Celebrate National Poetry Month with Poets Reading at Mar Vista Library, LAPL
Join L.A. writer and host Brian Dunlap at the Mar Vista Library as he welcomes three powerful local poets of color to Send off National Poetry Month in style.
Bridgette Bianca is a poet and professor from South Central Los Angeles. She has performed her poetry in venues all around Southern California, and is one half of the literary curating team, Making Room for Black Women, with Sanunra Williams of My lit Box. Her first book of poetry will be released by Writ Large Press in 2020.
Nikolai Garcia grew up in South Central Los Angeles; currently works with homeless youth in East Hollywood; and has been sleeping in Compton for the last fifteen years. He is an Associate Editor for Dryland, a literary arts journal based in South Central. His first chapbook, “Nuclear Shadows of Palm Trees,” will be released this summer through DSTL Arts.
Irene Sanchez, Ph.D, Poet, Teacher was born in South East Los Angeles and raised in LA and later the Inland Empire (Jurupa Valley, CA). She is a Xicana and mama, award winning poet, and writer. She is co-founder of the Southwest Political Report and founder of Xicana Ph.D. where you can find some of her writings.
Irene is the co-host of a monthly poetry open mic in Pomona, CA called Poetry y Pan at Cafe con Libros Press. In 2017 she received a fellowship to attend The Pink Door writers retreat. She is a VONA 2018 alum for the poetry workshop with Willie Perdomo. She is the 2018 winner of the Joe Hill Labor Poetry Award. Her work has been featured in/by Zócalo Public Square, KPCC, Remezcla, Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed and more. Irene has spoken/presented at over 50 colleges/universities.
Now based out of the San Gabriel Valley in LA County, Irene teaches high school Latinx Studies and can often be found at a community/cultural event with her family. For more information: www.irenesanchezphd.com
Brian Dunlap is a native Angeleño who still lives in Los Ángeles. He explores and captures the city’s stories that are hidden in plain sight. He is the author of the chapbook Concrete Paradise (2018) from Finishing Line Press. Dunlap is the winner of the 2018 Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize from december magazine judged by former Los Ángeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez. His poems and book reviews have been published in Angel City Review, CCM-Entropy, California Quarterly and Dryland, among others. He has an article forthcoming in the June issue of L.A. Parent. He runs the blog site www.losangelesliterature.wordpress.com, a resource to explore L.A.’s vast literary culture.
Where: Mar Vista Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 29th
Time: 6 pm – 7:300 pm
Address: 12006 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90066
Website: https://www.lapl.org.whats-on/events/poetry-reading
Wendall Thomas & Drowned Under at the Last Bookstore
Join us to meet screenwriting professor and author Wendall Thomas, who will read and discuss her book, the second Cyd Redondo novel, Drowned Under. The author will read excerpts and discuss how she researched the exotic (and not so exotic) locations for her travel adventure series.
When Brooklyn travel agent Cyd Redondo’s former in-laws go missing on an Australian cruise, she helicopters Down Under, only to stumble over a dead body and a desperate plot to save the world’s last Tasmanian tiger.
NOTE: All of the bookstore’s book clubs and programs are ticketed events, so see website for details.
Where: The Last Bookstore
Date: Monday the 29th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Website: http://lastbookstorela.com/#events
Slam Poetry Reading & Cleveland High’s Spoken Word Team at Northridge Library, LAPL
Please join us for a special performance by the Cleveland Charter High School award-winning Spoken Word team, featuring talented student poets who will perform classic poems and their own responses to the classics.
Refreshments will be provided. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the outstanding work of local students.
Where: Northridge Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 9051 Darby Ave., Northridge, CA 90266
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-om/events/spoken-word-cleveland-highs-poetry-team
Second Impressions: Poetry Night at Anaheim Public Library
What better way to wrap up National Poetry Month than a poetic rendezvous with all the OC poets? Join us for an intimate evening of networking, mingling, refreshments and fun as we indulge in poetry from diverse members of our OC poetry community.
Refreshments will be provided. Enrty is free and there is parking in the adjacent lot so bring your poetry and friends.
Programs and performers will be posted soon!
