ARCHIVE:

March 8 - March 17, 2007

The Irish have been meeting at the American crossroads for five hundred years. The Crossroads Irish-American Festival is an annual event which celebrates and explores the Irish-American experience.

Crossroads 2007 is committed to creating a space for the gathering and public presentation of these creative energies, historical reflections, and cultural expressions.

All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise indicated. For additional information please call us at 415.437.3427 or email us.

The Crossroads Irish-American Festival is a project of the Irish Studies Program at New College of California and is co-sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library. Support provided by the Zellerbach Family Foundation and the W. A. Gerbode Foundation.

Calendar of Events:
View as pdf

Thursday - March 8th
7:30 pm

Home
Screening of a film about the journey of an Irish immigrant in New York (Dir. Dawn Scibilia, 70 mins) www.homethemovie.com Followed by Q&A with the Director

Location: The Roxie Film Center, 3117 16th Street @ Valencia, San Francisco

Admission: $10

Saturday - March 10th
The Irish Americas, Latin American and Native American Crossroads at the San Francisco Main Public Library

11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Fisher Children's Center
Irish music and dancing

1:15 - 2 pm
Colm Ó Riain and Hy Brassyl
Violinist Colm Ó Riain and his Hy Brassyl project mix up music from Ireland with influences from jazz, blues, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Gypsy, Indian, and much more. Colm is joined in Hy Brassyl by guitarist Geoff van Lienden, Tim Kelly on stand-up bass and multi-percussionist James Greenfield. For more information, see www.hybrassyl.com.

2 - 4 pm
Irish in the Americas
A discussion including:

• Carlota Caulfield, author of Ticket to Ride which explores her Cuban-Irish experience
• Juan José Delaney, author of Moira Sullivan, Treboles del Sur about the Irish in Argentina
• John-Carlos Perea, musician who explores Native American/Irish hybridity through music
• Edgardo Vega Yunqué, author of No Matter How Much You Promise to Cook or Pay the Rent You Blew It Cauze Bill Bailey Ain't Never Coming Home Again and Blood Fugues, two novels which are hinged on intersections between Puerto Rican and Irish communities in New York

Special thanks for support from the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library

Location:
Koret Auditorium, Main Library
100 Larkin Street @ Grove
San Francisco

Sunday - March 11th, 7:30 pm

Poetry Night
Readings from local poets including Michael Thomas Kelly, Mary Rudge (Poet Laureate of the City of Alameda) and Jennifer Stone.

Location:
Books Inc.
601 Van Ness Avenue @ Opera Plaza,
San Francisco

Monday - March 12th, 7:30 pm

The Richmond Irish

Reflections on the history of the Richmond District's Irish Community in San Francisco

An exploration of the history of the Irish-American community of the Richmond District of San Francisco, featuring Paul Mathews of The Plough & Stars, Joseph Breen, President of the Irish American Bar Association, Marina O'Shea, and other story-tellers from the neighborhood. Moderated by Richard P. O'Hara of McAvoy O'Hara Company Evergreen Mortuary. Join us by bringing your photos, memories and stories of the neighborhood.

A special thanks to McAvoy O'Hara Company Evergreen Mortuary for their sponsorship of this event.

Location:
The Plough & Stars
116 Clement Street @ 2nd Avenue,
San Francisco

Tuesday - March 13th, 7:30 pm

A Literary Portrait of Working Class Irish America

A Book Launch and Reading

Charles Fanning will introduce and read from A World I Never Made the first in James T. Farrell's O'Neill-O'Flaherty pentalogy.

Location:
New College of California
Cultural Center
766 Valencia Street @ 18th Street
San Francisco

Wednesday - March 14th, 7:30 pm

Common Grounds

The Costs of Assimilation

Please join us for an engaging dialogue focused on the effects of assimilation on immigrant and Native American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The participants - together with the public - will discuss the cultural, historical and spiritual costs related to the experience of assimilation.

Confirmed guests include Isabel Barraza of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts; Daniel Cassidy, Co-Director, Irish Studies Program, New College of California; Linda James Myers, Ph.D., Academic Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School of Psychology, New College of California; and Bill "Jimbo" Simmons, Activist and Organizer with the International Indian Treaty Council. Co-Produced by KQED.

Location:
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
2868 Mission Street
San Francisco

Thursday - March 15th, 7:30 pm

Looking for Jimmy:

A Search for Irish-America

Peter Quinn, novelist, essayist, and chronicler of Irish-America will read from his newly released book, Looking for Jimmy: A Search for Irish America.

Location:
New College of California Theater
777 Valencia Street
San Francisco

Saturday - March 17th, 7:30 pm

A Traditional Irish Hooley

Bring your own stories, songs and tunes and join us for a traditionally inspired celebration!

Location:
New College of California Theater
777 Valencia Street
San Francisco

Saturday - March 17th

St. Patrick's Day Parade

For more information, see:

www.sfstpatricksdayparade.com

All Events are free to the public unless otherwise indicated.

For more information, please call (415) 437-3427 or email crossroadsfestival07@yahoo.com.

A special thanks to our media sponsor: The Irish Herald