If you live in San Francisco, you don’t have to run away to join the circus. Not only does The City offer a plethora of circus-themed entertainment, it is one of the few places where you can juggle, trapeze, tightrope and trampoline in your spare time and scarf a funnel cake for dessert. Here’s a roundup: S.F. Circus Center Read More

Best-selling author Ciji Ware’s latest novel, “A Race to Splendor,” released Friday, revisits San Francisco in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake, weaving in the history of architect Julia Morgan and the rebuilding of the Fairmont Hotel. Read More

What do Zeus, Godzilla, Joan of Arc and Skeletor all have in common? According to rabid history buff and author Ben Thompson, they’re all badass.Thompson always has preferred the dramatic side of history. The battles, maniacal despots with megalomania and sword-swinging soldiers that saturate much of history made him wonder why most history books were so boring.Finding himself less than challenged by his 9-to-5 cubicle life, in 2004 Thompson, as a joke, created Badassoftheweek.com, a tribute to badass champions — which doesn’t include himself. Read More

Paul Taylor’s smile is audible. Every interview is ironic for the 80-year-old choreographer. “One of the reasons I decided to try and be a dancer was that I thought I wouldn’t have to talk,” Taylor laughs. “It hasn’t always proved true,” he adds in his smooth, dulcet tones.Despite his ambivalence toward language, many of Taylor’s key works in his vast oeuvre of 133 dances include songs, such as the Depression-era tunes of “Black Tuesday,” one of the eight works to be performed by his company starting Wednesday at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Read More

Nutrition researcher Neal Barnard is the author of “21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart: Boost Metabolism, Lower Cholesterol, and Dramatically Improve Your Health.” He will discuss the regimen on PBS throughout March. Do you think animal products impair weight loss? Definitely. Studies show that the more animal products are consumed, the fatter the people tend to be on average. Cheese is 70 percent fat; if it were any worse, it would be Vaseline. It’s not that we’re eating too many Brussels sprouts; that’s not our problem. Read More

Mary Cranston, a senior partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman will be honored with the Commonwealth Club’s Distinguished Citizen Award at the group’s 23rd annual dinner at the Palace Hotel on Tuesday.What sacrifices did you make along the way to achieve such professional success? Read More

Comedian James Judd doesn’t get his laughs from fiction.  His hilarious personal tales are the root of his award-winning show, which returns to the stage this weekend at the Exit Theatre in a revamped production, “7SINS…One More Time.”Called “David Sedaris on a pot of coffee” by one critic, Judd’s autobiographical comedy has been known to split a few sides. “Someone always asks me at the end of the night, ‘That story wasn’t really true, was it?’ Yes, the stories are true,” is Judd’s emphatic response. Read More