World Literature Book Club Discussions: July Short Stories via West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Join us for a spirited and engaging discussion of the world’s best short stories! All selections are from Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories (New York, 1995) ed. James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny. This month’s selections are:
July 3: The Passing by Durango Mendoza
July 10: The Voice from the Wall by Amy Tan
July 17: Country by Jayne Anne Phillips
July 24: Scales by Louise Erdrich
July 31: The Bridle by Raymond Carver
For the Zoom link, please e-mail wvally@lapl.org with “World Literature” in the subject line.
Where: West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 10 am
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/world-literature-book-club-17
Mystery Book Club: Murder Under Her Skin via Woodland Hills Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Join our monthly Mystery Book Club meeting via Zoom on the first Monday of every month, except holidays which will meet the following Monday.
The book selection for July 3 is Murder Under Her Skin by Stephen Spotswood.
Discussion is facilitated by Mary C. Schaffer. Books are read in advance of the meetings and are available to borrow from the Woodland Hills Branch Library Reference Desk, or you may place a copy on hold through the library catalog or Libby app.
Please call the branch at 818-226-0017 or email woodln@lapl.org with any questions or for the Zoom link to the meeting.
Where: Woodland Hills Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 4 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-27
How to Write Your Own Story at Benjamin Franklin Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Do you have an idea for a story? Maybe a dragon who breathes bubbles? A zombie who only eats vegetables? Or a robot who wants to dance? Whatever your idea might be, let us help you in creating your own amazing character. Join Anthony Aguilar, playwright of the superhero adventure series, El Verde, as he guides you in writing a thrilling tale of your own set in the magnificent community of Boyle Heights.
Where: Benjamin Franklin Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 4 pm
Address: 2200 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/once-upon-time-boyle-heights-how-write-your-own-story
Meditation Monday with Alex Petunia via L.A. Poet Society – Online Zoom Event
Meditation Monday is a Self-Care workshop for the Writer led by poet Alex Petunia and offered by the L.A. Poet Society.
It includes breathing meditation, self-check-in, writing prompts, and affirmation.
See site for details. Register in advance.
Zoom: 840 2975 5764
Where: Los Angeles Poet Society
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 7 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/CrrKtyYv5IM/ or https://linktr.ee/lapoetsociety
Poetry Night Monday Open Mic & Featured Guests at The Platform, DTLA – In-Person Event
Join the Poetry Night Open Mic (Before the Comedy Open Mic) with Featured Guests, offered every Monday of the month at The Platform in DTLA.
Must RSVP on Instagram @ thekaliclub213.
Hosted by Lida Parent.
Featured poets TBA.
NOTE: RSVP required.
Where: The Platform, DTLA
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1056 Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Website: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10159766485254891&set=a.263642949890
Monday Night Fiction Workshop at Beyond Baroque – Zoom Online Event
This free Monday Night Fiction Workshop led by Raquel Baker is a community writing workshop in which participants are asked to bring copies of 2-3 pages of fiction to read, and to use for critique and discussion. Registration is required.
Raquel Baker earned a PhD in English Literary Studies from the University of Iowa and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Postcolonial and Transnational Literatures at California State University Channel Islands, teaching courses on creative writing and contemporary African literatures. Raquel has published poetry in Africology and The Arrow; fiction in Enculturation, The Daily Palette, The Womanist, and Crux; and non-fiction in Little Village; and has done readings with the Ventura County Poetry project. Raquel lives for talking about all things about the craft and social meanings of literature!
Where: Beyond Baroque – Online event
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-667474282547 or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-667474282547
Under the Mic Influence & Open Mic with SCARUB at LB Unified – In-Person Event
Join host Kuahmel Alyeeus KuahAllah and @djkevjam for poetry, Open Mic, rare grooves, cocktails, tasty bites.
Under the Mic Influence and Open Mic bring you poetry & battle rap dynamo @sistar_outspoken to set off 2023 in @lbunified with @djkevjam and yours truly. Vegan soul food from @anotherside0fsoul on deck all evening. BE THERE!
Featuring: SCARUB of Living Legends.
DM now to get at the #openmic!
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, and details.
Where: LB Unified Bar & Lounge
Date: Monday the 3rd
Time: 7:30 pm; Mic at 8 pm
Address: 2222 E. Anaheim, Long Beach, CA 90804
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mic-influence-tickets-595266577357
Somatic Practice Poetry Workshops: TEMENOS with Peggy Dobreer via Slow Lightening Lit – Online Event
Join Slow Lightening fora series of Tuesday & Thursday afternoon poetry workshops led by Peggy Dobreer in the month of July.
