And yet, and yet... even after this weekend's Fungus Fair and my ensuing blithe commentary, I am not quite ready to turn my mind to things unrelated to the mushroom. It's a little like how I was with beards this summer. Luckily, 'shrooms are multifarious, earthy, adorable, subversive-leaning, and utterly delicious! Or poisonous, sometimes. Below, my four favorite mushroom gift ideas for the season of buying things “for other people.”

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All photos by Erik Anderson

“See, it's starting to smell.” It's day two of the Mycological Society of San Francisco's winter Fungus Fair at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science this weekend and the 'shrooms are getting a little funky. MSSF member Peter Wegner is showing us around the caps and stems and he sounds a little apologetic for the earthy musk that has descended on us as we enter the fair's specimen room. 

But he needn't be – the sight of the room's fungi, collected by society volunteers in the Bay Area over the past few days from 25 forage sites, more than makes up for any scent it emits. Not to mention the fair's culinary offerings, educational bonanza, and the 'shroom gnome hats so delicately worn by gung-ho clan members – this is the cardinal event of the country's largest amateur mushroom society. 

Fungus Fair, I think I love you. Read more »

There is a certain faction of society -- I think it's pretty large, if you judge by NorCal standards -- that regards Wavy Gravy as some sort of mystical deity from their parents' generation. We're not sure what he did, but you should probably address him as Mr. Gravy 'til he tells you not to.

This is a perception that is left unquibbled-with by director Michelle Esrick's ten year labor of docu-love, Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie (opening Fri/3 in Bay Area theaters), and further untouched by my interview with Esrick and the man himself. Read more »

What will your art look like when you have trouble remembering your last painting -- or offspring? On the week of next, you'll be able to sip your Cafe International espresso and ponder the answer. In the cafe's new art installation, one-third of the pieces on the walls will be by Alzheimer patients (Tues/7). 

What you can look forward to: “The pointillist and – let's call it aboriginal flavor of some of the work can be seen as a common trait," says Patricia Ris, co-curator of the exhibit. "Some artists will bend their vertical lines, and there seems to be a tendency toward some aspects of surrealism and superimposition. But I'm being very unscientific here." 

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