These are past events. For upcoming events, click here
Anarchist Reading Group: Gender is WAR
Friday 3 February 2023, 7pm
For the next reading group we’ll be reading some essays from Queering Anarchism and from Lies: a journal of materialist feminism. Free and unticketed.
Poetry Writing Workshop – Hosted by the Boukra Collective
Sunday 4 February 2023, 7pm-9pm
Poetry writing workshop for all levels. $10 suggested donation. Unticketed. Just drop in!
Philosophy Reading Group: Hegel’s Master-Slave Dialectic
Friday 20 January 2023, 7pm-8:30pm
Readings available soon.
Book Launch: Our Grapes of Wrath: a Black history of Monterey County with Daniel Summerhill
Saturday 10 December, 6-8pm
An evening celebrating Boukra Press’s newest publication, Our Grapes of Wrath, edited by Daniel Summerhill. Entrance is $10, and includes a copy of the book. Students can enter for free.
Poetry Writing Workshop – Hosted by the Boukra Collective
Sunday 4 December, 7pm-9pm
Poetry writing workshop for all levels. $10 suggested donation. Unticketed. Just drop in!
Back Lot Poetry: a monthly poetry open mic
Friday 2 December 2022, 9pm
We’re hanging out in parking lots and reading poetry again. Dress for the cold winter night. Free and unticketed
Anarchist Reading Group: Ukrainian Anarchists on the War
Friday 2 December 2022, 7pm
For the next reading group we’ll be reading perspectives on the Russian-Ukrainian War by Ukrainian Anarchists. Free and unticketed.
Back Lot Poetry: a monthly poetry open mic
Friday 2 September 2022, 9pm
We’re hanging out in parking lots and reading poetry again. Dress for the cold winter night. Free and unticketed.
Anarchist Reading Group: Queering Anarchism
Friday 2 September 2022, 7pm
For the next reading group we’ll be reading selections from Queering Anarchism, available on AK Press. Free and unticketed.
Back Lot Poetry: a monthly poetry open mic
Friday 6 May 2022, 9pm
We’re hanging out in parking lots and reading poetry again. Dress for the cold winter night. Free and unticketed.
Anarchist Reading Group: David Graeber’s ‘Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology’
Friday 6 May 2022, 7pm
For the next reading group we’ll be reading selections from David Graeber. Free and unticketed.
Philosophy Reading Group: Ideology and Utopia
Thursday 22 April 2022, 7pm
This month’s reading group is facilitated by Tony and will explore key passages from Karl Mannheim’s Ideology and Utopa. Free and unticketed.
CSU Monterey Bay Poets (Part of the Monterey Poetry Festival)
hosted by Daniel Summerhill, with Kenny Garcia, Zoe Atlas, Kent Leatham, Dauphiene Parks, Christian Vega, and Roopa Bala Singh
$10 presale, $15 at door, free for CSUMB students with ID (Old Capitol Books)
Nepotism 6 After Party!
Saturday 9 April 2022, 9:30pm
house show and open mic in New Monterey featuring Chris Carr, Ekene Music, John Garry, and No Existo
$10 presale, (House show in New Monterey – Address given after booking)
Nepotism6: poetry and our own inflated egos (Part of the Monterey Poetry Festival)
Saturday 9 April 2022, 7pm
with Brian Sheffield, Heather Flescher, Hafiz Kheir, Chris Carr, Jonathan Gomez, and Claire Durand-Gasselin
$10 presale, $15 at door (at Old Capitol Books)
Brooklyn Wildlife (Poetry Festival opening night after party!)
Friday 8 April 2022, 9:30pm
Direct from Brooklyn. Hip hop, poetry, spoken word, experimental synths, art surprise! With Chris Carr, Chris Siders, and others.
$10 presale, $15 at door (House show in New Monterey – Address given after booking)
Poetry Festival Opening Night!
Friday 8 April 2022, 7pm
Opening night of the 2022 Monterey Poetry Festival, featuring Josiah Luis Alderete, Chris Siders, Angel Dominguez, Hannah Kezema, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta, and Turista!
$10 presale, $15 at door (at Old Capitol Books)
Philosophy Reading Group: Herbert Marcuse
Thursday 31 March 2022, 7pm
This month’s reading group is facilitated by Steph and will explore key passages from Herbert Marcuse’s important twentieth-century text One Dimentional Man. Free and unticketed.
Back Lot Poetry: a monthly poetry open mic
Friday 4 March 2022, 9pm
We’re hanging out in parking lots and reading poetry again. Dress for the cold winter night. Free and unticketed.
Poetry Writing Workshop – Hosted by the Boukra Collective
Sunday 6 March, 7pm-9pm
Poetry writing workshop for all levels. $10 suggested donation. Unticketed. Just drop in!
Philosophy Reading Group: Mary Wollstonecraft
Friday 25 February 2022, 7pm
This month’s reading group is facilitated by Steph and will explore key passages from Wollstonecraft’s 1792 A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Free and unticketed.
Anarchist Reading Group: Black as Resistance
Friday 4 March 2022, 7pm
For the next reading group we’ll be reading selections from Black as Resistance: Finding the Conditions for Liberation. Free and unticketed.
Anarchist Reading Group: The split between Marxism and Anarchism
Friday 4 February 2022, 7pm
At the end of our last session, we got curious about the history between the split between anarchists and communists in the nineteenth century. So, our next reading group is going to explore that schism with one essay by Bakunin and one recent essay outlining the history by Wayne Price. Reading not required to attend, learn, and participate, but all texts are available for free on the website.
Poetry Writing Workshop – Hosted by the Boukra Collective
Sunday 2 January, 7pm-9pm
Poetry writing workshop for all levels. $10 suggested donation.
Holiday Lit Expo: Support Local Authors this Holiday Season!
Friday 3 December 2021, 6pm
Don’t be held back by delays in the book supply chain – you can buy books from local authors with free gift wrapping at Old Capitol Book’s Holiday Lit Expo this December! Entrance is free and unticketed. Just show up and chose from local authors who have written cookbooks, young adult novels, fantasy books, travel books, and much more!
Philosophy Reading Group: War as Pathology
Friday 19 November 2021, 7pm
This month’s reading group will be facilitated by Robert Khury. Readings available soon. Free and unticketed. Reading not required to attend!
Anarchist Reading Group: Three Classic Essays
Friday 12 November 2021, 7pm
The first session of the Anarchist Reading Group is kicking off at Old Capitol Books! We’ll be studying three classic essays to introduce us to key concepts of anarchism. Readings are available for free here. Free and unticketed. Reading not required to attend!
Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Achille Mbembe, Critique of Black Reason
Friday 22 October 2021, 7pm
This month’s reading group explores Mbembe’s critiques of the concept of reason as a eurocentric construction which has led to the justification of white supremacy and colonization. Free and unticketed. Text available for free here.
First Fridays: BACK LOT POETRY – a monthly open mic
Friday 1 October 2021, 9pm
We know that you’ve been fantasizing about standing around in empty parking lots. Late at night. To read Poetry. With Strangers. (So have we.)
Theory and Philosophy Reading Group: Kierkegaard
Friday September 24th, 2021 – 7pm
We’re reading On the Concept of Anxiety, which we think is very fitting. Free and not ticketed. Just show up.
some poems in reponse to 9/11: a participatory discussion
Saturday September 11, 2021 – 7pm
With readings and recordings from Suheir Hammad, Amiri Bakara, and Heather Flescher. Free and open to everyone.
Theory and Philosophy Reading Group: Deleuze & Guattari’s A Thousand Plateaus
Friday August 20th, 2021 – 7pm
The reading group is back and we’re feeling masochistic. Free and not ticketed. Just show up.
Sunday 16 August 2020, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
This is a virtual event, and you can tune in from your home! All you need is a pen or pencil, paper, envelope, and stamp. If you live locally, we can arrange to send your letter out for you if you don’t have a stamp. To participate, just join us here: https://meet.jit.si/MontereyAnarchistBlackCross
Friday 14 August 2020, 7pm: Livestreamed music and poetry – Fundraiser for Black Land Ownership
Featuring No Existo, Chris Carr, Turiya Autry, and DJ Papacitx!
Saturday 6 June 2020, 7:30pm: Femmes and Folx: a livestream concert
Old Capitol Books and Close to Home Collective present FEMMES AND FOLX, a livestream concert featuring gender diverse performing artists.
Saturday 6 June 2020, 9am: My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: a writing workshop
Join poet and nonfiction author and workshop leader Patrice Vecchione for a writing burst of energy, a kickstart to your creative self.
Get the juices flowing! Workshop proceeds go to support your local bookshops, Old Capitol Books and Pilgrim’s Way.
Friday 29 May 2020, 6:30pm: Close to Home Virtual Open Mic, featuring NO EXISTO
A weekly virtual open mic hosted by River Navaille and Tommy Pieper. This week’s feature is local musical artist NO EXISTO. Sign up for the open mic today!
Thursday 28 Mary 2020, 7pm: “Sublime Imprecision: the Magic of Rough Edges”
Led by Janice Rocke and Marc Zegans. Open to all levels!
Friday 22 May 2020, 6:30pm: Close to Home Virtual Open Mic, featuring KRAIG BELLOWS
A weekly virtual open mic hosted by River Navaille and Tommy Pieper. This week’s feature is local musical artist KRAIG BELLOWS. Sign up for the open mic today!
Friday 15 May 2020, 6:30pm: Close to Home Virtual Open Mic, featuring BEDROOMS
A weekly virtual open mic hosted by River Navaille and Tommy Pieper. This week’s feature is local musical artist LECHE MALO. Sign up for the open mic by filling out this form.
Friday 8 May 2020, 6:30pm: Close to Home Virtual Open Mic, featuring BEDROOMS
A weekly virtual open mic hosted by River Navaille and Tommy Pieper. This week’s feature is local musical artist BEDROOMS. Sign up for the open mic by filling out this form.
CANCELLED: Friday 27 March 2020, 7pm: Ajimas, The Macks, and Jello Ben (live music at the bookstore!)
Live music at the bookstore. Come see The Macks (on tour from Oregon) together with local acts Ajimas and Jello Ben. $10 cover.
CANCELLED: Sunday 15 March 2020, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
CANCELLED: Saturday 14 March 2020, 7pm: Hari Alluri and Rachelle Escamilla (a night of poetry)
Come to hear the poetic performances of Hari Alluri, Rachelle Escamilla, with special guests! Doors at 7. $5 cover
Wednesday 11 March 2020, 7pm: Smokes and Jokes (on Tour)
Live music featuring Miss Dukes, Rene Fuentes, Tim J Elliot, Nebula the Velvet Queen. $10 cover
Sunday 8 March 2020, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents William Minor & Lauren Crux
The monthly curated readings from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Friday 28 February 2020, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Soren Kierkegaard
This month, we’re lucky to have local philosopher Robert Kuhry facilitate our Theory & Philosophy Reading Group session on Søren Kierkegaard’s Concept of Anxiety.
Saturday 22 February 2020, 7:30pm: Nepotism4: poetry and our own inflated egos
Old Capitol Books invites you to NEPOTISM 4! A Night of Poetry. We’ll close up the shop, turn down the lights and bring together some of California’s “best” poets. Their work is amazing. They are my friends. I am not biased at all. Really.
Featuring: Tongo Eisen-Martin, Chris Carr, Rachelle Escamilla, Brian Sheffield, Claire Gasselin-Durand, Kraig Bellows
Sunday 16 February 2020, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Sunday 9 February 2020, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Eike Waltz & Garland Thompson
The monthly curated readings from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Old Capitol Books is pleased to host another after hours event showcasing the best of Monterey’s new indie music. Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm. $10.
Saturday 31 January 2020, 7:30pm: Imaginary Animal: a night of poetry
We’re thrilled to announce a night of poetry to raise money for the production of Imaginary Animal – a play written by poet and scholar Rachelle Escamilla.
Sunday 19 January 2020, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 18 January 2020, 7:30pm: Sin-Aesthetic: an Atmospheric Feast of Sensual Delight
We had such a positive response when we performed for Lit Crawl at The Lost Church in SF, that we decided to bring this event back to Monterey!
Mortecai (Jeddy Grant) concocts aural elixirs as writers share their work and scantily clad dancers perform behind a sheer fabric strategically lit by Lumiere Alchemical (Nelson Basden).
Sunday 12 January 2020, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Dane Cevine and Kim Li Bui
$5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Friday 20 December 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group – Pico della Mirandola
This month, the Theory & Philosophy Reading Group will look at the work of Renaissance Neoplatonic philosopher, Pico della Mirandola – his “Oration on the Dignity of Man.” Something beautiful and uplifting for the holiday season!
Sunday 15 December 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 26 October 2019, 8pm: Halloween Dance Party!
Doors at 8pm
Free before 9pm, $10 after
18+
Fundraiser for Border Angels
Friday 24 October 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Are Machines Conscious
This month, we’re going to explore a question rather than the work of a single philosopher. We’ll be asking the question: Are machines conscious? Free and open to everyone.
A two-day workshop for anyone interested in writing fiction, touching on aspects of the craft that will help guide new writers on the path to becoming published.
Sunday 20 October 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
$5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Friday 27 September 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Nietzsche’s Will to Power
Ok, ok, so we’ve been getting together to read now for over four years and we’ve never read Nietzsche – and I’m not sure if that’s a GOOD thing or a BAD thing. But either way, we’re going for it! Anything is easy after Kant, right?!
We’re going to be focusing on the second book of Nietzsche’s Will to Power. You can read a selection from the book here.