Where: Anaheim Public Library
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 500 W. Broadway, Anaheim, CA
Website: http://www.facebook.com/events/311035173155808/
Susan Holmes McKagan & The Velvet Rose at Book Soup
Please join us to hear author Susan Homes McKagan present and sign her novel, The Velvet Rose. This is a page-turner, frequently injected with laugh-out-loud humor, and a heralded debut as demonstrating the roof of authenticity of a nineties voyage.
In the early nineties, Scarlet, a painter and high fashion model, finds herself working in the world’s most famous fashion capitals. When she meets Johnnie, one of The Westies, an up-and-coming band, an unhinged ride of fame, addiction, and infidelity unfolds for them as they try to find their way.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: http://www.booksoup.com/event/susan-holmes-mckagan-discusses-and-signs-the-velvet-rose
WeHo Reads Literary Series &Lingua Franca at Book Soup
Please join us to hear West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Charles Flowers present an evening of curated international poetry, inspired by Adrienne Rich’s “Dream of a Common Language.”
NOTE: This is a ticketed event, so check website for details.
Where: West Hollywood City Council Chambers
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: http://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/weho-reads
Deconstructing Scenes Writing Series: Voice Series at L.A. Writers Group
Please join us for the next in our series of writing workshops, Deconstructing Scenes: Voice, to learn how to figure out your writer’s voice, and how to give your characters unique voices. This series of workshops is led by Nicole Criona.
NOTE: This is a ticketed event, so check website for details.
Where: Los Angeles Writers Group Headquarters
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1728 Laurel Canyon Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046
Website: http://www.lawritersgroup.com/workshops/voice-050119/
Dahlia Schweitzer & L.A. Private Eyes at Skylight Bookstore
Join us to hear author Dahlia Schweitzer discuss and sign her book, L.A. Private Eyes.
This book examines the tradition of the private eye as it evolves in films, books, and TV shows set in Los Angeles from the 1930s through the present day. It takes a closer look at the narratives—both on the screen and on the printed page—in which detectives travel the streets of L.A., uncovering corruption, moral ambiguity, and greed with the conviction of urban cowboys, while always ultimately finding truth and redemption.
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: http://www.skylightbookstore.com/event/dahlia-schweitzer-reads-her-new-book-la-private-eyes
Matthew McGough & The Lazarus Files at the Last Bookstore
Please join us to hear author Matthew McGough discuss his book, The Lazarus Files: A Cold Case Investigation, with LAPD detective Jim Nuttall.
This is a deeply reported, riveting account of a cold case murder in Los Angeles, unsolved until DNA evidence implicated a shocking suspect—a female detective within the LAPD’s own ranks. The lives of newlyweds Sherri and John Rasmussen, and John’s ex-girlfriend, LAPL Detective Stephanie Lazarus, comprised a love triangle that led to Sherri’s murder, and also and suggests she might have been protected by her fellow officers.
NOTE: This is a ticketed event, so check website for details.
Where: The Last Bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Website: /http://lastbookstorela.com/#events
tete-a-tete: queer focused reading series and open mic at BookShowLA
Please join us for tete-a-tete: queer focused reading series and open mic, a queer and ally focused event hosted by Anthony AW!!! Poetry, fiction, and non-fiction are allowed, and our feature is Eric Howard.
Where: BookShowLA
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 5503 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: http://bookshowla.com/event/tete-a-tete-queer-focused-reading-series-and-open-mic/
Redondo Poets Open Mic at Coffee Cartel
Please join the Redondo Poets to welcome this week’s feature, Kathy Goldman, and participate in the weekly Open Mic. Redondo Poets is recommended by Mike “The Poet” Sonksen, and has been a mainstay of the Los Angeles Poetry scene for 20 years.
Where: Coffee Cartel
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 1820 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Website: http://www.facebook.com/RedondoPoets
Soapbox Sessions Open Mic at Maui Sugar Saloon
Soapbox Nation’s adventure began in 2006 when founder, Jason Brain, started an open mic at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Encino, CA. This event for musicians, poets, and comedians began slowly building a word-of-mouth following and really hit its stride in 2008. Now Soapbox is at a different location, but still in the Valley.
