Read, "Six regular people, 60 minutes of real entertainment," by Sheerly Avni of San Francisco Magazine. (December, 2004)

Read "The Campfire Makes a Comeback," by Nirmala Nataraj of SF Station. (5/17/04)

Check out the Porch Light segment on KQED's Spark (4/16/04)

Read "Listening in on the Porch Light series".
By Susan Gerhard in the San Francisco Bay Guardian. (7/16/03)

"The Porch Light Series works from a universal truth: open mikes are bad choices for first dates. A night of wobbly voices, untuned acoustic guitars, unfunny stand-up comedy, and unending fiction pieces could end even the strongest of relationships, let alone a fledgling one. Organizers Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte have created some ground rules (no memorization, no "performance," and a strict 10-minute limit) to cut out the risks, with a result of pure pleasure — people get up and tell great stories. The strength of the series lies in the range of people who contribute, from current mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez to an elderly mushroom hunter, with a smattering of local literary talent. Arrive early to get a seat, as this urban storytelling event is no longer an open secret; it's just plain open." (RH) Read article...
-- Flavorpill

"A crowd of rapt listeners -- old enough to drink, young enough to look good in low-slung pants, the descriptive word flung around was "scenesters" -- gathered at the Cafe du Nord Monday night for "The Starf-- Show," the latest in Porch Light's monthly series of conversations."

-- Leah Garchik, The In Crowd,
San Francisco Chronicle 6/18/2003

"In 10 minutes that bloomed with novelistic richness, (storyteller Hai Ning) Luan took his rapt listeners from a Chinese concentration camp in 1968, where he and his parents were held during the Cultural Revolution, to his new life with a terrifying drunken uncle."

--Steven Winn, The Scene,
San Francisco Chronicle, 12/4/02

"the Porch Light storytelling series -- a brilliant newcomer to the spoken word scene, organized by Arline Klatte and Beth Lisick..."

--8 Days a Week,
San Francisco Bay Guardian, 9/4/02

"Each event features an eclectic mixture of San Franciscans. Past storytellers have included Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, author Laura Fraser, a 70-year-old mushroom hunter, a tow truck driver and a forensic scientist. The stories range from hilarious to poignant."

Erin English,
Downtown