The lesbian author of a recently published book about her struggles with food and her sexuality is coming to the Bay Area.
Jasmin Singer, 36, the author of Always Too Much and Never Enough: A Memoir, will be at Adobe Books in San Francisco from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, February 12 and the Oakland Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, February 14.
"I grew up as a bullied, fat kid," Singer, who lives in New York City, said in an email interview. But after she started examining how the agriculture industry works, "and how profoundly my addictive relationship with food was affecting my life," she lost almost 100 pounds by doing monthly juice fasts and eating only whole, unprocessed foods. She then "gained a fuller understanding of certain truths I had not previously fully embraced. Truths about me, such as my sexuality. And truths about the world, such as how much suffering �" to animals, to people, to myself �" was caused by what was on my plate."
Singer is the executive director of Our Hen House, a nonprofit that works on animal rights. She's written for the sites Huffington Post and MindBodyGreen, and she's also appeared on The Dr. Oz Show .
"I bare a lot about myself" in the book, Singer said, "and I'm extremely frank about my journey (an unfinished one) toward living in accordance with my values, and toward no longer closeting the very best parts of me. For me, that's directly tied to what I eat and how I take care of myself."
She said she hopes people who read the "feel empowered to look deeper at who they want to be �" whatever that means to them �" and find ways to become that better version of themselves."
Adobe Books is at 3130 24th Street. The Oakland library is at 125 14th Street. Always Too Much is available on Amazon.
Beer tasting for housing nonprofit
San Francisco's Community Housing Partnership is holding a beer tasting fundraiser from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 17 at The Hall, 1028 Market Street.
Tickets are $30. More than 80 percent of the ticket sales will directly benefit CHP's work to help homeless people find housing and become self-sufficient, according to Bridget Holian, a spokeswoman for the agency. The local Fort Point Beer Company is sponsoring the event.
People who come will get a complimentary tasting of five Fort Point beers and a full glass of the company's kolsch-style ale.
Holian said in an email that CHP expects to raise more than $2,000 from the fundraiser.
"We have a very small budget for this event since majority of the items are donated, including the Fort Point Beer and the space at The Hall," she said.
The beer tasting will help CHP, which has a budget of about $18 million, get ready for its annual A Night with the Stars benefit, which is set for April 27.
To buy tickets, visit http://www.chp-sf.org.
Sampler is an online column highlighting LGBT performances, exhibits, and other entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area. It typically runs every Tuesday, but will be off February 16 due to the Presidents Day holiday, returning February 23. Contact reporter Seth Hemmelgarn at [email protected] or (415) 875-9986 to suggest column items.