Travels in San Francisco

In this collection of light sketches Gold presents his impressions of groovers, flower-child adults and cosmic artists--with a square citizen or two thrown in for good measure--whom he encountered while hanging out in a city where ``uptight is the minimum daily requirement of what not to be.'' In affectless prose he gives the reader a series of still-lives, refers to a few picture-postcard sites and says disappointingly little. At the end only one strong impression lingers: Gold would prefer that you not smoke in his presence. With few exceptions the sketches fail to convey a sense of place, in this most there of American cities. Gold ( Dreaming ) has lived in San Francisco for almost 30 years, but these pieces reveal virtually nothing about the city and its ``colorful characters'' that can't be glommed by a tourist on a brief visit. Photos. (Feb.)