory O'Meera, author of THE LADY FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (part of Litquake's lineup at Alamo Drafthouse, 2550 Mission Mission Street, San Francisco). &nbsp;The horror film "Creature from the Black Lagoon" released to theaters in 1954, and quickly became iconic. &nbsp;But thanks to a jealous male colleague, the monster's designer Milicent Patrick received zero credit for her contribution. &nbsp;Her career ended soon thereafter, and she disappeared. &nbsp;Screenwriter and film producer Mallory O'Meara uncovers a fascinating story of the woman who created one of Hollywood's classic movie monsters. &nbsp;THE LADY FROM THE BLACK LAGOON establishes Milicent Patrick in her rightful place in film history, while calling out a Hollywood culture where little has changed since. &nbsp;Book signing at 6:00 pm, followed by 7:00 pm onstage conversation and screening of the film (in 3-D). &nbsp;We especially wanted to call your attention to this super-cool event and screening! &nbsp;Jude will be on hand to sell books, and if you feel like hanging out, we can grab a drink at the Bull and Bear afterwards. &nbsp;Tickets $25, <a href="https://drafthouse.com/show/litquake-presents-the-lady-from-the-black-lagoon-w-mallory-omeara">https://drafthouse.com/show/litquake-presents-the-lady-from-the-black-lagoon-w-mallory-omeara</a><br /><br />(2) Saturday, October 19th at 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) Litquake LitCrawl Phase 2: Women Imagine Different Worlds with authors Lisa Goldstein, M. Luke McDonell, Pat Murphy, Madeleine Robins, and Maggie Tokuda-Hall - For over a decade SF in SF has offered readings, films, and special events in the Bay Area for readers of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. This event features women authors from the event series.<br />8:00 pm (PUBLIC) Litquake LitCrawl Phase 3: Adventures in Crime and Time with authors Mark Coggins, Paul Drexler, Richard Kadrey, and Annalee Newitz. &nbsp;We're happy to host four fantastic authors whose work will range from noir science fiction to true &amp; fictional crime to time-travel escapades!<br /><br />(3) Sunday, October 20th from noon - 4:00 pm -- Borderlands Haight Street Construction Project Open House at our location-to-be, 1377 Haight St. at Masonic St. -- See the legendary Beam of Eye! &nbsp;Enjoy the crazy stories of the stuff we found when we took over the place! &nbsp;Anticipate just how beautiful it's going to be! &nbsp;Marvel at the sheer amount of dust! &nbsp;We do hope you'll drop by to check out the bookstore's future Forever Home and see the work in progress. &nbsp;Alan will be on hand to show you around and answer questions.<br /><br />(4) Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for THE BURNING WHITE by Brent Weeks. We're are always excited to welcome the delightful Brent Weeks back to Borderlands, and particularly this time -- for the long-awaited fifth and final volume of the Lightbringer sequence, THE BURNING WHITE! We hope you'll join us to meet Brent and celebrate the last installment of this epic series!<br /><br />(5) Saturday, October 26th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- It's always a treat to welcome the quirky and irrepressible genius Rudy Rucker to the store! &nbsp;Rudy is an author, artist, mathematician and one of the godfathers of Cyberpunk. &nbsp;Join us to check out the release of his new novels THE SECRET OF LIFE and MILLION MILE ROAD TRIP, and celebrate the reprints of a few other titles! Here's the summary of SECRET from the author's website, and we urge you to check it out! "A 60s college student learns he's a saucer alien. &nbsp;As if he hadn't suspected it all along. &nbsp;As Conrad Bunger faces his true nature, he takes on a series of awesome powers. He can change his face, shrink to the size of a thumb, fly around the Eiffel tower -- and hand out joints to everyone at his college's annual student assembly. &nbsp;And this is important because government snipers are out to kill him. &nbsp;Why did youth rebel in the 60s? This transreal book will help you understand how it happened, and what the underlying feelings were."<br /><br />(6) Saturday, November 9th 7:00 to 11:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social. &nbsp;Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some oddities in the raffle! Lots of great food and great conversation with great people. &nbsp;Doesn't that sound great? C'mon down for the last Sponsor Social of 2019; bring your favorite treat or drink to share, be super-social, or simply find a book and a quiet corner to commune -- we're just delighted to have you.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, November 16th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- An Evening with Seanan McGuire. &nbsp;We're always thrilled to welcome formerly-local author Seanan McGuire to Borderlands! The astonishingly prolific Seanan has FOUR recent books out -- IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDRIFT HOUSE (as Mira Grant); THE UNKINDEST TIDE (the newest October Daye book); the fancy tenth anniversary (!) hardcover edition of ROSEMARY AND RUE; and the incredible new short story collection LAUGHTER AT THE ACADEMY. &nbsp;Join us to meet Seanan, have books signed, and be regaled with tales funny, strange, and distressing. &nbsp;Feel free to bring baked goods to share if you like!<br /><br />(8) Sunday, November 24th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for NINJA DAUGHTER by Tori Eldridge. We're happy to welcome author Tori Eldridge to Borderlands for her debut novel! &nbsp;"THE NINJA DAUGHTER is an action-packed thriller about a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja with Joy Luck Club family issues who fights the Los Angeles Ukrainian mob, sex traffickers, and her own family to save two desperate women and an innocent child." &nbsp;Tori's own history is fascinating. . . from her bio, she is "a Honolulu-born thriller writer who challenges perspective and empowers the spirit. She holds a fifth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do Ninjutsu and has traveled the USA teaching seminars on the ninja arts, weapons, and women’s self-protection." &nbsp;We hope you'll join us to meet Tori and check out this new thriller!<br /><br />(9) Dickens Christmas Fair -- details to followBorderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-1653372189919516312019-10-10T22:07:00.003-07:002019-10-10T22:09:22.123-07:00Sponsor Letter, September 10th 2019Hi Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />It's been a busy couple of months. &nbsp;In case you were wondering, you didn't miss last month's sponsor note -- there wasn't one. &nbsp;I kept hoping that I'd have time to write a followup to the article about local businesses that I wrote back in July but the chance kept slipping past me. &nbsp;And then I looked up and it was the 24th of August, so I figured that it didn't make sense to send a note for August. &nbsp;So I planned to send one out right at the beginning of September. &nbsp;You see how that worked out.<br /><br />On the bright side, the hectic pace isn't the result of a problem, per se. &nbsp;I've had a lot of work to do at the new building and so it's been a bit all-consuming. &nbsp;Not to mention tiring. &nbsp;I'm pleased to say that I can still do just about as much construction work in a day as I could when I was 40. &nbsp;It's just that I'm much (much!) more sore and tired at the end of it. &nbsp;That makes it hard to write something clever (or write something at all, really) at the end of the day.<br /><br />It's looking like this month is going to be more of the same, which is why I realized this morning that I'd better go into work later so I can get this and the following article written _before_ I've spent a day framing walls.<br /><br />Speaking of framing walls, what's making this month extra-plus busy is that the city is going to be replacing the sidewalk all along our block on Haight St. &nbsp;Based on the work they've done, it's going to look great and the existing paving surely needs to be replaced.<br /><br />The catch for me is that the front of the store there doesn't exist yet. &nbsp;We tore out the old, crummy one months ago to put up temporary framing and plywood. &nbsp;You may have seen the punchline to this story coming by now -- the temporary covering is resting on the sidewalk that is going to be replaced. &nbsp;Granted, we could remove it all, build a new, temporary wall at the property line, and then put it all back once the sidewalk was done. &nbsp;But, all together, that's several days of work that I'd rather not waste. &nbsp;The other option is to get the framing for the new storefront in place before the sidewalk work. &nbsp;Once the framing is there, we can cover it with plywood and do the finishing work at our leisure.<br /><br />When the city sent the notice and schedule for the work on the sidewalk, it was supposed to happen in front of our shop in five weeks. &nbsp;"Oh my," I thought, "I guess we'll have to jump right on that after the asbestos guys have removed the floor."<br /><br />Then I talked with the job foreman yesterday. &nbsp;It seems that the local merchants have put pressure on the city to get the work done faster. &nbsp;So they're going to be at our shop by the END OF NEXT WEEK.<br /><br />"Oh hell," I thought, "I guess that I know what I'm doing every waking moment between now and the 17th."<br /><br />Bottom line is this -- the followup to my July article is going to be shorter and less comprehensive than I planned. &nbsp;It's a damn shame because I got some great comments back from my first piece that improved my understanding, both of the problem and the breadth of it. (Side note - Thank you Bruno, Trudy, Lisa, Jayson, Lydia, Eloise, and Donald. &nbsp;I didn't have time to reply to all of you but I really appreciated your comments.) &nbsp;But I figure it's better to write something short than to have a plan for something long that never gets written. &nbsp;I hope to come back to the topic sometime.<br /><br />The other bottom line is . . . I'm not getting a whole lot of rest for the next week. &nbsp;Seriously though, this isn't going to be impossible to get done. &nbsp;I've got a clear idea what I'm building and it's not even close to as tricky as the bathroom. &nbsp;It shouldn't be too hard -- just long and tiring.<br /><br />Good thing I can still work like a 40 year-old, eh? &nbsp;And also I good thing that I have _a lot_ of ibuprofen.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS &nbsp;Like last time, I'm going to put the article at the end of this note.<br /><br />PPS &nbsp;Despite the construction work, I will be at the social this Saturday. &nbsp;I hope to see you there.<br /><br />Upcoming Events<br /><br />The Ebenezer Place version:<br /><br />(1) Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Informal signing with D.J. Butler (WITCHY KINGDOM) Christopher Husberg (FEAR THE STARS) and Christopher Ruocchio (THE HOWLING DARK)<br /><br />(2) Saturday, September 14th 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- In conversation with Fonda Lee (JADE WAR) and Megan O'Keefe (VELOCITY WEAPON)<br /><br />(3) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books<br /><br />(4) Sunday, September 15th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Chad Stroup, author of SEXY LEPER<br /><br />(5) September 15th at 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Christopher Brown and Hannu Rajaniemi<br /><br />(6) Sunday, September 22nd, 12:00 noon -- Picnic and BBQ at Table #15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park<br /><br />(7) Saturday. September 28th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for SHATTER WAR by Dana Fredsti and Dave Fitzgerald<br /><br />(8) Sunday, September 29th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing for THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE by Annalee Newitz<br /><br />(9) Wednesday, October 2nd, 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Garth Nix and E. Lily Yu<br /><br />(10) Saturday, October 5th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- &nbsp;Reading and signing for TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT by Marie Brennan<br /><br />The Yonge Street version:<br /><br />(1) Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Informal signing with D.J. Butler (WITCHY KINGDOM, Baen, Hardcover, $25.00) Christopher Husberg (FEAR THE STARS, Titan Books, Trade Paperback, $14.95) and Christopher Ruocchio (THE HOWLING DARK, DAW, Hardcover, $27.00) - Join us for a meet-and-greet signing with three fantastic up and coming authors!<br /><br />(2) Saturday, September 14th 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- In conversation with Fonda Lee. &nbsp;We're happy to welcome World Fantasy Award winner Fonda Lee to Borderlands! Ms. Lee will be presenting JADE WAR, the second novel in the Green Bone Series. (The first book in the series, JADE CITY, won that World Fantasy Award, and "was nominated for the Nebula Award and the Locus Award, and was named a Best Book of 2017 by NPR, Syfy Wire, and others".) Ms. Lee will be in conversation with fabulous local author Megan E. O'Keefe. &nbsp;We hope you'll join us to meet both authors and explore this epic and magical fantasy series!<br /><br />(3) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle! &nbsp;Our Fall sponsor social is usually the busiest one of the year, and we hope you'll come by to meet fellow sponsors and toast the absolutely incredible fact that YOU made it possible for the store to survive. &nbsp;Bring your favorite treat or drink to share, be super-social, or simply find a book and a quiet corner to commune -- we're just delighted to have you.<br /><br />(4) Sunday, September 15th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Chad Stroup, author of SEXY LEPER. From the book description, "It's Halloween in the Hollywood Hills, and Kat Dyer's going to have the sexiest costume for a night of shameless debauchery. However, Kat's plan is derailed when the costume shop screws up her order and gives her a costume that is the polar-opposite of sexy. Deciding it's better to be temporarily ugly and seen than beautiful and quickly forgotten, Kat attends the biggest party of the year, only to awaken with the strangest post-Halloween hangover ever: partygoers are transforming into the likenesses of the costumes they wore the night before. Meanwhile, a mysterious force begins to stalk and pick them off on by one. Kat and her friends must discover the cause of the horror, and what they find will haunt them forever."<br /><br />(5) Sunday, September 15th at 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Christopher Brown and Hannu Rajaniemi - (Suggested donation $10.) &nbsp;Doors and bar at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm. &nbsp;We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! &nbsp;This month we're joined by fabulous authors Christopher Brown and Hannu Rajaniemi. &nbsp;The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&amp;A from the audience moderated by Terry Bisson. Authors will schmooze &amp; sign books after. &nbsp;Books will be available for sale. &nbsp;Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. &nbsp;Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum. Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.<br /><br />(6) Sunday, September 22nd, 12:00 noon (PUBLIC) -- Picnic and BBQ at Table 15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park. &nbsp;Located near the western-most end of Lindley Meadow, join the crew of Borderlands as we soak up the (hopefully) warm San Francisco Fall sunshine and grill our favorite picnic treats. &nbsp;We're actually leaving the store and venturing into the outside world for a potluck cookout in Golden Gate Park! &nbsp;And, since it's September, it'll be the height of San Francisco summertime. We've reserved table #15 (as close to the bathrooms as we could get!) at Lindley Meadow. &nbsp;Directions are at the link below, but the TL;DR version is that Lindley Meadow is on the south side of JFK Drive, across from the 30th Avenue and Fulton Street entrance in Golden Gate Park. (At 30th Avenue and JFK, there is a sign for Lindley Meadow.) http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-lindley-meadow-picnic-area/ Bring something to put on the grill or something to share as a side; bring your picnic blanket and toys and games if you want them, and probably a jacket for possibly unpredictable summer weather. &nbsp;Wine and beer are fine to bring but, please, no liquor and no glass, per the Park's request. &nbsp;Friends and guests (including children) are super welcome, so please do bring 'em along.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, September 28th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Dana Fredsti &amp; David Fitzgerald, Reading, Q &amp; A, and signing for TIME SHARDS: SHATTER WAR - Hometown favorites Dana Fredsti &amp; David Fitzgerald present: SHATTER WAR, the thrilling sequel to TIME SHARDS! &nbsp;Earth's past, present, and future have shattered in "the Event," yielding a terrifying new world of prehistoric monsters, lost cultures, strange technologies, and displaced armies. &nbsp;Coming from different points throughout history, a desperate band of survivors join "Merlin," a mysterious figure who may be their only hope to save the world -- if he can be trusted. &nbsp;When their twenty-third-century ship the Vanuatu is sabotaged by an unknown enemy and thrown far off its course, the team must discover who is responsible, even as they are split apart and fight to survive in the war-torn Shard world. . . .<br /><br />(8) Sunday, September 29th, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Reading and signing from THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE by Annalee Newitz. &nbsp;We're always thrilled to welcome local author Annalee Newitz to the store! Here's some info about the new novel from the publisher: "In a modern-day United States just a step away from our own, time travel is possible -- in fact, it has existed for as long as humanity itself. Jumping into the past is simple, and scientists say that altering the timeline is almost impossible. But Tess, an idealistic geology professor, has figured out how to use time travel to try to undo a horrible injustice in the past whose effects are still being felt in her own time. Meanwhile, in 1992, teenage riot grrl Beth's ordinary life is about to become a tangle of toxic friendship and murder. And across the timeline, a secret war is brewing as a group of men attempt to destroy time travel. If they succeed, only a small elite will have the power to shape past, present, and future. Tess and Beth are part of this hidden war that stretches back millions of years. But with the help of unlikely allies from times past and times yet to come, they may be able to save each other -- and build a different future." We do hope you'll join us to meet Annalee and check out this awesome book!