Empty: San Francisco during COVID-19, A City on Pause
Video by Ryce Stoughtenborough
April 7, 2020
The streets of Downtown San Francisco are barren of the bustling city life after the recent shelter-in-place enacted in response to COVID-19. The ceasing of tourism and public activities has created a surreal scene of emptiness—a feeling seldom felt in the city. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRYUkRx69qk
Beneath the leather and Latex
By Andrea Williams and Photos by James Wyatt
February 18, 2020
Editor’s note: There’s an erect penis in this story. Read our content warning about it. Nudity, leather, whips and bondage: there is nothing like San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair. For one Sunday a year, a portion of Folsom Street in the SoMa district transforms into a kinky wonderland. For decades, thousands of people have come together to celeb...
Support local music scenes! A look at independent music venues in San Francisco
By Amy Bigelow and Photos by William Wendelman
February 18, 2020
As yellow lights scatter patterns of squares all across the 7,700-square-foot venue, onstage, a band is running through their setlist and tuning instruments. At Mezzanine, soundcheck for Ginger Root is nearly finished and its members are ready to captivate concertgoers with their opening performance. F...
Keeping faith in: four generations of Santeria
By Izzy Alvarez and Photos by Paige Acosta
February 18, 2020
A thick haze from the incense lingers in the shop. The saint statues in the window displays attract passersby, but the pungent scent invites them in. The lively music evokes a Caribbean feel. Large vivid paintings of powerful figures hung from the white walls offer a glimpse into an unknown spiritual wo...
The Loud Voices of a Quiet Print
Kiana Fillius
April 15, 2018
Seniors of the Women and Gender Studies department at San Francisco State University slowly filtered through the door of room 131 in the Humanities building. Most of the tables and chairs were pushed towards the walls of the room, leaving only two tables in the center. The seniors took their seats ar...
City Surf
Jacob Tellkamp
April 13, 2018
It was the coldest day of the year in San Francisco. A low pressure system off the coast sent frigid winds and dismal surfing conditions to the shores of Linda Mar beach in Pacifica, California. In the parking lot, older surfers declare victory-at-sea from the confines of their cars. Many will retreat...
Comedy Godfather, City Outsider
Boone Ashworth
April 13, 2018
“Humans! Listen to my face hole!” Tony Sparks has been on stage long enough to know how to capture attention. He stands behind the mic at a sparsely occupied bar on a Monday night. He is two acts into an open mic show. “Hey, humans!” Sparks shouts from inside the spotlight. “Even y’all in the ...
The Summer of Love: How San Francisco is Recognizing the Iconic Movement
Jacqueline Haudek
June 1, 2017
Visitors peer in on colorful artifacts and psychedelic motifs, some stop to take selfies in a light show room where multi-colored waves splash against the walls, and some are dressed in their own throwback clothes, wearing colorful dresses and sky-high platforms. The “Summer of Love Experience: Art,...
The Aftermath
Jennah Feeley
December 7, 2015
Dolores Piper (left), great aunt of Derrick Gaines, and Gaines’ half-brother Michael Red (right), 7, pose for a portrait in their home in South San Francisco. Gaines, 15, was fatally shot by South San Francisco Police Officer Joshua Cabillo on the night of June 5, 2012. Photographs by Joel Angel Ju...
An Uncertain Move for San Francisco’s Sex Workers
Sean McGrier
December 6, 2015
Marion Pellegrini, core staff member at St. James Infirmary, poses for a portrait in the lab where he draws blood for various tests for patients. The clinic provides healthcare and social services for current and former sex workers of all genders and sexual orientations. Photo by Emma Chiang By Sean McGrier...
When Preparation Becomes Risk
Carlos Mendoza
December 6, 2015
Michael Slater, 27, presents his Truvada pill - a medication that prevents HIV by 99 percent. Photos by Martin Bustamante By Carlos Mendoza Two and a half years ago Michael Slater, a 26-year-old homosexual, received the worst news of his life. While supporting a friend who was afraid that he was e...
Between the Old and New School
Alex Kofman
December 6, 2015
Photographs and story by Alex Kofman Coffee shops, bars and restaurants are typically places people have in mind when considering where to meet their friends. They want a place where they can all come together to catch up, share a few stories, and spill the latest gossip. The barbershop, just lik...
