2018-06-18 17:00
At Dolores Park on a sunny dayHe is reading Manifeste contre la normalisation gay, by Alain Naze. In English the French translates into The manifesto against gay normalization. H… Read More
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2018-06-11 17:00
In the Mission DistrictShe is reading, or re-reading, The Witches, by Roald Dahl. It's summer and she's getting in touch with her inner child again. Her favorite book is Holes, by… Read More
2017-11-13 18:00
In the Mission District, in a quiet corner during open studios, a yearly art event in which artists open their doors to the public to visit their studios, see their art, and drink their wine… Read More
2017-11-06 18:00
Reading while walking down the street in the Mission DistrictShe is reading Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us, by David Neiwert. She is working on a master's degree in anthro… Read More
2017-10-30 17:00
In Dolores ParkHe is reading Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles, by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey. He's a Beatles fan and borrowed it from friends… Read More
2017-10-23 17:00
On Potrero HillHe is reading American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. He got it at the bookstore across the street from where he's sitting. He said it's a change from what he usually reads, which is s… Read More
2017-10-16 17:00
In the Financial DistrictShe is reading The Hummingbird's Daughter, by Luís Alberto Urrea. She found this book, and most of the books she reads, at thrift stores and pays about 50 cen… Read More
2017-10-09 17:00
In the Mission DistrictShe is reading Eve's Hollywood, by Eve Babitz. It's a collection of short stories about a single woman in her 20's living in Southern California and New York. The stor… Read More
2017-10-02 17:00
While working at a bookstore on Potrero HillShe is reading Outline, by Rachel Cusk. She wasn't actually reading it when I walked into the shop, but I saw a book sitting next to her and asked… Read More
2017-09-25 17:00
Waiting for the trainShe is reading Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels: How Human Values Evolve, by Ian Morris. It's for a class she's taking. I wish I had written down how she described th… Read More
2017-09-18 17:00
At the Legion of Honor In a painting by Robert Feke (1707-1752), done in 1748, Mrs. Charles Apthorp (Grizzell Eastwick Apthorp) reads a book by an unknown author.If your eyes are better than… Read More
2017-09-11 17:00
In the Financial District on a balmy morning (70 degrees after a light rain), the kind of weather that makes me feel like you're on vacation even when I'm not.She is reading The Name of the… Read More
2017-08-28 17:00
At a coffee shop in the Mission DistrictHe is reading Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, by Al Franken. Earlier this month he saw Al Franken speak at the Nourse Theater, as part of City A… Read More
2017-08-21 17:00
Next to a mural by Jon Weiss and Precita Eyes muralistsHe is reading The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore. He got it for his birthday.His favorite book is Geek Love, by K… Read More
2017-08-14 17:00
Walking down a quiet street in the Mission DistrictHe is reading Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor E. Frankl. The author describes his time in four different Nazi concentration camps, what… Read More
2017-08-07 17:00
At a laundromat not far from San Francisco State UniversityI hadn't been in this neighborhood for a while because I no longer work at SFSU. Walking through the streets, I realized I missed h… Read More
2017-07-31 17:00
Near the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest, at Flower Piano, an event where pianos are scattered around the botanical gardens in Golden Gate Park and you can read while being accompanied by musicShe… Read More
2017-07-24 17:00
In the Mission District on a sunny afternoonHe is reading Nothing, a young adult novel by Annie Barrows. He found it in the free bin at Adobe Books, along with The Gospel According to Peanut… Read More
2017-07-17 17:00
In the Mission DistrictShe is reading Give and Take, by Adam Grant. She met another author who had co-written a book with him and learned about this book that way. It's about being a giver… Read More
2017-07-03 17:00
At the beautiful Geneva Botanical Gardens, not far from the United Nations (if I'm ever in Geneva in the winter, that's where I'll be - chilling in the glassed-in tropical forests)She is rea… Read More
2017-06-26 17:00
At a cafe on a mountain called Harder Kulm, high above Interlaken, SwitzerlandHe is reading One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich. He's German, but has been living in Australia for years, so… Read More
2017-06-19 17:00
Between semesters, I was able to take a vacation to France and Switzerland. I spent a couple of weeks eating good food, swimming, hiking, and managed to photograph a few readers, too.On the… Read More
2017-06-12 17:00
I think San Francisco would be an even nicer place if everyone sat on their front steps and read. Coincidentally, May 20, 2017, when I met this reader, was SFPorchfest, for music on p… Read More
2017-06-05 17:01
