Zoetic Press

Kevin Sharp of Palo Alto, CA is one of the staff editors for publisher Zoetic Press, based in Santa Cruz. Zoetic publishes works in both print and e-format, including journals and chapbooks. Titles include "Nonbinary Review," "Alphanumeric," and "Write Like You're Alive."

"Nonbinary Review" is a literary and poetry journal, with each issue based off a particular classic author or work of literature. You'll find Hans Christian Andersen, HG Wells, The Little Prince, A Wrinkle In Time, Edgar Allan Poe, and a wide range of other topics throughout the various issues. Authors are invited to submit fiction, non-fiction, or poetry that addresses character, setting, situation — or whatever other creative approach an author discovers — based on that issue's theme.

Aside from the printed page, Zoetic has teamed with Drunk Monkeys for a series of live readings. The label also has two podcasts "The Literary Whip" and "I Liked The Book Better," both of which feature regular appearances by Kevin Sharp. TLW features on-air discussions of work submitted to the different Zoetic journals, and allows authors to hear what editors found in their work — both positive and otherwise. TLW features a comparison of a written work to its film adaptation, though not every episode comes down on the side that the title indicates.

Professional Networking in Silicon Valley

Palo Alto, CA writer Kevin Sharp has contributed to the Silicon Valley networking organization ProMatch.

The official description from the organization's website

ProMatch is an interactive career resource center for professionals who are seeking work in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. ProMatch is sponsored by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the NOVA Workforce Investment Board. It is part of the NOVA Job Center, which provides a full array of employment and career services. 

Professionals from various backgrounds volunteer their services at ProMatch. Sharp's experience in stage and film production led him to help out in similar areas. He facilitated and produced workshops; offered coaching and guidance on delivering presentations before an audience; and helped members shape and develop their professional narratives for a job interview setting.

ProMatch’s website offers a number of informative articles that can be accessed even by non-members. These include: 10 characteristics of people who consistently build strong professional and personal relationships; Evaluate your job search IQ; and Don’t send your resume to the “black hole.”

A Bloomberg News story titled “It’s Tough Being Over 40 In Silicon Valley,” which discusses the challenges faced by an aging workforce, cited ProMatch. A similar, though smaller, Silicon Valley organization is Career Action Ministry (CAM).

Litquake San Francisco 2018

Writer Kevin Sharp of Palo Alto will appear at 2018’s Lit Crawl, part of San Francisco’s annual LitQuake festival. Lit Crawl typically features up to 20 events per hour, all held at different locations around the Mission District.

As defined by the Litquake website:

One of the most anticipated literary nights of the year, San Francisco's Lit Crawl is a massive, one-night literary pub crawl throughout the city’s Mission District. Lit Crawl SF brings together 500+ authors and close to 10,000 fans for the world’s largest free pop-up literary event. Started in 2004, Lit Crawl cultivates a unique, resonant brand: smart and silly, worldly and wacky events presented in venues usual (bars, cafes, galleries, and bookstores) and unusual (police stations, tattoo parlors, barbershops, and laundromats).

Sharp's event is “Celebrating Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story…”

The Bay Area literary journal 100 Word Story is celebrating the publication of its first anthology dedicated to micro fiction. Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story represents 116 favorite stories from the journal's first seven years. Meet the anthology's co-editors, Grant Faulkner, Lynn Mundell, and Beret Olsen, and the book's San Francisco publisher, Jon Roemer from Outpost19. Pick up a broadside of a story from the book—a treasure to take home and inspiration for your own future micro writing.

Scarecrow Video

Featured among a group of other writers, Kevin Sharp of Palo Alto, CA has his Top 10 Movies list on display at Seattle’s Scarecrow Video store — one of the largest remaining such stores in the country. As stated in its own press materials…

From its passionate founder George Latsios and former owners Carl Tostevin & Mickey McDonough… Scarecrow has existed with one vision: to bring people and film together. It began with a few hundred tapes in the back of a record store, and for more than 28 years its devoted caretakers have gradually accumulated the largest independently owned video and physical media library in the country, currently boasting over 130,000 titles. 

In this age of streaming content, most physical media video stores have closed down. Passionate film fans still support places like Scarecrow and others around the country; one big reason why is that titles come and go off streaming services, while a physical copy will always be available. In addition, video stores create a community of film fans among those behind the counter as well as the customers.

In 2014, Scarecrow's inventory became part of the Scarecrow Project, and the store reopened as a non-profit. Scarecrow also supports local film organizations and hosts  screenings.

Their new mission statement reads as follows:

Scarecrow Video is dedicated to championing the indispensable role of film arts in community, cultural, and civic life.