<br /><br />(9) Wednesday, October 2nd, 6:30 pm (PUBLIC) -- SF in SF (at the American Bookbinders Museum, 355 Clementina, San Francisco) with authors Garth Nix and E. Lily Yu. (Suggested donation $10.) &nbsp;Doors and bar at 6:00 pm, event begins at 6:30 pm. &nbsp;A special mid-week SF in SF! &nbsp;We're so happy to participate in the Science Fiction in San Francisco reading series! &nbsp;This time we're thrilled to welcome Garth Nix and E. Lily Yu! &nbsp;The authors will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&amp;A from the audience moderated by Terry Bisson. &nbsp;Authors will schmooze &amp; sign books after. &nbsp;Books will be available for sale. &nbsp;Seating is limited, so first come, first seated. &nbsp;Bar proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum. Questions? Email sfinsfevents@gmail.com.<br /><br />(10) Saturday, October 5th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) -- Marie Brennan, TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT &nbsp;- We're always happy to welcome local author Marie Brennan to Borderlands! &nbsp;Here's the cover copy from her new &nbsp;novel (featuring Lady Trent's granddaughter!), which she'll be showing off October 5th: "As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study. &nbsp;When Lord Gleinleigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, she must find proof of the conspiracy before it's too late. &nbsp;TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape."<br /><br /><br />Further Thoughts about Small and Local Businesses<br /><br />After publishing the first part of this article, I received a number of comments via email. &nbsp;The overall content of them supported a conclusion that I had arrived at already but also made me realize that the extent of the problem was larger than I thought.<br /><br />What I expected was this: the people who wrote me all support local businesses in a conscious and systematic way. &nbsp;Given the composition of the group that gets these monthly letters, that wasn't a surprise. &nbsp;After all, you all support Borderlands.<br /><br />What I didn't expect was how broadly the environment in the Bay Area is hard on local businesses of _all_ types. &nbsp;I heard from a contractor who mentors high school students and suggests to them that they'd be well advised to look for union work because it's too hard to make a living working as an independent contractor. &nbsp;I heard from a martial arts instructor who hasn't been able to find a viable space in the East Bay to use for classes. &nbsp;And I heard about multiple professional chefs who have closed or sold their restaurants and who now work as personal cooks for wealthy individuals.<br /><br />I don't want to sound too dire, but it seems that San Francisco is turning into a city in which there are only three types of people: employees, managers, and a tiny pool of landlords. I suppose there are children and students as well but, if this goes on, they're just employees and managers to-be. &nbsp;Damn few of them will ever become landlords or, for that matter, own their own home. &nbsp;(As a matter of clarification: even the CEO or Director of the Board of a corporation is only a manager. &nbsp;"Ownership" almost never clearly attaches to an individual.) &nbsp;Imagine that: no business owners. &nbsp;Just employees reporting to managers who report to other managers who eventually report to a top manager who then reports to a pool of "owners" who are profoundly uninvolved with what happens at the company week-to-week or even month-to-month.<br /><br />And, I fear, this is a pattern that is happening all over the country. &nbsp;Just not as fast as in San Francisco.<br /><br />What to do?<br /><br />More specifically, what to do at an individual and local level? &nbsp;There are bigger movements taking place (Ecommerce, corporate mergers and acquisitions, reduced enforcement of anti-trust laws, limited appetite for labor protections, and so on) but that's far outside the scope of what I feel qualified to discuss.<br /><br />The first thing is to support local businesses. &nbsp;But you all know that and are doing it to the degree that works for you. &nbsp;I'm not going to spend much time on that topic except to point out two things:<br /><br />1) &nbsp;Supporting local business doesn't mean turning your life inside-out to _only_ shop local. &nbsp;For most people, shopping exclusively at local businesses is just not practical. &nbsp;And not just in terms of cost; there are some sorts of businesses that just don't exist locally anymore (or they're hard to find and hard to get to). &nbsp;For example, I go to Walgreens for prescription drugs because there are no local pharmacies anywhere near me. &nbsp;The goal should be to shop local _first_. &nbsp;Make local businesses your preferred choice. &nbsp;That's all you've got to do.<br /><br />2) &nbsp;The foregoing is especially important to keep in mind because the other part of supporting local businesses is encouraging other people to do so. &nbsp;All of you reading this already know why it's important to shop and spend local. &nbsp;You might be able to make small changes to your habits, but you've already had most of the effect you're going to have. &nbsp;But, if you can get other people to do it to, that makes a difference (possibly a big difference). &nbsp;I'm not suggesting that you start shaming your friends for going to Starbucks or for shopping at Amazon. That'll just make you a jerk. &nbsp;But, you can point out to them that shifting their habits even a little bit matters. &nbsp;Local businesses are generally pretty small-scale operations. &nbsp;One extra full table a night can make or break a restaurant. &nbsp;One more hardcover book sold every day would pay our insurance at Borderlands. &nbsp;You get the idea.<br /><br />But, as we've seen over the past years, it doesn't seem that individuals making an effort to support local business is going to be enough. &nbsp;That idea has been around for a while now and it hasn't fixed the problem. &nbsp;Perhaps more education about it might make the difference but, at this point, I doubt it.<br /><br />I believe that what it's going to take is for government and our elected officials to put their money where their mouths are; make the health and viability of local business a real priority rather than something that is merely given lip-service.<br /><br />On a nuts-and-bolts level, what would that be like? &nbsp;Here's one suggestion, but it's far from the only way.<br /><br />First, define what "local" and "small" business means. &nbsp;Let's say that "local" means that it is either physically within San Francisco or, if it doesn't have a physical location (think contractors and gardeners), the majority owner of the business resides in San Francisco. &nbsp;"Small" can be based on annual gross receipts and should probably vary by business type (for example, a small landscaping company probably has lower expenses relative to its income than a mid-sized restaurant). &nbsp;However, here's a hint -- the reasonable gross receipts threshold for a "small" business that maintains a physical location and a staff (for example, a corner store, a restaurant or a bookstore) is likely in the millions of dollars. &nbsp;The expenses for a business like that are shockingly high in SF right now and not likely to go down much. &nbsp;Which means that two million dollars in annual sales doesn't actually represent either much profit or that a business is particularly large. &nbsp;I don't want to spend much time getting into minute detail about the math here but, if you doubt me, drop me a note and I'll put together an explanation for you.<br /><br />(Fun fact - as of 2018, the small business exemption threshold for payroll tax was $300,000. &nbsp;That's roughly the payroll for 11 employees working full time at _minimum_ wage. &nbsp;When the cafe was open, we often edged close to that limit and one year we passed it. &nbsp;The gross receipts threshold was $1,120,000. &nbsp;I'm pretty sure that most of the corner stores in San Francisco do that much business in a year. &nbsp;If a business is over either of those thresholds, it has to pay tax.)<br /><br />Keep the two qualifications separate. &nbsp;Just because a business isn't "small", the fact that it's "local" still matters.<br /><br />Then, make doing business easier, faster, and less expensive in any way possible. &nbsp;Every delay, problem, and expense makes running a business more difficult, especially if it's a small one, because at the end the cost is paid with the same resources -- time and energy.<br /><br />(A side note: if you're serious about accomplishing that, don't make those goals something that "should be taken into consideration" by a department whose main job is doing something else, like planning, issuing permits, levying taxes and so forth. &nbsp;Make it someone's job to do nothing other than make things better for local businesses. &nbsp;Hopefully several "someones", or even an actual office. &nbsp;And no, the SF Department of Small Business is not it -- not enough power and not enough information.)<br /><br />Here are some specific examples:<br /><br />Easier:<br />Dedicated assistance with building permits<br />A local commercial parking permit exempting the holder from parking meter fees and residential street parking time limits<br />Assistance with city tax returns, especially business property tax returns<br />Free legal advice, especially on commercial leases and disputes<br /><br />Faster:<br />Accelerated review of conditional use permits (they can take 9-12 months and you can't really start without _already_ having a signed lease)<br />A one-stop registration center for new businesses, including highly informed advisors<br />Something similar to the existing 311 service to act as a clearing house specifically for small business concerns and questions<br /><br />Less Expensive:<br />Fee waivers for any and all city fees, be they construction permits, business licenses, sign permits, health department permits, and so on.<br />Reduced or eliminated taxes for payroll/gross receipts and business property (there are exemptions for the payroll/gross receipts taxes but they are too low - i.e. corner stores often have to pay them despite the exemption)<br />Reduced electrical fees from the city-owned electrical generation system<br /><br />That is just a short, off-the-top of my head list. &nbsp;I'm sure that there are many other and better ideas that could be implemented. &nbsp;I'm also positive that I'm completely failed to consider problems that are major issues for other type of businesses, since I can only view this from the perspective of a bookseller.<br /><br />Granted, some of these ideas would cost money. &nbsp;Moreso, some of them would deprive the city of income. &nbsp;But, local business are a truly tiny part of the commercial environment in San Francisco (or any other city, for that matter). &nbsp;That's part of the problem that we face - little of the money that moves around the city even touches us. &nbsp;I suspect that there are single companies in SF that produce more revenue for the city than all the small local businesses put together. &nbsp;Waiving parking meter income or the $375 in business property tax I paid this year . . . it's just a tiny, tiny drop in the bucket compared to SF's annual budget (12.3 billion dollars for 2019). &nbsp;I have a hard time believing that, for example, giving every contractor who lives in SF free parking would make any damn difference at all to the bottom line. &nbsp;So why not do it? &nbsp;Even if it pinches the city's budget; wouldn't you prefer that the budget get pinched by supporting local business than by any of the other dumb-ass things that money gets wasted on?<br /><br />In closing, for all that small businesses represent just a tiny slice of the commercial activity in a city, we do so much to give the city its character, shape, and reputation. &nbsp;City Lights Bookstore, Cafe Trieste, Twin Peaks Tavern, the whole of Chinatown, Foreign Cinema, Body Manipulations, The DNA Lounge, The Pork Store Cafe, Arizmendi Bakery, Bi Rite . . . the list goes on and on. &nbsp;On a profound level, local businesses are what define San Francisco for both we who live here and for those who visit.<br /><br />Beyond the many social and financial benefits that local businesses bring -- can you imagine what SF (or New York, Portland, or even Chapel Hill, North Carolina) would be like if even half of the local businesses were to close and be replaced by their national chain substitutes?<br /><br />I don't even want to imagine what that would be like. &nbsp;And I really, really don't want to see it happen.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-58737525527823383192019-07-18T01:40:00.005-07:002019-07-18T01:40:41.640-07:00Sponsor Letter, July 17th 2019Hi You All,<br /><br />I've got something a little thoughtful for you this month but, before I get into that -- a quick reminder. &nbsp;This Saturday we'll be doing a San Francisco Ghost Walk for you guys. &nbsp;All the details are below but, the tl;dr version is, 1) &nbsp;It's cool. &nbsp;2) &nbsp;Starts at 7 pm. &nbsp;3) &nbsp;Costs $21. &nbsp;And 4) We extended the deadline to sign up 'til this Friday. &nbsp;So, if you feel like an evening stroll around the city with Jude and your fellow sponsors, please do get signed up for it. &nbsp;I wish I could come but I'll be working at Haight St. that day and, after running up and down ladders, I'm not going to be up for much walking.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />In the wake of several pieces of recent news and along with the decision to close the Cafe, I've been wondering where our city is heading. &nbsp;And, more than that, I'm not just thinking about San Francisco but about all cities. &nbsp;Granted, because of the local tech economy and the support it's received from city government, SF is an extreme example but the increasing flow of people back into cities is something that is affecting the whole country. &nbsp;In 2015 I wrote a piece about the history of urban demographics in the US. &nbsp;The bottom line was that, starting in the 1950s people started leaving cites and, starting in the 90s, people started moving back. &nbsp;In that article, I speculated about the possible effects. &nbsp;Now, almost four years later, it seems like my guesses back then were accurate. &nbsp;(If you like, you can read the whole thing here - <a href="http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2015/08/urban-conservation.html">http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2015/08/urban-conservation.html</a>)<br /><br />Regarding small businesses, the first stage of the process was marginally profitable business closing their doors because of increasing rent and payroll costs. &nbsp;That stage hasn't stopped yet but now I think we're seeing a second stage in which stable existing businesses are closing because of less direct pressures. &nbsp;In one case, a nearly century-old family deli and pasta company, Lucca Ravioli, closed when the family decided to sell their real estate (which included the business location) and shut down. (<a href="https://missionlocal.org/2019/01/lucca-ravioli-co-slated-to-close-as-old-san-francisco-family-divests-its-real-estate-holdings/">https://missionlocal.org/2019/01/lucca-ravioli-co-slated-to-close-as-old-san-francisco-family-divests-its-real-estate-holdings/</a>) &nbsp;In another case, a bakery and cafe, Mission Pie, will be closing because they cannot accomplish the three fundamental goals of their business; pay a truly living wage, provide a top-quality product at an accessible price, and make a modest profit. &nbsp;(<a href="https://missionlocal.org/2019/06/last-meal-mission-pie-will-soon-close-its-doors/">https://missionlocal.org/2019/06/last-meal-mission-pie-will-soon-close-its-doors/</a>). &nbsp;Finally, a small restaurant, Ali Baba's Cave, will be sold after 36 years after the owner realized that the market in the neighborhood had changed and, to keep sales up, he would need to re-imagine the business and menu. &nbsp;(<a href="https://missionlocal.org/2019/06/ali-babas-cave-closing-after-36-years-on-valencia/">https://missionlocal.org/2019/06/ali-babas-cave-closing-after-36-years-on-valencia/</a>)<br /><br />Of course, there is also the example of Borderlands Cafe, which also needed a makeover. &nbsp;But, even then, Z'ev (the manager), Jude, and I weren't convinced that we would be able to hire staff at the wages we could afford to pay. &nbsp;I'd call that a combination of Mission Pie's and Ali Baba's Cave's problem.<br /><br />The last piece that got me thinking about this essay was meeting the operating partner of a small hotel in town. &nbsp;We talked about how hard is was to hire people right now and he gave me this shocking figure -- they are paying dishwashers (traditionally the lowest of the low in the restaurant business) $22 an hour, plus health insurance, 401K matching and paid vacation. &nbsp;But they still can't hire enough staff!<br /><br />What I've been thinking about is what cities are going to be like if these trends continue. &nbsp;The first answer I get is, obviously, very godsdamn expensive. &nbsp;All the costs of running a business eventually have to trickle down to the customers. &nbsp;If you need to pay a dishwasher $30 an hour, then a cup of coffee is not going to cost $3. &nbsp;And that, in turn, raises the cost of just living in a city, which in turn increases the amount you need to pay people. &nbsp;It's not a never-ending spiral, because the effects start to dampen out as you go but . . . it's still quite a thing.<br /><br />But, that has been discussed at length already. &nbsp;It's the second thing that's been on my mind. &nbsp;How many small business are going to exist in cities a decade or two from now? &nbsp;Larger business both have efficiencies of scale, which reduce their operating costs, and they have the advantage of letting more profitable locations subsidize less profitable ones. &nbsp;For example, as long as Starbucks is making good profits right outside the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, they can afford to lose money in downtown SF. &nbsp;In fact, as a matter of making sure that their brand is properly visible, Starbucks _must_ have a location in downtown SF. &nbsp;Another consideration for a large business is that there isn't a single individual (or family) making their living and trying to have a good life by running that business.<br /><br />Consider the family that owned Lucca. &nbsp;Given the value of their real estate and the profitability of making pasta; with some reasonably prudent investing, they can probably earn more money per year, &nbsp;_without working at all_, from the proceeds of the sale then they got from the business. &nbsp;On the other hand, at the end of the day, the purpose of Starbucks is . . . to run Starbucks. If the people in charge of Starbucks don't do that, they are out of a job.<br /><br />So, the big question on my mind is -- given all that, will anyone be willing and able to run a small business in a city like San Francisco in 20 years?<br /><br />I think that I will. &nbsp;Or, the person who follows me in running Borderlands will. &nbsp;But we're in a unique situation due to you sponsors and having bought a building. &nbsp;There is, to my knowledge, no other business in SF in that position. &nbsp;Nor in any other city for that matter.