Welcome!
Join us on the streetcorner at 16th & Mission every Thursday night at 9:00pm, and lend your voice to this ecclectic group of street performers. From musicians and emcees to poets and comics, there's something for everyone here under just the stars and streetlights...Check out Erica Filanc's documentary film, Living Poets
Upcoming Events
Ongoing Events
Brainwash Every Monday Night!
Monday's open mic night at Brainwash Cafe is now INK Reviewed! Hosted by Mike Skott McCullough of INK Publishing as a forum for new writers, musicians and comedy, selected performances are recorded for publication in a dual chapbook/CD combo, available for purchase along with other INK books.
Every Mon. 8pm-10pm
Brainwash Cafe
Folsom Street btw. 7th & 8th
Every Mon. 8pm-10pm
Brainwash Cafe
Folsom Street btw. 7th & 8th
7:00 - 10:00
Attention LOS ANGELES & ORANGE COUNTY! Anyone who has been to 16th & Mission, probably wishes that there was something like it in LA, well now there is...in Long Beach. Wednesday Nights @10pm
10:00 - 12:00
send inquiries to seven7h tangent
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5 March 2012 Golden Gate XPress: 16th Street BART station home of weekly poetry slam |
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Read the rest of the article here » |
17 November 2011 Fuck Internet Censorship |
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their day in court, there's no recourse for sites blocked in error...nothing. The system used to implement these controls is similar to that used in China, Iran, Syria, etc. to censor internet content. Furthermore, penalties for hosting or linking to copyrighted content will be increased to felonies. Theoretically, posting a video of yourself singing a copyrighted song on YouTube could land you in jail on charges of felony copyright infringement--the current equivalent of running a movie or music bootlegging operation (knowingly mass-producing someone else's copyrighted content and selling it). These bills are the product of the entertainment industry aggressively lobbying Congress and the Senate; essentially bribing our so-called representatives. Should this pass, police departments, internet service providers, the FTC and FCC become de-facto mercenaries in the employ of major Hollywood companies to protect their copyrights. Sound conspiratorial? You bet your ass...and i don't usually indulge | myself in conspiracy theories. The problem is, this one happens to be true. Don't get me wrong; i'm not against people getting paid for what they create. Quite to the contrary--i'm sure all of us who traffic in art and ideas hope someday to make a living doing what we do, and some of us are lucky enough to do so. However, insofar as protecting intellectual property rights goes, there couldn't be a more contemptibly wrong way of going about it. i'm not sure what to do about it, either, and that's what frustrates me the most. As i said before, these bills are the product of high-powered companies shoving money into politicians' pockets, and large amounts of money talks a hell of a lot louder than any petition can, no matter how many million signatures. i can't seem to shake the morbid image of our Senators and Congress[wo]men positioning their public fax machines to empty directly into paper shredders, because that's about how much your opinion and mine are worth. |
7 August 2011 Charlie Getter's The Garrulous Progress Book Release |
 Come by Viracocha on Wednesday, August 10 at 8pm to pick up your copy. Readers and musicians to be announced. |
12 June 2011 16th & Mission Prom - June 30 |
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16 February 2011 The Secret Secretaries at Retox |
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Retox Lounge 628 20th st (at 3rd st.) 9:00 pm 21+ $5.00 (p.s.--The Secs are opening so try to get there when the doors open if you can...) |
12 January 2011 Hours of Bowers! |
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16 December 2010 The BlackEYE Reviewby Apex Black |
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20 November 2010 San Francisco Is Burning |
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14 November 2010 Naked Minds Festival |
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Each night will feature different readers (to be announced). Directed by Charles Kruger and Charlie Getter. 