Where: Maui Sugar Saloon
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 8 pm – 12 pm
Address: 18389 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356
Website: http://www.facebook.com/SoapboxOpenMic/
Da Poetry Lounge-Open Mic
About: All you have ot do is put your name on the signup sheet. The first half signup happens outside before doors open (around 8-ish). Signing up for the first half does not guarantee entry, so stay in line! For the second half signup, line up nest to the microphone on stage during the five minute break in between halves and wait for the list to get to you. Keep in mind that each half has its own signup list. So if you don’t get called during the 1st half, you need to re-signup for the 2nd half. Sorry, you can only perform at one half per night. They usually call up about 12-15 people each half at an Open Mic, depending if they have a special feature or not. Sadly, they cannot guarantee that all who sign up will read. So remember, arrive early. There is a TIME LIMIT. You have 3 minutes at the mic to do your poem. Please be respectful of time as we try to accommodate as many people as possible.
Cost: $5
Where: The Greenway Court Theater
Date: Tuesday the 30th
Time: 9 pm – 12 pm (every Tuesday)
Address: 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website: http://dapoetrylounge.com/visiting-dpl/open-mic/
Sandy Abrams & Breathe to Succeed at Pages Bookstore
Please join us to hear author Sandy Abrams present and sign her book, Breathe to Succeed.
Technology has revolutionized the business sector. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, employee, CEO, or executive, you’re feeling the effects of less humanity and more technology. Our minds are distracted, our attention spans are shortened, we want everything on demand, in boxes are never empty, etc. This cannot be the new normal. Breathe is the answer.
Where: Pages Bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 1st
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: http://www.pagesabookstore.com/event/sandy-abrams-launches-her-new-book-breathe-succeed
Jamie Hernandez & Is This How You See Me? at Skylight Bookstore
Please join us to meet author Jaime Hernandez, in conversation with Nina Gregory, to read and discuss his new graphic novel, Is This How You See Me?
In Love and Rockets, Hernandez has followed the lives of the queer, Chicano cast of characters for over 30 years of romance, heartbreak, and the self-awareness that comes with age. In this book he hones in on two beloved characters, Maggie and Hopey, flashing backward and forward in time to reveal how the passage of time has molded these LA punks into complex middle-aged women.
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 1st
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Anansi Writers Workshop & Open Mic at the World Stage
The Anansi Writers Workshop was founded in 1990 by Kamau Daáood, Akilah Oliver, Nafis Nabawi and Anthony Lyons. In 1993, Michael Datcher initiated the development of a three-part format for the workshop. Their tradition of a community workshop began in the late 1960s at the Watts Writers’ Workshop, where World Stage co-founder Kamau Daáood started his writing career. The Anansi Writers Workshop is coordinated by V. Kali and Conney Williams.
Where: The World Stage
Date: Wednesday the 1st
Time: 7:30 pm –10 pm; Reading at 8:30– 9:30 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: http://www.theworldstage.org/anansi-writers or
Alyssandra Nightswonger Reading at the Ugly Mug
Join Two Idiots Peddling Poetry to welcome poet Alesssandra Nightswonger, who will present and discuss her work.
Alessandra Nightswonger is a singer-songwriter who thrives on the heartbeat of Long beach, CA. She most recently released her solo album. When my love knot slips…and then did a 1450 mile music-tour-by-bicycle down the west coast. She has been hosting an open mic event at Viento y Agua coffeehouse every Thursday since 2007.
Where: The Ugly Mug
Date: Wednesday the 1st
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: http://www.facebook.com/events/305134910182484
Art Block Zine Workshop by DSTL Arts at Arroyo Seco Regional Library, LAPL
Express yourself in this zine workshop open to teens and families with children. Write, draw, and publish your art with a professional artist. Learn the different formats of making a zine!
This workshop is offered the first Thursday of the Month at 4 pm.
Where: Arroyo Seco Regional Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 4 pm
Address: 6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/art-block-zine-workshop-dstl-arts-0
Viet Thanh Nguyen, with Lisa See, & The Displaced at Diesel Bookstore
Please join Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen, in conversation with acclaimed author Lisa See, to discuss his book, The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives.