<br /><br />So, what about the business that just can't stomach charging people $50 for a pie? &nbsp;Or the business run by an older owner who is just tired of hustling so hard to make less and less money and then sells it to a beginner who can't manage because it's so hard to break even? &nbsp;Or the business that worked because in was in an owner/operator building that, once sold, is so expensive to rent that no small business can afford it?<br /><br />The question that follows is: How can we, as residents of cities (or even just people who like to visit cities), improve the chances that unique, quirky, and unusual businesses will still exist in the decades to come?<br /><br />I've got some thoughts about that, which I'll share next month (work allowing). &nbsp;But I'd like to hear your thoughts as well.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />The Buford, WY version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, July 20th, 7:00 pm - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour. &nbsp;Cost is $21.00, payable with your RSVP by July 19th.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, August 3rd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey (WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(3) Tuesday, August 6th, at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Gail Carriger (RETICENCE) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(4) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Michael Blumlein (LONGER) and Paul Park (A CITY MADE OF WORDS) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, August 10th, 9:30pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) -- Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's. &nbsp;$10 cover at the door.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, September 7th, 5:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Seanan McGuire (THE UNKINDEST TIDE) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, September 14th 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Conversation, reading &amp; Q&amp;A with Fonda Lee (JADE WAR) and Megan O'Keefe (VELOCITY WEAPON).<br /><br />(8) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm - Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(9) Sunday, September 15th, 3:00 pm - (PUBLIC) Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Chad Stroup, author of SEXY LEPER.<br /><br />(10) September 22nd, 12:00 noon - Picnic and BBQ at Table #15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park.<br /><br /><br />The New York City version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, July 20, 2019, 7:00 p.m. - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour: From their website &lt;<a href="https://www.sfghosthunt.com/">https://www.sfghosthunt.com/</a>&gt;, "The original San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour, SF's first ghost tour, is a historical walking tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood, one of the few neighborhoods to survive The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. &nbsp;You'll walk a mile on tree-lined streets in a safe residential area with fine Victorian architecture. &nbsp;You'll learn about real historic names of San Francisco -- how they lived, how they died, and the reports of their hauntings ever since. &nbsp;We don't make it up. &nbsp;We just report it. &nbsp;You'll enjoy 90 minutes to 2 hours of guaranteed unearthly fun!" &nbsp;Please RSVP with payment before July 19th so that we might give final numbers to our guide, who will meet us in front of the Healing Arts Center, 1801 Bush Street (corner of Bush and Octavia) under the tall trees. &nbsp;You may pay in-store or call with credit card information. &nbsp;(We've done this walking tour before and had a fantastic time, and even some unexplained, goose-bump invoking occurrences!)<br /><br />(2) Saturday, August 3rd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE at Borderlands Books - From editor John Joseph Adam's site: "In WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE, veteran anthology editor John Joseph Adams is once again our guide through the wastelands using his genre and editorial expertise to curate his finest collection of post-apocalyptic short fiction yet. &nbsp;Whether the end comes via nuclear war, pandemic, climate change, or cosmological disaster, these stories explore the extraordinary trials and tribulations of those who survive." We're delighted to welcome four fabulous local authors who contributed to the anthology! &nbsp;Charlie Jane and Shaenon have amazing reprints, and Richard and Meg's stories are original to this collection. &nbsp;Don't miss this event; we know it's going to be magnificently apocalyptic!<br /><br />(3) Tuesday, August 6th, at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Gail Carriger (RETICENCE) at Borderlands Books - Join us in welcoming author Gail Carriger back to Borderlands! This event, which celebrates the final book in the Custard Protocol series, is a touch bittersweet and also a bit mind-boggling, because TEN YEARS ago Gail did her first signing for SOULLESS here. Where does the time go? What is the meaning of it all? Is Percy really, finally done with hats? The answers to these and so many other questions can be found at the store on August 6th. We hope to see you here! <a href="https://gailcarriger.com/books/reticence/">https://gailcarriger.com/books/reticence/</a><br /><br />(4) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Michael Blumlein (LONGER) and Paul Park (A CITY MADE OF WORDS) at Borderlands Books - We're very happy to host authors Michael Blumlein and Paul Park! Michael's gorgeous new novel LONGER is a science fiction study on mortality, consciousness and intimacy, and Paul's work is described by the publisher thus: "[w]ith exotic settings and characters truly alien and disturbingly normal, his novels and stories explore the shifting interface between traditional narrative and luminous dream, all in the service of a deeper humanism." Join us to meet these two fascinating authors and have the best time you've ever had gaining a deeper understanding of humanity!<br /><br />(5) &nbsp;Saturday, August 10th, 9:00pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) - Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's, 243 O'Farrell St, San Francisco (b/t Cyril Magnin St &amp; Powell St. at Union Square) $10 cover at the door. &nbsp;We thought we'd try something a bit different this time 'round. &nbsp;From their website: "Our entertainers will have you dancing, laughing and singing along to your favorite songs from every era. &nbsp;You control the show! &nbsp;Our typical audience brings together both tourists and locals alike, so you're sure to walk away with new friends, great stories and happy memories!! &nbsp;Come join the fun! &nbsp;We do not accept reservations for the room, as seating is limited. &nbsp;To ensure your party is accommodated, we recommend you arrive as soon as the doors open to secure an area (usually an hour before show time). &nbsp;Food menus are available, with a Full Bar offering a list of "lyrical" cocktails." &lt;<a href="http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html">http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html</a>&gt; <br /><br />(6) Saturday, September 7th, 5:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Seanan McGuire (THE UNKINDEST TIDE) at Borderlands Books. Details TK.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, September 14th 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - &nbsp;In conversation with Fonda Lee. We're happy to welcome World Fantasy Award winner Fonda Lee to Borderlands! Ms. Lee will be presenting JADE WAR, the second novel in the Green Bone Series. (The first book in the series, JADE CITY, won that World Fantasy Award, and "was nominated for the Nebula Award and the Locus Award, and was named a Best Book of 2017 by NPR, Syfy Wire, and others".) Ms. Lee will be in conversation with fabulous local author Megan E. O'Keefe. We hope you'll join us to meet both authors and explore this epic and magical fantasy series!<br /><br />(8) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm - Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle. . . . more details to come!<br /><br />(9) Sunday, September 15th, 3:00 pm&nbsp;&nbsp;(PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Chad Stroup, author of SEXY LEPER. From the author's description, "It’s Halloween in the Hollywood Hills, and Kat Dyer's going to have the sexiest costume for a night of shameless debauchery. However, Kat’s plan is derailed when the costume shop screws up her order and gives her a costume that is the polar-opposite of sexy. Deciding it’s better to be temporarily ugly and seen than beautiful and quickly forgotten, Kat attends the biggest party of the year, only to awaken with the strangest post-Halloween hangover ever: partygoers are transforming into the likenesses of the costumes they wore the night before. Meanwhile, a mysterious force begins to stalk and pick them off on by one. Kat and her friends must discover the cause of the horror, and what they find will haunt them forever."<br /><br />(10) September 22nd, 12:00 noon -- Picnic and BBQ at Table 15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park. &nbsp;Located near the western-most end of Lindley Meadow, join the crew of Borderlands as we soak up the (hopefully) warm San Francisco Fall sunshine and grill our favorite picnic treats. &nbsp;We're actually leaving the store and venturing into the outside world for a potluck cookout in Golden Gate Park! &nbsp;And, since it's September, it'll be the height of San Francisco summertime. &nbsp;We've reserved table #15 (as close to the bathrooms as we could get!) at Lindley Meadow. &nbsp;Directions are at the link below, but the TL;DR version is that Lindley Meadow is on the south side of JFK Drive, across from the 30th Avenue and Fulton Street entrance in Golden Gate Park. (At 30th Avenue and JFK, there is a sign for Lindley Meadow.) &nbsp;<a href="http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-lindley-meadow-picnic-area/">http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-lindley-meadow-picnic-area/</a> .<br />Bring something to put on the grill or something to share as a side; bring your picnic blanket and toys and games if you want them, and probably a jacket for possibly unpredictable summer weather. &nbsp;Wine and beer are fine to bring but, please, no liquor and no glass, per the Park's request. &nbsp;Friends and guests (including children) are super welcome, so please do bring 'em along.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-11403260064949268962019-07-18T01:38:00.001-07:002019-07-18T01:40:50.486-07:00Sponsor Letter, June 17th 2019Because of requests from several sponsors, we have begun to include our public events in our events listings. &nbsp;Please note that general public events will be noted with a (PUBLIC) in the description. &nbsp;And, to help us plan, please RSVP to any sponsor event that you are planning to attend, so that we might best accommodate y'all!<br /><br />The shot-glass version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, June 22nd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Ferrett Steinmetz (THE SOL MAJESTIC) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(3) Saturday, July 20th, 7:00 pm - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour. &nbsp;Cost is $21.00, payable with your RSVP by July 12th.<br /><br />(4) Saturday, August 3rd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey (WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(5) Tuesday, August 6th, at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Gail Carriger (RETICENCE) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Michael Blumlein (LONGER) and Paul Park (A CITY MADE OF WORDS) at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(7) Saturday, August 10th, 9:30pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) -- Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's. &nbsp;$10 cover at the door.<br /><br />(8) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books.<br /><br />(9) September 22nd, 12:00 noon -- Picnic and BBQ at Table #15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Big-gulp version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, June 22nd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Ferrett Steinmetz (THE SOL MAJESTIC) at Borderlands Books - (This event is open to the general public, but sponsors may RSVP to reserve seats.) &nbsp;The Sol Majestic is the most prestigious restaurant in the galaxy, located at Savor Station -- and 16-year-old Kenna comes to it starving, both physically and spiritually. &nbsp;He's a member of a dying religion, and his parents have been dragging him from station to station as long as he can remember, seeking backing for their faith, the Inevitable Philosophy. &nbsp;Kenna is pretty far overdue for finding his expected Inevitable Philosopy until he wins a free meal at the Sol Majestic, and its genius creator makes a project out of Kenna, changing everything. &nbsp;Jude just won't shut up about how much she loves this book, which is about finding your guiding passion, the dignity of work, and so much more. &nbsp;We definitely hope you'll join us to meet Ferrett Steinmetz and check out this fabulous new novel!<br /><br />(2) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;This will be the first sponsor social ever in "just the bookstore"! &nbsp;We hope you'll make time for our annual summertime soiree with yummy food, yummy conversation and especially yummy door prizes. &nbsp;And, thanks to publishers Harper Collins and Tor, we've got some fantastic advance reading copies to give away! &nbsp;Bring some food or drink to share and join us for a great time.<br /><br />(3) Saturday, July 20, 2019, 7:00 p.m. -- San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour: From their website &lt;<a href="https://www.sfghosthunt.com/">https://www.sfghosthunt.com/</a>&gt;, "The original San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour, SF's first ghost tour, is a historical walking tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood, one of the few neighborhoods to survive The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. &nbsp;You'll walk a mile on tree-lined streets in a safe residential area with fine Victorian architecture. &nbsp;You'll learn about real historic names of San Francisco -- how they lived, how they died, and the reports of their hauntings ever since. &nbsp;We don't make it up. &nbsp;We just report it. &nbsp;You'll enjoy 90 minutes to 2 hours of guaranteed unearthly fun!" &nbsp;Please RSVP with payment before July 12th so that we might give final numbers to our guide, who will meet us in front of the Healing Arts Center, 1801 Bush Street (corner of Bush and Octavia) under the tall trees. &nbsp;You may pay in store or call with credit card information. &nbsp;(We've done this walking tour before and had a fantastic time, and even some unexplained, goose-bump invoking occurrences!)<br /><br />(4) Saturday, August 3rd, 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Charlie Jane Anders, Meg Elison, Shaenon K. Garrity, and Richard Kadrey, WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE at Borderlands Books - From editor John Joseph Adam's site: "In WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE, veteran anthology editor John Joseph Adams is once again our guide through the wastelands using his genre and editorial expertise to curate his finest collection of post-apocalyptic short fiction yet. &nbsp;Whether the end comes via nuclear war, pandemic, climate change, or cosmological disaster, these stories explore the extraordinary trials and tribulations of those who survive." We're delighted to welcome four fabulous local authors who contributed to the anthology! &nbsp;Charlie Jane and Shaenon have amazing reprints, and Richard and Meg's stories are original to this collection. &nbsp;Don't miss this event; we know it's going to be magnificently apocalyptic!<br /><br />(5) Tuesday, August 6th, at 6:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Gail Carriger (RETICENCE) at Borderlands Books - Details TK.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, August 10th at 3:00 pm (PUBLIC) - Reading, signing and Q&amp;A with Michael Blumlein (LONGER) and Paul Park (A CITY MADE OF WORDS) at Borderlands Books - Details TK.<br /><br />(7) &nbsp;Saturday, August 10th, 9:00pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) - Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's, 243 O'Farrell St, San Francisco (b/t Cyril Magnin St &amp; Powell St. at Union Square) $10 cover at the door. &nbsp;We thought we'd try something a bit different this time 'round. &nbsp;From their website: "Our entertainers will have you dancing, laughing and singing along to your favorite songs from every era. &nbsp;You control the show! &nbsp;Our typical audience brings together both tourists and locals alike, so you're sure to walk away with new friends, great stories and happy memories!! &nbsp;Come join the fun! &nbsp;We do not accept reservations for the room, as seating is limited. &nbsp;To ensure your party is accommodated, we recommend you arrive as soon as the doors open to secure an area (usually an hour before show time). &nbsp;Food menus are available, with a Full Bar offering a list of "lyrical" cocktails." &lt;<a href="http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html">http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html</a>&gt; <br /><br />(8) Saturday, September 14th, 7:00 pm -- Fall Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;Join us for food, drink, and merriment as we talk about books, buy books, and maybe even win some free books in the raffle. . . . more details to come!<br /><br />(9) September 22nd, 12:00 noon -- Picnic and BBQ at Table 15 in Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park. &nbsp;Located near the western-most end of Lindley Meadow, join the crew of Borderlands as we soak up the (hopefully) warm San Francisco Fall sunshine and grill our favorite picnic treats. &nbsp;We're actually leaving the store and venturing into the outside world for a potluck cookout in Golden Gate Park! &nbsp;And, since it's September, it'll be the height of San Francisco summertime. &nbsp;We've reserved table #15 (as close to the bathrooms as we could get!) at Lindley Meadow. &nbsp;Directions are at the link below, but the TL;DR version is that Lindley Meadow is on the south side of JFK Drive, across from the 30th Avenue and Fulton Street entrance in Golden Gate Park. (At 30th Avenue and JFK, there is a sign for Lindley Meadow.) &nbsp;<a href="http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-lindley-meadow-picnic-area/">http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-lindley-meadow-picnic-area/</a> .<br />Bring something to put on the grill or something to share as a side; bring your picnic blanket and toys and games if you want them, and probably a jacket for possibly unpredictable summer weather. &nbsp;Wine and beer are fine to bring but, please, no liquor and no glass, per the Park's request. &nbsp;Friends and guests (including children) are super welcome, so please do bring 'em along.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />What the Sponsors of Borderlands Mean To Me<br />by Jeremy Lassen<br /><br />Some of you may see me around the store occasionally. My name is Jeremy Lassen, and I am a bookseller. I'm STILL a bookseller, because you, the sponsors, have allowed me to continue to be one. And that fact is a pretty big deal to me.