Sunday 25 August 2019, 1:30pm: Fishbowl Poetry and Open Mic, featuring Qr Hand and Bill Vartnaw
Monthly poetry reading with open mic to follow. Sign ups for open mic are at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm.
Saturday 24 August 2019, 7pm: Rare American, Bedrooms, and The Ajimas – Live Music at the Bookstore
Rare Americans, Bedrooms, and The Ajimas
Coming out party – US Tour 2019
$10 notaflof
Friday 23 August 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group (4 of 4)
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will knuckle down this summer and focus in on Kant’s ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ sometimes called the first Critique. Discussions will be facilitated by Robert Kuhry, are free, and open to everyone. Come to one of them, or come to all of them!
Sunday 18 August 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Friday 16 August 2019, 7pm: Santa Cruz Slam Poetry – with Jordan Dalzell and Mycah Miller
Come to Old Capitol Books for an evening of poetry and art, featuring Santa Cruz slam poet Jordan Dalzell and artist Mycah Miller!
$5 donation to the poets. Come early to ensure a seat!
Friday 9 August 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group (3 of 4)
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will knuckle down this summer and focus in on Kant’s ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ sometimes called the first Critique. Discussions will be facilitated by Robert Kuhry, are free, and open to everyone. Come to one of them, or come to all of them!
Sunday 4 August 2019, 4-5pm: Step Lightly: with author and pro-ballet dancer Kendall Klym
In his debut collection, STEP LIGHTLY, author Kendall Klym expands the definition of dance through the stories of characters who run the gamut from the ghost of a famous ballerina to a humble piano teacher tormented by honeybees. A former professional ballet dancer who has won numerous awards for his fiction writing, Klym skillfully uses words to illuminate dance as a form of communication and means of connection, reflected in the complex dynamics and continuous movements of work, relationships, and life.
Sunday 28 July 2019, 2pm: Fishbowl Poetry and Open Mic
Monthly poetry reading with open mic to follow. Sign ups for open mic are at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm. This month’s featured poets are Aideed Medina and Tony Aldarondo.
Friday 26 July 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group (2 of 4)
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will knuckle down this summer and focus in on Kant’s ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ sometimes called the first Critique. Discussions will be facilitated by Robert Kuhry, are free, and open to everyone. Come to one of them, or come to all of them!
Sunday 21 July 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 20 July, 2019, 7pm: Rainbow Lounge, LGBTQ+ hang out
Chill music. Good vibes. $5
Wednesday 17 July 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Achille Mbembe
We’re returning to Achille Mbembe’s “Necropolitics” to discuss the political power over who is allowed to live and who must die. Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 14 July 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents John Dotson and Marc Zegans
Come early to ensure a seat. $5 donation for the poets.
Friday 12 July 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group (1 of 4)
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will knuckle down this summer and focus in on Kant’s ‘The Critique of Pure Reason,’ sometimes called the first Critique. Discussions will be facilitated by Robert Kuhry, are free, and open to everyone. Come to one of them, or come to all of them!
Friday 5 July 2019, 8pm: Burn: A multimedia literary performance
Burn, a Dialogue with a Demon Priest, encapsulates the essence of Janice’s book, ‘Resurrections in the Dark’, and is a commemoration of its launch. Burn speaks to such topical issues as gender inequality, addiction, single parenthood, and domestic violence, beckoning themes such as forgiveness, self-discovery, healing, and connection.
Wuwu, Grand Larson, and The Discards will appear at Old Capitol Books at the end of the June! $10 notaflof.
Saturday 29 June 2019, 4pm: Art of the Revolution – an afternoon with artist Khalid Hussein
We’re thrilled to have artist and graphic novelist Khalid Hussein come to the bookstore to talk about his art and his experiences in political illustration.
Sunday 16 June 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
This month’s theory and philosophy reading group will look at the dialogue between Derrida and Habermas, published as Philosophy in a Time of Terror. Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 9 June 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents John Laue and Victor Henry
Come early to ensure a seat. $5 donation for the poets.
Saturday 8 June 2019, 5-7pm: Sara Taylor, Kim Shuck, Coffee, and Jazz
A relaxed evening of poetry, music, and coffee.
Saturday 8 June 2019, 2pm: Jade Life – an afternoon with jade artist Andrew Shaw
Come welcome jade artist Andrew Shaw to Old Capitol Books where he’ll discuss his book Jade Life. Free and open to everyone.
Saturday 1 June 2019, 4-6pm: Homestead Review Launch Party
Come celebrate the launch of the final print issue of the Homestead Review. Featuring readings by poets Kim Addonizio, Dan Linehan, George Lober, Jennifer Lagier-Fellguth, and Maria Garcia Teutsch. Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 26 May 2019, 2pm: Fishbowl Poetry & Open Mic
A monthly open mic with readings from featured poets. Sign ups for open mic begin at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm.
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group here has been weaving its way through black phenomenology and black epistemology. After reading some of Jean-Paul Sartre’s work in support of African liberation struggles, we moved on to read Frantz Fanon, Kathryn Gines, James Baldwin, and Achille Mbembe. Now we’re going to do a double session, looking at the important work of Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins. Free and open to everyone. Readings available for free.
Tuesday 21 May 2019, 4-5:30pm: Magdalena’s Muse Drop-in Poetry Writing Workshop
Join Magdalena to create a new poem, discuss craft, and to receive feedback and inspiration. With two decades of experience facilitating poetry writing workshops Magdalena can help you contact or reconnect with your muse—the voice inside you that wants to create, to nourish your soul, and each other. We meet and write in community to bear witness to, advocate for, and go deeper to the place where poetry heals.
Sunday 19 May 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 18 May 2019, 7pm: Quick Queer Greetings – LGBTQ+ Speed Dating
Come meet new friends! 18+
Friday 17 May 2019, 7pm: Bernie & the Wolf, The Ajimas, No Exist, and Goodword
Dreamy indie. Doors at 7. $10.
Sunday 12 May 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Laura Bayless & Maggie Paul
Come see the curated readings from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Come early to ensure a seat!
Saturday 11 May 2019, 7pm: Goth Industrial Night with DJ DiaLogic
Old Capitol Books after dark is pleased to present a Goth Industrial Night with DJ Dialogic.
He’ll be spinning classic vinyl for your listening pleasure. A mix of Industrial classics, dark down tempo beats, and Ethereal wave music. He’ll give us some NIN, Marilyn Manson, Billie Eilish, Rammstein, Prodigy, DJ Shadow and David Bowie. All Vinyl.
Friday 10 May 2019, 7pm: Nepotism III: poetry and our own inflated egos
Old Capitol Books invites you to NEPOTISM 3! A Night of Poetry. We’ll close up the shop, turn down the lights and bring together some of California’s “best” poets. Their work is amazing. They are my friends. I am not biased at all. Really.
Featuring Rachelle Escamilla, Heather Flescher, Kraig Bellows, Jeffrey Erwin, and Davis Mendez
Saturday 4 May 2019, 7pm: (K)NO(W) OPINIONS and CHEMICAL X
Hip Hop musical explosions! Doors at 7pm.
Saturday 4 May 2019, 2-3pm: Book signing with G.M. Monks
G. M. Monks, an award-winning author of short stories and poetry, will be reading, signing, and discussing her debut literary novel, titled Iola O, published by Bedazzled Ink at Old Capitol Books in Monterey on May 4th at 2:00 pm.
(CANCELLED) Friday 3 May 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Derrida, Foucault, and Mbembe
Come join our regular reading group for a special session featuring seniors at CSU Monterey studying critical legal philosophy. The normal reading group will be joined by these students for a conversation exploring the works of Michel Foucault, Achille Mbembe, and Jacques Derrida. We will postpone this event until June. Check this space for more details soon!
Sunday 28 April 2019, 1:30pm: Last Sundays Fishbowl Poetry and Open Mic
A monthly open mic with readings from featured poets. Sign ups for open mic begin at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm.
Friday 26 April 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Kathryn Gines
After reading Sartre and Beauvoir, we became interested in black existentialism and phenomenology. We’ve been exploring Frantz Fanon and James Baldwin, and now we’re going to read an essay by Kathryn Gines that was published in Convergences: Black Feminism and Continental Philosophy: “Sartre, Beauvoir, and the Gender/Race Analogy: The Case for Black Feminist Philosophy”.
Sunday 21 April 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Tuesday 16 April 2019, 4-5:30pm: Magdalena’s Muse Drop-in Poetry Writing Workshop
Join Magdalena to create a new poem, discuss craft, and to receive feedback and inspiration. With two decades of experience facilitating poetry writing workshops Magdalena can help you contact or reconnect with your muse—the voice inside you that wants to create, to nourish your soul, and each other. We meet and write in community to bear witness to, advocate for, and go deeper to the place where poetry heals.
Sunday 14 April 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Bob Nielsen & Nils Michals
Come see the curated poetry readings, organized by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Saturday 13 April 2019, 7pm: Live music: Padorr, Ashes, Morticai, and Chelsea Riddle
Chill indie rock
sick local live music
Doors at 7pm
Show at 7:30pm
$10 NOTAFLOF
Friday 12 April 2019, 7pm: Latinx Poetix Symposium
Rachelle Escamilla, host of the longest running poetry radio show in the US (Out of Our Minds on KKUP), is bringing back the Latinx Poetix Symposium! We’re honored to host readings by the featured poets:
Adela Najarro
Javier O. Huerta
Yuccaira Salvatierra
Norma Liliana Valdez
Saturday 6 April 2019, 7pm: LIVE MUSIC! Pablo and The Tomb Weavers
Live music at the bookstore! $10 NOTAFLOF
Sunday 31 March 2019, 1:30pm: Last Sunday’s Fishbowl Poetry
A monthly open mic with readings from featured poets. This month will feature Kevin Patrick Sullivan and James Cushing. Sign ups for open mic begin at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm.
Friday 22 March 2019, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: James Baldwin
We’re continuing our investigation of black phenomenology. This month looking at James Baldwin’s important essay “Stranger in the Village”. These reading groups are designed to take theory and philosophy out of the ivory tower and bring these conversations back into the community. Readings are posted for free on the Old Capitol Books website, and in the comments below. No prior knowledge of theory and philosophy is required, and we believe that everyone can contribute to these important conversations.
Free and open to everyone.
Tuesday 19 March 2019, 7pm: Magdalena’s Muse Drop-in Poetry Writing Workshop
Join Magdalena to create a new poem, discuss craft, and to receive feedback and inspiration. With two decades of experience facilitating poetry writing workshops Magdalena can help you contact or reconnect with your muse—the voice inside you that wants to create, to nourish your soul, and each other. We meet and write in community to bear witness to, advocate for, and go deeper to the place where poetry heals. $10-$15 suggested donation.
Sunday 17 March 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner support
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Sunday 10 March 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Come listen to the curated readings organized by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested donation $5.
Tuesday 5 March 2019, 8pm: Live music: Baseball Gregg, MirrorMine, and Jimmy Turturici
Baseball Gregg is a pop duo from Stockton by way of Italy joining us at Old Capitol Books on their way to playing at SXSW. They are joined by two local acts: Sad core band MirrorMine and the avant-pop stylings of Jimmy Turturici.
Saturday 2 March 2019, 7pm: Mad Gleam Press (NY-PARIS): A night of poetry and art
A Night of Poetry and Art with Mad Gleam Press (NY-PARIS). Featuring readings by: Claire Durand-Gasselin, Rachelle Escamilla, Ciera Chilton, Brian Sheffield, and Jeffrey Erwin. $10 NOTAFLOF
Sunday 24 February 2019, 1:30pm: Last Sundays Fishbowl Poetry and Open Mic
Last Sundays Fishbowl Poetry Featuring D.L. Lang and Doreen Stock: come early to sign up to read! Sign ups begin at 1:30pm and readings begin at 2pm. $5 suggested donation.
Friday 22 February 2019, 8:30-11pm: Never Bored Issue Launch Party!
music, friends, chill
come hang out
open to everyone
$10 suggested donation, notaflof
Friday 22 February 2019, 6pm-7:30pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Frantz Fanon
We’ve recently been reading Jean-Paul Sartre account of his phenomenology of the “look” and this got us thinking about Frantz Fanon’s work. After reading Sartre’s introduction to the Fanon’s Wretched of the Earth, we’ve decided to dive into another of Fanon’s important texts: Black Skin White Mask. Reading available for free on our website.
Sunday 17 February 2019, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – Political Prisoner Letter Writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 16 February 2019, 7pm: Quick Queer Greetings – LGBTQ+ Speed Dating!
An LGBTQ+ speed-dating event where you can meet new partners and new friends! Ages 18+
Sunday 10 February 2019, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Sam Salerno & Dane Cervine
Curated readings by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Saturday 9 February 2019, 7pm: Leche Malo single release party!
Vincent Randazzo Promotes New Moniker “Leche Malo” at Old Capitol Books and to debut his new single “Smoke Cigarettes”. Supporting acts include local up-and-comer Chelsea Riddle and local vet Zack Freitas.
Did you know that Jean-Paul Sartre was interested in anti-colonial struggles and worked together with thinkers such as Frantz Fanon and Albert Memmi? We’re going to spend the next few months exploring this engagement, reading the works of Sartre in relationship to some of his greatest contemporaries in anti-colonial thinking. To start, we’ll be reading Jean-Paul Sartre’s introduction to Frantz Fanon’s important work of black liberation theory: Wretched of the Earth!
Sunday 20 January 2019, 1:30pm: Fishbowl Poetry Presents Featuring Gillian Wegener & Gordon Preston
Come hear the featured readers in Cynthia Lane Bryant’s monthly curated event: Fishbowl Poetry. After the featured readers there will be an open mic. Come hear new and old work, or even contribute with a reading of your own! Sign-ups are at 1:30pm, and readings begin at 2pm.