TEMENOS: Meditation Afternoon Sessions meets on Zoom every Tuesday & Thursday in July at 4:30 pm.
NOTE: See site for costs and details.
Where: Slow Lightening Events
Date: Tuesday the 4th (Tue & Thu through July 2023)
Time: 4:30 pm – 6 pm PST
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=51001714 or https://www.patreon.com/posts/temenos-sessions-85313256
Tuesday Night Projects: Taking Up Our Space Show & BBQ Boogie + Open MIc at Union Center for the Arts – In-Person Event
Join Tuesday Night Projects forthe Taking Up Our Space Show & BBQ Boogie at the Tuesday Nights Open Mic in Little Tokyo.
Featuring:
Mizo Dream Fright
Tejal Patel
Cynthia Cheng
Mary Rose Go
Audrey Kuo
And the Open Mic Lottery
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Tuesday Night Projects at Union Center for the Arts
Date: Tuesday the 4th
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 120 Judge John Aliso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Website: http://www.tuesdaynightproject.org/tnc-schedule
L.A. Political Economy Book Club: City of Inmates at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Join us at North Fig on Tuesday evening to continue discussing CITY OF INMATES: Conquest, Rebellion, and the Rise of Human Caging in Los Angeles, 1771-1965 by Kelly Lyttle Hernandez.
Los Angeles incarcerates more people than any other city in the United States, which imprisons more people than any other nation on Earth. This book explains how the City of Angels became the capital city of the world’s leading incarcerator. Marshaling more than two centuries of evidence, historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez unmasks how histories of native elimination, immigrant exclusion, and black disappearance drove the rise of incarceration in Los Angeles. In this telling, which spans from the Spanish colonial era to the outbreak of the 1965 Watts Rebellion, Hernandez documents the persistent historical bond between the racial fantasies of conquest, namely its settler colonial form, and the eliminatory capacities of incarceration.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Tuesday the 4th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/events/74-700pm-la-political-economy-book-club-city-of-inmates/
The Sunless Sea Open Mic: Poetry and Spoken Word Show – In-Person Event
The Sunless Sea Open Mic: Poetry and Spoken Word Show is offered every week at the Unurban Coffee House. Hosted by DeForest Wright, all are invited to attend.
NOTE: Details at event link. CHECK TO VERIFY
Where: Unurban Coffee House
Date: Tuesday the 4th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 3301 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups or https://www.facebook.com/events/213407634459999/?active_tab=discussion
Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic Night at Greenway Court – In-Person Event
The nation’s largest weekly Open Mic event is 25 years strong. They hold open mic nights. At an open mic, all are welcome to share their poetry or sit in their audience.
Every Tuesday (except for 3rd Tuesdays which is Slam Night) we hold open mic nights. At an open mic, all are welcome to share their poetry or sit in our audience.
TIME LIMIT: Each artist has 3 minutes at the mic, and if you go over, our DJ will scratch you. Please be respectful of the time limit as we try to accommodate as many people as possible.
$10 donation. Do NOT line up prior to 7:30 p.m. Free parking adjacent to theatre.
See sites for details.
Masks are encouraged. All ages are welcome.
Where: Greenway Court Theatre and YouTube Live Stream
Date: Tuesday the 4th CHECK TO VERIFY
Time: 9 pm – 11 pm
Address: 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChLUBSRPCFb/ or
https://www.dapoetrylounge.com/events/open-mic-night
Neverspeak Tuesdays Open Mic at DiPiazza’s – In-Person Event
The Neverspeak Tuesdays Open Mic at DiPiazza’s with Shy But Flyy, will feature guest poet TBA + an open mic.
NOTE: See site for guidelines and details.
Where: DiPiazza’s Pizza
Date: Tuesday the 4th CHECK TO VERIFY
Time: 9 pm
Address: 5205 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-mic-w-shy-but-flyy-music-poetry-tickets-533965133087
Write Your Novel Event at Platt Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
The Platt Branch Library invites you to write your novel at their library.
