Poem Dome: City Hall: May 12th, 2009, 5:30 to 8pm. Following the Supervisor's meeting, the fourth Poems under the Dome will be held in City Hall's north light court. In the spirit of John Ross and San Francisco's open mic scene, this revolutionary soapbox reading is open to everyone. This event has been very popular in the past, so we ask that each reader stay within three minutes. Space will be provided for poets and small presses to display their work, bringing the written word into this year's mix. This idea is the brainchild of Diamond Dave Whitaker, and through the support of the Mayor's Office, the Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Public Library this event will celebrate poetry in the most inclusive, exclusively San Francisco way. Come join us, participate or just listen in. Verse has a place in the heart of the city; let's celebrate it! Poems under the Dome will be held in the North Light Court of City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place from 5:30 to 8pm. Related links: An updated note: http://www.poets.org/viewevent.php/prmEventID/5374 The online flier and information from last year's event: http://www.poemdome.com/ Something about Diamond Dave Whittaker: http://www.sfbg.com/bob/2007/local.php#diamond May 12th at 3:30 pm, Celebrating, honoring John Ross SAN FRANCISCO (April 27) The City of San Francisco will honor poet, journalist, and globetrotting troublemaker JOHN ROSS during the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting on May 12 at 3:30 p.m. San Francisco will honor Ross for his lifework as an activist journalist from the mountains of Chiapas to Palestine to Baghdad on the eve of the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, which has now taken over a million lives. John Ross is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction including the Upton Sinclair Award-winning "Murdered By Capitalism: 150 Years of Life & Death on the American Left" and "Rebellion from the Roots: Zapatista Uprising In Chiapas" (American Book Award 1995).  Ross's "El Monstruo: True Tales of Dread & Redemption in Mexico City" will be published this fall by Nation Books, and the Ross-assembled "Iraqigirl: Growing Up Under U.S. Occupation" will be in the bookstores this May. In addition, Ross, a younger Beat poet, has produced nine chapbooks of poetry and will perform a recent poem at the May 12th meeting of the Board of Supervisors.  As a journalist, John Ross's articles have appeared in major publications throughout the Americas.  He is a regular contributor to Counterpunch (online) and has been a contributing editor to the San Francisco Bay Guardian since 198l. John Ross is an expatriate who rebels against the social and economic politics of the U.S. and has lived in the old quarter of Mexico City ("El Centro Historico") for the past quarter of a century. Currently battling liver cancer, Ross was recently assaulted by San Francisco police officers while witnessing a rough arrest on the corner of Valencia and 24th Street in his beloved Mission District. This notice from : The Office of Supervisor Avalos CONTACT: (415) 554 6975, AvalosStaff@sfgov.org Please note: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors meetings are open to the public and John Ross encourages friends and enemies alike to attend the May 12th meeting at 3:30 p.m.