Sunday 20 January 2019, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Sunday 13 January 2019, 7pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Garland Thompson & David Allen Sullivan
Curated readings by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
We are delighted to announce that we’ll have two amazing poets reading in store THIS TUESDAY January 8th at 7pm: Tongo Eisen-Martin – winner of the California Book Award, the American Book Award, and nominated for the Griffin Poetry Prize – and Rachelle Escamilla, winner of the Willow Books Literature Award for Poetry and host of KKUP’s Out of Our Minds – the longest running poetry show in the US.
Sunday 9 December 2018, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Ed Jarvis & Robin Lysne
Curated readings by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Friday 7 December 2018, 7pm: Open Mic and Featured Readers from In the Ords
Come join the artists and writers that make up the In the Ords creative team to hear their featured writers, feast your eyes upon the featured art, and contribute your own voice during the open mic that will follow!
Thursday 6 December 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group, Jean-Paul Sartre, Part II
Reading Simone de Beauvoir last month got us a little curious about her other-half, Jean-Paul Sartre. Apart from being known has Simone de Beauvior’s partner, did you know that he was a philosopher in his own right? Come join us as we read selections from his work Being and Nothingness.
A monthly open mic featuring curated readings by featured poets. Sign ups are at 1:30pm, and the readings begin at 2pm. Donations welcome.
Sunday 18 November 2018, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Friday 16 November 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Jean-Paul Sartre
Reading Simone de Beauvoir last month got us a little curious about her other-half, Jean-Paul Sartre. Apart from being known has Simone de Beauvior’s partner, did you know that he was a philosopher in his own right? Come join us as we read selections from his work Being and Nothingness.
Thursday 15 November 2018, 6pm: Peter Nathaniel Malae, Book Launch
Writers from the Edge Reading Series as part of the Creative Writing and Social Action program in the School of Humanities and Communication at California State University Monterey Bay is partnering with the Otter Cross Cultural Center, the English Department at Cabrillo College, the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library, the John Steinbeck Library in Salinas, Out of Our Minds on KKUP and Old Capitol Books to bring novelist Peter Nathaniel Malae to the Monterey Bay area to release his fourth book: “Son of Amity” from Oregon State University Press.
Curated readings by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested $5 donation. Come early to ensure a seat!
Sunday 4 November 2018, 2pm: White Monkey Chronicles with Isabella Ides
Isabella Ides reads selections from her new novel WHITE MONKEY CHRONICLES: a contemporary fable about a rogue order of nuns who are raising an undocumented deity.
EXPECT: A feminist insurgency! A persecution of Cardinals! A literary feast!
Saturday 3 November 2018, 6:30pm: “METAL” SHOW! Pablo, Alex Ramirez & Home Brew
“Metal” at the bookstore! Featuring Pablo, Alex Ramirez and Home Brew!
Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
$10 suggested donation (notaflof)
Old Capitol Books is pleased to announce FISHBOWL POETRY, a new open mic right here at your local independent bookstore.
Each FISHBOWL POETRY event will highlight a featured poet, and then will open up the space as an open mic.
Authors Dietrich Kalteis and Patrick Whitehurst will be at Old Capitol Books this month to offer a FREE writing workshop.
Sunday 21 October 2018, 5pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Friday 19 October 2018, 7pm: Mordicai’s Murder Mystery Concert
Morticai and Friends Presents: Morticai’s Murder Mystery Concert. Join us for an immersive night of musical mystery and be apart of this evening’s wonderous and tragic events and work with our on site detective to figure out who the culprit is! Weave through the aisles of Old Capitol Books with us searching for clues to find out who the culprit is. This special night will feature such local musicians and actors as: Ben Herod, Monique Rose, Eddie Kawashima, Colin St. John, Lizzy Lippa, Zoey Kriegmont, Trevor Lucier, Morticai and many more.
Thursday 18 October 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 41: Simone de Beauvoir
The Theory and Philosophy Reading Group is back for our forty-first iteration with Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex! After reading Levinas, we decided to read criticisms of Levinas from Beauvoir, who challenges Levinas’s definition of woman against the backdrop of men in such a way that women seem secondary. Come read and study with us!
Sunday 14 October 2018, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Come see the curated readings from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium, featuring Marina Romani and Alyce di Palma.
Sunday September 30 2018, 2pm: OPEN MIC! Lee Knight Jr. and Tshaka Campbell (Fishbowl Poetry)
Old Capitol Books is pleased to announce FISHBOWL POETRY, a new open mic right here at your local independent bookstore. Each FISHBOWL POETRY event will highlight a featured poet, and then will open up the space as an open mic. Fishbowl Poetry is hosted and organized by Cynthia Bryant: cynthialanebryant@gmail.com
Monday September 24 2018, 4pm: The Last Letter with Andy Chaleff
The Last Letter is the true story of healing from loss with an intimacy that has been described as, “vulnerable, brave, powerful.” Come to Old Capitol Books to participate in an afternoon of letter writing, story-telling, and sharing with The Last Letter author, Andy Chaleff.
Friday 21 September 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 40: Emmanuel Levinas
We’re going deeper into the works of Emmanuel Levinas. After reading his response to Heidegger’s “Question Concerning Technology,” we’ve decided to read one of Levinas’s important essays, “Ethics as First Philosophy.” Free and open to everyone!
Sunday 16 September 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
9 Sunday 2018, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Marie Boucher & Joanna Martin
Come check out the monthly, curated poetry readings by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. Suggested donation $5. Come early to ensure a seat!
Join us for an afternoon of open discussion on the subject of O.P.L. (Off Planet Intelligence) including artificial intelligence, first contact, abductions, and temporal detainment.
Our guest speaker A. Rosehawk has been in contact with O.P.I. since she was three years old and continues to be at this time. She will be sharing her experiences along with the art that is influenced by these encounters.
Sunday 19 August 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Elaine Herrmann is a nurse in Monterey with a big find – a rare naval civil war diary! She will be in Old Capitol Books to discuss her project to research, transcribe, and annotate the journal of Josiah Parker Higgins.
Friday 17 August 2018 – 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 37: Heidegger and Daoism
We’re meandering through subjects, questions, and problems that interest us. After reading the Tao Te Ching and reading works by Heidegger and Levinas, we’ve decided to spend some time exploring a segment of Heidegger scholarship that looks at connections between Heidegger and Taoism.
Tuesday 14 August 2018 – 6pm: Networking Aloud! an open mic featuring Pat Hanson
Networking Aloud: A monthly event (every second Tuesday) open to the public. Fifteen to twenty minutes from a featured reader followed by a literary open mic. Come early and sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry, essay etc.
This is the final Networking Aloud event.
Come see the featured readers at this monthly curated event. Arrive early to ensure a seat. Suggested $5 – with all proceeds going directly to the poets.
Monday 23 July 2018, 7pm: A Night of Music with Bedrooms, Bad Joy, and Alex Ramirez
A night of groovy tunes, chill vibes, and new friends. ❤
Sunday 15 July 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 14 July 2018, 4pm: Adventurer and storyteller, James Dorsey
James Dorsey, author of Baboons for Lunch, will be in Old Capitol Books telling stories of his travels, adventures, and the people he met along the way.
Friday 13 July 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 36: Levinas on Heidegger
We’re back at it again with reading some good ol’ yummy philosophy! This month, we’ll be reading Heidegger, Levinas, and a bit of (just to help us figure things out).
A monthly curated poetry reading organized by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This is a very popular event, so come early to ensure a seat!
Now, for the first time, the star of The Mod Squad, Michael Cole, in a raw an unflinching memoir writes about his role as Peter Cochrane in the groundbreaking program. Michael Cole will be at Old Capitol Books Saturday 7 July at 2pm to sign copies of his memoir I Played the White Guy.
Friday 6 July 2018, 7pm: FIRST FRIDAYS – Homestead Review Launch Party!
First Fridays at Old Capitol Books – an occasional, not quite monthly night of poetry, music and art. For our July offering, we’re excited to have The Homestead Review launching their newest issue of their literary magazine. They will be joined by local artist Meheen Ruby, and musical performers Bedrooms.
Sunday 24 June 2018, 2-4pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 24 July 2018, 4-5:30pm: There Were Four Opium Wars
In one hour, slam poet and speaker Naughty A. Mouse will unravel the narrative of the modern market in opium – from the British Raj to Bin Laden. Check out his bio, and a complete summary below – this is a lecture that you will not want to miss!
“There Were Four Opium Wars” traces the international opium trade, from the two Opium Wars listed in textbooks, where the British fought for their right to sell Indian opium to Chinese addicts and built the basis of the modern supply of legal opium, to the illegal production zones in the borderlands of the old British Raj.
Sunday 24 June 2018, 2-4pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Saturday 23 June 2018, 7pm: Naughty Mouse – an evening of slam poetry and pulp non-fiction
Old Capitol Books is pleased to welcome Jordan Bubin, slam poet and teacher based in Pheonix for an evening of slam poetry and pulp non-fiction in our gritty back alley.
Sunday 17 June 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Tuesday 12 June 2018, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Networking Aloud: A monthly event (every second Tuesday) open to the public. Fifteen to twenty minutes from a featured reader followed by a literary open mic. Come early and sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry, essay etc.
Sunday 10 June 2018, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Simon Hunt and Stephen Kessler
A curated event featuring two poets. Come early to ensure a seat!
First Fridays at Old Capitol Books – an occasional, not quite monthly night of poetry, music and art. This month we’re excited to have two poets: Tongo Eisen-Martin and Wendy Trevino. They’ll be joined by musical performer La Sofa Queen, and artist Chloe Wilson. $10-$20 sliding scale (NOTAFLOF)
Sunday 27 May 2018, 2pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone
Sunday 20 May 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
A curated event featuring two poets. Come early to ensure a seat!
Tuesday 8 May 2018, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud! Featuring Garland Thompson Jr.
Networking Aloud: A monthly event (every second Tuesday) open to the public. Fifteen to twenty minutes from a featured reader followed by a literary open mic. Come early and sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry, essay etc.
Friday 4 May 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 34: Henry David Thoreau on Nature
Old Capitol Books and the Direct Action Monterey Network are coming together for the thirty-fourth iteration of the Theory & Philosophy Reading Group, working through a mini-series on Environmental Philosophy. At the end of April, we’ll come together to read the poetry and the prose of Henry David Thoreau, whose nature writings were an essential part of the New England Transcendentalist movement.
Saturday 21 April 2018, 4pm: The History and Practice of Experimental Poetics with Lucas Bailor
This lecture will discuss experimental poetry’s history and the various ways it is interpreted in contemporary writing. Rather than working through a definition of what exactly experimental poetry is, we will look at ways it has been realized and interpreted in various historical, social, and theoretical contexts. This lecture will focus less on a comprehensive history of experimental poetry and will look more, instead, at various key texts and shifts in aesthetic and poetic focus over time. We will look at writers and periods such as Stéphane Mallarmé, Tristan Tzara and Dada, Concrete Poetry, the New York School, Lyn Hejinian and affiliated L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets, and contemporary poets from Myung Mi Kim to Robin Coste Lewis. He will also look at how his own work contributes to this experimental tradition.
Joaquin Barreto will be at Old Capitol Books for the launch of the Spanish version of his book, El Otro Lado (The Other Side) An Immigration Story.
Sunday 15 April 2018, 6pm: Anarchist Black Cross – political prisoner letter writing
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Tuesday 10 April 2018, 6pm: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic
A monthly event (every second Tuesday) open to the public. Fifteen to twenty minutes from a featured reader followed by a literary open mic. Come early and sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry, essay etc. This month’s featured writer is Victoria (Vicky) Osoria. She is a Mexican Trans Woman. She is a Poet, Visual Artist, and Writer who graduated from CSU Monterey Bay and she currently lives in the Bay Area. She writes with passion and elegance in bold and honest poetry that speaks of her own journey but also of the collective struggle all people face in their lives.
Sunday 8 April 2018, 4pm: Free poetry workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 8 April 2018, 2pm: The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Dan Linehan and Dane Cervine
A monthly curated event, featuring the best of central coast and northern California poetry.
Friday 6 April 7pm: First Friday! Featuring CSU Monterey Bay’s Literary Magazine In the Ords!
This monthly event works to provide a platform for young and emerging talent from Northern California. Proceeds from the event will be split among the performers and artists. This month we will be celebrating the CSUMB literary journal, In the Ords, featuring art and readings from Sammy DeSilva, Hans Aase, Kameron Strickland, Alex Jensen, Julieta Villagomez, Marley Forsyth, and Kathleen Donovan. $10 (NOTAFLOF)
Friday 30 March 2018, 6pm: The Isms of March! : Primitivism (Thinking Critically about Society)
The ethos of Primitivism is based on the philosophical stance that civilization is itself unsustainable both from humanity and the ecology of the planet. Primitivism has also been approached by movements rooted in religious beliefs, psychological, Marxist and social concepts such as intimacy and ownership of production, and by historical and ongoing resistance to the state by hunter-gatherering and subsistence farming societies, either established de novo by social schisms or by indigenous peoples. This discussion focuses on this radical critique of our way of life.
Friday 23 March 2018, 6pm: The Isms of March! : Marxism (Thinking Critically about Society)
Marx and Engels’ theories became the most important political philosophies of the twentieth century, inspiring revolutions all over the world. Though we now maybe are familiar with some critiques of capitalism and some of the language of class consciousness, how might we understand some of the more nuanced aspects of Marxist thought? Why are dialectics and historical materialism and why were these ideas important to Marxist thought?