Is writing one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2023? Is completing a book on your bucket list? Whether you shouted an emphatic yes or mumbled a hushed maybe to either of those questions, our new novel writing support group is for you. This new group will be a place to learn, practice, and receive support from other writers. We will use LinkedIn Learning courses available on lapl.org to guide us through the novel writing process one step at a time. With weekly goals and the encouragement of your peers, you can spend the year working your way toward a completed novel.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Platt Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 23600 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/write-your-novel
How to Write Your Own Story: Once Upon a Time in Boyle Heights Event at Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Do you have an idea for a story? Maybe a dragon who breathes bubbles? A zombie who only eats vegetables? Or a robot who wants to dance? Whatever your idea might be, let us help you in creating your own amazing character. Join Anthony Aguilar, playwright of the superhero adventure series, El Verde, as he guides you in writing a thrilling tale of your own set in the magnificent community of Boyle Heights.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 4 pm
Address: 803 Spence St., Los Angeles, CA 90023
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/once-upon-time-boyle-heights-how-write-your-own-story-0
Creative Writing Workshop with Tony DuShane at Los Feliz Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for a 90-minute writer’s workshop. This free Creative Writing Workshop is presented by UCLA instructor Tony DuShane, screenwriter of the film Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk, based on his novel of the same name. Adults only.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Los Feliz Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 1874 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/creative-writing-workshop-tony-dushane-19
Be the Change: Social justice Writing Workshop with James Coats via L.A. Poet Society – In-Person Event
Join the Be the Change Social Justice Writing Workshop, held every 1st Wednesday of the month and led by poet and author James Coats.
Workshop is free: name your own price.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: L.A. Poet Society
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event Zoom ID: 826 5843 0669 Password: justice
Erik J. Brown, with Adam Sass, & Lose You to Find Me at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Erik J. Brown, in conversation with Adam Sass,will present and discuss his novel Lose You to Find Me.
Tommy Dees is in the weeds—restaurant speak for beyond overwhelmed. He’s been working as a server at Sunset Estates retirement community to get the experience he needs to attend one of the best culinary schools in the world. And to make his application shine, he also needs a letter of recommendation from his sadistic manager. But in exchange for the letter, Tommy has to meet three conditions—including training the new hire. What he doesn’t expect is for the newbie to be an old crush: Gabe, with the dimples and kind heart, who Tommy fell for during summer camp at age ten and then never saw again. Unfortunately, Gabe doesn’t remember Tommy at all. The training proves distracting as old feelings resurface, and the universe seems to be conspiring against them. With the application deadline looming and Gabe on his mind, Tommy is determined to keep it all together—but what if life isn’t meant to follow a recipe? (Balzer & Bray/Harperteen)
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/erik-j-brown
Anansi Virtual Writers Workshop at The World Stage – In-Person Event
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. Our 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. For general information and booking, contact V. Kali, the Anansi Writers Workshop Coordinator, at vkaliflowers@gmail.com.
- 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm — Formal workshop;
- 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm — Reading: TBA;
- 9:05 pm – 10:00 pm — Open mic.
Suggested: $5.00 Donation via PayPal: The World Stage Gallery.
NOTE: See site for further details, and any change in the schedule. Contact kaliflowers@gmial.com or call (323) 293-2451
Where: The World Stage
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.instagram.com/anansiwritersworkshop/
Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop at Beyond Baroque – Online Zoom Event
Join Beyond Baroque’s longest-running free poetry workshop via Zoom online as we welcome new and seasoned poets to share their work and provide feedback. Please be prepared to share one poem. This workshop will be hosted via the Zoom video-conferencing platform. Please sign up for each workshop session at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, and you will be contacted with instructions on how to join the meeting.
The workshop facilitator is James Cushing, who retired in 2020 after thirty-five years teaching literature and creative writing in San Luis Obispo, CA, where he served as the community’s poet laureate in 2008-2010. Cushing’s poems have appeared widely and his collections include The Length of an Afternoon, Undercurrent Blues, Pinocchio’s Revolution, The Magicians’ Union, Solace, and Tangled Hologram, all from Cahuenga Press in Los Ángeles.
Please spend some time before the workshop learning how to share documents via Zoom. It will keep the session moving if you’re able to make your poem viewable quickly and easily. Here’s an instructive video that might help.
The workshop can sometimes reach high levels of attendance, which means not everyone will get a chance to read every session.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.beyondbaroque.org/free_workshops or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wednesday-night-poetry-workshop-tickets-668844189977
Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg & Feature Jireh Deng at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event
Join host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug on Wednesday Night for our Reading & Open Mic, with featured guest Jireh Deng.
Jireh Deng (they/them) is a queer Asian American writer and filmmaker born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. Their words on L.A. appear in The Guardian, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, NPR, The L.A. Times and more. They co-direct the Asian American Journalists Association LGBTQIA+ affinity group and serve as a national board representative for its L.A. chapter.
They’ve been a recipient of writing fellowships from the Key West Literary Seminar and Brooklyn Poets. Their poetry and prose appear in The Rumpus, Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the Human Rights Campaign, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and more.