<br /><br />When I first moved to San Francisco, the first thing I did when I got here was buy a map, and figure out where Corona Heights was, and make a pilgrimage to that lonely crag in the center of The City, because I was a huge Fritz Leiber fan, and loved the novel Our Lady of Darkness. &nbsp;But it wasn’t until I became a bookseller at Borderlands Books that I was able to connect with others who knew EXACTLY HOW COOL that pilgrimage was.<br /><br />Working at Borderlands not only allowed me to find a like-minded tribe of people who shared my passion for books, but it also allowed me to discover new passions and new things to obsess over in the science fiction genre . . . .<br /><br />One thing that happened to me while working at Borderlands was that I met my future business partner and, because of that meeting, I ended up becoming a science fiction editor and publisher (the details of that little adventure are for another time). Suffice it to say that my little obsession with the science fiction genre became a full-time job, and my entire sense of identity became entwined with my job as publisher. I was the face of Night Shade Books, and Night Shade was my face. During that time as a publisher, I still worked regularly at Borderlands, and that experience of working the bookstore counter week after week definitely influenced me, and helped me succeed as a publisher.<br /><br />But this gratefulness for Borderlands and my long-running experience as a bookseller doesn't address how important the *sponsorship* program has been for me. This has been the setup, and I'm going to get to the *point*, but before I do, I'm going to take a little narrative detour, and share another anecdote from Borderlands, to help contextualize my feelings.<br /><br />Very early in the history of Borderlands, a regular customer started showing up. He was socially awkward, and he often was challenged, from a hygienic standpoint. He was scruffy, to put it kindly. &nbsp;But he was a book scout and a huge science fiction fan. He would walk across the city, and the entire Bay Area . . . and wherever public transit could take him. He would find books in free bins, and on discount racks, and in thrift stores, and he would buy up things that he knew had value to somebody, somewhere, and resell them to other bookstores, where he knew he could get a better price, and turn a profit. <br /><br />He took his specialized knowledge of the industry and the genre, and he made a living off of it; turning trash into someone else's treasure. &nbsp;He made most of his living from this book trade. Needless to say, he didn't make a great living. He lived in SRO hotels around the city and in the East Bay. But he always had stories about the different people he had met, as a book scout, and as a science fiction fan. He would often tell me about the times he met with and talked with Fritz Leiber, for example. &nbsp;And he loved Ripley, our store cat. He would come in and sit with Ripley on his lap for hours, and he would always bring Ripley little treats.<br /><br />After many years, this customer, who was getting older, moved away from the Bay Area to live with his brother. And not long after he moved away, Borderlands received a letter from him. &nbsp;In the letter he shared that he had an inoperable brain tumor and that the doctor indicated that he had probably had the tumor for many years, and that the tumor had probably been affecting his behavior. &nbsp;In the letter, he apologized for any inconvenience his behavior might have caused, and thanked the staff for their kindness, and for the opportunity to spend time with Ripley.<br /><br />During the course of his life, when he didn't have much else, this man had Borderlands. In the letter, he told us that without Borderlands and Ripley, he would likely have died much sooner. &nbsp;And I get choked up every time I think about Michael, who, while facing his imminent death, took time to express gratitude to those of us at Borderlands. &nbsp;I feel lucky to have known him, and I am glad that I was able to be a part of his life when he needed people the most. And I am grateful that he shared his gratitude with us.<br /><br />I bring up this story not to try and get you weepy-eyed. But to work up to admit that, in the wake of selling my publishing company . . . in the wake of losing that thing that had come to define me for over a decade . . . I was lost. Adrift. Extremely depressed. And one of the only things that gave me any kind of solace was that I still had this tenuous connection to the genre community. I was still a bookseller . . . . <br /><br />(I'm going to be extremely blunt, and want to give a trigger warning.)<br /><br />. . . if it weren't for the existence of my daughters, and the existence of Borderlands, and my connection to the store's shared community, I would have very likely committed suicide. I was in a very, very bad place. And was for a while.<br /><br />Just as I was crawling out of that bad place, I was told that Borderlands was closing. &nbsp;I heard about the impending closing long before any of the customers of Borderlands. I had to live with the knowledge that another huge part of my identity, and social safety net was going away. I soldiered on, and I sold books with a smile for four or five months, all the while mourning the store's impending death.<br /><br />And then all you subscribers swooped in and saved the day. Not all superheroes wear capes. Some just put their money where their mouths (and hearts) are. And I am forever grateful. As it was for Michael, Borderlands was here for me, when I desperately needed it. And it was here for me, *when* I needed it most, because of you, the store sponsors.<br /><br />I am in a much better place, emotionally, now. Please don't concern yourself with that. <br /><br />But I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you - the sponsors - for your support of the store. You very rarely get an opportunity to know . . . to really *know* . . . what kind of impact you have on other people. I treasure the letter that Michael shared with us. I treasure the knowledge that I had an impact on his life. &nbsp;I hope you will find something of value in the knowledge that your support of Borderlands was absolutely critical for me, personally, at a time in my life when Borderlands was what I needed. &nbsp;Thank you for that.<br /><br />Afterword<br />by Alan Beatts<br /><br />Jeremy Lassen was the first person I hired to work at Borderlands, way back in 1998. &nbsp;Despite various careers, two children, and many intervening years, he still works with me. &nbsp;Much of the essential shape of Borderlands was set by him in the early days, and he taught me more about books &amp; publishing than anyone else in the world. &nbsp;Which makes sense since he's the most experienced bookseller here (Jeremy started in 1994, Jude in 1996, and me in 1997 -- of course we're all just kids by the standards of "real" booksellers).<br /><br />Much more than just being my longest serving employee, he's also one of my oldest and best friends. &nbsp;This month he offered to write something for the sponsor note. &nbsp;I'm very glad he did.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-13382967704559470782019-04-27T00:28:00.001-07:002019-04-27T00:28:12.374-07:00Sponsor Letter, April 27th 2019The micro version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, May 31st, 7:00 pm - New Horizons talk with sponsor (and NASA geologist) Orkan Umurhan, Borderlands Cafe<br /><br />(2) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books<br /><br />(3) July 2019, date to be determined - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour<br /><br />(4) Saturday, August 10th, 9:30pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) -- Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's.<br /><br />(5) September brings a social and picnic with details coming soon.<br /><br />The macro version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, May 31st, 7:00 pm - New Horizons talk with Orkan Umurhan, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Please come and join us for a return visit from our very own resident NASA geologist (and sponsor!), Orkan Umurhan, as he regales us with the latest and greatest from the New Horizons Mission to Pluto! &nbsp;Among other things, Orkan says "Talk will include -- the New Horizons flyby of Ultima Thule. &nbsp;I will describe all the preparations that went into discovering and then flying by an object the size of SF. &nbsp;I will describe what we saw, how we saw it and what it the object means about the origins of the solar system." &nbsp;For a sneak peek at what New Horizons is about, feel free to check out NASA's website: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html">https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html</a><br /><br />(2) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books. &nbsp;Our annual summertime soiree with yummy food, yummy conversation and especially yummy door prizes. &nbsp;And, thanks to publishers Harper Collins and Tor, we've got some fantastic advance reading copies to give away! &nbsp;Bring some food or drink to share and join us for a great time!<br /><br />(3) July 2019, date to be determined - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour: From their website &lt;<a href="https://www.sfghosthunt.com/">https://www.sfghosthunt.com/</a>&gt;, "The original San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour, SF's first ghost tour, is a historical walking tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood, one of the few neighborhoods to survive The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. You'll walk a mile on tree-lined streets in a safe residential area with fine Victorian architecture. You'll learn about real historic names of San Francisco — how they lived, how they died, and the reports of their hauntings ever since. &nbsp;We don't make it up. &nbsp;We just report it. You'll enjoy 90 minutes to 2 hours of guaranteed unearthly fun!" &nbsp; We'll have more details about this event soon.<br /><br />(4) &nbsp;Saturday, August 10th, 9:30pm (recommend arrival at 8:30 to secure a table) - Drinks with Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's. 243 O'Farrell St, San Francisco (b/t Cyril Magnin St &amp; Powell St. at Union Square) We thought we'd try something a bit different this time 'round. &nbsp;From their website: "Our entertainers will have you dancing, laughing and singing along to your favorite songs from every era. &nbsp;You control the show! &nbsp;Our typical audience brings together both tourists and locals alike, so you're sure to walk away with new friends, great stories and happy memories!! &nbsp;Come join the fun! &nbsp;We do not accept reservations for the room, as seating is limited. &nbsp;To ensure your party is accommodated, we recommend you arrive as soon as the doors open to secure an area (usually an hour before show time). &nbsp;Food menus are available, with a Full Bar offering a list of "lyrical" cocktails." &lt;<a href="http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html">http://www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com/about.html</a>&gt;<br /><br />(5) September brings a social and picnic with details coming soon.<br /><div><br /></div>Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-36009892851827572872019-04-12T00:09:00.003-07:002019-04-12T00:09:43.793-07:00Sponsor Letter, April 12th 2019Hi Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />First off, we made our goal of 300 sponsors by March 31st! &nbsp;In fact, on the 31st we had exactly 500 sponsors. &nbsp;Thank you all so very, very much for continuing to support Borderlands in 2019!<br /><br />Second, and perhaps equally importantly, I handled something badly in the last note that I sent and I want to apologize. &nbsp;The first line of that note was, "We're heading up to the March 31st deadline to have 300 sponsors and I'm confident we will make it."<br /><br />That was deceptive and I feel badly about it. &nbsp;The implication was that there was some question whether we would make it to 300 or not. &nbsp;That wasn't the case. &nbsp;After having done this for five years now, by March 7th (when I sent that note) I knew damn well that we were going to hit 300 by the 31st. <br /><br />Since the beginning of all this in 2015, I've always steered clear of turning sponsorships into something that we're trying to "sell" to people. &nbsp;Sponsoring Borderlands has always been a matter of choice and preference. &nbsp;Really, at heart, it's been a matter of belief; belief that what we do here is something valuable and worthy of support.<br /><br />My opening line last month wasn't consistent with that. &nbsp;Nor was it consistent with my ideal of being upfront and direct with you all. &nbsp;On one hand, my position at Borderlands is that of a small business owner, just like any other. &nbsp;But, on the other hand (and in a way that I'm still figuring out how to quantify), I feel that I'm responsible for a private trust. &nbsp;You and the hundreds of people like you are only reason that Borderlands still exists and, every year, you put your trust in me to keep Borderlands going, not just in the physical sense but also in the intangible ways that make it unique. &nbsp;An essential honesty and lack of salesmanship is one of those intangibles.<br /><br />And, on the gripping hand, I sure as hell shouldn't try to manipulate you into being a sponsor.*<br /><br />None of the foregoing is anything I wasn't aware of, in a general way, but now I have better understanding of what is right and appropriate action on my part. &nbsp;With that understanding, I don't believe that I'll make this sort of mistake again. &nbsp;I truly hope you'll accept my apology for it this time.<br /><br />The third thing I want to mention is the annual General Meeting last month. &nbsp;It was shorter than usual (to the great pleasure of those attending) but we covered some interesting stuff. &nbsp;Unfortunately, it's not going to be practical for me to give a full brief this year. &nbsp;But, I can share some of the hard figures about sponsorships this year and some of the other high points. &nbsp;For any of you who like to keep track of trends, here are a few figures. &nbsp;On March 31st last year we had 532 sponsors, in 2017 it was 634 and in 2016 it was 613. &nbsp;So, it looks like the total number of sponsors is dropping but not, to me, by a concerning amount. &nbsp;Also for comparison, last year the total number was 635; 2017 was 699, and 2016 was 679. &nbsp;Again, a downwards trend the last two years and, again, not concerning. &nbsp;It'll be interesting to see what happens next year.<br /><br />Another interesting number is that, of the current 507 sponsors, 318 of them have been sponsors every single year since 2015. &nbsp;That figure is part of the reason that I'm not so concerned with the downward trend of overall numbers. &nbsp;Barring any big surprises, I'll keep doing this as long as we've got 300. &nbsp;And it doesn't look like we're going to drop under that number for a long while.<br /><br />I mentioned last month that we've got the sponsors' forum about ready to go. &nbsp;We discussed a bunch of details about it at the meeting and we're just about to sign up the first group of people to play around with it. &nbsp;We'll be sending out invitations to all of your either this month or the next. &nbsp;If you're not interested, please feel free to just delete the invitation. &nbsp;But, if you're at all inclined, please give it a try. &nbsp;I think that it'll be a nice and fun element of sponsorship for everyone. &nbsp;Oh, and if you have privacy concerns (like me) - your email will not be viewable by other users, the whole thing is invite-only and password protected so it won't be searchable on Google, and there is no requirement that you use your real name (though I'd encourage it since this is meant to be an addition to meat-space interactions, rather than a substitute).<br /><br />Again, thank you all for supporting Borderlands into 2019. &nbsp;I hope that it will be a great year for us all.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS &nbsp;If you don't know what the hell I mean by "on the gripping hand" - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand</a> .<br /><br />Upcoming Sponsor Events<br /><br />The truncated version:<br /><br />(1) Thursday, April 25th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor preview of "Avengers: Endgame" courtesy of SF in SF: Balboa Theatre, 3630 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121<br /><br />(2) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at The Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br />(3) Friday, May 31st, 7:00 pm - New Horizons talk with sponsor (and NASA geologist) Orkan Umurhan, Borderlands Cafe<br /><br />(4) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books and Cafe<br /><br />(5) July 2019, date to be determined - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour<br /><br />The expatiated version:<br /><br />(1) Thursday, April 25th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor preview of "Avengers: Endgame" courtesy of SF in SF, Balboa Theatre, 3630 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121 - SF in SF is hosting a sneak preview of "Avengers: Endgame"! &lt;snip&gt;<br /><br />(2) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117. &nbsp;As you may have guessed, we have LOVED our past two outings to the Church of 8 Wheels. &nbsp;We're back again and we'll be renting the private corner in the rear so we will have a place to congregate and leave our belongings. Housed in the 119-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church, The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. &nbsp;Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. &nbsp;Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. &nbsp;There is also a snack bar within the Church. &nbsp;Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">http://www.churchof8wheels.com/</a>.<br /><br />(3) Friday, May 31st, 7:00 pm - New Horizons talk with Orkan Umurhan, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Please come and join us for a return visit from our very own resident NASA geologist (and sponsor!), Orkan Umurhan, as he regales us with the latest and greatest from the New Horizons Mission to Pluto! &nbsp;Among other things, Orkan says "Talk will include -- the New Horizons flyby of Ultima Thule. &nbsp;I will describe all the preparations that went into discovering and then flying by an object the size of SF. &nbsp;I will describe what we saw, how we saw it and what it the object means about the origins of the solar system." &nbsp;For a sneak peek at what New Horizons is about, feel free to check out NASA's website: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html">https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html</a><br /><br />(4) Saturday, June 22nd, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social at Borderlands Books and Cafe. &nbsp;Our annual summertime soiree with yummy food, yummy conversation and especially yummy door prizes. &nbsp;Bring some food or drink to share and join us for a great time!