Friday 16 March 2018, 6pm: The Isms of March! : Neoliberalism (Thinking Critically about Society)
Dr. Sriya Shrestha (CSU Monterey Bay) will be leading a discussion exploring what is meant by the term ‘neoliberalism’ – a term for the economic, culture, and social shifts that have occurred in the United States and abroad since the 1970s. Over the last few decades, people all over the world have felt the intense impacts of a changing global economy. Deindustrialization has left once thriving manufacturing communities abandoned and struggling. Most of us have been impacted by one or more of these shifts, in this seminar we will contextualize these issues within a set of global trends that have fostered inequality and wide-spread social unrest all over the world.
Wednesday 14 March 2018, 4:30: Book signing and presentation – Lara Hues
Hues is that author of several books, including Arrows (Lycaon Press, 2014) and Allies of Ignorance (Cedar Fort Publishing, 2016). She will be in store discussing her recent work, as well as her journey to publication, her literary inspiration, and much more!
Sunday 11 March 2018, 4pm: Free poetry workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
A curated event by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium featuring some of the best local and regional poets. This month, come here the beautiful verse of Gabriella Gutierrez y Muhs and John Laue.
Friday 9 March 2018, 7pm: The Isms of March! : Anarchism (Thinking Critically about Society)
Part of our series of discussions for The Isms of March!, we’ll be teaming up with the Direct Action Monterey Network to explore the philosophies of Anarchism through key readings, and then use these philosophies to discuss current events.
Friday 23 February 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 33: Environmental Philosophy
Direct Action Monterey Network and Old Capitol Books are coming together for their thirty-third Theory & Philosophy Reading Group, facilitated by Robert Kuhry, author by Authenticity and High Tech is Not the Future.
The Pacific coast is the most iconic region of California and one of the most fascinating and rapidly changing places in the world. Densely populated, urbanized, and industrialized — but also home to wilderness with complex, fragile ecosystems — the coast is the place where humanity and nature coexist in a precarious balance that is never perfectly stable.
The author of The Edge will be in-store to talk about coastal California’s unique natural history, and to tell the stories of the communities which thrive off its resources and beauty.
Sunday 18 February 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Tuesday 13 February 2018, 6pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
A monthly event (every second Tuesday) open to the public. Fifteen to twenty minutes from a featured reader followed by a literary open mic. Come early and sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry, essay etc. This month’s featured writer is Joanna Burrows. Having experienced the death of her first friend, Sam during early childhood Joanna wrote a story in 5th grade and learned about the magic and healing of writing. She won an ACLU Writing Award in her senior year of High School. She earned a Bachelors of Literature and Ethic Studies at the University of Colorado where she joined the Black Student Alliance and began attending Café Nuba’s Slam Poetry. She’s hosted open mic nights, a Hurricane Sandy Relief Event, and Women’s circles. She taught creative writing and poetry performance at the University of Djibouti in East Africa and University of Labe in Guinea, West Africa. Joanna is an artist and community organizer. Drawing from her own experiences of racism, she remains committed to empowering people of color and women to share their stories. She currently lives and works in the Santa Cruz, CA.
Sunday 11 February 2018, 4pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 11 February 2018, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Come down to see the featured poets for this month’s readings.
Saturday 10 February 2018, 4pm: CL Fors, author of The Primogenitor Series
CL Fors will be in-store to talk about the first two books of The Primogenitor Series, Progeny and Adaptation.
Friday 9 February 2018, 8pm: Bay Area Redneck Revolt
The Bay Area Redneck Revolt is coming to Monterey to discuss their organizing vision and tactics. Come down to learn about community self defense, autonomous organizing, and Redneck Revolt’s vision.
Saturday 3 February 2018, 3pm: Critically acclaimed poet Todd Boss
Todd Boss, a critically-acclaimed poet, librettist, public artist, and film producer, holds a diverse career with a passion for collaboration. His works for both page and stage have been read and produced throughout the world. He will be at Old Capitol Books to read selections of his works.
Sunday 21 January 2018, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Friday 19 January 2018, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 32: Friendship as a Form of Life
“We face each other without terms or convenient words, with nothing to assure us about the meaning of the movement that carries us toward each other. We have to invent, from A to Z, a relationship that is still formless, which is friendship.”
The Direct Action Monterey Network and Old Capitol Books are coming together for the thirty-second Theory and Philosophy Reading Group, starting out the year in conversation about the radical potential of friendship.
Come down and see the featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This month, there will be readings by Patrice Vecchione and Danusha Lameris.
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Old Capitol Books is pleased to welcome poetry publishers Alcoholic Vegetarian and their cadre of Milwaukee poets, Sierra-Nicole Qualles & Franklin K.R. Cline.
Saturday 6 January 2018, 4-6pm: Species Magazine presents Joe Donohoe, Ed Bowers, and Nicole Henares
Species magazine poets and writers will appear at Old Capitol Books this coming reading to read their stories, poems, and other writings. This Species reading will feature Joe Donohoe, Zen priest Ed Bowers, and Nicole Henares (Aurelia Lorca).
Sunday 17 December 2017, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Friday 15 December 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 31: James C. Scott
Old Capitol Books and the Direct Action Monterey Network are coming together for the thirtieth discussion in the Theory and Philosophy Reading Group. This is a mini-series within the broader project which explores anarchist theories of the state.
Tuesday 12 December 2017, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 10 December 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 10 December 2017, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Cheryldee Huddleston and Linda Janakos
Come down and see the featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This month, there will be readings by Cheryldee Huddleston and Linda Janakos.
Friday 17 November 2017, 7pm: Understanding Post-Colonial Theory
This seminar will focus on colonial and post-colonial studies, with readings from Edward Said and Ania Looma. Facilitated by Dr. Sriya Shrestha of CSU Monterey Bay. Part of the Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series.
Come down and see the featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This month, there will be readings by Garland Thompson and Heidi McGurrin.
Friday 10 November 2017, 7pm: A New Idea: The Paris Commune of 1871
In the aftermath of the fall of the Second Empire, a mass uprising turned over the city of Paris to revolutionaries: Jacobins, Blanquists (authoritarian socialists) and Proudhonists took the leadership of a decentralized and radical government. This experiment was to last but two months before it was destroyed by military remnants of the French state and the mistakes of the Commune’s leadership. Yet the lessons of the Commune were long-lasting, contributing to the theories of (and divisions between) Marxists, Anarchists, and other movements of the Left. We will read and discuss first hand accounts, poetry, divergent analysis, and other texts of the time and aftermath. Part of the Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series.
Friday 27 October 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 30: Mikhail Bakunin
Old Capitol Books and the Direct Action Monterey Network are coming together for the thirtieth discussion in the Theory and Philosophy Reading Group. This is a mini-series within the broader project which explores anarchist theories of the state. For this reading group, we will be discussing Bakunin’s “Rousseau’s Theory of the State”.
Sunday 22 October 2017, 4pm: Book signing with J.T. Westfield
Local author J.T. Westfield will be in store, signing copies of his books Eye Contact: The Book of Helga and CutThroat.
Sunday 8 October 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 8 October 2017, 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Ed Jarvis and Ayaz Pirani
Come down and see the featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This month, there will be readings by Ed Jarvis and Ayaz Pirani.
Saturday 30 September 2017, 2pm: Book signing with local author, Gordon Zuckerman
We are happy to be hosting critically acclaimed author, Gordon Zuckerman, for the signing and presentation of his new novel, The Sentinels: Voices Behind the Curtain.
Saturday 16 September 2017, 3pm: Award winning author, King Grossman, to appear at Old Capitol Books
King Grossman’s recent novel, Letters to Alice, was a finalist for the Indie Excellence Book Awards and and was the winner of the 2017 Independent Press Awards. We are excited to welcome Grossman to Old Capitol Books to sign copies of his new book and talk to peninsula book lovers.
Tuesday 12 September 2017, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 10 September 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Come down and see the featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. This month, there will be readings by Garland Thompson and Heidi McGurrin.
Friday 25 August 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 29: Peter Gelderloos
Join other thinkers, intellectuals, activists, and readers from the peninsula (and beyond) for our twenty ninth Theory & Philosophy Reading Group which will be exploring Peter Gelderloos’s new book Worshipping Power: An Anarchist View of Early State Formation (AK Press, 2017). This will be the first of three reading groups which will focus on anarchist theories of the state.
Sunday 20 August 2017, 7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 19 August 2017, 4pm: Book signing with writer and philosopher, Robert Kuhry
Author and philosopher, Robert Kuhry, will be at Old Capitol Books discussing his latest work, High Tech is Not the Future.
Zachary Michael Jack is an English professor, poet, dramatist, and award-winning author of over twenty books. Normally based in the mid-west, where he teaches at North Central College, Jack will be visiting the peninsula and appearing at Old Capitol Books to talk about his newest book Wish You Were Here: Love and Longing in an American Heartland.
Tuesday 8 August 2017, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Friday 28 July 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 28: Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
The Theory & Philosophy Reading Group will explore an essay which was written in response to the Deleuze and Foucault conversation that we read earlier this year: Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988).
Sunday 20 July 2017, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Sunday 16 July 2017, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Saturday 15 July 2017, 2pm: Book Launch: An afternoon of music and literature with Bill Minor
Local author, poet, and musician Bill Minor will be in store for the launch of his new book, Going Solo: A Memoir 1953-1958, about this hitchhiking across the U.S., lounging in pre-statehood Hawaii, and his first typewriter. On top of all that, there’s going to be live music!
Tuesday 11 July 2017, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 9 July 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Come down for this month’s selected poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Friday 30 June 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 27: Hannah Arendt
Our last Hannah Arendt reading group was such a success that we’re returning to the subject. This time we’ll be reading from selections of The Human Condition and The Life of the Mind.
Tuesday 27 June 2017, 4pm: Book signing with Jason P. Crawford
Salinas-based fantasy writer Jason P. Crawford will be at Old Capitol Books to discuss his work, particularly his new fantasy novel, Dragon Princess.
Sunday 25 June 2017, 3pm: Book Signing: Dr. Martin Needler, author of A Rich & Valued Life
Did you miss the last Amnesty International Coffee Time event? Well, not to worry! They’re back again at the end of this month when Dr. Jan Black’s husband, Dr. Martin Needler, will be at Old Capitol Books, signing copies of his latest book A Rich & Valued Life.
Tuesday 20 June 2017, 4pm, Crazy Horse Family to Visit Old Capitol Books
Crazy Horse family members Floyd Clown, Doug War Eagle, Don Red Thunder, and author William Matson will be available to meet and sign their book Crazy Horse: The Lakota Warrior’s Life and Legacy.
Sunday 18 June 2017, 7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
CANCELLED: Saturday 17 June 2017, 2pm: Local Author Sam Salerno coming to Old Capitol Books
Old Capitol Books is pleased to have local author, Sam Salerno, in store to sign copies of his new book, Sam the Morning Man. Sam Salerno, 90, owned KRML for nine years (1968-1977), during which “Play Misty For Me” was filmed- in KRML studios, in part.. Before that he was “Sam The Morning Man” in Las Vegas, a Larry King-style interview show on which he interviewed some of the biggest stars in show business.
Tuesday 13 June 2017, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 11 June 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop with Heather Flescher
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 11 June 2017, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Cynthia Bryant and Maggie Paul
Come see the monthly curated poetry readings organized by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
CANCELED: Monday 22 May 2017, 6pm-7pm: Authors and Editors: Butting Heads or Holding Hands?
Join us as we explore the various levels of editing that contribute to a professional-caliber book. We’ll scan the spectrum, ranging from work that can help clarify the author’s thinking early in the creation stage (developmental editing), through important stylistic and mechanical work that helps establish consistency (copyediting), and then the final polishing pass to ensure quality (proofreading). We’ll also look at the dynamic between authors and editors (hint: drama is 110% optional!). More info coming soon.
Sunday May 14 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Sunday 14 May 2017, 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Adam Gonzalez & Daniel Yaryan
Come see the monthly curated poetry readings organized by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Saturday 13 May 2017, 2pm: Mary Smathers, author of Fertile Soil: Stories of the California Dream
Old Capitol Books is excited to have writer and photographer Mary Smathers come to the store to talk about her new book Fertile Soil: Stories of the California Dream.
Built on Bones: 15,000 Years of Urban Life and Death is Brenna Hassett’s new book which explores the impact of urban living on our bodies and health throughout human history. Brenna Hassett, a bioarchaeologist for London’s Natural History Museum, wants to analyze the way that human’s transition from hunter-gatherer to settled farmers and how this changed our relationship to land and developed social inequalities.
Dr. Jan Knippers Black, a professor at MIIS is returning to Old Capitol Books this May! She will discuss in an intimate setting her involvement as a board member of Amnesty International. Her latest book, The Politics of Human Rights Protection will be raffled off for book signing after the event. She also will do book signing for other books that participants bring to the coffee talk. The first 15 people will have guaranteed seating. Standing room is also available. MIIS Amnesty International will provide free Starbucks coffee.
Tuesday 8 May 2017, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Friday 28 April 2017, 7pm: Reproductive Justice (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
More information coming soon
Discuss the various perspectives about disability, with an emphasis on listening to the experiences of people with disabilities.
Sunday 16 April 2017, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Our monthly letter writing night where we write letters to US political prisoners. We send them books, too!
Polyamory (from Greek πολύ [poly], meaning ‘many’ or ‘several’, and Latin amor, ‘love’) is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.” This discussion will explore the new FREE LOVE movement, and chat about jealousy, sexuality, and love under capitalism.