The author called on seventeen fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their experiences, and the result is Displaced, a powerful dispatch form the individual lives behind current headlines, with proceeds to support the International Refugee Committee. (IRC). Contributors include: Reyna Grande, Fatima Bhutto, Aleksandar Hemon, Thi Bui, David Bezmozgis, and Hmong writer Kao Kalia Yang.
Where: Diesel Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Santa Monica, CA 90402
Ian Doescher & Much Ado About Mean Girls at Vroman’s Bookstore
Join us to hear author Ian Doescher present and discuss William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Mean Girls.
Power struggles. Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it’s pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn’t write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama–and heroic hilarity–of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognized cultural phenomenon, and it’s more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover. (Quirk Books)
Ian will also be presenting the also newly released William Shakespeare’s Get Thee Back to the Future.
Where: Vroman’s Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 7 pm
Address: 693 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Poets Jazz House Open Mic at Irie Vibes Art Space
About: A Spoken Word and Music Lounge where spilling your heart is art and searching your soul is mandatory to get in the door. They are a beatnik Tea House where there’s snapping instead of clapping. The atmosphere is lax but it Sssizzles. They invite you to come touch, be touched, hear the answer and heed the call. They’re just a cozy little house where everyone feels at home.
Where: Irie Vibes Art Space
When: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 7pm – 10pm
Address: 6563 Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90044
Website: Poets Jazz House
Seth & Clyde Fans at Skylight Bookstore
Please join us to hear author Seth present and discuss his new graphic novel, Clyde Fans, in conversation with author Scott Timberg.
This is Seth’s highly anticipated masterpiece, and it follows Abe and Simon Matchcard, two brothers whose lives are defined by their doomed family business, selling oscillating fans in a world switching to air conditioning. Seth’s insightful storytelling and gorgeous urban landscapes are showcased in this epic yet intimate time capsule of the midcentury capitalist dream.
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/seth-discusses-his-new-graphic-novel-clyde-fans-scott-timberg
Reyna Biddy & A Psalm for Us at the Last Bookstore
Please join us to hear a mellifluous night of poetry presented by spoken word poet and author Reyna Biddy, who will sign and read from her recent book, I Love my Love.
Biddy presents a spiritual inquiry in four parts—the blues, epiphany, prayer, and rebirth. This book is a soulful collection of poems, self-affirmations, and short stories exploring questions of spirit, religion, faith, and self.
NOTE: This is a ticketed event so check website for details.
Where: The Last Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Website: /http://lastbookstorela.com/#events
Just Write for an Hour at BookShowLA
The concept is simple. Everyone receives a writing prompt. Everyone writes for an hour. This is a fun way to get out of the house and to do some writing among a group of fellow scribes.
BookShow will provide water and light snacks. You are welcome to BYOB, if that is your thing. RSVP at website.
NOTE: $5 donation.
Where: BookShowLA
Date: Thursday the 2nd
Time: 8 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 5503 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: http://bookshowla.com/event/just-write-for-an-hour-/
Culturama: Weekend of the Arts
About: Mt. San Antonio College is hosting Culturama: Weekend of the Arts featuring the 12th annual Writers’ Weekend. This event is open to participants from our college, other California colleges, and the surrounding community. Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction writers, journalistic writers, scriptwriters, actors, graphic artists, fine artists, DJs, electronic music performers, commercial musicians, drummers, and all creative minds: this is your chance to network, workshop, and create with others who share your passion.
Where: Mount San Antonio College
Date: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the 3rd, 4th and 5th
Time: Friday 12 pm – 5 pm; Saturday 9 am – 10 pm; Sunday 9 am – 2:15 pm
Address: 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut, CA 91789
Website: https://my.mtsac.edu/culturama/
Cara Robertson & The Trial of Lizzie Borden at Vroman’s Bookstore
Join Vroman’s to hear author Cara Robertson present and sign The Trial of Lizzie Borden.
This is the remarkable new account of an essential piece of America mythology—the trial of Lizzie Borden—based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence. This book is the he true story of one of the most sensational murder trials in American history.