In 2022, they directed a short documentary about a transgender Asian American elder, MIA’S MISSION, which has been selected to screen several film festivals including the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. You can follow them on Instagram at @bokchoy_baobei.
The format is to welcome a featured artist for an individual reading, as well as an Open Mic reading.
$4 cover fee, cash only.
NOTE: See site for further details, guidelines & information.
Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange
Date: Wednesday the 5th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/497625285694161
Your Author Series: Jessica Maison & Black Birds in the Sky at North Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Teen Event
Your Author Series presents author Brandy Colbert to discuss her graphic novel, Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: La Llorona in the Machine.
An occultist splits a young Mary Shelley into two versions of herself—one, the literary legend who writes Frankenstein. The other is a supernatural girl, Shel, who spends her immortality fighting evil humans who exploit monsters. The story, as told by Maison and illustrated by Anna Wieszcky, is filled with mystery, adventure, and friendship. Their modern comedic take on Mary Shelley’s life and work champions outsiders and gives tragic monsters a chance to be the hero of their own stories.
Participants will receive a free copy of the comics anthology Cthulhu is Hard to Spell: Battle Royale, while supplies last.
Those attending the program will have an opportunity to win a free book.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, tickets, and details.
Where: North Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 5211 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601
Sleight of Hand and Trickery: The Magic of Poetry with Nicelle Davis – via
The Poetry Lab – Online Event
From prefixes to suffixes—metaphony to metaphor—Sigmond Freud to Houdini, we will explore the magic of poetry. This course will look at different “tricks” to help you write and edit your work in ways that captivate and charm readers. Our four-week course is designed to help you create 8 new poems based on the art of magic. All course sessions are Thursday evenings 5:30pm to 7:30pm PT via Zoom.
Nicelle Davis is a California poet, collaborator, and performance artist who walks the desert with her son J.J. in search of owl pellets and rattlesnake skins. Her poetry collections include The Walled Wife (Red Hen Press, 2016), In the Circus of You (Rose Metal Press, 2015), Becoming Judas (Red Hen Press, 2013), and Circe (Low Brow Press, 2011). Her poetry film collaborations with Cheryl Gross have been shown across the world.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, costs, and details.
Where: The Poetry Lab
Date: Thursday the 6th (through July 7th)
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.thepoetrylab.com/summer/#davis
Poetry in Nature: Mariko Kitakubo, Deborah P. Kolodji, Lois P. Jones & Mary Torregrossa at Whittier Narrows Nature Center – In-Person Event
Poetry in Nature is a reading event featuring poets: Mariko Kitakubo, Deborah P. Kolodji, Lois P. Jones & Mary Torregrossa.
Come listen to haiku and tanka poetry!
Where: Poetry in Nature at Whittier Narrows Nature Center
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 1000 Durfee Ave., South El Monte, CA
Website: N/A
To the Bloom Writing Workshop with Yesika Salgado – Online Event
Author and poet Yesika Salgado is offering another To the Bloom writing workshop online, and registration is now open.
She invites attendees to write some poems together (online). Yesika Salgado is a poet and performance artist best known for her book Corazon.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines and details.
Where: To the Bloom with Yeska Salgado
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 6 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.facebook.com
Artem Mozgovoy, with Carlos Allende, & Spring in Siberia at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Artem Mozgovoy, in conversation with Carlos Allende,will present and discuss his novel, Spring in Siberia.
1985. Russia. As the Soviet Union disintegrates and Western capitalism spreads its grip across their land, the Morozov family finds itself consigned to the remote, icy wastes of Siberia. It is here that their only child, Alexey, is born.
“A sweet and gentle schoolboy, Alexey discovers that reciting poetry learnt by heart calms his fears. That winter gales can be battled with self-invented games, and solace found through his grandmother’s rituals and potions. But when Alexey’s classmate, the son of KGB agents, confesses his love, the desire of two boys to be together clashes Exploring the healing power of literature, the magic of first love, and the ways our family and homeland can save (or shatter) us, Spring in Siberia is a coming-of-age novel that, in the darkest of times, glows with hope and the yearning for freedom to be oneself—completely.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/artem-mozgovoy
Open Mic Night at MOBAR Coffee Co. – In-Person Event
Calling all Musicians, Authors, Poets, Stand Up Comedians and much more! Share your art with our local community and enjoy half off drinks!
This event is offered on every 1st Thursday of the month.
NOTE: See site for guidelines and details.
Where: MOBAR Coffee Co.