<br /><br />(5) July 2019, date to be determined - San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour: From their website &lt;<a href="https://www.sfghosthunt.com/">https://www.sfghosthunt.com/</a>&gt;, "The original San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour, SF's first ghost tour, is a historical walking tour of the Pacific Heights neighborhood, one of the few neighborhoods to survive The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. You'll walk a mile on tree-lined streets in a safe residential area with fine Victorian architecture. You'll learn about real historic names of San Francisco — how they lived, how they died, and the reports of their hauntings ever since. &nbsp;We don't make it up. &nbsp;We just report it. You'll enjoy 90 minutes to 2 hours of guaranteed unearthly fun!" &nbsp; We'll have more details about this event soon.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-34891636285738100462019-03-07T17:48:00.001-08:002019-03-07T17:48:17.598-08:00Sponsor Letter, March 7th 2019Hello All,<br /><br />We're heading up to the March 31st deadline to have 300 sponsors and I'm confident we will make it. &nbsp;So, thank you to all of the folks who have supported and continue to support the store! &nbsp;If you haven't renewed yet this year, you're certainly welcome to do so now . . . or later if you like. &nbsp;Although the deadline to make the determination about whether to continue to operate the store is March 31st, we're happy to accept sponsorship throughout the year. &nbsp;You can renew on-line at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html</a> or you can call, mail, or visit the store in person.<br /><br />Moving into our fifth year of sponsorships, I've got a couple of neat things planned for our out-of-town sponsors. &nbsp;The first will be launching in April -- after talking about it for two years, we finally have a message board / forum set up for you. &nbsp;It should be a nice place to chat with fellow sponsors, share information, and communicate with us at the store. &nbsp;Look for details about that in the next sponsor note. <br /><br />The other thing I have planned is a secret for now, but I should have the details together in a month or two.<br /><br />One last piece of business: if you haven't already, or don't renew your sponsorship, this Sponsor note will be the last one that you'll get (because I'm very much against spamming people). &nbsp;If you've decided not to renew this year, please don't feel any pressure to change your mind -- there are a hundred and one reasons why it might not work for you. &nbsp;I'm just terribly grateful that you were willing to support us last year. &nbsp;On the other hand, if it slipped your mind or something of the sort, I'll be sending out one email to everyone who didn't renew reminding them that they have not. &nbsp;I hope that you won't find that intrusive.<br /><br />Our sincerest thanks to all of you -- without you, we literally wouldn't be here.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />The Wee Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, March 8th (please note date change) - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596<br /><br />(2) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(3) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br />The Whopping Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, March 8th (please note date change) - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. &nbsp;FOGCon is one of the more intimate of the genre-focused conventions, but they always pull off a great weekend of talks and local vendors selling their wares. &nbsp;This year's honored guests include Karen Joy Fowler and Becky Chambers. &nbsp;When the Dealers' Room closes at 7 pm, we'll be meeting up in the hotel bar (because there isn't any other gin-joint in reasonable walking distance - we've checked). &nbsp;It's called Atrio, and there will be live jazz until 9:00 pm. &nbsp;Alan probably won't be able to make it, but the much better half of "management", Jude, will be there. &nbsp;Stop by, have a beer and swap some first-day-of-the-con stories.<br /><br />(2) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. &nbsp;Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stand, and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. &nbsp;We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. &nbsp;If you can't attend in person, feel free to email with your comments; we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards. <br /><br />(3) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117. &nbsp;As you may have guessed, we have LOVED our past two outings to the Church of 8 Wheels. &nbsp;We're back again and we'll be renting the private corner in the rear so we will have a place to congregate and leave our belongings. Housed in the 119-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church, The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night roller disco. &nbsp;Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. &nbsp;Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. &nbsp;There is also a snack bar within the Church. &nbsp;Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">http://www.churchof8wheels.com/</a>.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-20051009779752415012019-02-12T20:12:00.001-08:002019-02-12T20:13:41.171-08:00Sponsor Letter, February 12th 2019Hello Everybody,<br /><br />I hope you'll forgive me for the short note today. &nbsp;Cary's passing has made a number of things pretty challenging, not the least of which is getting all the work done at the shop. &nbsp;So, I didn't have much time to write anything this month. <br /><br />I'm looking forward to the social this Saturday, though it'll be very strange not to have Cary working the register as she has every other time since 2015. &nbsp;We don't have much in the way of special plans for it (for obvious reasons) but, really, the party is more about having a chance to socialize that any special event.<br /><br />Also, if you've haven't renewed your sponsorship, it's pretty easy - <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html</a> - or you can stop by the shop anytime. &nbsp;If you're not planning on renewing, I'll be removing you from this mailing list next month. <br /><br />Warm Regards,<br />Alan<br /><br />Hatchet Version:<br /><br />(1) THIS SATURDAY, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(3) Friday, March 8th (please note date change) - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596<br /><br />(4) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(5) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br />Broadaxe Version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Food and drink and books; what more does one need?! &nbsp;This will be a potluck as usual, so bring a special dish or a bottle to share! &nbsp;Come for the company, stay for the variety of odd prizes.<br /><br />(2) Friday, March 8th (please note date change) - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. &nbsp;FOGCon is one of the more intimate of the genre-focused conventions, but they always pull off a great weekend of talks and local vendors selling their wares. &nbsp;This year's guests of honor include Karen Joy Fowler and Becky Chambers. &nbsp;When the Dealers' Room closes at 7 pm, we'll be meeting up in the hotel bar (because there isn't any other gin-joint in reasonable walking distance - we've checked). &nbsp;Alan probably won't be able to make it, but the much better half of "management", Jude, will be there. &nbsp;Stop by, have a beer and swap some first-day-of-the-con stories.<br /><br />(3) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. &nbsp;Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stand, and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. &nbsp;We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. &nbsp;If you can't attend in person, feel free to email with your comments; we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards. <br /><br />(4) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117. &nbsp;As you may have guessed, we have LOVED our past two outings to the Church of 8 Wheels. &nbsp;We're back again and we'll be renting the private corner in the rear so we will have a place to congregate and leave our belongings. Housed in the 119-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church, The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. &nbsp;Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. &nbsp;Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. &nbsp;There is also a snack bar within the Church. &nbsp;Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">http://www.churchof8wheels.com/</a>.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-41239919006732083212019-01-02T19:14:00.003-08:002019-01-02T19:14:54.865-08:00Sponsor Letter, January 2nd 2019Happy New Year!<br /><br />I hope that 2019 is treating you all very well thus far. &nbsp;For me the end of the year was almost unprecedented -- I took four days off and did nothing at all. It was exciting in only the way that napping, reading, and watching TV can be (i.e. not exciting in the slightest and all the more lovely for that). &nbsp;But now I'm back in the saddle and ready to dive into 2019. &nbsp;(Or at least ready to slowly-go-down-the-steps-at-the-shallow-end of 2019.)<br /><br />One of the first pieces of business this year is to let you all know that it's that time again -- we're ready, willing and able to process your sponsorship renewals. &nbsp;Operators are standing by! &nbsp;Email programs are checking for new mail every 15 seconds. &nbsp;Our mail-carrier is wondering who still sends checks in the post. &nbsp;And our on-line form is ready to go at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html</a> &nbsp;Feel free to renew in the fashion that suits you best -- do it on-line, send a check, call up and do it with a credit card, or stop by the shop and pass us a fresh Franklin. &nbsp;We like the last option the best because that way we get to see you and say Thank You in person.<br /><br />All joking aside, if you'd like to continue to support Borderlands through 2019, I would deeply appreciate it. &nbsp;However, if for any of the million reasons that might not make sense for you this year, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support in 2018. &nbsp;This thing that we've done is really remarkable and I'm very pleased you came along for the ride.<br /><br />As usual, I'll keep sending you these notes until March. &nbsp;If you haven't renewed by then, I'll remove you from this mailing list. &nbsp;Regardless of whether you renew this year, please do feel free to come to the sponsor social in February. &nbsp;Likewise, if you'd like to come to the general meeting on March 31st, I'd love to see you there.<br /><br />In closing, I wish you all a calm and peaceful year that brings you everything you hope for and much more.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS &nbsp;Thank you to all the folks who pre-renewed your sponsorships. &nbsp;They've all been processed and you should be seeing credit card charges appearing shortly.<br /><br />Pygmy Jerboa Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, January 18th, 8:00 pm - Movie night and sing-a-long with pizza at Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(3) Saturday, March 9th - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596<br /><br />(4) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(5) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br />Capybara Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, January 18th, 8:00 pm - Movie night and sing-a-long with pizza at Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Need a little escapist fun? &nbsp;Bring your favorite sleeping bag and pillow or camping chair for our first-ever Borderlands movie night. &nbsp;We are screening the 1975 classic, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and, for the opening act, we'll be singing along to "Once More, With Feeling", the famous musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both presented on our larger-than-life movie screen in the cafe. &nbsp;We're going to need a head-count so please RSVP by replying to this email.<br /><br />If you're interested in partaking in pizza (which will arrive around 8:45 or so), please mention it when you RSVP _and_ let us know if you're into meat or not. &nbsp;Pizza will be five bucks (on the honor system) and payable the night of the show.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Food and Drink and Books; what more does one need?<br /><br />(3) Saturday, March 9th - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. &nbsp;FOGCon is one of the more intimate of the genre-focused conventions, but they always pull off a great weekend of talks, readings, and local vendors selling their wares. &nbsp;This year's guests of honor include Karen Joy Fowler and Becky Chambers. &nbsp;More details to come as we confirm them.<br /><br />(4) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. &nbsp;Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stand, and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. &nbsp;We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. &nbsp;If you can't attend in person, feel free to email us with your comments; we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards. <br /><br />(5) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117. &nbsp;As you may have guessed, we have LOVED our past two outings to the Church of 8 Wheels. &nbsp;We're back again and we'll be renting the private corner in the rear so we will have a place to congregate and leave our belongings. Housed in the 119-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church, The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. &nbsp;Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. &nbsp;Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. &nbsp;There is also a snack bar within the Church. &nbsp;Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">http://www.churchof8wheels.com/</a>.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-73136605571097057202018-12-10T14:39:00.003-08:002018-12-10T14:39:50.203-08:00Sponsor Letter December 10th, 2019Hello Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />Here we are at the end of the year. &nbsp;I don't know about you but, for me, it's gone blindingly fast. &nbsp;Being busy as hell with our new building probably had a fair amount to do with that, along with participating in a local World Science Fiction Convention. &nbsp;But, whatever the reason, the year has blown by and I expect that next year will be much the same.<br /><br />As I usually do in December, I took a look at the total number of sponsors for this year. &nbsp;There were 634 of you this time around. &nbsp;While that's not a record (see my footnote), it's still quite an accomplishment. &nbsp;And it's plenty more than the minimum 300 that we need to keep plugging along.<br /><br />Speaking of sponsorships, it's just about time to renew (if that's something you were planning on doing). &nbsp;You can pre-order your 2019 sponsorship on-line now at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship19.html</a> . You're also welcome to pre-order in the store, just stop by anytime. &nbsp;Or you can call us to take care of it. &nbsp;And, finally, you're completely welcome to send a check (IMPORTANT - if you're going to send a check, please date it January 1st, 2019. &nbsp;It's a tax thing.)<br /><br />Last month I asked a question about whether to ask for donations towards our moving costs, increase the cost of sponsorships, or just stick with our usual system. &nbsp;The response was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the cost at $100 and once again asking for additional donations. &nbsp;That was nice because that was the plan that I favored, despite my desire to get the other ideas out in front of you. &nbsp;So, that's the plan for 2019 - $100 for a sponsorship and, if you feel motivated to do so, we're happy to accept an additional amount towards our move.<br /><br />I'm sincerely grateful for your support of Borderlands over the past year. &nbsp;We've done something pretty remarkable: not just keeping the store open in the face of the increased minimum wage but by building a community that is supportive and close-knit enough to allow us to buy a building to be our permanent home. &nbsp;I'm honored by your faith in everyone who makes Borderlands function and your confidence that we'll continue to make the shop and cafe a place that you want to support.<br /><br />I hope that you'll join us for another year of sponsoring Borderlands but, the world is a complicated place and there are a galaxy of reasons that I can imagine for not renewing this year. &nbsp;If you decide not to renew, please know that you have my everlasting gratitude for having come along with us for part of our trip.<br /><br />Before I close this note, I want to give very special thanks to all the people who have put their time, sweat, blood and tears into working on our new building. &nbsp;Thankfully, there has been very little of the latter two spilled. &nbsp;Over the last year they've shifted 8 tons of bricks, moved more than that in dirt, hauled and poured concrete, framed walls, and gotten covered with sand, charcoal, dust, dirt, and other, less easy-to-describe substances. &nbsp;They've worked in the rain, the mist, and the burning heat (as an aside, for those of you who don't live in San Francisco, "burning heat" is 80 degrees with 25% humidity -- we are a delicate breed). &nbsp;They've done all that and much, much more. &nbsp;Over that time they've all become my friends and friends to each other. &nbsp;And it has made the whole process so much fun.<br /><br />So, I want to salute; Alex, Aliza, April, Bill, Canute, Caroline, Claud, Colleen, Dashiell, David and David, Donald, Elizabeth, Eloise, Emily, Frances, Garrett, Jane, Jawon, Jay and Jay, JJ, Jo, Jonathan and Jonathan, Jutta, Kelsey, Liz, Louis, Maddy, Marie, Ramon, Rebecca, Richard, Rosalind, Russ, Scott and Scott, Tex, Turtle, and Z'ev. <br /><br />There are some people who deserve special mention because they spent more than a dozen days in the past year helping make the new Borderlands a reality. &nbsp;They are: Laura Mazzola, Emily Schaeffer, Josie Schaeffer, and Carl Ueber.<br /><br />Finally, there are also the proud few lunatics that worked more than 20 days on the new building. &nbsp;In order of their lunacy, they are: Dave La Point, Jim Lively, Melinda Rose, Cassie Beckley, and Zach Harper.<br /><br />Thank you all for everything you've done over the past year. &nbsp;I have the best job in the world because I get to be part of our community. &nbsp;Here is to a wonderful New Year for us all and to 2019 exceeding all our hopes and expectations!<br /><br />Warmest Regards,<br />Alan<br /><br />Footnote - For you who are wondering, the numbers each year have been; 2015 - 848, 2016 - 681, 2017 - 704, and 2018 - 634. &nbsp;So, we're actually at our lowest point but . . . we're still holding very nicely in the 600-700 range, which is fine by me.