On Tuesday, April 7, ZYZZYVA held its first ever virtual reading. It was in celebration of the San Francisco literary journal’s 35th Anniversary Issue, which came out that same day, and featured short readings by contributors Lysley Tenorio, Meg Hurtado Bloom, Dave Madden, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, and Kristen Iskandrian. ZYZZYVA Managing Editor and Lit Hub Contributing Editor Oscar Villalon was the host, and the event was produced by Litquake, as part of its Litquake on Lockdown programming of virtual readings and literary events carried through Zoom.

Featuring readings of poems, essays, and fiction, the nearly hour-long event also provided talk of coyote sightings, John Cougar Mellencamp, Zachary’s Pizza, bookstore openings, and ginger beer, and perhaps a small technical difficulty or two.  

The Virtual Book Channel

The Virtual Book Channel

Launched during the coronavirus pandemic as virtual literary communities began emerging in vital and unexpected ways, The Virtual Book Channel seeks to provide the best possible platforms for writers to reach their readers. The VBC (aka “The Veeb”) is a curated channel that archives live-streamed programming through partnerships with independent bookstores, literary festivals, authors' WFH spaces, and more.