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2 November 2010 The BlackEYE Reviewby Apex Black |
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Poetry Music & Lyrics Jokes (?) Short Stories Rants & Raves Visual Art (will be printed in black&white) Artists statements News & Reviews of pretty much anything (WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT TO SUBMIT TO US) We're also giving out a prompt for an article I'm working on. We'd love to have anyone send us any sort of response to "what is street poetry/what does it mean to you/is it good/why?" For More Information Either Email Us At WritersBLock@Cbgb.net or check us out on the web (you're already here...might as well) at Free Form Blockage.Blogspot |
28 September 2010 ten.ten.ten |
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Performances by our friends: Jess & Andrew Peck the Town Crier and Both Cheese (Japan) We will have our first batch of official t-shirts and other goodies too! We are really looking forward to this cosmic evening, and hope that we can celebrate with all of you... ♥ 
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15 September 2010 The New San Francisco Underground: Evergreen Review |
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15 August 2010 Promethean Royalty: Secret Secretariesby Alan Kaufman |
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6 August 2010 Shhh! (Secret Show at Viracocha) |
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30 July 2010 Underground Press Book Fair - Aug. 13th |
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Book Fair is fast approaching, but there's
still time to let us know if you want to set up a table to display your books,
zines, artwork, CDs, etc.
It all goes down at the Mechanics Institute Library, 57 Post Street (at Kearny) from 7-9pm. The event will feature a panel discussion about why print publications still matter despite the rise of digital media; there will be performances by some of your favourite poets and musicians; and best of all, some of SF's premier underground publishers will crawl out from behind their worktables and exhibit their wares. Meet the publishers, and find out why the DIY spirit is alive and well in the Bay Area underground literary scene. To view a printable version of the poster above, click here (48MB). |
30 July 2010 A Solid Four Stars! |
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11 July 2010 Here i go...dignifying absurdity |
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"Did CW Nevius finally get the boot and now has a new feature on SFist? Or is SFist now hiring direct from the SFgate comment section?" Well played, sir. Don't get me wrong—i enjoyed Jay Barmann's little jab in the ribs. i mean that. It was |
hilarious. However, there are a few things i would like to clarify.
i can only speak for myself, as everyone has their own reasons for coming to the Corner on Thursday nights, but had Mr. Barmann spoken to individuals (you know...the way real reporters do), it would have been pretty obvious this wasn't a protest...at least not in the expected sense. In fact, i seem to remember only a single person mentioning Oscar Grant (may he rest in peace) at all. Despite the possibility of demonstrations or bored police officers out in force and looking for |
something to do, we showed up at the Corner to share poems, songs, etc. because (and again, i speak only for myself, but with suspicion my sentiments are shared), because these are the better products of our collective hand-wringing; and while some apparently felt that staging an opportunistic smash-and-grab in downtown Oakland was the best response to what is from every angle a tragedy, i would like to believe Grant would have wanted better respect shown his memory than an excuse to nab a five finger discount. But that's just me. |
6 July 2010 Everything To Do With Reviewsby Sean Taylor |
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SF Literary Culture Examiner Review Storming Bohemia Review Everything to do with You was released May 2010 on Seven7h Tangent Press and is currently available for sale at Viracocha on 998 Valencia st at 21st, San Francisco, CA |
25 June 2010 The Secret Secretaries at Grant and Green |
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The other rockers on the bill are: Starfish In The Clouds (rock n' roll) The Blues Hounds (members of The Lotus Moons) Best part is...............NO COVER! Save your dough for the bar! Show begins at 8:30. Be there or be illiterate ♥ |
24 June 2010 SUNDAY - American Street Showcase |
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Everybody had a great time at the last show, and hopefully this one will be even better. Everyone is welcome to come and share a poem. Sunday, July 27th |
22 June 2010 16th & Mission Review XIII - Folding Party TONIGHT! |
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CORRECTION: We're folding TONIGHT (June 23rd). Sorry to everyone who planned on coming out last night...plans kind of fell through. |
21 June 2010 This Wednesday - Bike Messenger Open-Mic |
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A bike centered open-mic for our two wheeled friends. Tell your stories, play some music, or just listen and drink beer. Oh! It is also whiskey Wednesday. Shot of whiskey and a PBR = $5 Benders Bar @ 19th and South Van Ness 9-11pm Buy a book and get in the raffle to win a classic Timbuk2 messenger bag.
