47th Annual Big Book Sale

At last year’s ABBS (Annual Big Book Sale, put on by the San Francisco Public Library), I was able snag a copy of Henry Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer,” whose scarlet cover and infamously graphic sex scenes both warranted me countless raised eyebrows on the bus. It’s a great book. But somehow I’d always find myself reading it next to a pale tourist or a disapproving elderly lady (or worse, lecherous old man peering over my shoulder), and I’d feel a twinge of completely unnecessary guilt. And then keep reading.

Needless to say, the 47th rendition of ABBS has rolled around and I’m ready for “Tropic of Capricorn”. All books are four dollars or less, and on Sunday only a buck apiece, though chances are your finds might have some pages stuck together and/or weird stains inside. According to the SFPL, there are half a million books for sale this year, which pretty much guarantees you a great selection, and it’s always excellent people watching within each highly organized section (self-help and poetry, in my opinion, offering the best characters). It’s not just books for sale, either – vinyl and all sorts of ephemera are up for snatching. Entrance is FREE.

47th Annual Big Book Sale
Wednesday, Sept 21- Sunday, Sept. 25th, 10 am – 8 pm
Festival Pavilion
Fort Mason Center
38 Fort Mason, San Francisco

Image Credit: SPFL