Sunday 9 April 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
Our free poetry writing workshop for all levels and abilities. Different local poets facilitate various writing exercises and guide through the exploration of different poetic techniques. Bring a poem to share or come ready to write your own! Free and open to everyone.
Friday 7 April 2017, 7pm: What is Anarchism? (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
Have you heard about Anarchism? Anarchists rioting in the street? Creating food co-ops? Come learn some of the basic principles of anarchism and join in a discussion about the relevance of anarchism today.
Saturday 1 April 2017, 2-4pm: Book signing with CSU Monterey Bay professor, Ned Huston
A professor in the School of Humanities and Communications, Ned Huston, will be at Old Capitol Books signing copies of his new work of creative fiction, Quantum Time Theories – the first book in a SciFi trilogy called The Nevertime Chronology.
Dr. Jan Knippers Black, a professor at MIIS will discuss in an intimate setting her involvement as a board member of Amnesty International. Her latest book, The Politics of Human Rights Protection will be raffled off for book signing after the event (2x). She also will do book signing for other books that participants bring to the coffee talk. The first 15 people will have guaranteed seating. Standing room is also available. MIIS Amnesty International will provide free Starbucks coffee.
Saturday 25 March 2017, 4-5pm: Book Signing: Todd Morr, author of Central California noir stories
Central California author, Todd Morr, will be in store to sign copies of his new book, which features two stories of Central California Noir, Double Tap.
Saturday 25 March 2017, 2-3pm: Book Signing: George Saitas, author of Ferrari: 275 GTB #08011
George Saitas, winner of the 2016 [PLATFORM] ARTIST OF THE YEAR contest, photography category, will be at Old Capitol Books signing copies of his new photography book Ferrari: 275 GTB #08011. The collection of photograph included as part of Ferrari: 275 GTB #08011 is an aesthetic exploration of the relationship between man and machine.
Tuesday 14 March 2017, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud: A Monthly Open Mic for Writers
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Saturday 4 March 2017, 11am: Children’s author Ilana Bofford Entin reads from Our Earth Our Friend
A story about the small things that we can do to improve our world and the environment, Entin’s newest book Our Earth Our Friend is a modern environmental tale for children. Come meet Entin and hear her read from her new book. This event will be fun and kid friendly!
Friday 24 February 2017, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group 25: Hannah Arendt
Old Capitol Books and The Direct Action Monterey Network are coming together for our 25th Theory & Philosophy Reading Group. This month, we’re interested in exploring some of the most important writings on the rise of fascism: The Origins of Totalitarianism and Eichmann in Jersusalem.
Sunday 19 February 2017, 6-7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Come write letters and send books to political prisoners in US jails, prisons, and detention centers!
Sunday 12 February 2017, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Heather Flescher
Old Capitol Books joins up with the Direct Action Monterey Network each month to offer a free poetry workshop. Bring a poem to read or come by and write your own with a group!
Second Sunday of each month, come to Old Capitol Books to see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Our last philosophy discussion group was such a hit that we’re going to continue the conversation with another fantastic dialogue: Foucault and Deleuze’s conversation on intellectuals and power. So come down for an information discussion on this important and fascinating philosophical exchange!
Realignment therapist and author, Diane Whitacre, will be visiting Old Capitol Books to discuss her research and her work on structural anatomy, the coming together of proper alignment and good health.
Sunday 8 January 2017, 4pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Heather Flescher
Old Capitol Books joins up with the Direct Action Monterey Network each month to offer a free poetry workshop!
Illia Thompson is returning to Old Capitol Books to read her poetry for the first time in two years, and this time she’ll be joined by award-winning poet, Salvatore Salerno.
Tuesday 13 December 2016, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic presents Daian Hennington
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 11 December 2016, 4pm: Free Poetry Workshop with Heather Flescher
Old Capitol Books joins up with the Direct Action Monterey Network each month to offer a free poetry workshop!
The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium is presenting their curated readings each month at Old Capitol Books. This December, huddle around the warmth of beautiful verse with readings from Jennifer Lagier and Dane Cervine.
In this month’s reading group, we’ll be exploring one of the most famous philosophical debates of the twentieth-century: the debate between Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky.
Tuesday 22 November 2016, 2-3pm: Book signing: Nico Hadjicostis, author of Destination Earth
World-traveler, writer, and photographer Nico Hadjicostis will be in store discussing his new book, Destination Earth – A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler.
Free poetry workshop – with local poet, Heather Flescher
Old Capitol Books joins up with the Direct Action Monterey Network each month to offer a free poetry workshop!
Come down to hear the curated poetry performances of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Instead of our normal reading group, this month the Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will be showing a Sundance Official Selection film Concerning Violence (2014).
Last year, as part of the series on African philosophy, the Theory and Philosophy Reading Group read the first chapter of Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, and inspired by this reading we are revisiting it through the medium of film.
Old Capitol Books and the Direct Action Monterey Network are teaming up against for the twenty-first installment of the Theory and Philosophy Reading Group. This month, we’ll be reading sections from Poor People’s Movements by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward. Come join local thinkers, activists, philosophers, and readers for a discussion about the intersections between theory, philosophy, and social movements.
Zachary Michael Jack is an English professor, poet, dramatist, and award-winning author of over twenty books. Normally based in the mid-west, where he teaches at North Central College, Jack will be visiting the peninsula and appearing at Old Capitol Books to talk about his newest book March of the Suffragettes: Rosie Gardiner Jones and the March for Voting Rights.
A new book by Arcadia Publishing features the history of the homes, architecture, and people of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Authors Alissandra Dramov and Lynn A. Momboisse bring the past alive with interactive Google maps and a beautiful book full of historic photographs and stories. Come join the authors at Old Capitol Books and learn about our local history!
We’re going to have a special afternoon with three authors coming to discuss their work together and with the Monterey Bay community.
Tuesday 11 October 2016, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic presents Adela Najarro
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 9 October 2016, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. They will be the second Sunday of each month from 4-6pm.
Sunday 9 October, 2016, 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Come down for the monthly curated readings of some of the best poets from the central coast and beyond!
In September, the Direct Action Monterey Network is putting on the 19th theory and philosophy reading group, continuing their study of Marxist-Feminist thought through the exploration of a work by Teresa Amott and Julie Matthaei.
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 11 September 2016, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. They will be the second Sunday of each month from 4-6pm.
Sunday 11 September 2016, 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Come down for the monthly curated readings of someone of the central coasts best poets.
A new memoir by Craig Carlson tells he story about how he introduced American-style pancakes to Paris! Carlson will be in-store discussing his experience living the American dream in France and signing copies of his new book, Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France.
Saturday 3 September 2016, 2pm: Book Signing – Tony Lee Moral
Local author and television producer Tony Lee Moral will be in store signing copies of his new book, Ghost Maven, a teen novel set right here on the Peninsula.
Educators and authors B.H. James and Elizabeth James will be at Old Capitol Books to discuss their research into the common core and sign copies of their new book Method to the Madness: A Common Core Guide to Creating Critical Thinkers through the Study of Literature.
Friday 26 August 2016, 7pm: Transnational Feminism (Thinking Critically about Society)
In this seminar, we will study ‘Transnational Feminism.’ Transnational feminist theory and activism centers gender issues that cross national boundaries such as war and empire, migration, and globalized labor. Drawing on post-colonial theory, transnational feminism also directly engages the politics of knowledge production. This includes challenging the first world ‘experts’ and intellectuals who so often speak for and about women in the global south by amplifying the voices and engaging the analyses of third world women themselves.
Sunday 21 August 2016, 6-7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Saturday 20 August 2016, 2-4pm: Book Signing: Russell Sunshine & Nancy Swing
Old Capitol Books in welcoming local author’s Nancy Swing and Russell Sunshine to come read from their recent works. Their books reflect their travels and adventures, though they are now both settled on the central coast. In early April 2016, the two promoted their books at the Central Coast Writer’s booth at Pacific Grove’s Good Old Days Festival.
Friday 19 August 2016, 7pm: Marxist-Feminism (Thinking Critically about Society)
What is the function of domestic labor under capitalism? Why were women pushed out of the factories after the war? How can we understand the “unhappy marriage of Marxism and feminism”? This seminar will look at the works of Angela Davis, Silvia Federici and other key Marxist and feminist thinkers to explore the nature of the feminist movement in relation to anti-capitalist movements.
Sunday 14 August 2016, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. They will be the second Sunday of each month from 4-6pm.
Saturday 13 August 2016, 7pm: Music against Racism! (A Fundraiser for Sacramento Antifa)
In support of the brave people who are facing high medical bills as a result of being attacked by neo-nazis, the Direct Action Monterey Network is organizing a fundraiser featuring your favorite local musicians and poets!
Friday 12 August 2016, 7pm: Transgender Anarchism (Thinking Critically about Society)
Transgender Anarchism is a talk aimed at audiences unfamiliar with trans issues, seeking to illustrate the ways in which societal power structures impact trans people, with attention to the intersectionality of various forms of privilege and oppression and the vastly different life experiences they create. We will explore the normative model of established gender transition and the access to legal and medical resources it requires, and consider alternative options for transgender existence.
Tuesday 9 August 2016, 8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic, featuring Eboni Ardell
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Friday 5 August 2016, 7pm: Queer Theory (Thinking Critically about Society)
Queer theory is a diverse field of studies that involves a lot of disparate ideas. It’s a rapidly expanding body of literature that seeks to answer a series of questions about what is normal, how normal comes to exist, and who is excluded or oppressed by those notions of norms. In bed. Facilitated by Ali Elfaki.
Saturday 16 July 2016, 2-4pm: Book Signing: Gary Dudney, author of The Tao of Running
Columnist for Ultrarunning magazine, Gary Dudney will be in Old Capitol Books to sign copies of his new book The Tao of Running.
Tuesday 12 July 2016, 8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic, featuring Kristina Baer
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 10 July 2016, 4-6pm: Free Poetry Writing Workshop
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. They will be the second Sunday of each month from 4-6pm.
Come see the featured poets in a reading curated by the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Sunday 26 June 2016, 2-4pm: Central Coast Psychedelic Salon
We had a great time at last month’s psychedelic salon, and hope you’ll join us for June’s discussion group. Readings and topic TBA.
The Direct Action Monterey Network “isn’t interested in having long conversations condemning one shitty politician or another during this year’s charade of democracy”, and instead they’re going to join together with other anarchists and radicals to deconstruct the concept of “democracy” itself.
They will be collaborating with CrimethInc., a decentralized anarchist collective, and other anarchist reading groups and cells around the world to have an interactive discussion on the nature of democracy.
Sunday 19 June 2016, 6pm-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Tuesday 14 June 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! Open Mic presents Patrick Fontes
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Sunday 12 June 2015, 2-4pm: The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Presents: Victor Henry & John Laue
Come down to see this month’s featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Sunday 12 June 2015, 4-6pm: Poetry Writing Workshop (DAMN DIY Series)
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. This month’s workshop will have exercises to help you write new material, and there will also be given time where participants can get feedback and suggestions on their ongoing projects and work.
Thursday 26 May 2016, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Anarchist Critiques of Democracy
The Direct Action Monterey Network “isn’t interested in having long conversations condemning one shitty politician or another during this year’s charade of democracy”, and instead they’re going to join together with other anarchists and radicals to deconstruct the concept of “democracy” itself.
They will be collaborating with CrimethInc., a decentralized anarchist collective, and other anarchist reading groups and cells around the world to have an interactive discussion on the nature of democracy.
This will be part of our Theory and Philosophy Reading Group for the summer 2016 months.
Tuesday 24 May 2016, 6pm-8pm: “Psychedelics and Mystical Consciousness”
The first MeetUp gathering of The Central Coast Psychedelic Salon. They’ll launch the group with a conversation on the relationship between mystical consciousness and psychedelics. MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Reseach) has assembled great online resources we can use as a basis for our discussion.
Sunday 22 May 2016, 6pm-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Tuesday 10 May 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic, featuring Peter Hoss
May 10th Peter Hoss will read from Born in Yosemite: 75 Years of Personal Observation. Peter takes the reader on a 75–year journey through the historical events and personal adventures that have shaped his Yosemite experience.
Sunday 8 May 2016, 4pm-6pm: Poetry Writing Workshop (DAMN DIY Series)
The Direct Action Monterey Network is working together with Old Capitol Books to offer a monthly poetry writing workshop as part of their DIY Skills Share Series. This month’s workshop will have exercises to help you write new material, and there will also be given time where participants can get feedback and suggestions on their ongoing projects and work.
Sunday 8 May 2016, 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Garland Thompson and Marc Zegans
Come down to see this month’s featured poets from the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Sunday 8 May 2016, 1-2pm: Book Signing: Rabia Erduman
Massage therapist, healer, and author, Rabia Erduman, will be at Old Capitol Books to share insights from her book, Veils of Separation.
Saturday 7 May 2016, 1pm-2pm: Jason Warburg returns to Old Capitol Books
Jason Warburg returns to Old Capitol Books with his second novel, My Heart Sings the Harmony: Twenty Years of Writing about Music.
Wednesday 20 April 2016, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group XVI: Achille Mbembe
Last year Old Capitol Books and the Direct Action Monterey Network hosted the Theory and Philosophy Reading Groups, focusing on philosophers and theorists who had been in prison. In 2016 the Theory & Philosophy Reading Group will highlight radical African philosophy!
For the third Theory and Philosophy Reading Group of 2016, we’ll be returning to Achille Mbembe’s important work, “Necropolitics.”