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9 June 2010 PROM!!! |
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7 June 2010 Free Love and Litrock |
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The Lotus Moons The Mighty Russian Winter The Secret Secretaries  The Lotus Moons  The Mighty Russian Winter  The Secret Secretaries |
4 June 2010 It's Prom Season... |
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27 May 2010 The Secret Secretaries at Haight st. Fair |
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What: Haight Street Fair Free Show! When: Friday, June 4th 8:00-9:00 pm Where: Coco-Luxe Confection Shop: 1673 Haight st. @cole (chocolate and wine anyone?) Why : Love, Performance, Art, Homage, Rock, Death, Apocalypse, Ego, Networking, Exposure, No Volume Control. Come on, it's a free rock show...We would love to see you! |
20 May 2010 16th & Mission Turns Seven! |
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of the Bay, a satirical and often hysterical collection of illustrated vignettes.
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from other circles.
As i'm sitting here, certain i must be missing something important, i realise there's a boundness to why—the list just keeps getting longer! Anyhow, my personal thanks and appreciation to everybody who participated in a project, came to a show, performed something, inspired someone, or just observed. Come out tonight and celebrate seven years at the Corner! |
14 May 2010 The Secret Secretaries at the Art House |
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28 April 2010 AIDS Benefit with The Secret Secretaries! |
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23 April 2010 Northern Exposureby Kate Holub |
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I'm attempting to liven up the poetry scene here in Ashland, and could use some of your words to help me. Southern Oregon University publishes the annual West Wind Review, which includes anyone from anywhere, as long as the editors like you. If you care to utilize a publishing opportunity and contribute some culture to your northern neighbors the rules for submission can be found here. biglove, Kate |
21 April 2010 Poems Under the Dome benefit at Kaleidescope! |
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8 April 2010 My article about the Corner Poets in 3A.M. Magazine: from Alan Kaufmanby Alan Kaufman |
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4 April 2010 Poems Under The Dome Benefit Show at Viracochaby M.G. Martin |
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it's a cheap event, & it supports sanfrancalifrisco's poetry scene. here's the catch chickies, you have to rsvp on facebook (search: Viracocha Presents: A Benefit Show For Poems Under The Dome) or you will not be able to enjoy the libations & you may even be turned away. so, get on the facebooks & rsvp because i want you to laugh at my expense on tuesday night. see you there pendejitos! |
31 March 2010 Theme Night At The Corner! |
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10 March 2010 New Poem Song Project |
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26 January 2010 LitQuake 2009by Fog Dance |
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23 January 2010 16th&MissionersCaughtInLightningFieldby M.G. Martin |
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what: quiet lightning reading when: monday january 25th where: gestalt haus (3159 16th st. btwn guerrero & valencia) more information: Quiet Lightning. so, fire up yr oscilloscopes & track the electric gold. |
22 December 2009 she said, "shells"by Nicole Alea |
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to make my knees less bent so god could hear my broken throat etching out whispers of one thought of self hatred to the next. and i had to stand on tombstones to retrace the words i had carved down my arms, and sometimes it spelled out: self discovery through bleeding, and sometimes it spelled out: ask questions loudly because the answers you might receive could restore thoughts of dysmorphia about your body. once, i caught her screaming under bath water, fossilized sap crystals mending her dull disorders, what do you like about your body? her body, your body, i said, “what do you like about your body?” she said, “i like my collar where the necklace with the painting of dos |
lunas magníficas hangs on silver cord, it hangs between my breasts”. she said she likes her breasts in the light cast off acrylic moon shadow. she said, “i like the arc of my back when the sky pulls like gravity’s mating call around zodiac themed poetry, i see the stars line up and blind my blinking, i like my bones of severed wings, i like the view of earth when it pulls me.” she said, “i like the thickness of thighs and i’d breathe shoulder wide just to keep you. my only weapon is to shower you with rose water and let it drip off the vibrations of your vocal cords, let me show you what i like about my body, what i like about your body and my body, let me show you”. she said, “i’ve stared at my body, smashed mirrors to distort |
