In Silicon City, author Cary McClelland has constructed a neatly woven book of oral histories about the Bay Area and the acute problems it is facing. As tech money and employees have streamed into San Francisco, many long-time residents have been evicted, out-priced and forced to move further and further away, dispersing and destroying once deep-rooted communities.
“Who?” “Agatha Bacelar, she’s primarying Nancy Pelosi. You want to write about her?” I take the assignment and find myself at some cocktail-party-type deal at an apartment I couldn’t afford if I robbed a pharaoh. After briefly saying hello and exchanging info, Bacelar texts me a few days later that she’s having a campaign kickoff at her apartment in the Mission and I should show. Alright. I’ve never been to a longshot’s political kickoff.
My pal Sam and I embarked on an urban hike from Cole Valley to the Palace of Fine arts in late August. We made an indulgent pit stop at b. patisserie on California St to pick up painting sustenance in the form of four flaky, glorious pastries. Painting on-site...
