Look at the ground, and you'll see words that fell out of books written by 90 neighborhood authors. Raise your eyes and you'll see the books they fell out of.
This is "Language of the Birds," the flying book-themed installation by Brian Goggin and Dorka Keehn. The electricity that makes the books pulse with lights at night comes from the solar panels on top of the City Lights bookstore.
Raise your eyes higher, and you'll see Bill Weber's Jazz Mural showing famous local musicians, historical figures, and city activists. You'll recognize emperor Norton in his uniform, Benny Goodman on clarinet, Gene Krupa on drums, Teddy Wilson on piano, and former mayors Jimmy Brown and Gavin Newsom.
Mr. Weber credits his client, Giovanni Torracca, with the idea for this mural portraying an intersection of Chinatown, North Beach, and Barbary Coast.