At that time of day when it's both afternoon and evening at the same time He is reading Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. It was a birthday gift. I asked him if he was feeling pressure… Read More
2017-05-29 17:00
On a sunny Thursday afternoon/evening in the Mission DistrictThey are reading The Nest, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and Walkaway, by Cory Doctorow. They bought them at a real live bookstore (… Read More
2017-05-22 17:00
At a bar in North BeachShe is reading Pink Reef, by Robert Fernandez. She heard about him at a poetry workshop. After hearing one of his poems, she wanted to read more. After this, she said… Read More
2017-05-15 17:00
In the Financial DistrictHe is reading Mirror, Mirror, by Jerome Bixby, who wrote episodes for the original Star Strek.He read a short story collection by the author and then found this… Read More
2017-05-08 17:00
In the Mission DistrictHe is reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami. This is his 15th book this year that he's read, which is a record for him. Before he rea… Read More
2017-05-01 17:00
In the Mission District She is reading Death by Water, a novel by Kenzaburo Oe. Lately she's been exploring history from a non-Eurocentric viewpoint.She has lots of favorite authors, i… Read More
2017-04-24 17:00
In the Mission DistrictHe is reading The Destruction of California, published in 1965 by Raymond F. Dasmann, a wildlife biologist and conservationist. He got it at a thrift store up north an… Read More
2017-04-17 17:00
In my backyardWe were really just having cocktails, but then my sister and brother-in-law pulled out their matching Lincoln in the Bardo books, George Saunders's first novel. Together t… Read More
2017-04-10 17:00
In the Mission District on a sunny afternoonShe is about to read, or, she admitted, probably flip through and read parts of, Growing up Irish Catholic, and Surviving my Mom's Eleven Sisters… Read More
2017-04-03 17:00
On Bernal Hill, on a perfect, windless sunny dayShe is reading The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood. She saw it at Green Apple books, and got it when she realized that there was a Margare… Read More
2017-03-27 16:11
2017-03-20 17:00
2017-02-27 18:00
2017-02-20 18:00
On a sunny Sunday afternoonHe is reading Three Comrades, by the German novelist Erich Maria Remarque. It was recommended by a friend. The book is about World War I.The last book he read that… Read More
2017-02-13 18:30
In the cotton candy glow of the Stud, a bar on 9th and Harrison and reading along with the chapbook at Evan Karp's Quiet Lightning literary seriesLately, his favorite author is Arundhati Roy… Read More
2017-02-06 18:00
At the protest at Civic Center Plaza I saw a child reading in a crowd. He was leaning against the legs of an adult.My cell phone had lost its charge because I was listening to an audio book… Read More
2017-01-30 18:00
At San Francisco International Airport during the protest against Trump's Executive Order, surrounded by chants such as "Let them Out" and "No Hate, No Fear, Refugees are Welcome Here."He is… Read More
2017-01-23 17:55
I got caught up with the marches this weekend and forgot to write the blog post, so more details to come this afternoon when I have time.Here's the pictures for now, taken on Koh Lipe in Tha… Read More
2017-01-16 18:00
On the island Ko Lipe in southern ThailandShe is reading Villspor, by the Swedish crime writer, Henning Mankell. She is from Norway and is an engineering student. This is the first fict… Read More
2017-01-09 18:00
On Bronte Beach in Sydney, AustraliaHe is reading Falling, by Elizabeth Jane Howard.A couple of his favorite authors are Ken Follett and John Grisham.He is visiting Australia from England an… Read More
2017-01-02 18:00
At Bronte Beach in Sydney, AustraliaShe is reading The Good People, by the Australian author, Hannah Kent. The book was a Christmas present from her Mum. It's set in Ireland in the first par… Read More
2016-12-26 18:00
This week I was too busy with Christmas to interview a reader. Happy Holidays! Instead, here's a painting by Claude Monet that was on a card I received from my friend Allison this past… Read More
2016-12-19 18:00
At the Kuala Lumpur airportHe lives in Kuala Lumpur, and is on his way home to see his family in the UKHe is reading Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee… Read More
2016-12-12 18:00
Downtown, waiting for someone He is reading White Teeth, by Zadie Smith. It's been on his shelf and he's been meaning to read it for a while.His favorite book is Infinite Jest, by David Fos… Read More
2016-12-05 18:00
In the Financial DistrictHe is reading Strange Shores, by Arnaldur Indridason. He got it in one of the free libraries that look like birdhouses.Something good he read recently was The I… Read More
2016-11-28 18:00
I was visiting my family for the holiday and although readers were everywhere, especially in the airports, I was too worn out and consumed with my own life to contemplate talking to a strang… Read More
2016-11-21 18:00
In the Mission District She is reading The Unreal and the Real, by Ursula K. Le Guin.One of her favorite books is A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole Read More
