Sure we have the Calendar which has a list of all the literary happenings around town, but there were a few I wanted to give some extra props.

First up is this weekend (that’d be tomorrow & Sunday) is Zinefest, (which, incidentally, has this amazing display at Open Book right now that I saw last night) at the Stevens Square Center for the Arts (directions). Events include Zine Readings, a few documentaries, and a bunch of other cool stuff. You can check the event schedule for more information.

July 22nd, Zak Sally CD release party/La Mano 21 benefit
Remember our pal Zak Sally who answered the 6 questions we always ask? Of course you do. So this renaissance (and not in the lame festival meaning of the word) guy has a new CD coming out. According to his e-mail, he “wrote, sang and played every damn thing on it, recorded it with his old pal Ben Durrant (Andrew Bird, Dosh, Shearwater) at Crazy Beast Studios.”

It’s called “Fear Of Song” (as in: “Zak Sally’s Fear Of Song”, get it?). Nine songs, thirty-seven minutes, and will be released on CD in a signed and limited edition, with all the packaging and such done BY HAND on the La Mano press (also Sub-Pop put out a 7-inch of the single Why We Hide).

Okay, I am just going to quote the press release because I am lazy and the Tibbles are begging for lunch.

to this end we are setting up a HUGE, AMAZING RECORD RELEASE SHOW/ LA MANO BENEFIT, etc etc see above i’m not typing it all again. it’ll be hosted by the good folks at Eclipse records (and therefore is ALL AGES and CHEAP) right on University Ave in St. Paul.
starting at 5:30-ish, you will se performances by these local luminaries:
JIM AND THE FRENCH VANILLA (Jim from the blind shake’s solo venture)
PAUL METZGER (solo treated guitar unbelievableness)
SKOAL KODIAK (sorry everyone else, but the best damn band to come out of minneapolis in a decade solid)
T.O.G.P.T.F.F.S.O.T.W.O.T.E.R.A.T.S.Y.O.A (Three Old Guys Play The First Five Songs Off The Wipers’ Over The Edge Record And The Song Youth Of America, featuring Zak Sally, Dale Flattum [Milk Cult, Steel Pole Bath Tub], and double duty from Freddy Votel [Cows, Skoal Kodiak, a million other bands]
and the SEAWHORES.

and besides that, there will be tables selling ZINES, POSTERS, BOOKS and whatever by a bunch of your favorite local arteests.
like i said; ALL AGES.
and CHEAP? how does SIX BUCKS SOUND?
good? yeah, well see the aforementioned mention of a “benefit” and what that means in this case is that that $6 you just spent gets you SIX BUCKS OFF OF ANY LA MANO BOOK OR POSTER (and aside from all that, the first hundred or so people in the door will almost certainly get some free thing from the La Mano archives, not sure what exactly yet, but…).