Node Quickview

Discover a side of San Francisco you won’t find in typical guidebooks. In Hidden San Francisco, writer and historian Chris Carlsson reimagines the city through four interconnected themes—ecology, labor, transit, and dissent—offering a layered exploration of place, power, and people. Moving beyond familiar landmarks, Carlsson traces the city’s deep history, including the lives and cultures of its Indigenous inhabitants prior to the 1849 Gold Rush, and examines how these forces continue to shape the city today. Thought-provoking and richly detailed, this talk invites you to see San Francisco with fresh eyes.

Chris Carlsson is a San Francisco–based writer, historian, and publisher. He is the co-founder of the independent publishing house City Lights’ Shaping San Francisco project and has written extensively on urban history, culture, and politics. Carlsson is also the author of several books, including Nowtopia and Ten Years That Shook the City, and is known for his engaging, community-centered approach to exploring the past and present of San Francisco.

Nowtopia | San Francisco Public Library | BiblioCommons

Ten Years That Shook the City | San Francisco Public Library | BiblioCommons