2016-11-14 18:00
At a BART stationShe is reading a religious pamphlet she just picked up. She mostly reads nonfiction books about medicine. She's a doctor. When she was in her second year of medical school o… Read More
2016-11-07 18:00
In downtown San FranciscoHe is reading Sula, by Toni Morrison for an African Studies class in school. His favorite book is Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Something good he read recent… Read More
2016-10-31 17:00
On Market StreetHe is reading The People Called Shakers, by Edward Deming Andrews. He bought it on South Van Ness for 75 cents after all of his belongings were stolen the night before.His fa… Read More
2016-10-24 17:00
At a donut shopHe is reading Kaplan SSAT & ISEE: For Private and Independent School Admission, while waiting for his tutee. His favorite author is Shel Silverstein, whom he fir… Read More
2016-10-17 17:00
In the Mission DistrictThis is a photo from the publisher's website. He is reading Leadership for Social Justice: Making Revolutions in Education, by Catherine Marshall and Maricela Oli… Read More
2016-10-10 17:00
In the Mission District on a sunny morningHe is reading Bossy Pants, by Tina Fey. He started reading it while keeping company the person who is having the sidewalk sale. Something good he's… Read More
2016-10-03 17:00
In the Financial DistrictShe is reading Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, for an English class Read More
2016-09-26 17:00
Even after 10 years of photographing readers, I continue to be impressed by people coordinated enough to read while walking.On Mission StreetHe is reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Succ… Read More
2016-09-19 17:00
At a taqueria in the Mission DistrictHe is reading Iron John: A book about Men, by Robert Bly. His girlfriend is a therapist and counselor and he is interested in gender identity. The book u… Read More
2016-09-12 17:00
At China Beach on a day warm enough to go swimmingHe is reading Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, by Bruce Tremper. He reads a lot of books about snow safety.One of his favorite books is T… Read More
2016-09-05 17:00
2016-08-29 17:00
In the Mission District on a sunny afternoon, until Karl the fog creeps over the hill....She is on vacation here, from Austria, and is reading The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson, in English … Read More
2016-08-22 17:00
On a sunny afternoon in Union SquareHe is reading The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, by Kevin Fedarko. This is his se… Read More
2016-08-15 17:00
I usually post pictures of other people reading, and I usually post pictures of people reading books (because I respect the commitment of taking a huge chunk of time to appreciate another pe… Read More
2016-08-08 03:58
At a sandwich shop in the Mission DistrictShe is reading Women in Love, by D. H. Lawrence. She saw it at a bookstore, picked it up, started reading, and bought it. She's never read D. H. Law… Read More
2016-08-01 17:00
In the Mission District, at Amnesia, a bar that used to be called ChatterboxShe is reading Chatterbox: Biography of a Bar, San Francisco 1986-1990, by Alfie Kulzick. The bartender gave it to… Read More
2016-07-25 17:00
Sometimes I ask people if I can photograph them reading and they say no. On Thursday night it happened at a restaurant in West Portal, where a woman eating soup and wearing sunglasses was re… Read More
2016-07-18 17:00
While I was in New York at the end of May, I visited the Met and saw this portrait of a reader, painted by the gentleman in the straw hat. The reader, according to the plaque on the wall, is… Read More
2016-07-11 17:00
In downtown, Markleeville, CaliforniaShe is reading The Games (Private), a novel by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, while watching the Death Ride -- a 100+ mile bicycle ride up to 5 mount… Read More
2016-07-04 17:00
In the Mission DistrictHe is reading Blood on the Risers: An Airborne Soldier's Thirty-five Months in Vietnam, by John Leppelman. He said that it's a good book and everything that he's read… Read More
2016-06-27 17:00
In the Mission District, walking to the BART stationHe is reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. It's a young adult novel. He said he picked it up… Read More
2016-06-20 17:00
In Dolores Park on a warm and sunny dayThey are visiting from France and brought their library books with them.The reader on the left is reading Le Royaume, by Emmanuel Carrère… Read More
2016-06-13 17:00
In the Mission District, waiting for his busHe is reading All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. He picked it up because he liked the title.Some of his favorite authors are Alexandre Dum… Read More
2016-06-06 17:00
In Times Square, New York City (I was there for a friend's wedding.)She is reading The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee. She's reading it because… Read More
2016-05-23 17:00
On the BART platformHe is reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki. It was recommended by his uncle.Right now he's studying pharmacy - he wants to make enough money so he doesn't ha… Read More
2016-05-16 17:00