me, got no time left for vanity when i hated me, and i hated my coffin and i hated my anatomy and what did i even like about my body? because i hated curves and folds of skin can’t say i liked it when i let razor cuts be road maps for growing, can’t say i liked me.” and she said, “what are shells? but to protect the one thing we’re good for, i like my body because it’s the shell of my soul, it balances itself out perfectly because of its natural geometry.” “you ain’t bound to your body,” she said, “you ain’t bound to the breaths of light sparking from your fingertips, you ain’t bound to your shell, but you’re bound to your soul.” she said, “souls, not your shell,” she said, “souls, not your shell,” she said, “shells.” |
10 December 2009 Poetry Mission @ Viracocha |
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Tonight's featured poet is M.K. Chavez. |
27 November 2009 peripheral breathing by Nicole Alea |
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pəˈrɪfərəl briðɪŋ i know my body with brush strokes. i know when my heat be rising. i know the woman who constructed the moon with two hands, with two hands she let enough crescent nails stain her body with blunt scabs and silver tattoos that flood up the strength of her neck and pooled together into phases of eclipses with no meaning. now she speak in quiet muscles lifting up tragedies out of concrete cemeteries and the granite projection of wordless poured onto this cursive born out of carbon and opium, she’s important like the circumference of the earth in one heart step, she is. sometimes, she string yards |
of lanterns across the hallway of lit match sticks burning down six week old candles and i’d carve out her biography into the red wick wax and then one into her back so she’d never have to see it, but inevitably have to feel it. i know when she liberate wind children from her slant jaw. i know when cold iris blink from the root of their birthstone. i taught her to speak to me in perfect tongues where the petals preserving imagination paint their stain glass wings themselves and themselves i call to her like a voice in the subconscious of the universe peeling back layers of dialect changes, like a wish for things. she move rhythmic body to the energy of flames she been feeding and unzipped her hips like the burden |
from her blessing would spill out from within them and she would choke on cracked bottles of surgical needles and they would take her unlike a lover in this framed nighttime spinning clockwise like some kaleidoscope deity patching together each sacred palm blooming with road maps of soul luck and swelling of infinity, so she be quiet. so she keep silent. so she let all the secrets float gracefully ‘til they settle in the inbetweens, ‘til i can settle with i is she. i know she who has a photograph of heaven tattooed on the inside of her eyelids. i know she who spells beauty with an L for life. i know she who be daughter of dawn bringer. i know she who breathes. word. |
17 November 2009 Justin Scales @ The Purple Onion |
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If you've been to 16th & Mission, you've definitely seen Scales—his loud, veins-popping, one-normal-eye-and-one-excited-eye style of "hanging ornaments of interestingness on Christmas trees of truth" is an in-your-face salvo that will leave you belly laughing until it hurts, and perhaps feeling a tad guilty for doing so. Definitely don't miss this one. Thurs. Nov. 19th @ 8pm |
13 October 2009 Monica Storss Benefit TONIGHT! |
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Monica Storss Ginger Murray Amy Cruz Pam Benjamin Dan Lichtenberg Jonathon Siegel Tess Patalano m.g. martin and music from The Ferocious Few Most importantly, this show is in support of our good friend and fellow artist Monica Storss. Monica is battling a serious autoimmune disorder for which she must undergo chemotherapy treatment, however, as one of many of us forced to live without health insurance, she is unable to afford the exorbitant price of the drugs. We're doing what we can to help scrape together some cash for Monica to afford these treatments.
Tonight's event will feature a silent auction, and we have some great items on the block, including two batches of handcrafted beer, a complete box set of The 16th & Mission Review, a customizable dinner party...even a date! Please show up and help Monica through this difficult time. |
6 October 2009 More photos, and props from SFGate |
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i stumbled upon these while checking out People Meter: Street-corner poetry slam by Trey Bundy at SFGate, which features a few words from some people you might recognise... |
24 September 2009 SFGate: 11 Things |
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21 September 2009 ...and we're back! |
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Sometime in the near future i'm planning on re-designing the site to better handle the kind of content we ought to have—video, photos, etc. With all of the camera flashes i see any given Thursday, there's no reason it isn't easier to upload that kind of thing to the site easily. Note: Those of you who had accounts on this site before it went down, your usernames/passwords should still work. If they don't, or if you would like an account, email me, and i'll set one up for you. Also, if you have any suggestions for features you'd like to see in the next version of the site, i'm all ears. Thanks for your patience, everybody. |
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