The SF Main Library is hosting a pair of poetry events worth knowing about: the Thursday Night Poem Jam, a recurring open-mic-style gathering, and a featured performance celebrating the work of Kim Shuck, San Francisco's former Poet Laureate, who passed away in 2023.

Shuck, a Native American poet and bead artist with deep roots in the city, left behind a body of work that's distinctly, unapologetically San Franciscan.

There's a practical case for programming like this, too. The SF Public Library system already exists — the building is already heated, staffed, and open. Poetry events cost next to nothing to produce and bring people into a public space the city is already funding.

We're not about to become a poetry review column — that's not really our beat. But the Main Library's poetry nights are low-cost, community-driven, and culturally meaningful.

Check the library's calendar for dates and details, and maybe swing by. Worst case, you hear some bad verse. Best case, you remember what a public institution is actually supposed to do.