I just spent a lovely evening with fellow Bernie supporters at a book signing with Jonathan Tasini in San Francisco. If you’re interested, he’ll be at a repeat event in Oakland tonight.

Jonathan’s book, The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America, provides excerpts from Bernie’s speeches, articles and interviews, organized by topic. It’s meant to be used as a guide for activists: “I wanted a book that people could hand from person to person and say, ‘This is what Bernie says. This is what Bernie has said for years.'”

Jonathan has known Bernie for quite a while. As the president of the National Writers Union, a position he held from 1990 to 2003, he used to wander the halls of Congress meeting with representatives and senators on labor issues. He said last night that meeting with Bernie, then in the House of Represenatives, felt like a “waste of time”: The man was not only on board, but steering the ship.

Bernie has now asked Jonathan to act as something of a proxy, going to rallies that Bernie can’t attend.

At the event in Oakland tonight, you can expect to hear about some of those rallies and some of the folks he’s met along the way. Jonathan will also take questions and talk about some the hurdles the progressive movement faces and the successes it’s seen.

Jonathan is confident that Bernie can win the nomination. “When he first announced, I used to say that he had a very very very steep hill,” he said last night. “I probably used about 10 very’s.”

Now: “I just say it’s a steep hill. And I believe he will win.”

The book signing is tonight at the The Octopus Literary Salon at 2101 Webster St, Oakland. You can RSVP and learn more details on Facebook.