Cara Robertson is a lawyer and a former Supreme Court law clerk. She served as a legal adviser to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford Law School. She first started researching the Lizzie Borden story as a senior at Harvard, and published her first paper on the trial in the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities in 1997. The Trial of Lizzie Borden is her first book.
Where: Vroman’s Bookstore
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 7 pm
Address: 693 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: http://www.vromansbookstore.com/events/cara-robertson-discusses-and-signs-trial-lizzie-borden
Ann Beattie & Wonderful Stroke of Luck at Book Soup
Please join Book Soup to welcome beloved author Ann Beattie and hear her present and discuss her new book, Wonderful Stroke of Luck.
At a boarding school in New Hampshire, Ben joins the honor society led by Pierre LaVerdere, an enigmatic, brilliant, yet perverse, teacher who instructs his students not only about how to reason, but how to prevaricate. As the years go by, LaVerdere’s covert and overt instruction lingers in his students’ lives as they seek some sense of purpose or meaning. When Ben feels the pace of his life accelerating and views his intimate relationships as less and less fulfilling, there seems to be a subtext he’s not able to access. And what, really, did Bailey Academy teach him? While relationships with his stepmother and sister improve, and a move to upstate New York offers respite from his anxiety about love and work, LaVerdere’s reappearance in his life disturbs his equilibrium. Everything he once thought he knew about his teacher–and himself–is called into question. Written by one of our most iconic writers, known for casting a cold eye on her generation’s ambivalence and sometimes mistaken ambition, A Wonderful Stroke of Luck is a keenly observed psychological study of a man who alternates between careful driving and hazardous risk taking, as he struggles to incorporate his past into the vertiginous present. (Viking)
Where: Book Soup
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: http://www.booksoup.com/event/ann-beattie-discusses-and-signs-wonderful-stroke-luck
Exposition Review Vol IV Launch & Reading at Skylight Bookstore
Please join the Exposition Review editors as we celebrate our latest issue, Vol. IV: “Wonder” with our launch party & reading.
Enjoy wine and refreshments while you listen to our features: Kyla Redmond Fitzpatrick, Jean Jackman, Tim McAdams, WriteGirl mentees, and more TBA!
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/exposition-review-vol-iv-wonder-launch-party-reading
Four Special Poets at Beyond Baroque
Acclaimed poets and writers Marsha de la O and Charles Harper Webb will read from their new books, Every Ravening Thing and Sidebend World, respectively, They will be accompanied by David St. John and Suzanne Lummis, also reading their work.
NOTE: This is a ticketed event so see website for details.
Where: Beyond Baroque
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 681 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: http://http://beyondbaroque.org/calendar.html
First Fridays Reading Series & Open Mic at Rapp Saloon
Since 2000 a Santa Monica open mic presenting three featured speakers and a night of Poetry, Prose, Music, Theater, Dance, and Comedy, in the oldest historical building in Santa Monica–the Rapp Saloon.
Features TBA.
When: Every first Saturday of the month: 8:30pm
Where: Rapp Saloon
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Address: 1436 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Rapp-Saloon-Reading-Series-122145672327 /
House Open Mic at BookShowLA
This is a safe space for people who need a safe space. This free Open Mic is dedicated to amplifying under-heard voices, and meets every first Friday of the month.
Sign-ups start at 8 pm; show starts at 8:30 pm.
Where: BookShowLA
Date: Friday the 3rd
Time: 8 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 5503 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: http://bookshowla.com/event/house-open-mic-2/
Free Comic Book Day at Benjamin Franklin Branch Library, LAPL
All kids and teens are invited to stop by and get a free comic book. One book per person, while supplies last.
Where: Benjamin Franklin Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Address: 2200 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
Website: http://www.whats-on/events/free-comic-book-day-0
True Stories from Honest History Magazine at Flintridge Bookstore – Kids Event
Honest History is the new adventure magazine for young historians (ages 8-12), featuring true tales of the past accompanied by beautiful illustrations and fun activities. Each topic is carefully researched and we encourage readers to do their own research and dig deeper into learning about their passions.
Where: Flintridge Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Address: 1010 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011
Website: http://www.flintridgebooks.com/instore-events/2019/5/4/storytime
Culturama Workshop: Your Place
William Faulkner once said, “I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.”
