Dog Is My Co-Pilot

In the early 1990s, it looked like indie bookstores were on the way out. Amazon.com dominated, and big-box stores were booming. Between then and now, the American Booksellers Association estimates we lost about 2,700 independent bookstores. All of which makes it pretty impressive that Dog Eared Books is celebrating its sixteenth year. Since 1992, this corner shop on Valencia has offered up shelves of well-chosen new and used books, along with those zines you thought you’d never find. More than just a bookstore, Dog Eared serves as home base for the Mission’s literary community. Author readings, open mics, book clubs, and art displays enliven its environs, attracting staff members who are authors and artists themselves. Weathering rent increases, lease threats, and address shuffles, owners Kate Rosenberger and George Kirby Desha have even managed to grow their little book empire. Celebrate a very sweet sixteen today at 16 x 16, a party featuring sixteen 16-year-olds from the 826 Valencia Young Writers Program who read from their work. It’s a great way to inaugurate the next generation of readers. Plus, there's pie.
Sept. 16-22, 7 p.m., 2008