<br /><br />PS - Since you all like construction stories, here's a bit of fun dialogue between me and Tony, the guy who did the concrete pumping for the foundation week before last. Tony's a great guy and he works at construction sites all over the city.<br /><br />Tony: "Good crew you've got. &nbsp;They really hustle."<br />Alan: "Yeah, they're pretty great. &nbsp;Wanna guess at their professions?"<br />Tony: "What?"<br />Alan (pointing): "Police Officer, Civil Engineer, Software Engineer, Cafe Manager, Sound Engineer, Bookseller . . . "<br />Tony: "I don't get it."<br />Alan: "They're all volunteers, man. &nbsp;This isn't their day job."<br />Tony: "Damn. &nbsp;I know a lot of professional crews who aren't half as good."<br />Alan: "Yup."<br /><br />Wispy Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, January 18th, 8:00 pm - Movie night and sing-a-long with pizza at Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(3) Saturday, March 9th - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596<br /><br />(4) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe.<br /><br />(5) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br />Rock-Solid Version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, January 18th, 8:00 pm - Movie night and sing-a-long with pizza at Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Need a little escapist fun? &nbsp;Bring your favorite sleeping bag and pillow or camping chair for our first-ever Borderlands movie night. &nbsp;A comedy and a very special sing-a-long will be presented on our larger-than-life movie screen in the cafe. &nbsp;We will be accepting cash from those interested in partaking in pizza.<br /><br />(2) Saturday, February 16th, 7:00 pm - Sponsor Social, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;Food and drink and books; what more does one need?! &nbsp;This will be a potluck as usual, so bring a special dish or a bottle to share!<br /><br />(3) Saturday, March 9th - Meet up at FOGCon 9, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596. FOGCon is one of the more intimate of the genre-focused conventions, but they always pull off a great weekend of talks and local vendors selling their wares. This year's guests of honor include Karen Joy Fowler and Becky Chambers. &nbsp;More details to come as we confirm them.<br /><br />(4) Sunday, March 31st, 7:00 pm - Sponsors' General Meeting, Borderlands Cafe. &nbsp;If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. &nbsp;Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stand, and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. &nbsp;We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. &nbsp;If you can't attend in person, feel free to email with your comments; we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards. <br /><br />(5) Friday, April 26th, 8:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117. &nbsp;As you may have guessed, we have LOVED our past two outings to the Church of 8 Wheels. &nbsp;We're back again and we'll be renting the private corner in the rear so we will have a place to congregate and leave our belongings. &nbsp;Housed in the 119-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church, The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. &nbsp;Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. &nbsp;Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. &nbsp;There is also a snack bar within the Church. &nbsp;Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">http://www.churchof8wheels.com/</a>.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-8966182178967899812018-09-11T00:27:00.003-07:002018-09-11T00:27:49.901-07:00Sponsor Letter, September 11th 2018Hello Dear Sponsors,<br /><br />I've heard from a few folks that the bit I wrote last month (Gods! &nbsp;Was it just last month? &nbsp;Seems like a year ago.) . . . anyway . . . the Tale of the Beam of Eye seemed to entertain you all. I'll try to send some other stories about the construction work at Haight Street, as time allows. &nbsp;But, right now, time does not allow at all, really. &nbsp;I've managed to catch up on everything that was on the post-convention list, which is a very fine thing, but I'm very busy with work at Haight St. (where there has been much progress -- see my note in the main store newsletter for details about that).<br /><br />So, I'm going to keep this short and try to write something more entertaining next month.<br /><br />I do have two things to point out. &nbsp;First, if you're in town, I'd love to see you at the picnic on the 22nd (see details below).<br /><br />Second, we're pretty close to (finally) getting the on-line forum for sponsors up and running. &nbsp;Thanks to my friend Stacy, the skeleton is there but we need to spend some time kicking the tires before we go live with it. &nbsp;Which is someplace you can help; if you'd be interested in being a beta-tester of sorts for the forum, please reply to this note and tell me so. &nbsp;You can come kick the tires with me! &nbsp;So exciting!<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />Knee High Version:<br /><br />Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Sponsor Picnic at Corona Heights &nbsp;(Note: NEW LOCATION!) &nbsp;Please RSVP.<br /><br />Tuesday, September 25th, 8:00 pm - Sponsor Karaoke with Charlie Jane Anders at The Stud, (399 9th Street, at Harrison). &nbsp;Please RSVP.<br /><br />Saturday, October 6th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm - Fall Sponsor Social<br /><br />Sunday, November 18th - Local bookstore tour<br /><br />Elephant's Eye Version:<br /><br />Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Sponsor Picnic at Corona Heights (Note: NEW LOCATION!): &nbsp;We're actually leaving the store and venturing into the outside world for a potluck picnic! &nbsp;We are exploring a new location this year to enjoy "summer" and the spectacular views of downtown San Francisco. &nbsp;Perched just above the Castro district, this 15 acre park featured prominently in Fritz Leiber's novel, OUR LADY OF DARKNESS. &nbsp;There is an unusually large parking lot next to the Randall Museum and once you've parked, walk away from the museum down Museum Way and look for the Borderlands hoodies on the lawn area. &nbsp;(We'll be on the lawn near the corner of Museum Way and Roosevelt Way.) &nbsp;Please note that there are no bbq pits or tables, so we will be enjoying more of a traditional cold picnic this year. &nbsp;Borderlands will provide a few tables, but please bring your own chairs if you prefer chair over blanket. &nbsp;Bring some of your favorite food or drink to share; and layers for possibly unpredictable summer weather. &nbsp;Friends and guests (including children) are super welcome so please do bring 'em along. And, call or text Jude (415 385-5982) if you need directions. &nbsp;You can also check out the Randall Museum while we're nearby -- the museum is an intimate peek into San Francisco, featuring an earthquake shack, train museum, and small animal sanctuary for local wildlife that has been rescued. &nbsp;The museum is open again after an extensive remodel, and will be open Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. &nbsp;&lt;<a href="http://sfrecpark.org/destination/corona-heights-park/">http://sfrecpark.org/destination/corona-heights-park/</a>&gt;. &nbsp;Please RSVP so we know approximately how many people to expect.<br /><br />Tuesday, September 25th, 8:00 pm - Sponsor Karaoke with Charlie Jane Anders at The Stud (399 9th Street, at Harrison): Seanan McGuire started a trend! &nbsp;Now sponsor (and award-winning author) Charlie Jane Anders has generously offered to host a fun-filled night of karaoke for Borderlands sponsors. &nbsp;This will be an enormously entertaining event, and we hope you'll join us to show off your vocal prowess (or your irrepressible attitude -- that's great, too, if you happen to lack vocal prowess). &nbsp;We don't have a reserved space, so just look for Jude or Charlie Jane. Some pertinent info about The Stud: it is a bar, so this event will be for those 21 and over. &nbsp;There is no cover charge, or drink minimum, but The Stud is owned and operated by an 18-person worker-owner cooperative, so we definitely hope you'll support them by purchasing lots of beverages. &nbsp;Guests are welcome, but please RSVP so we know approximately how many people to expect.<br /><br />Saturday, October 6th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm - Fall Sponsor Social: &nbsp;C'mon down for our final social of the year and get a head-start on your holiday shopping! &nbsp;This is a potluck, so bring a snack or drink to share. &nbsp;As always, we will feature a raffle of fun and unique prizes and there should be another detailed New Building update. &nbsp;We do hope you'll join us!<br /><br />Sunday, November 18th - We are cooking up a special tour of a famous local bookstore. &nbsp;More details to come as we nail it down.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-69624697637832598392018-08-01T23:33:00.002-07:002018-08-01T23:33:47.236-07:00Sponsor Letter, August 1st 2018Hi Everyone,<br /><br />Before getting into other stuff, I want to point out a few quite special things that are going on this month. &nbsp;First, The Locus Foundation is hosting an evening with George RR Martin and John Picacio. &nbsp;John's one of my oldest friends in this business, and besides that he's an articulate and charming speaker. &nbsp;He'll be interviewing George Martin, who has had quite a history in our business (long before A Game of Thrones and suchlike). &nbsp; It promises to be a very cool event. &nbsp;And, we've got a discount code for you, if you'd like to attend. &nbsp;Check further down in this note for all the details.<br /><br />Second, as you may have heard, the World Science Fiction convention will be happening in just a few weeks in San Jose. &nbsp;This is the first WorldCon that we've attended since the sponsorship program began, and so we're doing it up right for you all. &nbsp;We'll be hosting a party off-site on Thursday evening, August 16th. &nbsp;All sponsors are welcome, regardless of whether you're attending the convention or not. &nbsp;It's from six to eight pm and I hope you'll join us.<br /><br />Finally, also at WorldCon, we'll be hosting our own hospitality suite. &nbsp;It's located on the "party floor" of the main convention hotel, The Fairmont, and will be staffed (mostly) by your fellow sponsors. &nbsp;Please do stop by to say "Hi", take a load off your feet, and have a complimentary soda, coffee, or tea. &nbsp;Also, at four each afternoon, we'll have tea and cake, hosted by yours truly. &nbsp;More details are also below.<br /><br />Last month I promised that I would try to write something clever and entertaining this month, after being so out of it in June. &nbsp;I don't know if what you'll find at the end of this note qualifies but . . . after the list of upcoming events you will find, for your education and enjoyment, "The Tale of The Beam: A Cautionary and Epistolary Discourse for the Burgeoning Contractor"<br /><br />Travel-sized version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, August 5th, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm &nbsp;- &nbsp;The Sponsors' Open Mic night is back!<br /><br />(2) Tuesday, August 14th - 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm. -- SF in SF presents an evening with George R.R. Martin and John Picacio at the Historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City. &nbsp;Discounted tickets available for sponsors (see details below).<br /><br />(3) Thursday, August 16th - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Sponsor Party for WorldCon 76 at Loft Bar and Bistro, 90 S 2nd St, San Jose, CA 95113. <br /><br />(4) &nbsp;Thursday, August 16th to Sunday, &nbsp;August 19th (various hours) - Hospitality Suite at WorldCon (see details below)<br /><br />(5) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, October 6th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm -- Fall Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Sunday, November 18th -- We are cooking up a special tour of a famous local bookstore. &nbsp;More details to come as we nail it down.<br /><br />Costco shipping container version:<br /><br />(1) Sunday, August 5th, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm &nbsp;- &nbsp;The Sponsors' Open Mic has been on hiatus for a while, but we're bringing it back! &nbsp;The next open mic is scheduled for Sunday, August 5th, at 5pm in the cafe. If you just want to attend, you don't need to do anything except show up (although you might want to take advantage of your seat reservation privilege because it might be crowded). &nbsp;However, if you want to read, you should get in touch with fellow sponsor Louis Evans at evans.louis@gmail.com, who has been kind enough to organize this event. Participation will be open to writers of all levels (as long as they are sponsors), and also open to any type of writing, in any genre. &nbsp;All we ask is that you keep the reading short -- five minutes max. &nbsp;So, if you want to read, get in touch with Louis and he'll take care of the scheduling and so forth.<br /><br />(2) Tuesday, August 14th - 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm. -- "SF in SF presents an evening with George R.R. Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, in conversation with Hugo Award-winning artist John Picacio at the landmark Fox Theatre in Redwood City. &nbsp;Join friends, colleagues, and co-conspirators Martin and Picacio as they delve into a discussion on literature, art, and life in this intimate and historic theater setting, followed by a Q&amp;A session with the audience. &nbsp;Borderlands Books will be on-site selling books. &nbsp;PLEASE NOTE: A limited number of signed books will be available for purchase at this event, but Mr. Martin will not be available to sign copies of attendees’ books. &nbsp;Ticket proceeds from this SF in SF fundraiser go to support the non-profit Locus SF Foundation, parent to Locus Magazine, the long-standing journal of record for the science fiction and fantasy fields." &nbsp;The Locus Foundation is generously offering discounted tickets to sponsors. You may sign up online with the code GRR50, and more information regarding the event can be found here: &nbsp;<a href="http://locusmag.com/grrmevent/">http://locusmag.com/grrmevent/</a><br /><br />(3) Thursday, August 16th - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Sponsor Party for WorldCon 76 at Loft Bar and Bistro, 90 S 2nd St, San Jose, CA 95113. &nbsp;Help us kick off the Convention the Borderlands way. &nbsp;Located a VERY short distance from the convention center, we will get to sample some of the amazing appetizers Loft has to offer at our happy hour gathering. &nbsp; All sponsors are welcome, regardless of whether you're attending the convention or not. We'll be covering the snacks and the drinks, so all you need to bring is yourself (and a guest if you wish). &nbsp;Just come to the bar and ask for the Borderlands party. &nbsp;Pro-tip -- if you have your sponsor card, you'll save some time getting in since we won't have to verify your name.<br /><br />(Also, we are looking for sponsors who might like to help host our hospitality room at the Fairmont during the Convention. &nbsp;If you are interested, please reply to this email and let us know.)<br /><br />(If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register">https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register</a>)<br /><br />(4) &nbsp;Thursday, August 16th to Sunday, &nbsp;August 19th (various hours) - Hospitality Suite at WorldCon. &nbsp; WorldCon can be a very hectic and crowded experience. &nbsp;Although not as challenging as ComicCon in San Diego, the sheer amount of neat stuff to see and do often means that you leave your hotel room (or home) early in the morning and don't get back 'til late at night. &nbsp;So, it's really nice to have someplace to stop, sit down for a while, and catch your breath. &nbsp;This is especially true on Friday and Saturday night when the parties are in full swing and more crowded than you can imagine.<br /><br />Which is why we're going to have a private suite for our sponsors, friends and staff where you can take a break, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe hang out with some new friends. The suite will be located on the "party floor" of the main convention hotel, The Fairmont. &nbsp;The exact hours are still being determined but they will certainly include 4 to 6 pm, when Alan will host a afternoon break with tea and cake, and from 8 pm 'til late in the evening. &nbsp;We'll have coffee, tea &amp; sodas all day long and beer &amp; wine (plus, perhaps, some nice whisky) in the evenings.<br /><br />All sponsors are welcome along with their guests. &nbsp;The hours will be posted on the door and we'll also have them at our booth in the Dealers' Room. We don't have the room number yet but there are several ways you can get it; stop by our booth in the Dealers' Room and ask or sign up for the Sponsors' twitter feed @bl_sponsors. &nbsp;This is another case where you'll save yourself some time if you have you sponsor card. &nbsp;If you've misplaced yours, you can pick up a replacement at the Borderlands booth in the dealers' room.<br /><br />The suite will (mostly) be staffed by your fellow sponsors. &nbsp;We've had a number of people volunteer to play host for two-hour shifts but, if we get more volunteers, we'll be able to keep the suite open for more hours. &nbsp;If you would be interested in taking a turn being host (and you haven't let us know already), please drop Jude a line at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, October 6th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm -- Fall Sponsor Social. &nbsp;Join us for our final social of the year and get a head-start on your holiday shopping! &nbsp;As always we will feature a raffle of fun and unique prizes.<br /><br />(7) Sunday, November 18th -- We are cooking up a special tour of a famous local bookstore. More details to come as we nail it down.<br /><br /><br />The Tale of The Beam: A Cautionary and Epistolary Discourse for the Burgeoning Contractor<br />by Alan Beatts<br /><br />May XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />It was a pleasure meeting you today and having the chance to check the rough set-up for the I-beam you are fabricating for me. &nbsp;I was doubly glad to visit so that I could draw your attention to the following:<br /><br />The three pairs of tabs for the posts were all something other than the specified 5 1/2" apart. &nbsp;Since this dimension is critical if the posts are going to fit properly, I appreciate your attention to their correct spacing. &nbsp;Though I respect the artistic "organic" quality of spacing each pair at a unique distance, I would prefer a more "mechanical" or even "precise" interpretation of the work.<br /><br />The holes in those tabs were located a very precise inch lower than specified. &nbsp;Though I'm sure that you, as a welder, and I, as a bookseller, are both correct that it's not an important consideration; Matthew, as a structural engineer, does not seem to agree and so I think we should subjugate our shared opinion to his.