Sunday 17 April 2016, 6pm-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Wednesday 13 April 2016, 6pm: Book Signing – Award-Winning Author, Danika Dinsmore
Old Capitol Books is excited to have Danika Dinsmore, award-winning writer and spokenword artist in store to sign copies of her latest books.
Tuesday 12 April 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! Monthly Open Mic
Come on down to Old Capitol Books for our monthly open mic. Each month with a different featured speaker.
Sunday 10 April 2016, 4pm-6pm: National Poetry Month! Free Poetry Writing Workshop
It’s that time of year again – National Poetry Month! This month we’re celebrating by offering a free workshop on poetry writing in collaboration with the Direct Action Monterey Network and local poets Jeff Erwin and others TBA.
Sunday 10 April 2016, 2pm-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents George Lober and Sally Ashton
Come see this month’s featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
For this session of the seminar series, we will turn our attention to the intersections of disability, prejudice, and “disabilism”. Facilitated by Ali Elfaki.
Sunday 20 March 2016, 6pm-7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Dr. Ghannam will present an update on the current conditions in Occupied Palestine. After his presentation, there will be a discussion on how local activists can support the Palestinian struggle for equality, freedom and justice.
Friday 18 March 2016, 7pm: Post-Colonial Theory (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
This seminar will focus on colonial and post-colonial studies, with readings from Edward Said and Ania Looma. Facilitated by Dr. Sriya Shrestha of CSU Monterey Bay.
Come see this month’s featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Saturday 12 March 2016, 7pm: Slam Poet Brian Sheffield (Fundraiser for the Monterey 8)
Slam poet Brian Sheffield is back in Monterey and will be sharing his gritty verse to raise money for the Monterey 8.
Friday 11 March 2016, 7pm: Situationalism (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
Come read key texts from the political theorists, anarchists, and avant-garde artists that made up the Situationist International movement from 1957 to 1972. Particular attention will be paid to Guy Dubord’s situationalist text and contextualizing essays. Facilitated by Ben Wilson.
Tuesday 8 March 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! a Monthly Open Mic
On March 8th, Leslie Patiño will read from The Brewer’s Justice, her novel released in February. At what point does doing the right thing become more important than brewing the best beer?
Friday 4 March 2016, 7pm: Black Feminism (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
A gathering of thinkers, scholars, and writers to discuss the topic of Black Feminism through the works of Audre Lorde, Patricia Hill Collins, and many more. Facilitated by Dr. Sriya Shrestha of CSU Monterey Bay.
Local activist, Akin Miller, comes to Old Capitol Books for a discussion on the organizing around black struggles in Berkeley in the 70s. On top of working with the Black Panthers in the Bay Area, Miller also traveled to Africa as a Berkeley student and will tell some of the tales from his journey.
Friday 19 February 2016, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group XIV: Stephen Biko
This month’s Theory and Philosophy Reading Group will highlight the work of Stephen Biko (1946-1977). Biko was an anti-racist activist in Apartheid South Africa and the founder of the influential Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) which would become an important component in mobilizing many of the urban black population. For this session, we will be discussing his posthumously published essay “Black Consciousness and the Quest for a True Humanity” (1978).
Come see this month’s featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Friday 12 February 2016, 7pm: Screening of Black Power Mixtape (Honoring Black History)
This beautiful documentary shot by a group of Swedish filmmakers chronicles the personal lives, struggles, and characters of the Black Power movement of the 60s and 70s.
Tuesday 9 February 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! a Monthly Open Mic
Regular reader playwright Carol Marquart is asking for your help in reading selections from her new staged reading. You pick the part from MARK TWAIN AND THE WILD WILD WEST, 1863-1868.
Sunday 31 January 2016, 7pm: A Night of Music – Fundraiser for the Monterey 8!
Come down to Old Capital Books on Jan 31st for a fun and funky evening of poetry, song, and music from local poets, writers and musicians.
This event is to raise money for the Monterey 8 who were arrested on March 28th, 2015 at a Black and Brown Lives Matter Protest in Monterey. They have taken a plea deal and are facing heavy fines (about $900 per person).
Saturday 30 January 2016, 1pm: Book Signing: Tony Albano
Come down to Old Capitol Books to hear fun stories from the life and imagination of Tony Albano, a storyteller and entertainer at El Fornaio restaurant in Carmel. He will be reading from his new book, Life is a Bumpy Road: …smoothed out by people and dogs you meet along the way (2015).
Friday 29 January 2016, 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group: Franz Fanon
Our first reading group will be Friday 29 January 2016, 7pm. And we will be reading Franz Fanon’s chapter “On Violence” from his classic work Wretched of the Earth.
Sunday 17 January 6pm-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Come join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their support of political prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons.
Tuesday 12 January 2016, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
January 12th will feature Martha Graham-Waldon a Santa Cruz writer and activist who is the author of the memoir, Nothing Like Normal: Surviving a Sibling’s Schizophrenia.
Sunday 20 December 2015, 3-5pm: Book Signing – Claudia Meléndez Salinas, author of A Fighting Chance
In A Fighting Chance, journalist Claudia Meléndez Salinas has crafted a vivid novel for young adults about the challenges of contemporary urban life, falling in love and dealing with the consequences of one’s actions.
Saturday 19 December 2015, 4pm: Book Signing, Robin Gregory
Old Capitol Books is please to have Robin Gregory in-store to discuss her recent book The Improbably Wonders of Moojie Littleman, which was given the Readers’ Favorite Award.
Sunday 13 December 2015, 6-7pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
Come down for our monthly letter writing session in co-ordination with the Old Capitol Books Books to Prisoners December Initiative.
Come down to see the featured poets from this month’s readings of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Tuesday 8 December 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
Tuesday, December 8th will feature realtor Richard Warren reading from his recent independently published HELLO MOON, FOR THE CHILD IN ALL OF US, beautifully illustrated by Jill Fressinier.
Old Capitol Books is proud to announce that we will be hosting Paul Simons who has recently returned from Rojava, where local grassroots and militias are fighting against ISIS. He has documented his journey in his Dispatches which are published in Modern Slavery.
Sunday 6 December 2015, 3-5pm: Book Signing: Deamer Dunn, author of “Strength and Grace”
Come meet and chat with local author and artist Dreamer Dunn, whose recent work Strength and Grace tells the story of a young woman who becomes a renowned matador.
Saturday 28th November 2015, 2-4pm: Book Signing: Tim Jollymore, author of Observation Hill
Old Capitol Books welcomes Tim Jollymore, author of Observation Hill and Listener in the Snow.
Sunday 15 November 2015, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their monthly letter writing session in support of political prisoners!
Tuesday 10 November 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic
On November 10th we will hear from Debra Smith, who’s pseudonym for her books is dj jameson smith. Debra is a writer, blogger, photographer and artist.
Come see this month’s featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Saturday 7 November 2015, 12:30pm: Rev. Grace Nicodemus, author of “Eating with Grace”
This coming Saturday, Rev. W. Grace Nicodemus will be in Old Capitol Books discussing her recent work, Eating with Grace.
Saturday 7 November 2015, 11am: Book Signing: Emma Sondergaard, author of Goodbye My Dear Grandma
Capitol Books is hosting author Emma Sondergaard, whose book Goodbye My Dear Grandma helps children deal with grieving.
Patrice Vecchione’s new book Step into Nature: Nurturing Imagination and Spirit in Everyday Life was written in part while walking the trails at our local hidden treasure Jacks Peak Regional Park. Join Patrice, and two additional local authors Paola Berthoin and Nikki Nedeff for a lively discussion about the wonders of Monterey’s natural world and the capacity nature to inspire us. They will also share the different routes they took to bring their books to light.
Wednesday 21 October 2015, 6pm: The Promise of Anarchism: An International Panel Discussion
A very exciting event is coming your way to your local friendly book store.
This panel brings together organizers from Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and North America to discuss the significance of anarchist ideas and tactics in the 21st century.
The participants will compare experiences from the wave of protests and uprisings that has swept the world since 2010—exploring the role of demand-based politics in both catalyzing and limiting movements, examining a variety of forms of repression, and critically evaluating experiments with direct democracy. They will conclude by assessing the prospects of contemporary struggles for self-determination in an era of globalized capitalism and state control.
Sunday 18 October 2015, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their monthly letter writing session in support of political prisoners!
Tuesday 13 October 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Open Mic: Featuring Debra Busman
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday: NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, we want to hear your VOICE.
Second Sunday of each month, come see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Friday 9 October 2015, 6pm: A Night of Queer Film and Performance with Irwin Swirnoff
Old Capitol Books is very excited to be hosting Irwin Swirnoff, professor in cinematic arts at CSU Monterey Bay, as part of the Monterey Peace and Justice Center’s series on Gender and Sexuality!
Saturday 3 October 2015, 1-3pm: Jeff Dwyer – author of “GHOST HUNTER’S GUIDE TO MONTEREY”
When you combine three centuries of exploration and settlement; Spanish, Mexican, and Yankee influence; a handful of natural catastrophes and manmade disasters; and vast swaths of eerie and desolate shoreline, you have an environment ripe for a haunting. From Moss Beach south along Highway 1 to Santa Cruz and down the coast through Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Lompoc, expert ghost hunter Jeff Dwyer guides locals and tourists alike through the most haunted and historic sites in the area.
Wednesday 23 September 2015, 7-8pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group XIII: Antonio Negri
Our Theory & Philosophy reading groups with the Direct Action Monterey Network have been a great success for over a year, and we’re coming up on our thirteenth iteration with the works of Marxist theorist, Antonio Negri. We’re super excited to continue our readings highlighting theorists, thinkers, and philosophers who have been imprisoned. These reading groups have been chosen in solidarity with statewide actions against solitary confinement.
Sunday 20 September 2015, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their monthly letter writing session in support of political prisoners!
Sunday 13 September 2015, 2-5pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Presents Bill Minor & Maggie Paul
Second Sunday of each month, come see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Tuesday 8 September 2015, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud – A Monthly Open Mic featuring Christine Sleeter
On September 8th we will feature Dr. Christine Sleeter Professor Emerita at California State University Monterey Bay, who is internationally known for her work in multicultural education. Her nineteen non-fiction books include Power, Teaching and Teacher Education. She will be reading from White Bread her first work of fiction.
Friday 21 August 2015, 7pm: Psychedelics & Society (Thinking Critically about Society)
From religious experiences to government control of substances, this seminar will be an introduction to the ways that psychedelics have been used and how society limits use or proposes new use for psychedelics in the 21st century.
Sunday 16 August 2015, 3pm: Book Signing – Elida Y. Garcia-DeHaan
Old Capitol Books will have author Elida Y. Garcia-DeHaan in store to sign copies of her work Pieces of a Shattered Heart.
Sunday 16 August 2015, 6-7pm: Anarchist Black Cross
Join the Direct Action Monterey Network in their monthly letter writing session in support of political prisoners!
Friday 14 August 2015, 7pm: Reading Marx (Thinking Critically about Society)
This session, led by Michael Frederiksen of the Peace and Justice Center, will discuss some of the key readings of Marxism in a friendly and accessible way.
Tuesday 11 August 2015, 6-8pm: Networking Aloud – A Monthly Open Mic: Featuring Tom North
On August 11th Tom North the award-winning author of True North – The Shocking Truth about “Yours, Mine and Ours” will share about his experience as the 11th of the 20 Beardsley children, made famous in the 1968 film “Yours, Mine and Ours.”
Sunday 9 August 2015, 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium presents Marie Boucher & Cheryldee Huddleston
Friday 7 August 2015, 7pm: Queer Theory (Thinking Critically about Society)
Queer theory is a diverse field of studies that involves a lot of disparate ideas. It’s a rapidly expanding body of literature that seeks to answer a series of questions about what is normal, how normal comes to exist, and who is excluded or oppressed by those notions of norms. In bed.
Old Capitol Books is excited to have Professor Lee A. Farrow visiting from Auburn University at Montgomery, in Montgomery, Alabama talking about her recent publication of Alexis in America: A Russian Grand Duke’s Tour, 1871-1872.
Saturday 25 July 2015, 2-4pm: Veils of Separation – an afternoon with Rabia Erduman
Sit with Rabia Erduman and participate in her fabulously vibrant expressions and explanations related to personal growth and spirituality. Rabia has translated her inner journeys of transformation into a magical fable of her (“Babla’s”) adventures in the Forest of Life.
Thursday 23 July, 6pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group XII: George Jackson
Our last reading group was a huge success and we’re super excited to continue our readings highlighting theorists, thinkers, and philosophers who have been imprisoned. These reading groups have been chosen in solidarity with statewide actions against solitary confinement.
For our twelfth reading group, we’ll be reading excerpts from George Jackson’s “Soledad Brother” – a compilation of letters written to his friends, comrades, and supporters.
Sunday 19 July 2015, 8-9pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
A monthly prisoner support group which writes letters to political prisoners in California jails and prisons. Open to everyone.
Saturday 18 July 2015, 7pm: LIVE MUSIC: ESTOY SUERTE, JCHICA & BATHWATER
Saturday July 18th @ Old Capitol Books there will be an experimental music showcase in their back alley. The show will begin with a solo set by ESTOY SUERTE followed by a group set with groupmates JCHICA & BATHWATER. They will be focusing on synthesized, programmed, and sample based approaches to collective spontaneous composition.
Show starts at 7pm and is free and open to all ages.
14 July 2015: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic: Featuring Maggie Bennett
Networking Aloud features Maggie Bennett, a long-time midwife in Monterey County. Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
Second Sunday of each month, come see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Monday 6 July 2015, 2-4pm: Presentation on the Life of Jean Varda
We are excited to announce the upcoming publication of an important book about the legendary iconoclast in the 20th century art world – a visionary artist who live large in Europe, then in California’s central coast, before slipping through the cracks of historical memory.