What is your little postage stamp of native soil? Is it your hometown? The place you live in now? Who lives there? What’s the history of that place? How did that place help shape how you and anyone else views and understand the world? How do people live in that place. Most importantly, what are its stories?
This workshop, hosted by L.A. writers Brian Dunlap, introduces students to the basic elements of the literature of place. It explores how to understand and use a place’s history in narrative or verse, how people talk about place (the language they use) or a specific place and the cultures that make up the identity of any specific place. At the end students pen stories or poems about where they’re from or about the place they call home. Sign-up is needed to attend the workshop.
Where: Mt. Sac, Building 26D, Room 2420
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 9:30 am – 10:45 am
Address: 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut, CA 91789
Website: https://my.mtsac.edu/culturama/saturday.html
Carter Higgins & Bikes for Sale at Diesel Bookstore – Kids Event
Join us to celebrate Children’s Book Week! Carter Higgins will present and sign her book at a special story time, Bikes for Sale, perfect for children ages 4-7 and their parents. This is a delightful falling-in-like tale about two soon-to-friends who find each other while going about their separate routines.
Where: Diesel Bookstore, lower outdoor courtyard
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 11 am
Address: 225 26th St., Santa Monica, CA 90402
Ileana Soon & Night Train at Vroman’s Bookstore – Kids Event
Please join us to celebrate Children’s Book Week and welcome author Ileana Soon to present and sign Night Train: A Journey from Dusk to Dawn.
This debut picture book illustrator takes readers along on a steam engine’s journey through the night, from a city to a small town, and the rhythmic text is perfect for bedtime reading.
Where: Vroman’s Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 11 am
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: http://www.vromansbooks.com/event/ileana-soon-presents-and-signs-night-train-journey-dusk-dawn
Book to Action: Mass Incarceration at Edendale Branch Library, LAPL
Please join us for a Book to Action event on Mass Incarceration and the Challenges of Re-Entry, with a discussion by Farah Godrej with Tim Kornegay and Billy Taing.
Ms. Godrej is Associate Professor of Political Science at UC Riverside, and she is the author of Cosmopolitan Political Thought: Method, Practice, Discipline.
Where: Edendale Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: 2011 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/mass-incarceration-and-challenges-re-entry
L.A. Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis at Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Please join us for a Poetry Reading by L.A. Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis, who will read from her 2015 National Book Award poetry debut collection, Voyage of the Sable Venus.
Lewis is the writer-in-residence at USC, a fellow for the Institute for the Humanities and a Ford Foundation Art of Change fellow.
Where: Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 4625 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/la-poet-laureate-robin-coste-lewis-reads-memorial
Emerging Urban Poets Writing Workshop at Santa Catalina Library
Join Saturday Afternoon Poetry to participate in an Emerging Urban Poets Writing Workshop led by curator Don Kingfisher Campbell.
Where: Santa Catalina Library, Pasadena
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 999 Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104
Website: http://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature In and Around Los Angeles at Eaton Canyon Nature Center (Vroman’s off-site) – Kids Event
Please join us to celebrate the release of The Natural History Museum’s book, Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature In and Around Los Angeles, with contributors Lila Higgins and Greg Pauley.
This is an exclusive hiking tour of Eaton Canyon, and all tickets include one spot on the hike and one copy of the book.
NOTE: This is a ticketed event so check website for details.
Where: Eaton Canyon Nature Center
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 1750 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: http://www.vromansbooks.com/event/hiking-tour-eaton-canyon-vromans-wild-la
Expressions LA Poetry Reading Series at Studio City Branch Library, LAPL
Join us for our Expressions LA Poetry Reading Series. You can sign up for 4-6 minute readings, and there is at least one featured poet every week.
Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/expressions-la-poetry-reading-series-0
Wide Open Reading Series at Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library, LAPL
Join us for our Wide Open Poetry Reading Series, and bring poems, art, performance and music to share. New members are welcome.
Where: Sunland-Tujunga Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 7771 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga, CA 91042
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/wide-open-reading-5
Game Town: A Skylar Drake Mystery at Gatsby’s Bookstore
Join us to hear authors Janet Lynn & Will Zeilinger present their new book, Game Town: A Skylar Drake Mystery.