<br /><br />There was also the pesky matter that the tabs for the middle post (along with the associated reinforcements) were located more than the indicated distance from the joint between the two sections of beam. &nbsp;Though I'm sure that the planned connection of that joint by three 7/8" bolts will perfectly match the strength of the rest of the beam (the full height and 18-lbs-per-foot of hot-rolled steel), it seems that Matthew, spoil sport that he is, thinks that it would be wise for the joint to be supported by a post that is located _close_ to the joint.<br /><br />I'm very glad that the final welding had not been completed and so it will be "easy", as you assured me, to correct these oversights. &nbsp;Though you have informed me that there is, currently, in your possession, the full set of engineering drawings that I provided at the beginning of the job, please don't hesitate to ask for another copy if needed.<br /><br />Warmly,<br />Alan Beatts<br /><br /><br />May XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />I was very excited to accept delivery today of the complete I-beam. &nbsp;All 22 feet of it is a work of art. &nbsp;In places, perhaps a bit more of the Brutalist school than I might prefer, but I do agree that the razor-sharp edges of the cut sections inspire the sort of caution that is wise when dealing with an object as potentially dangerous as a 400 lb mass of steel. &nbsp;Likewise, the rough burrs around all the drilled holes convey the essential . . . beastliness of the work. &nbsp;And, I'm sure they'll add a degree of security when the bolts are tightened -- much like a lock-washer.<br /><br />It is my pleasure to send the final payment for your work.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br /><br />May XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />It is with some concern that I write you today. &nbsp;Yesterday I had the necessary assistance to line up the two beam sections and perform a trial assembly. &nbsp;It was with confusion and consternation that I discovered that it was not within my ability to fit more than one of the three connecting bolts through their holes at once. &nbsp;As a bookseller, my first thought that it was a failure in my technique in placing round pegs through round holes but, after some trail and error along with much consideration, I concluded that, rather than a weakness in my technique, it was a more straightforward matter -- no pair of holes, let alone the full trio, lined up.<br /><br />I must wonder, at this point, if there is a technique (known very well by booksellers as well as by a diverse assortment of other trades) that you, as a welder, are unaware of. &nbsp;Specifically that, if three holes must line up through two pieces of metal, the best approach is to . . . CLAMP BOTH GODDAMN PIECES TOGETHER AND DRILL THEM LIKE THAT!<br /><br />I hope that you will be able to address this concern since, without it being corrected, the artwork you have delivered is only slightly less useful than a boat anchor.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Mr. Alan Beatts<br /><br /><br />May XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder<br /><br />I was pleased to meet your staff yesterday when they came by to drill the connecting holes (oversized and in alignment) between the two beam segments. &nbsp;I'm sure that we were both relieved when the structural engineer said that it would be acceptable to increase the bolt size from 7/8" to a full one inch.<br /><br />It was with some pride that I was able to contribute to the success of the endeavor. &nbsp;After returning to the shop for some tools they had forgotten (a pleasant break for me, since it gave me time to sit in quiet contemplation of my (or perhaps I should say "our") I-beam without the distractions of any of the other work I had to do that day) they afforded me not one, not even two, but three opportunities to assist them. &nbsp;First, I was thrilled to point out to them that the (rented) drill that they were using was equipped with a magnetic base, the use of which stopped the drill from dancing around on the work piece like a deranged dervish.<br /><br />After that, I was able to provide them with a requested lubricant, since they had neglected to bring some with them. &nbsp;I did have some doubts about their choice, WD40, since it is flammable and, as such, seemed a poor idea for high temperature drilling. &nbsp;But, as a mere bookseller, it didn't seem my place to comment on this.<br /><br />And, I'm so glad I didn't say anything, because my silence provided my third and final chance to be helpful. &nbsp;There is a deep satisfaction derived from standing by, with a fire extinguisher, ready to act at a moment's notice to prevent damage to our work of art -- The Beam of Eye (as I have taken to calling it). &nbsp;The possibility that I might, if the mood took me and they didn't run too fast, also be able to put out your flaming associates was merely the icing on the cake.<br /><br />I'm filled with anticipation for the trial assembly tomorrow.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Alan Beatts<br /><br /><br />May XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />The connecting plate was welded out of alignment. &nbsp;When bolted together, the Blessed Beam of Eye is crooked. &nbsp;I am disconsolate. &nbsp;Please help.<br /><br />Sincerely and Sadly,<br />Alan<br /><br /><br />June XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />It was lovely to see you, albeit for only a short visit. &nbsp;When you came to sweep the Beam of Eye off to your shop to correct its deficiency in the straightness department, I was both saddened and relieved. &nbsp;I've become quite fond of it over the course of our association and the place seemed empty and strangely easy to navigate without its darkly gleaming length across my job site. &nbsp;But, knowing that it will soon return, better than before, lifted my spirits.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br /><br />June XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />I hope you are well. &nbsp;I've called many times but you have not answered your phone. &nbsp;I've left messages, but you have not returned them. &nbsp;I hope that you've not fallen under the shadow of some terrible illness or been injured in some accident. &nbsp;I continue to wait, calmly but with some concern, for the return of our beloved Beam of Eye.<br /><br />Warmly,<br />Alan<br /><br /><br />July XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />As I think back to yesterday, my face is transfigured by a warm smile when I think of our meeting. &nbsp;I'm sure it was only your momentary confusion at seeing such a familiar visage, after so long, that drove the sequence of expressions that flashed across your face when I removed my motorcycle helmet at the entrance to your shop. &nbsp;The rapidity with which you collected yourself is a testament to the deep fellow feeling that we share and your desire to not make me feel, for even a moment, forgotten or ignored.<br /><br />Your profuse and rapid explanations of travel, broken equipment, tight deadlines and the sad matter of your dog having eaten your cell phone -- all this only cemented my conviction that you were not, in any way, hoping that, if you ignored me enough, I would just go away.<br /><br />I will look forward to the delivery next week of our Beam of Eye, perfect, shining, and, most of all, correctly welded. &nbsp;But, if that doesn't happen, I'm consoled by the thought that we'll be seeing each other frequently over the next month. &nbsp;Very frequently. &nbsp;At your shop and, perhaps, at your home. And, possibly, in court.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Alan Beatts<br /><br /><br />July XXth, 2018<br /><br />Dear Mr. Welder,<br /><br />What I lovely beam we have made, you and I. &nbsp;It hangs in the basement now, almost ready to be inspected and then locked in place with yards and yards of concrete. &nbsp;This has been a journey, for both of us. &nbsp;And now, in future, when people ask me, "Do you know a good welder?" I can say with absolute confidence: &nbsp;"Hell No."<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Alan Beatts<br /><br />Author's Note: &nbsp;As a good friend told me years ago, "Don't let tawdry truths spoil a good story". &nbsp;The facts above have been altered for the sake of the narrative but they have not, as much as I might wish, been exaggerated at all. &nbsp;The take-away -- don't finish paying 'til the job is installed and passes inspection.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-36873796928857860872018-07-11T22:15:00.001-07:002018-07-11T22:15:39.785-07:00Sponsor Letter, July 11th 2018Hi All,<br /><br />I wish I had time to write something clever for this note but . . . I'm so tired. &nbsp;As you'll see in the store newsletter, it was quite a weekend and I'm still a bit shattered. &nbsp;I'll truly make an effort to be smart and clever next month.<br /><br />But, speaking of next month -- I'm wondering, are you coming to the World Science Fiction convention? &nbsp;I'd love to have a general idea of how many of us will be there. &nbsp;So, if you're coming, reply to this note and let me know?<br /><br />Also, sponsor social is _this_ Saturday. &nbsp;As usual, RSVPs are appreciated but not required.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />A Question from Z'ev, the cafe manager<br /><br />Hey Sponsors! &nbsp;In our quest to have more edibles in the Cafe, we will be trying out some sandwiches. &nbsp;Can you let us know which THREE of these choices you'd most like to see us have on the menu experimentally? &nbsp;We appreciate your advice and feedback so just reply to this email with your thoughts.<br /><br />1) Smoked Salmon: salmon, cream cheese, capers, red onions, tomatoes<br />2) Veggie: mozarrela cheese, cucumber, tomato, red onion, avocado<br />3) Ham &amp; Cheese: smoked ham, swiss cheese<br />4) Salami &amp; Cheese: sliced salami, cheddar cheese<br />5) BCT / BAT (analogous to BLT): bacon, cucumber or avocado, tomato<br />6) Turkey &amp; Pesto: turkey, pesto, tomato, red onion, cucumber<br /><br />Micro version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, July 14th, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm -- Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(2) Sunday, July 29th, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm &nbsp;- &nbsp;The Sponsors' Open Mic night is back!<br /><br />(3) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76 in San Jose; exact location and time to be determined. &nbsp;We are looking for sponsors that may be interested in helping host our hospitality room. &nbsp;Please contact Scott by replying to this email if you are interested.<br /><br />(4) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, October 6th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm -- Fall Sponsor Social.<br /><br />Macro version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, July 14th, 7:00pm - 11:00pm -- Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social. &nbsp;Come join us for our quarterly social gathering as we share our favorite foods, sip on delicious drinks and hope we have a winning raffle ticket! &nbsp;We have some extra-neat stuff to raffle off this time, including some special signed books courtesy of sponsor Keith B in Ireland, a stunning goblet from sponsors Marie M and Jay W, and a Really Weird Thing from sponsor Seanan M! &nbsp;Feel free to bring any food or drink that is easily shared and we'll enjoy each others' company and hear the latest and greatest on the transformation of the new bookstore space.<br /><br />And, we have a really special treat for you this time. &nbsp;Our retail guest will be Sponsor Cole Harkness. &nbsp;Cole runs American Fencing Supply and is in the process of moving his shop. &nbsp;I asked him a few weeks ago if he'd turned up some stuff that had been cluttering the corners of his shop. &nbsp;He said yes and I suggested that he could bring it down to the social to sell. &nbsp;He, being the guy that he is, said that he'd rather than the proceeds go to a charity. &nbsp;So, all the proceeds will be going to benefit the Locus Foundation.<br /><br />And, wow, is he bringing some neat pointy pieces of metal. &nbsp;Among the amazing things he'll have available are a 1920's Italian police saber with a great temper and a unusually sharp tip, several (likely decorative) Indian weapons from the 19th century, and a WWII US folding pilot's survival machete with is just as cool as an iceberg and I might have to grab for myownself, but that's just scratching the surface. &nbsp;One of the REALLY extraordinary items is a German 2-handed sword with Flamberge blade which was forged in Austria, before the first World War -- it was made for theatrical use and was in the armory of the Met Opera in New York (!).<br /><br />But, to my mind, the undoubted standout item is a "Talhoffer" (two handed sword), made by Maestro Oscar Kolombatovich in his La Garita forge in Spain -- Maestro K made weapons that were historically accurate at a time when such things were rare. &nbsp;He himself was larger than life; the Fencing Master for West Point and the Met Opera in New York. &nbsp;He made most of the weapons used by the best fight-choreographer in the world, William Hobbs (the 70's "Three Musketeer" movies, "Cyrano" with Depardieu, etc). &nbsp;A weapon like this was used by Rutger Hauer in "Flesh + Blood". &nbsp;Kolombatovich is to my mind the greatest swordmaster and choreographer of the 20th century and this sword is really a piece of history. &nbsp;Even if you're not in the market for a sword or knife, looking at them and chatting with Cole about 'em is a treat you won't get very often. <br /><br />As always, it's a pot-luck and BYOB situation so bring something to share in either the food or refreshment department and plan on having fun, talking books, and hanging out with the best group of people in SF. &nbsp;We hope you'll join us for a grand party!<br /><br />(2) Sunday, August 5th, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm &nbsp;- &nbsp;The Sponsors' Open Mic has been on hiatus for a while, but we're bringing it back! &nbsp;The next open mic is scheduled for Sunday, July 29th, at 5pm in the cafe. If you just want to attend, you don't need to do anything except show up (although you might want to take advantage of your seat reservation privilege because it might be crowded). &nbsp;However, if you want to read, you should get in touch with fellow sponsor Louis Evans at evans.louis@gmail.com, who has been kind enough to organize this event. Participation will be open to writers of all levels (as long as they are sponsors), and also open to any type of writing, in any genre. &nbsp;All we ask is that you keep the reading short -- five minutes max. &nbsp;So, if you want to read, get in touch with Louis and he'll take care of the scheduling and so forth.<br /><br />(3) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76. &nbsp;We are in the process of locating a nice, quiet, off-site bar-and-grill type establishment to kick off our weekend at WorldCon in San Jose. &nbsp;If you have any suggestions, please feel free to forward to Scott at scox@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />Also, we are looking for sponsors who might like to help host our hospitality room. And, we're possibly looking for some sponsors who would like to help out at our table. &nbsp;If you've ever thought it would be fun to be a bookseller for a day, you should let us know. &nbsp;If you're interested in either of those things, please reply to this email and let us know (and, if you've gotten in touch with us already, don't worry -- we're sorting out The Plan and we'll be in touch soon). &nbsp;(If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register">https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register</a>)<br /><br />(4) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, October 6th, 7:00 pm - 11:00pm -- Fall Sponsor Social. &nbsp;Join us for our final social of the year and get a head-start on your holiday shopping!Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-40922791753783413822018-06-07T19:10:00.000-07:002018-06-07T19:10:03.026-07:00Sponsor Letter, June 7th 2018Hi Everyone,<br /><br />As you've probably just seen in the store newsletter, progress on the new building was slow-ish last month. &nbsp;But, for all that it was slow, there was a lot of work (who knew that staggered fences would take so much damn time?). &nbsp;So, I'm a bit rushed today and this'll be another short note.<br /><br />For our local folks, I want to draw your attention to the screening of "The Incredibles 2" that Rina of SF in SF has set up for us. &nbsp;It's very soon (just a week from today) and so, if you want to join us, get your tickets fast.<br /><br />If you're less-than-local but you're going to be in the Bay Area for WorldCon, look out for some fun stuff we've got planned for August. &nbsp;I should have news about that in the next sponsor note. &nbsp;And, regardless of whether you're local or not, if you'd like to have a nice place to hang out and a chance to meet many of your fellow sponsors, you should drop Scott a line about helping out at our hospitality suite (see item #4 below).<br /><br />Despite all the building work (and thanks to enormous help from my friend Stacy), we're just about ready to launch the Sponsors' Forum. &nbsp;My hope is that it will be a pleasant and useful way for all of you to interact directly with each other (as well as the rest of the staff here). &nbsp;So, look for details about that very soon. &nbsp;I may even send out a special note just to let you know it's up and ready for business.<br /><br />Finally, regarding our new building and social media, I've finally (or, more accurately, I'm about to) set up a photo sharing site so you can see what's been going on (or, if you like, "what I've gotten us into"). &nbsp;We're using Flickr because it doesn't require that you sign up for anything. &nbsp;I don't know if I'll have it completely up by the time you read this but it'll be up very, very soon. &nbsp;To check it out, just follow this link - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/borderlandsbooks/">https://www.flickr.com/people/borderlandsbooks/</a><br /><br />And that's it for now. <br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />PS &nbsp;You'll notice that the monthly sponsor cocktails don't appear on the schedule for the next couple of months. &nbsp;Truth be told, no-one was showing up to check out the new building and, given how short on time I've been, it seemed to make sense to give it a break. &nbsp;But, I am holding the building open each month for anyone who is interested (see the store newsletter for those details -- this month it'll be on Saturday, the 16th). &nbsp;If you come by around five or six that day, I'll be very pleased to take you out for a drink at six when I close the place up.<br /><br />Amuse Bouche version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl, 93 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, 94129. &nbsp;More spaces available if you'd like to join in.<br /><br />(2) Thursday, June 14th at 7:00 pm - Sponsor Preview of "Incredibles 2" at the Balboa Theatre, courtesy of SF in SF!