The Gastronomical Her

M.F.K. Fisher.

Where: San Francisco Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room A and B, 100 Larkin (at Hyde), 557-4400

When: Tonight, Mar. 9, 6:30-8 p.m.

Cost: Free

The rundown: Because her food writing interweaves so seamlessly with her inner thoughts and anecdotes, you may think you already know M.F.K. Fisher. Fear not: With personalities as oversized as Fisher's, there's always a few demons to discover. In the newly released biography An Extravagant Hunger, scholar Anne Zimmerman uses previously unpublished letters and journals to explore the darker side of this seminal scribe. Tonight Zimmerman will visit the SF Public Library to discuss the highs and lows of her revelatory book. Bleak marriages, family strife, struggles with depression ... it's a familiar tale, but Fisher makes for a fascinating object of examination.