Skylar Drake is haired as a body guard for two young starlets, but when he delivers them home after the Emmy Awards ceremony, he stumbles into the murder of Silver Brovor-Smith, the mother of one of his charges. The FBI is on the scene, and the high-profile family must be kept from the front page news.
Where: Gatsby’s Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 5535 E. Spring St., Long Beach, CA 90808
Website: http://gatsbybooks.com/events-game-town-a-skylar-drake-mystery-sat-may-4th-3pm
Lizzie Post & Higher Etiquette at Book Soup
Join us to hear author Lizzie Post present and sign her book, Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannibis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties. This book reminds us that as the new post-prohibition era ends, there is a lot to think of when dealing with issues of pot in the social arena.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 4 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd.., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Roberto Sirvent & American Exceptionalism at Skylight Bookstore
Please join us to hear author Roberto Sirvent, in conversation with Amber Rose Howard, present his book American Exceptionalism and American Innocence. This book examines the stories we’re told which make us think that the U.S. is a force for good in the world—regardless of slavery, the genocide of indigenous peoples, and more than a century’s worth of imperialist war that the U.S. has wrought on the planet.
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/
Poetry in Motion at Beyond Baroque
Since 1988 Eve Brandstein has presented an eclectic array of writers form the literary and Hollywood communities in this performance series. This season she will feature special events and solo performances. Check out her website and facebook page for more information.
Where: Beyond Baroque
Date: Saturday the 4th
Time: 8 pm
Address: 681 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 9029
Website: http://beyondbaroque.org/calendar.html
Westchester Pop-Up Bookstore by Gatsby’s Bookstore at Westchester Farmer’s Market
Join us to enjoy the Gatsby’s Books Pop-Up Bookstore at the Westchester Farmer’s Market.
Where: Westchester Farmer’s Market (behind Staples on Sepulveda Blvd.)
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Address: 6200 87th St., Westchester, CA 90045
Website: http://gatsbybooks.com/events-3#/westchester-popup-bookstore-sunday-9am-2pm
Paul Cummins & The Collected Poems at Book Soup
Join us to hear poet and author Paul Cummins present and sign his book, Paul Cummins: The Collected Poems. This collection from the renowned educator and social justice activist, covers the nearly 600 selected poems written from 1966-2017, and offers a clear and inspiring voice, with brilliant and sacred imagery, all the while allowing for uncommon accessibility. This volume includes sonnets, prose poems, odes, as well as various metered and stanzaic poems.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Sunday the 4th
Time: 12 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd.., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website; http://www.booksoup.com/event/paul-cummins-discusses-and-signs-paul-cummins-collected-poems
Poetry Reading at Poetic Research Bureau
Please join us to hear two featured poets read and discuss their work:
Samuel Ace is the author of several books, including Our Weather, Our Sea, forthcoming from Black Radish Books in spring 2019. He teaches poetry and writing at Mount Holyoke College.
Ali Liebegott is the author of the novels, Cha-Ching! (City Lights, 2013), and The Beautifully Worthless (Suspect Thoughts, 2005). She writes for the TV show Transparent.
Where: Poetic Research Bureau
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 3 pm (note time)
Address: 951 Chung King Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Website: https://www.poeticresearchbureau.com
First Sunday Open Reading at Beyond Baroque
Join us for our popular monthly open reading hosted by Steve Goldman.
Sign-ups begin at 4:45 pm. There is a five minute limit.
Where: Beyond Baroque
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 681 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: http://http://beyondbaroque.org/calendar.html
Antonio Gonzalez & Architecture at Skylight Bookstore
Please join us to hear author Antonio Gonzalez present his book Architects Who Built Southern California. He tells the stories of the people behind some of our most iconic buildings.
Where: Skylight Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Duende Nights Open Reading at Beyond Baroque
Join us for our multimedia poetry performance experience organized by Antonieta Villalmil.
Where: Beyond Baroque
Date: Sunday the 5th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 681 N. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: http://http://beyondbaroque.org/calendar.html
Los Angeles Literature 