2101 Webster St. #170
Oakland CA 94612   
510-844-4120

The Octopus is a literary salon, re-interpreted in the 21st Century to engage and entertain readers, writers, musicians, artists of all ages in Uptown Oakland, California. The Octopus Literary Salon includes a most excellent café with delicious food, beer & wine, a small-scale specialty used and new bookstore (we sell used records too!), and a space for public readings and discussions as well as other literary spontaneity and, of course music performance. We even have a costume closet. Come by and play some records, the piano, eat a sandwich and chat with some nice people.

We think of a salon as "a gathering of people led by an inspiring host, held for amusement and to increase the knowledge of participants through conversation." The salons of the 1800s cited the Roman poet Horace’s aims of poetry, “either to please or to educate.” Today, the salon continues to be interpreted as a meeting place for readers and writers. Combine salon notions with the traditions of a public house or “pub” and we’ve arrived at our own real time “local,” The Octopus Literary Salon.

Our name is inspired by the fascinating sea creature, muse, and symbol used in literature and myth, compelling and multi-faceted. The octopus is highly intelligent, and renowned for its playfulness and shape shifting. The Giant Pacific Octopus is a native animal to the San Francisco bay area so befits a traditional pub name.
https://oaklandoctopus.org/