In Dolores ParkHe is reading Diet for a Dead Planet, by the San Francisco author, Christopher Cook.The book is good, he said, but we're doomed. His favorite book is Dune, by Frank… Read More
2016-05-09 17:00
In the Mission DistrictHe is reading How to Look at Modern Art, by Philip Yenawine. He said he's giving it the first hundred pages. So far it's good. He found it on the street and will proba… Read More
2016-05-02 17:00
Walking down Mission StreetHe is reading Dispatches, by Michael Herr. It's about the author's experiences being a corespondent in Vietnam during the war. He picked up Dispatches be… Read More
2016-04-25 17:00
In the Mission District She is reading Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, by Alysia Abbott. It's about a girl whose mother dies when she is two and she moves to San Francisco with her father… Read More
2016-04-18 17:00
In the Mission DistrictHe is reading the American Heritage Dictionary. Why? He's trying to figure out how long it takes for chicken eggs to hatch. Also, showing me another page with a diagra… Read More
2016-04-11 17:00
In the Mission District She is reading The Silver Chair, the 6th book in The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. I was excited to see her reading this because two weeks ago, when I was at t… Read More
2016-04-04 17:00
On a sunny Thursday afternoon She is reading More Natural "Cures" Revealed: Previously Censored Brand Name Products that Cure Disease. She told me that natural doctors have been murdered, po… Read More
2016-03-28 17:00
Near the main library downtownShe is reading Gorilla Black: A Novel, by Seven. She loves reading urban lit. Another good book she read recently was Hold U Down: Tripple Crown Collection, by… Read More
2016-03-21 17:00
At Asilomar BeachShe is reading The Advisors: Oppenheimer, Teller, and the Superbomb, by Herbert F. York. She is getting a Master's in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies at the Institute… Read More
2016-03-14 17:00
At the mall, hiding from the rainShe is reading milk and honey, by Rupi Kaur. She bought it for her friend who is sitting across from her. They sometimes give each other gifts, and sometimes… Read More
2016-03-07 22:34
2016-02-29 18:00
Usually, in scouting for readers, I find people reading the news in the morning and books in the afternoon, which was why I was so happy to see, at 7-something in the morning, on my walk to… Read More
2016-02-22 18:00
Waiting for the busShe is reading Silken Embrace, by Zuri Day. She chose it because her granddaughter has the same first name as the author, Zuri! Read More
2016-02-15 18:00
2016-02-08 18:00
In Bangkok, in the Bangrak neighborhoodShe is reading an article in a celebrity magazine. While cell phones are everywhere, and most vendors I saw were passing the time between customers on… Read More
2016-02-01 18:00
In the sleepy seaside town of Prachuap Khiri Kahn, ThailandShe is selling cuttlefish and reading a romance novel.Asking permission to photograph her for my blog was challenging. In other cou… Read More
2016-01-25 18:00
On a boat in the Gulf of ThailandHe is reading, in Dutch, Geachte Heer M., (or Dear Mr. M.) by Herman Koch. It's told from 5 different view points. A teacher has affair and th… Read More
2016-01-18 13:55
On a hot and hazy day in Sydney, Australia He is reading about cars and typewriters from 1966 in Australia Remember When, by Bob Byrne, published in 2915. A friend loaned it to him… Read More
2016-01-11 11:02
At Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia She is reading A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle, in Hebrew. She is visiting Australia from Israel.Her favorite book is The Master and Margarita, b… Read More
2015-12-07 18:00
Reading before a piece of pieShe is reading Chocky, by John Wyndham. She said that the book is Sci Fi, but also a book about families. The family is concerned about a child having an i… Read More
2015-11-30 18:00
On Haight StreetHe is reading The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. He reads it once every two years or so. He reads it again and again not, he said, for the revenge, but because, o… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
In the Sydney, Australia domestic terminal He is reading Make Me, by Lee Child. She is reading Between Sisters, by Cathy Kelly. They just returned from a cruise and are on their wa… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
This was one of those weeks when every time I felt extroverted enough to talk to readers, I had forgotten my camera at home. So, here's a couple of readers I photographed in January th… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
In Helena, MontanaHe is reading A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring, by Anthony Powell. We were sitting in the kitchen at the tail-end of a party, and out comes the book. It's al… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Doing a little après-snorkel at Two-Step, not far from Kona, Hawai'i Reading Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, inspired by Alexander Supertramp, the main character in John Krakhau… Read More
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