International Quirkyalone Day Party + List Slam

Hello list lovers!

Searching for something non-cliche to do on February 14? Please join us for the seventh annual International Quirkyalone Day Party AND List Slam!

International Quirkyalone Day Party: A "Matters of the Heart" List Slam
Saturday, February 14, 7 pm
Red Hill Books
401 Cortland Avenue, San Francisco

International Quirkyalone Day is a do-it-yourself celebration of romance, friendship, and independent spirit. It's a celebration of all kinds of love: romantic, platonic, familial, and yes, self-love. International Quirkyalone Day is not anti-Valentine's Day. It's NOT a pity party for single people. It's an alternative--a feel-good alternative to the marketing barrage of Valentine's Day.

Above all, IQD is a celebration of romance, freedom and individuality.

Couples (especially quirkytogether) are welcomed to attend. After all, many a partnered person complains about the contrived nature of Valentine's Day.

BRING A LIST!

For this year's San Francisco celebration, come to Red Hill books to mingle and join in a "Matters of the Heart" List Slam--bring a list related to “matters of the heart."
The root of the verb “to list” means to “lust” or desire, so let your list lust roam free. This will be the ninth List Slam in the history of the universe. Read more the mysteriously alluring List Slams concept here.

Signed copies of my books Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics and To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate will be available.

After-party will be at Stray Bar at 309 Cortland Avenue, just next door. Enjoy quirkytinis, cupcakes, and other treats!

Accessible by public transportation:

Take the 14 bus to Cortland and Mission and walk up Cortland, or wait for the 24 bus to ferry you up the hill. You can also take BART to 24th and Mission and take the 67 bus to Bernal Heights.

Or just walk from 24th and MIssion–it’s a lovely 15 minute stroll.

A Student Packs for London

Mixing up the Holidays with a List Slam

That's me (Sasha), reading at the first-ever List Slam at Cafe Royale in San Francisco; you don't need a microphone for your own intimate Slam

Tired of the same old mistletoe and ugly Christmas sweater-themed holiday parties? Why not throw a last-minute List Slam, whether for Christmas, or even, better, the New Year? Tonight I am bringing the List Slam concept to my extended family. They are confused now, and calling me--Ummm, what's a List Slam? Do I need to prepare? But I bet they are going to love it.

A List Slam is like a poetry slam, but instead of poetry, people read lists: to-do and otherwise. It's a way to get inspiration for your own lists and to get to know your friends and family better Take a peek at their lists as they read them aloud. It could be an everyday to-do list, or a list of things to do over your lifetime. A list of places to visit before you die, or things that no one knows about you. It could be pretty much anything, even a wish list for Santa. Maybe Santa will hear you!

To get a sense of what happens at a List Slam, check out this blog post about a List Slam I held at a San Francisco bookstore earlier this year:

I'll post photos from the event. Think about organizing a New Year's List Slam--you may even feel more accountable for your goals and dreams if you read them aloud!

Just Saying Yes Goes Hollywood with Yes Man

This is one of the lists I featured in To-Do List. At the time I was editing the book, I discovered the book Yes Man, and I had a feeling that this whole "just say yes" thing was going to hit the mainstream, and now, here is the Hollywood take on the "just say yes" phenomenon in the form of a Jim Carrey movie.

Have you seen Yes Man? Ever tried saying yes to EVERYTHING? Plan to write it on your New Year's list this year? Please share in the comments.

Tis the Season for Making Lists

Whether it's a year-end list of accomplishments or a list for Santa, or simply a list of things to get done before December 25, December is truly the month for making lists, only to be outdone by the more contemplative and ambitious listyness of January.

In honor of list season, I invite you to send me your holiday lists. Please send me scans (ideally) or photos by December 18, and I'll post some of the best on the blog for a holiday list-off. The most stunningly holiday list--as determined by votes in the comments--will win a copy of To-Do List.

In the meantime, here's a post "On Christmas Wish Lists" that I wrote last year. I feel like I have really matured, because this year, in light of the economic meltdown and perhaps because we three kids are finally growing up, my family is embracing a new ritual that is far less greedy. Oh sorry day to say goodbye to the greedy Christmas list!

Happy December listmaking!

My Five-Year To-Do List

Click on the list for a larger view.

This list was written in November 2006, and it's a five-year to-do list, hence I have three years left to cross everything off. My friends Sonya, Kenneth, and Adam made it for me (after interviewing me). We did the same thing for everyone that night. I've managed to accomplish half of the second item (the new language learned: Portuguese). I hope to accomplish the other half of the second item soon. The rest of it remains to be seen. It's going to be a busy, exciting three years, writing horses (whatever that means) and looking at houses with wraparound porches.