9 June 2015: Networking Aloud: a Monthly Open Mic
Net Working Aloud will feature Diana Y. Paul, author of Things Unsaid. Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
21st May 2015 – 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group X: Antonio Gramsci
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the world’s greatest philosophers.
For our 9th reading group, this month’s Theory & Philosophy reading group is highlighting struggles against solitary confinement by featuring the prison writings of Antonio Gramsci.
17th May 2015, 8-9pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
A monthly prisoner support group which writes letters to political prisoners in California jails and prisons. Open to everyone.
Tuesday 12 May 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
10th May 2015 – 2pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Presents: George Lober & Ken Weisner
Each month, the local Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium highlights the work of two local or regional poets.
9th May 2015 – 2pm-4pm: Book Signing, Robert Ernst author of The Inside War
Old Capitol Books is hosting local author Robert Ernst as he comes in to discuss his new novel The Inside War, a historical work which is set in Civil War North Carolina.
9th May & 10th May – 12pm-2pm: Mike Ventimiglia – Italians of the Monterey Peninsula
Since the early 1900s, Monterey was known for its fishing, mostly for salmon and the abalone that was plentiful in Monterey Bay. The migration of the Sicilian Italian community is credited for reaping what was called the “Silver Harvest.” The Silver Harvest is the name that was given to the fishing of sardines in Monterey, which mostly was done by the Sicilian Italians who established the working fabric in the sardine industry for nearly five decades. Most of that generation is gone, and only a few are memorialized in books. It is this author’s attempt to capture the working class that made Monterey the “Sardine Capital of the World.”
Sally-Christine Rodgers, the author of Convergence: A Journey Through French Polynesia, will be in store signing copies of her travel book.
23rd April 2015 – 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group IX: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova & Slavoj Zizek
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the world’s greatest philosophers.
For our 9th reading group, this month’s Theory & Philosophy reading group is highlighting struggles against solitary confinement by featuring writings by Nadezhda Tolokonnikova who spent time in solitary while in a Russian prison for her protests as part of Pussy Riot.
19th April 2015, 8-9pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
A monthly prisoner support group which writes letters to political prisoners in California jails and prisons. Open to everyone.
Tuesday 14 April 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
Each month, the local Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium highlights the work of two local or regional poets.
11th April 2015 – 6pm: NaPoMo Open Mic!
A free open mic event, where people can share their poems. Open to everyone!
11th April 2015 – 4pm: DIY Poetry Writing Workshop (Old Capitol Books celebrates NaPoMo)
Write your own poem for National Poetry Month! This workshop will be hosted by two great local poets: Jeffrey Erwin & Kenny Garcia. (This event is in collaboration with the Direct Action Monterey Network DIY Series)
28th March 2015 – 3pm: John Thompson in discussion: The Secret History of Carmel
Join in local historians and the literary community of the Monterey Peninsula as we delve into some of our history’s most interesting personalities, events, and stories.
25th March 2015 – 6pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group VIII: Aimé Césaire
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the world’s greatest philosophers. For our 8th reading group, we’ll be discussing Discourse on Colonialism.
Sunday March 15th, 8-9pm: Monterey Anarchist Black Cross
A monthly prisoner support group which writes letters to political prisoners in California jails and prisons. Open to everyone.
Book signing with local author, Pat Duval, who will share his life story told in his autobiography.
Tuesday 10 March 2015, 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
8th March 2015 – 2pm-4pm: The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Presents: Kris Kissman & Bert Gluck
Second Sunday of each month, come to Old Capitol Books to see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
While the study of post-colonial theory is generally confined to the ivory towers of institutions of higher education, understanding post-colonialism can help us to understand the human consequences of the control and settlement of nations and peoples – on the ways of thought of both the colonized and the colonizers.
Julianne Burton-Carvajal has discovered some amazing old photographs of Monterey’s art colonies in the 1910s and 1920s, and has printed selections of them in her new work Artists’ Honeymoon: Rowena Meeks Abdy & Harry Bennett Abdy – At Work & Play in Monterey and Beyond, 1910-1920. Head over to Old Capitol Books on February 22nd, to see these amazing photographs and hear about their discovery.
Humans’ interactions with the animal world is arguably that of exploitation and abuse. How does capitalism effect human – animal relationships? How do the concepts of utilitarianism and vegetarianism intersect? Is Descartes still relevant today?
15 February, 2015 – 8pm-9pm: Anarchist Black Cross
A monthly prisoner support group which writes letters to political prisoners in California jails and prisons. Open to everyone.
6th February, 2015 – 6pm-7pm: What is Anarchism? (Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series)
It’s that time again! Time for our Winter series for Thinking Critically about Society, and we’re kicking it off with a discussion on Anarchism!
6th February, 2015 – 7:30pm: The Brothers Strong & Co! Live Music at the Bookstore!
Here at Old Capitol Books, it’s not only great literature that we love, but great music as well! So we’re happy to announce a performance by The Brothers Strong & Co. Come down for your fix of BOOKS and BLUEGRASS!
Julianne Burton-Carvajal has discovered some amazing old photographs of Monterey’s art colonies in the 1910s and 1920s, and has printed selections of them in her new work Artists’ Honeymoon: Rowena Meeks Abdy & Harry Bennett Abdy – At Work & Play in Monterey and Beyond, 1910-1920. Head over to Old Capitol Books on February 1st, to see these amazing photographs and hear about their discovery.
31st January 2015 – 3pm-5pm: African Americans of Monterey County – Discussion and Book Signing
We’re super excited to have Jan Batiste Adkins, author of African Americans of San Francisco, come to Old Capitol Books to discuss her latest work: African Americans of Monterey County.
31 January 2015, 12pm-2pm: Book Signing with Kristen Comello
Come down to Old Capitol Books to meet local children’s book author Kristen Comello and hear her read from her book, The Castle Church.
14th January 2015 – 6pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group VII: Diogenes of Sinope
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the world’s greatest philosophers. For our seventh reading group, we’ll be reading some of the reports of Diogenes of Sinope (c. 404—323 BCE).
13th January 2015: Networking Aloud! A monthly open mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
Second Sunday of each month, come to Old Capitol Books to see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
Second Sunday of each month, come to Old Capitol Books to see the featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium.
9th December 2014 – 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Writers’ Open Mic
Our free monthly event open to the public every second Tuesday. NETWORKING ALOUD: A WRITERS OPEN MIKE. Come early & sign up for a five to seven minute reading from any genre: prose, screenplay, poetry & essay that follows 15-20 minutes from a featured published reader. We applaud one another, no critique allowed. Bring your work in progress, OR published, we want to hear your VOICE.
6th December 2014 – 4pm-6pm: Elaine Herrmann’s Civil War Diary Discovery
A local nurse discovered a rare civil war diary in her basement. Come hear how she tracked down its author, Josiah Parker Higgins, and published an annotated edition of his journal. Click here for more information.
22nd November 2014, 2-4pm: Book Signing – Reginald Rogers
Reginald Rogers, author of Bad Brakes, will be in store to sign copies of his books. For more information click here.
22nd November 2014, 11am-1pm: Children’s Book Author Reads from His New Book, The World’s Crummiest Umbrella
We’re excited to have Alex Schumacher, comic book illustrator and children’s book author, visit Old Capitol Books for a reading of his new kids’ book The World’s Crummiest Umbrella. This is a kid-friendly event, so bring the family down for some mid-day giggles and fun in our new children’s book section as we listen to the author read from his newest work. Click here for more information.
19th November 2014 7pm: Theory & Philosophy Reading Group VI: Edward Said’s Orientialism
November 19th 2014, 7pm: Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. For our sixth reading group, we’ll be reading the introduction to Orientalism by Edward Said. Click here for more information.
11th November 2014 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! an Open Mic
Things are sizzlin’ here at Old Capitol Books! We have the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium here the second Sundays 2-4pm; Back Alley Poetry on the first Tuesdays at 8pm… and NOW! a new Open Mic event second Tuesdays 5-7pm! “Networking Aloud: A Monthly Writers’ Open Mic.” Click here for more information.
8th November 2014 2pm-4pm: Hypnotherapist, Rabia Erduman signs copies of her book Veils of Separation
Registered Polarity Practitioner, and a Visionary Craniosacral Worker, Rabia Erduman, will be in Old Capitol Books to sign copies of her new book The Veils of Separation. Click here for more information.
4th November 2014, 8pm: BACK ALLEY POETRY
A gritty open mic for poets and writers in our dark and cool back alley. First Tuesday of each month. Click here for more information.
26 October 2014: Slam Poet Turiya Autry to Visit Old Capitol Books
We’re excited to have slam poet, university lecturer and all around bad-ass, Turiya Autry, visiting Old Capitol Books to read her poetry. Click here for more information.
25 October 2014 4-6pm: Book Signing Dr. Hugh Wilson
Dr. Wilson will be in store to sign copies of his new historical novel which explores Scotland on the even of WWII. Click here for more information.
19th October 2014 8pm-9pm: Anarchist Black Cross (Prisoner Support Letter Writing Group)
The Monterey chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross meets the third Sunday of every month here. They write letters to political prisoners in U.S. jails with an focus on people in California prisons. Click here for more information.
16th October 2014 7pm-8pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group V: Albert Camus
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. Click here for more information.
14th October 2014 6pm-8pm: Networking Aloud! an Open Mic
Things are sizzlin’ here at Old Capitol Books! We have the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium here the second Sundays 2-4pm; Back Alley Poetry on the first Tuesdays at 8pm… and NOW! a new Open Mic event second Tuesdays 5-7pm! “Networking Aloud: A Monthly Writers’ Open Mic.” Click here for more information.
12th October 2014 2pm: Poetry Reading – Jennifer Lagier Fellguth
Old Capitol Books is happy to be hosting Jennifer Lagier, local poet and literary organizer, for a reading and book signing of her recent work, Camille Vérité. Click here for more information.
7th October 2014 8pm: Back Alley Poetry
First Tuesday of each month, Old Capitol Books will be hosting BACK ALLEY POETRY. Our back alley is pretty dreary, but with your poetry and enthusiasm it becomes a warm and inviting place to read your work and hear the poetry of some of Monterey’s newest and also most experienced literary talent. Click here for more information.
21st September 2014 8pm-9pm: Anarchist Black Cross (Prisoner Support Letter Writing Group)
The Monterey chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross meets the third Sunday of every month here. They write letters to political prisoners in U.S. jails with an focus on people in California prisons. Click here for more information.
17th September 2014 7pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group IV
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. Click here for more information.
14 September 2014 2pm-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Each month, the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium invites readings by featured poets. Click here for more information.
13 September 2014 2pm-4pm: Book Signing: Ken White
Ken White, author of Getaway Day, will be in store for a book signing. Click here for more information.
9th September 2014 5pm-7pm: Networking Aloud! A Monthly Writers’ Open Mic
Things are sizzlin’ here at Old Capitol Books! We have the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium here the second Sundays 2-4pm; Back Alley Poetry on the first Tuesdays at 8pm… and NOW! a new Open Mic event second Tuesdays 5-7pm! Click here for more information.
2nd September 2014 8pm: BACK ALLEY POETRY
First Tuesday of each month, Old Capitol Books will be hosting BACK ALLEY POETRY. Click here for more information.
28th August 2014 5:30pm-7pm: Psychedelics Discussion Group
The last Thinking Critically about Society seminar, “Psychedelics and Society” was such a hit, that we’re going to host a regular discussion group here at Old Capitol Books! Click here for more information.
20th August 2014 7pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group III
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. For the third Theory and Philosophy Reading Group, we’ll be reading Achille Mbembe’s important work, “Necropolitics.” Click here for more information.
19th August 2014 8pm-9pm: Anarchist Black Cross (Prisoner Support Letter Writing Group)
The Monterey chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross meets the third Tuesday of every month here. They write letters to political prisoners in U.S. jails with an focus on people in California prisons. Click here for more information.
12th August 2014, 5pm-7pm: Networking Aloud! a writers’ open mic
Things are sizzlin’ here at Old Capitol Books! We have the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium here the second Sundays 2-4pm; Back Alley Poetry on the first Tuesdays at 8pm… and NOW! a new Open Mic event second Tuesdays 5-7pm! Click here for more information.
12th August 2014 5pm-7pm: Crystal Clary
Head on over to Old Capitol Books later this month to meet Crystal Clary, the author of Signs of a Serial Killer, a crime novel based on a true story. Click here for more information.
10th August 2014 2pm-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Each month, the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium invites readings by featured poets. Click here for more information.
23rd July, 2014 6:30pm: Homelessnes/Houselessness (Thinking Critically about Society)
For the third part in the Thinking Critically about Society Summer 2014 Series, we’ll be having a discussion about homelessness. Click here for more information.
16th July 2014, 6:30pm: Reading Marx (Thinking Critically about Society)
Part two of the four part seminar series, Thinking Critically about Society. This session, led by Michael Frederiksen of the Peace and Justice Center, will discuss some of the key readings of Marxism in a friendly and accessible way. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
15th July 2014, 2pm-4pm Book Signing: Sidney Powell, author of “Licensed to Lie”
Come over to Old Capitol Books to meet Sidney Powell, powerhouse attorney and author of Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice. Click here for more information.
13th July 2014, 2pm-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Second Sunday of each month, come hear the poetry of two featured poets of the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium. On Sunday July 13th, Bill Minor ad Robert Sward will be in store reading from their own works. Click here for more information.