<br /><br />(3) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(4) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76 in San Jose; exact location and time to be determined. We are looking for sponsors that may be interested in helping host our hospitality room. &nbsp;Please contact Scott by replying to this email if you are interested.<br /><br />(5) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.<br /><br />Las Vegas Buffet version:<br /><br />(1) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl, 93 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, 94129. &nbsp;We still have a few more spaces available, so if you'd like to attend, please join us! &nbsp;Please RSVP with payment by TOMORROW, FRIDAY JUNE 8th at 5:00 pm, at the latest! &nbsp;We will have two lanes (or more depending on RSVPs) for a total of two hours. &nbsp;Total cost is $33.00 per person (which includes shoe rental and unlimited bowling). &nbsp;We're definitely looking forward to this! &nbsp;From their website: "the Presidio Bowling Center offers a convenient walk up bar and grill serving all of your favorites. With over 50 beers, 19 wines by the glass and a full bar, you're sure to find something you love." Located at 93 Moraga, San Francisco, 94129, there is ample parking at the facility and there are also multiple bus lines that service the Presidio. &nbsp;For more information, feel free to check out their website: <a href="https://presidiobowl.com/">https://presidiobowl.com/</a> &nbsp;Please do RSVP for this event by replying to this email (guests are very welcome), and we'll arrange payment.<br /><br />(2) Thursday, June 14th at 7:00 pm - Sponsor Preview of "Incredibles 2" at the Balboa Theatre, courtesy of SF in SF! &nbsp;Huge thanks to SF in SF for arranging yet another Incredible preview! &nbsp;"Everyone's favorite family of superheroes is back in "Incredibles 2" -- but this time Helen is in the spotlight, leaving Bob at home with Violet and Dash to navigate the day-to-day heroics of "normal" life. &nbsp;It's a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack's emerging superpowers. &nbsp;When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone must find a way to work together again -- which is easier said than done, even when they're all Incredible! &nbsp;With the voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Bird, Isabella Rossellini, John Ratzenberger, and many more!" &nbsp;Doors open at 6:00 pm, movie promptly at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $9 each – pay via PayPal or Venmo to sfinsfevents@gmail.com, and please choose "friends/family" option to avoid service fees. &nbsp;We'll be out in force to see the film, and it's so much fun to see it in a group! &nbsp;There will also be a fabulous raffle for prizes after the movie -- please join us!<br /><br />(3) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(4) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76. &nbsp;We are in the process of locating a nice, quiet, off-site bar-and-grill type establishment to kick off our weekend at WorldCon in San Jose. &nbsp;If you have any suggestions, please feel free to forward to Scott at scox@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />Also, we are looking for sponsors who might like to help host our hospitality room. And, we're possibly looking for some sponsors who would like to help out at our table. &nbsp;If you've ever thought it would be fun to be a bookseller for a day, you should let us know. &nbsp;If you're interested in either of those things, please reply to this email and let us know.<br /><br />(If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register">https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register</a>)<br /><br />(5) Saturday, September 22nd, 12 noon - 3:00 pm - Borderlands Picnic, details forthcoming.Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-2856160647241824712018-05-14T14:28:00.002-07:002018-05-14T14:28:34.766-07:00Sponsor Letter, May 10th 2018Hello, Dear Sponsors!<br /><br />Yet another brief sponsor note this month due to building commitments. &nbsp;If for some reason you're not on the standard bookstore mailing list, you can read the newest building update here: <a href="http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2018/05/may-building-news.html">http://borderlands-books.blogspot.com/2018/05/may-building-news.html</a> (and you can join the standard mailing list here, if you want: <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/">https://borderlands-books.com/</a>)!<br /><br />Also, if you requested an embroidered Sponsor hoodie &amp; haven't yet picked it up, please come by and get it or call us and we'll arrange to ship to you!<br /><br />Mouse version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm at Borderlands Books/Cafe - THIS Saturday! &nbsp;Join us for the next Sponsor Social. &nbsp;As usual, potluck fun, one guest per sponsor, RSVP's appreciated, and we hope to see you here!<br /><br />(2) Monday, May 21st at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;Join us at the bookstore-to-be (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at Michael Collins Irish Bar (formerly called HQ Bar and Restaurant) at 1568 Haight Street (at Clayton) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. &nbsp;(Please note that we've changed the dates of these gatherings from the fourth Tuesday of each month to the third Monday of each month!)<br /><br />(3) &nbsp;&lt;omitted&gt;<br /><br />(4) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl, 93 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, 94129.<br /><br />(5) Monday, June 18th at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;Join us at the bookstore-to-be (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at Michael Collins Irish Bar at 1568 Haight Street (at Clayton) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76 in San Jose; exact location and time to be determined.<br /><br /><br />Elephant version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm at Borderlands Books/Cafe - THIS Saturday! &nbsp;Join us for the next Sponsor Social. &nbsp;This will be a potluck party, so bring your special dish or a bottle to share. &nbsp;As usual we'll have fabulous and bizarre raffle prizes, much merriment, and lots of new building stories. &nbsp;We're also happy to welcome our retail guest Christopher DeWinter of Luminous Darlings &lt;<a href="http://luminousdarlings.com/storeFront.html">http://luminousdarlings.com/storeFront.html</a>&gt;, who will be on hand with gorgeous jewelry to show off and sell! &nbsp;Our sponsor socials are always great fun with like-minded, book-loving folks, so we definitely hope you'll join us. One guest per sponsor, RVSP'S always appreciated but not strictly necessary.<br /><br />(2) Monday, May 21st at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;(Please note that we've changed the dates of the Open Houses/Sponsor Cocktails to the THIRD MONDAY of each month; this helps us avoid Trivia Night at the bar and also works out better with my schedule.) &nbsp;We thought it would be nice to give you chance to see the new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. &nbsp;Join us at the store-to-be (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at Michael Collins Irish Bar (formerly HQ Bar and Restaurant; formerly Martin Mack's, at 1568 Haight Street) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.<br /><br />(3) &lt;omitted&gt;<br /><br />(4) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl, 93 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, 94129. &nbsp;Please RSVP with payment by May 21st. &nbsp;We will have two lanes (or more depending on RSVPs) for a total of two hours. &nbsp;Total cost is $33.00 per person (which includes shoe rental and unlimited bowling), but if we max out our reservation, that price might go down. &nbsp;We're definitely looking forward to this! &nbsp;From their website: "the Presidio Bowling Center offers a convenient walk up bar and grill serving all of your favorites. &nbsp;With over 50 beers, 19 wines by the glass and a full bar, you're sure to find something you love." &nbsp;Located at 93 Moraga, San Francisco, 94129, there is ample parking at the facility and there are also multiple bus lines that service the Presidio. &nbsp;For more information, feel free to check out their website: <a href="https://presidiobowl.com/">https://presidiobowl.com/</a> &nbsp;Please do RSVP for this event by replying to this email (guests are very welcome).<br /><br />(5) Monday, June 24th at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;Join us at the bookstore-to-be (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at Michael Collins Irish Bar at 1568 Haight Street (at Clayton) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76. &nbsp;We are in the process of locating a nice, quiet, off-site bar-and-grill type establishment to kick off our weekend at WorldCon in San Jose. &nbsp;If you have any suggestions, please feel free to forward to Scott at scox@borderlands-books.com. &nbsp;(If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register">https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register</a>)Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645316849863957010.post-35597520238047383722018-04-05T22:58:00.001-07:002018-04-05T22:58:08.811-07:00Sponsor Letter, April 5th 2018Hi Everybody,<br /><br />This note is going to be a little on the short side because, oh my, do I have a lot of work to do at the new building &nbsp;-- more about that in the next store newsletter in a few days. So, I'll just jump right into it.<br /><br />First, March 31st was our deadline to make our goal of 300 sponsors. &nbsp;Since you haven't heard any gnashing of teeth and wailing, I think you can guess that we made it. &nbsp;As of today we have 536 sponsors for 2018 -- you're going to be stuck with us for at least another year! &nbsp;Thank you to everyone who renewed at this point, and a big welcome to the 70 people so far who joined us for the first time this year. &nbsp;If you're interested, the sponsor numbers are up to 1169. &nbsp;Since those numbers are never re-used, that also happens to be the total number of people who have ever been sponsors. &nbsp;More than eleven hundred people over four years. &nbsp;That's quite an accomplishment.<br /><br />Beyond the support that our sponsors have given us by renewing and joining, they have also made additional contributions of over $12,000 to help with our relocation costs.<br /><br />Speaking of renewing sponsorship, if you haven't renewed, it's not too late at all. &nbsp;Just because we passed the deadline doesn't mean you can't renew now. &nbsp;You can do so in person by stopping by the store, you can give us a call and/or you can renew online at <a href="https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship18.html">https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship18.html</a> &nbsp;If you haven't renewed your sponsorship, this will be the last sponsor note you'll be receiving.<br /><br />However, it's not the last thing you'll hear from me. &nbsp;After some consideration, for the first time I'm going to send out a single reminder email to everyone who was a sponsor in 2017 and has not yet renewed. &nbsp;People have suggested that I do this several times over the past four years, but I've always decided against it because I really don't want to pester people. &nbsp;I'm truly and profoundly grateful to everyone who has been a sponsor, even if for only one year. &nbsp;If someone chose not to renew, I really didn't want my last demonstration of that gratitude to be something along the lines of, "Thank you so much. &nbsp;Are you positive you don't want to do it again?".<br /><br />This year, we're embarking on a completely new stage of Borderlands' existence as we build our forever-home and move from our location of 17 years. &nbsp;It's a very expensive undertaking and there are sure to be surprises along the way. &nbsp;I think we can manage it with the resources we have but -- every little bit helps. &nbsp;And so, I'm going to remind people that they might want to renew. &nbsp;If you've not renewed and don't want to, please just delete my note and carry on . . . with my thanks and warmest regards.<br /><br />On March 31st we held our third General Meeting for sponsors. &nbsp;There was a ton of information conveyed and much was discussed. &nbsp;Thanks to the patient efforts of Salem Evans, who has been our secretary at each of these meetings, there are extensive notes, which I'll be posting at the Sponsors' Blog in a week or so. &nbsp;You can keep an eye out there or wait 'til next month's note, when I'll give you the link.<br /><br />There was one idea that we floated at the meeting that I wanted to tell you about right now. &nbsp;We're going to have a shelf or two at the front of the shop dedicated to book recommendations from our Sponsors. &nbsp;It'll be included in the Staff Recommendations section. &nbsp;This idea was met with resounding approval, so we're going to start immediately. &nbsp;If you have a favorite title you would like to see included in this rotating section, please forward the title, author and a brief description of what you think makes this book outstanding. &nbsp;We're mostly going to focus on titles within our genres but, we're willing to consider genre-adjacent books as well (but, please let us know why it would fit on our shelves). &nbsp;All recommendations can be sent by replying to this email or directly emailing Scott at scox@borderlands-books.com.<br /><br />Final item -- we still have some embroidered sponsors' anniversary hoodies. &nbsp;If you asked us to order you one, please call, email or stop by to pick it up. &nbsp;And, if you didn't order one, we can still probably take care of you because we ordered some extras; just let us know your size.<br /><br />All Best,<br />Alan<br /><br />The Shetland pony version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, April 21st at 5:30 pm - Alcatraz Nighttime Tour. &nbsp;Currently at capacity.<br /><br />(2) Tuesday, April 24th at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;Join us at the bookstore-to-be (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant at 1568 Haight Street from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.<br /><br />(3) Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 pm - Sponsor Preview of "Avengers: Infinity War" courtesy of SF in SF at the Balboa Theatre (3630 Balboa St.)! (Deadline to buy tickets is April 22nd.)<br /><br />(4) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm - Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(5) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl, 93 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco, 94129.<br /><br />(6) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76 in San Jose; exact location and time to be determined.<br /><br /><br />The Clydesdale horse version:<br /><br />(1) Saturday, April 21st, 5:30 p.m. - Alcatraz Night Tour. &nbsp;Unfortunately, we have passed the deadline for buying group tickets, but there are many more fun adventures to share in the coming year. &nbsp;The tour of Alcatraz Island at night is supposed to be much cooler than the usual daytime one. &nbsp;For those joining us; we are awaiting our actual departure time from the Park Service, but you will receive more info in the very near future. &nbsp;We can expect to leave sometime between 5:00 and 6:00 pm from Fisherman's Wharf. &nbsp;From the Alcatraz website: "Enjoy a tour of Alcatraz Island after dark on one of our Alcatraz night tours from San Francisco. &nbsp;The Alcatraz night tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening. &nbsp;It includes special programs, tours, and activities not offered during the day. &nbsp;This tour includes: roundtrip ferry transportation, a live boat narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse Audio Tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee, and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night."<br /><br />(2) Tuesday, April 24th at 6:00/7:00 pm - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. &nbsp;We thought it would be nice to give you chance to see our new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. &nbsp;Join us at the store-to-be (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant (formerly Martin Mack's, at 1568 Haight Street) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.<br /><br />(3) Thursday, April 26th, doors open at 6:00 pm, movie starts promptly at 7:00 pm - Sponsor Preview of "Avengers: Infinity War" courtesy of SF in SF at the Balboa Theatre! Located at 3630 Balboa St. in San Francisco, this little gem of a neighborhood theatre is well worth the trip (especially if you like popcorn and beer)! &nbsp;If you'd like to attend, PayPal $9 per ticket to Rina Weisman at sfinsfevents@gmail.com, and please choose "friends/family" option to avoid service fees. &nbsp;Limit of 6 tickets per sponsor. &nbsp;Email Rina, also at sfinsfevents@gmail.com, with any questions. &nbsp;The deadline to buy tickets is noon on April 22nd, so act quickly.<br /><br />(4) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm - Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social. &nbsp;Please join us for food and libations, and I'll regale you with the latest and greatest of store construction stories. &nbsp;We will also be debuting the Sponsor Recommends shelf, so if you've not sent in your favorite book titles to Scott, please do.<br /><br />(5) Friday, June 8th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Bowling at Presidio Bowl in San Francisco. &nbsp;Please RSVP with payment by April 30th. &nbsp;We will have two lanes (or more depending on RSVPs) for a total of two hours. Total cost is $33.00 per person (which includes shoe rental and unlimited bowling), but if we max out our reservation, that price might go down. &nbsp;From their website: "the Presidio Bowling Center offers a convenient walk up bar and grill serving all of your favorites. &nbsp;With over 50 beers, 19 wines by the glass and a full bar, you're sure to find something you love." &nbsp;Located at 93 Moraga, San Francisco, 94129, there is ample parking at the facility and there are also multiple bus lines that service the Presidio. &nbsp;For more information, feel free to check out their website: <a href="https://presidiobowl.com/">https://presidiobowl.com/</a><br /><br />(6) Saturday, July 14th - Mark your calendars for our summer Sponsor Social.<br /><br />(7) Thursday, August 16th - Sponsor Party at WorldCon 76. &nbsp;We are in the process of locating a nice, quiet, off-site bar-and-grill type establishment to kick off our weekend at WorldCon in San Jose. &nbsp;If you have any suggestions, please feel free to forward to Scott at scox@borderlands-books.com. &nbsp;(If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: <a href="https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register">https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register</a>)<br /><br />Teaser Alert: coming down the pipeline, many more exciting events in and around our fair store . . . including a new location for our Fall picnic/BBQ and a chance to travel back in time to Victorian London at the Dickens Fair, with details to come. Borderlands Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01903373457948819777noreply@blogger.com0
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