9th July, 2014 6:30pm: What is Gender? (Thinking Critically about Society)
The first session in the summer seminar series, Thinking Critically about Society. A night of feminist, queer, and gender theory presented in an open and inclusive way. Readings from Simone de Beauvior, Judith Butler, et al. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
8th July, 2014 5pm-7pm: New Writers’ “Open Mike”!
Things are sizzlin’ here at Old Capitol Books! We have the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium here the second Sundays 2-4pm; Back Alley Poetry on the first Tuesdays at 8pm… and NOW! a new Open Mic event second Tuesdays 5-7pm! Click here for more information.
1 July, 2014 8pm: Back Alley Poery
First Tuesday of each month, Old Capitol Books will be hosting BACK ALLEY POETRY. Click here for more information.
29 June, 2014 3pm: Book Signing: Bunny Stevens
Come by the bookshop at 3pm to meet Bunny Stevens and buy copies of her new book, Unholy Union, a memoir of clergy sexual abuse in the Salvation Army. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook page.
18 June, 2014 7pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group II
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. We are particularly interested in 20th and 21st century philosophy, and our second readings will come from Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality. Check out the facebook page here.
9 June, 2014 5pm: An Evening of Visions and Dreams with Moira Crone and Rodger Kamenetz.
Two award winning writers who use dreams in their poetry and prose, will talk about fundamentals of our dreams and their relationship to creativity and well being. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
8 June, 2014 2-4pm: Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium
Each month, the Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium invites readings by featured poets. Click here for more information.
4 June, 2014 7pm: Imagining Utopias II: SciFi Reading Group
The SciFi reading group at Old Capitol Books will discussing Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time. Click here for more information. Click here for the Facebook event page.
3 June, 2014 8pm: Back Alley Poery
First Tuesday of each month, Old Capitol Books will be hosting BACK ALLEY POETRY. Click here for more information.
30 May, 2014 5pm: Book Signing – Jack Erickson
Jack Erickson will be in Old Capitol Books to sign copies of his new novel, Thirteen Days in Milan, a book about a cell of terrorists with connections to the Red Brigades who take an American woman hostage during a political assassination at Milan’s Stazione Centrale. More information here.
24 May, 2014 1pm-3pm: Book Signing – L.C. Wright
Local author, L.C. Wright returns to Old Capitol Books to sign copies of his novel, Castle Grey. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
18 May, 2014 3pm: Book Signing – H. Alan Day
Arizona author, H. Alan Day, will be in Old Capitol Books on Sunday 18 May to talk about his new book The Horse Lover: A Cowboy’s Quest to Save the Wild Mustangs. For more information click here. For the facebook event page click here.
14 May, 2014 6:30pm: Theory and Philosophy Reading Group
Join with radicals, thinkers, activists, poets, and intellectuals on the Monterey Peninsula to read and discuss some of the greatest philosophers of our time. We are particularly interested in 20th and 21st century philosophy, and our first readings will come from the work of Italian theorist Silvia Federici. Click here for more information. Check out the facebook page here.
4 May, 2014 8pm: SciFi Reading Group
Love SciFi with a radical bent? So do we! Come join us as we sit down and discuss a work of literature during our monthly SciFi reading group. For our first meeting we’ll be reading Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. Read more here. Check out the facebook page here.
25 April, 2014 5pm: Book signing with local author Susan Spano
Come meet local author Susan Spano as she signs copies of her new book, French Ghosts, Russian Nights & American Outlaws: Souvenirs of a Professional Vagabond just published this month by Roaring Forties Press. Read more here. Check out the facebook event page here.
18 April, 2014 7pm: Nepotism II a night of poetry
Old Capitol Books invites you to NEPOTISMII! A Night of Poetry. On April 18th, we’ll close up the shop, turn down the lights and bring together some of Monterey’s “best” local poets. Their work is amazing. They are my friends. I am not biased at all. Really. Read more here.
16 April, 2014 6:30pm: Revolutionizing Education (Thinking Critically about Society)
Discuss classic texts on alternative models of education and assess their relevance for creating liberatory forms of education in the 21st century. Part of the Thinking Critically about Society Seminar Series. Read more here. Check out the facebook page here.
9 April, 2014 6:30pm: Social Perceptions of Disability (Thinking Critically about Society)
Come join the second seminar in the series Thinking Critically about Society, “Social Perceptions of Disability.” Read more here. Check out the facebook event page here.
2 April, 2014 6:30pm: What is Anarchism? (Thinking Critically about Society Spring 2014)
Part of the seminar series with readings including Howard Zinn, Emma Goldman, &c. Free and open to everyone. Read more here. Check out the facebook event page here.
6 April, 2014: Gregory Orfalea BOOK SIGNING
Come join us as we welcome Gregory Orfalea – winner of the Arab American Book Award and was a finalist for the Pen USA Prize – to Old Capitol Books when he comes around with his new book, Journey to the Sun: Junipero Serra’s Dream and the Founding of California. Read more here. Or check out the facebook event page here.
22 February 2-4pm: come join Daniel Costnear as he talks about his new book Occupy & Other Love Stories (Kelly’s Cove Press). Read more here. Check out the facebook event page here.
CELEBRATE BOB FELLER’S NEW LIFE! JANUARY 11. 2:30PM TO 4:30PM. A BOOK SIGNING AT OLD CAPITOL BOOKS. In his book, Sounds of Safety, Robert writes about Life and Love with inspirational and uplifting stories and poems. Overcoming a brain tumor and gastric bypass surgery, he is happier now than ever before! Born and raised in Southern California, Robert Feller discovered he loved writing and languages. He got his B.A. in English; Humanities: German and his MA in Counseling and Spanish, before becoming a school counselor on the Monterey Peninsula.
5 October 2013 – 1pm-3pm: Laura Newman – Parallel to Paradise: Addiction & Other Love Stories
Old Capitol Books is pleased to welcome Laura Newman to our little shop. Laura is a several-time winner of the Reno, Nevada News & Review Short Fiction contest, as well as inspiring a cover issue, Burn In Hell. She is an American Marketing Association and an Addy Award winner. She is also the 2012 recipient of the American Advertising Federation’s Community Contribution of the Year award.
You can check out her website here.
31 August 2013 – 1pm-3pm: Joshua Converse – Apophis Over Coffee, Accidental Existential, Time in the Dark
On 31 August 2013, we will be hosting a reading and book signing for poet and short story writer Joshua Converse. His poetry and short stories are experiments in the genres of magical realism, supernatural noir, and memoir. He is primarily concerned with the darker side of human nature and experience.
Check out his website here.
27 July 2013 – 1pm-3pm: Thomas R. Patton – Con Men Can’t Cry
On Saturday 27 July come into the shop from 1pm-3pm to meet Thomas R. Patton and learn about his book Con Men Can’t Cry. Click here for more information.
20 July 2013 – 1pm-3pm: Lawrence Samuels – In Defense of Chaos: The Chaology of Politics, Economics and Human Action
Local author, Lawrence Samuels, will be at Old Capitol Books to sign copies of his new book In Defense of Chaos: The Chaology of Politics, Economics and Human Action. For more information, click here.
28 June 2013 – 6:30pm: NEPOTISM: a night of poetry
Old Capitol Books invites you to NEPOTISM: A Night of Poetry. On June 28th, we’ll close up the shop, turn down the lights and bring together some of Monterey’s “best” local poets. Their work is amazing. They are my friends. I am not biased at all. Really. Click here for more information.
26 June 2013, 6:30pm-8:00pm – “What is Polyamory?” Part of the Thinking Critically about Society Summer Series
“Polyamory (from Greek πολύ [poly], meaning ‘many’ or ‘several’, and Latin amor, ‘love’) is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. It is distinct from both swinging (which emphasizes sex with others as merely recreational) and may or may not include polysexuality (attraction towards multiple genders and/or sexes).” Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
20 June 2013, 7pm-8:30pm – “Understanding Fascism” Part of the Thinking Critically about Society Summer Series
This seminar will look at the political philosophy of fascism in order to start a discussion about the rising trend of far-right groups in Europe and the United States. Click here for more information.
7 June 2013 – 6:30pm: The Coming Insurrection: anarchist readings from the Invisible Committee
Readings from The Coming Insurrection and Call by the Invisible Committee. An event at your local, friendly bookshop. Click here for more information. Check out the facebook event page here.
15 June 2013, 1pm-3pm – Jide Familoni Book Signing
Come join Jide Familoni as he comes to Old Capitol Books to discuss his first novel, Losing my Religion. 1pm-3pm. For more information click here. For the facebook event page click here.
4 May 2013 – 6:30pm: Allen Ginsberg and Walt Whitman: Reading the Erotic (A night of poetry)
Come join the poetry lovers at Old Capitol Books for a night of the poetry of Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg. Bring along your favorite poem in a celebration of the greats of gay and erotic poetry. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
27 April 2013 – 2pm-4pm: BOOK SIGNING: Jason Warburg
Local author Jason Warburg will be in the shop to sign copies of his book Believe in Me. Click here for more information. Click here to visit Warburg’s website.
21 April, 2013 – 6:30pm-8pm: What is Gender? (Thinking Critically about Society: Session Four)
The fourth session in the seminar series, Thinking Critically about Society. A night of feminist, queer, and gender theory presented in an open and inclusive way. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
20 April, 2013 – 2pm-6pm: Old Capitol Books Celebrates National Poetry Month
Old Capitol Books is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a celebration of National Poetry Month on Saturday April 20th, 2013. Come join us for an afternoon and evening of poetry readings with appearances from local poets. Local Carmel poet, Patrick Flanigan, and Los Angeles poet, Peter Serchuk, will be reading from their works. I will also be having a small poetry reading of selections from T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland, for anyone interested. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
17 April, 2013 – 6:30pm-8pm: Reading Marx (Thinking Critically about Society: Session Three)
This session, led by Michael Frederiksen from the Peace and Justice Center, will discuss some of the key readings of Marxism in a friendly and accessible way. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
8 April, 2013 – 6:30pm-8pm: Thinking about National Identity (Thinking Critically about Society: Session Two)
Oxford Dictionary defines “nationalism” as “patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts”. However, it also adds that it could be “an extreme form of patriotism marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries.” With current debates in immigration reform, how can we understand the role of nationalism and national identity in the formation of America’s immigration policies. With special guest: Basque social historian David Beorlegui Zarranz from Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (The University of the Basque Country). Click here for more information. Check out the facebook event page here.
6 April, 2013 – 2:30pm: Bill Minor and a Live Jazz Concert
Come enjoy an afternoon reading of selected passages from The Inherited Heart: An American Memoir—not a dry, church-like rendering of text, but a musical presentation of playful and purposeful prose. Short lyric portions of the book are laced with original music and songs—“standards”—from the era depicted in the book: the program’s flexible format shaped to please its audience—the music adding another dimension to and enhancing the words. Click here for more information. Check out the facebook event page here.
2 April 2013 – 6:30pm-8pm: What is Anarchism (Thinking Critically about Society: Session One)
What do people mean when they say “Anarchism”? Between the international Occupy movement, and questions surrounding capitalism, Anarchism has been a topic that has been much in the media of 2012. This seminar will introduce you to the philosophies of Anarchism through key readings, and then use these philosophies to discuss current events. Click here for more information and reading lists. Click here for the facebook event page.
14 March, 2013 – 6:30pm-8pm: Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Some Cake
Love reading Shakespeare and are looking for an exciting evening with fellow sonnet lovers? Or do you wish that you could learn more about his work? Come to a fun and informal evening of reading around a table, eating cake, and talking about our favorite Shakespeare poems! Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
4 March, 2013 – 7pm-8pm: Book Publishing 1-2-3
Laurie Gibson will be in Old Capitol Books on Monday, 4 March for a workshop on book publishing, with first time authors in mind. 7pm-8pm. Click here for more information. Click here to RSVP through the facebook event page.
24 February, 2013 – 6pm-8pm: Film Screening: BLACK POWER MIX TAPE 1967-1975
Old Capitol Books & East Village Coffee Lounge invite you to a film Screening of “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” in celebration of Black History Month. Click here for more information. Click here to RSVP through the facebook event page.
17 February, 2013 – 1pm-3pm: Paola Berthoin
Local artist and writer, Paola Berthoin, will be in Old Capitol Books with her new book, “The Passion for Place”. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
16 February, 2013 – 1pm-3pm: L.C. Wright
On February 16th (1-3pm), local author L.C. Wright will be in Old Capitol books to sign copies of his latest book, Castle Grey, which are on sale now at Old Capitol Books and at various other bookstores in the area. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event.
9 February, 2013 – 12pm-2pm: Lori L. Howell
Local author, Lori L. Howell, will be in Old Capitol Books on February 9th, 2013, to sign copies of her book “Reflections”. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
15 December, 2012 – 12pm-3pm: Peter T. Hoss
Peter H. Voss, the author of “Born in Yosemite: 75 years of personal observations – passions – politics – traditions – personalities – adventures and misadventures”, will be at Old Capitol Books on December 15, 2012 from 12pm. He will be signing copies of his book and talking about a lifetime of personal experiences living in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
13 December, 2012 – 12pm-3pm: Peter G. Andresen
Peter G. Andresen, a local investment manager, will be in the bookstore to talk about his new books, Dollars and Common Sense: Taking Charge of Your own Investments in the Tumultuous 21st Century. Click here for more information. Click here for the facebook event page.
1 December, 2012: Robert W. Edwards
Robert W. Edwards – author of Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold Story of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies Volume One – will be in the store for a book signing. Click here for more information.
Old Capitol Books 