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 4884 Huntington Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90032
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mobar-coffee-co-open-mic-tickets-399850633007
Book Launch: Dave Tourje & California Locos: Renaissance and Rebellion at North Figueroa Bookshop – Online Event
Join North Figueroa Bookshop in welcoming Dave Tourje as we celebrate the book launch of California Locos: Renaissance and Rebellion.
California Locos is the collective identity of Los Angeles-based artists Chaz Bojórquez, Dave Tourjé, John Van Hamersveld, Norton Wisdom and Gary Wong—the brainchild of Tourjé in 2011. Individually, these visual art pioneers are known for distinct and influential works of art that synthesize high and low art standards and blur the boundaries between fine art, street, and life. (X)
The 432-page tome is published in Rome by DRAGO PUBLISHER. Europe is welcoming the collective, eager to embrace the cultural mélange that the West Coast of the United States offers and that the California Locos manifest. “This is a union between the City of God (Rome) and the City of Angels (L.A.)!” said publisher Paulo von Vacano. (X)
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/events/76-700pm-california-locos-renaissance-and-rebellion-with-dave-tourje/
Ellen O’Clover and Kelsey Rodkey YA Romance Eventat The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
The Ripped Bodice presents YA romance authors Ellen O’Clover and Kelsey Rodke to discuss their recent releases.
There will be a book signing to follow. This event is free to attend and tickets are not required, however, we do appreciate RSVPs when possible!
NOTE: See site for tickets, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm
Address: Main Street, Culver City, CA 90323
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Book Launch: Artem Mozgovoy, with Madeleine Nakamura, & Spring in Siberia at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
Red Hen (@redhenpress) presents the release of Spring in Siberia from their latest debut novelist Artem Mozgovoy (@artemograph).
Ocean Vuong calls the novel about a young boy who falls in love with the son of KGB agents “a work of earnest, grounded, and ultimately hopeful testimony of selfhood at the brink”.
Artem will be joined by Madeleine Nakamura, author of Cursebreakers, for a reading, conversation, and audience Q&A.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Stories Books & Café
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
Tonalli Open Mic Event via Los Angeles Poet Society – Online Event
Tonalli Open Mic is offered every 1st Thursday of the month online, by L. A. Society.
This event is hosted by Jesenia Chavez.
All artists are welcome!
NOTE: See site/address for Zoom link and details.
Where: Los Angeles Poet Society
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: Online event (see site) Zoom ID: 897 1039 1895
Website: https://www.lapoetsociety.org/events
Melanie Sie & Milk & Mocha: Comics Collection at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Melanie Sie will present and discuss her popular webcomic collection, Milk & Mocha.
Cozy up with a warm cup of tea and follow the sweet scenes of Milk and Mocha, from the popular webcomic @milkmochabear.
Milk and Mocha share their sweet slice-of-life moments in this new collection, including never-before-seen comics! Milk and Mocha are charming bears with opposite personalities. These uplifting comics remind us of the sweet moments we share with our friends, family, and loved ones.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, cost, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Thursday the 6th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Melani-Sie-Milk-and-Mocha-Comics-Collection
Spectacular Storytime at Once Upon a Time Bookstore – In-Person Kids Event
Spectacular Storytime is a weekly time to have fun with books with enthusiastic troubadour, Maddi!
Free to attend.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Once Upon a Time Bookstore
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 9:30 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shonceuponatime.com/event/spectacular-story-time-39
Poetic Peepshow: Poets Expose One (G-Rated) Part of the Body (Poetically) with Nicelle Davis Launch of The Language of Fractions – Online Event
What is Naked? From fingers to toes—knees to elbows—what does it mean to be naked when some parts of the body are never really clothed?
15 Poets Expose One (G-Rated) Part of the Body in Nicelle Davis’s Poetic Peepshow: A Preview and Preorder Party for her new collection, The Language of Fractions, coming soon from Moon Tide Press in September 2023!
NOTE: See site for RSVP, link, and details.
Where: Poetic Peepshow Event
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 3:30 am – 5 pm PDT
Address: Online Event (see site)
Maya Williams & Judas & Suicide at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Maya Williams will present and discuss her book of poetry, Judas & Suicide.
Suicide is often framed as betrayal, even though we live in a world that betrays us. When this world tells us that death is better, what does it mean to have faith in life? Judas & Suicide is a poetry collection navigating religion and suicidality. It approaches these topics through the lens of Black family and community, sadness, medication, sexual violence, the prison industrial complex, media, and Bible verses. Judas & Suicide explores how to be convinced to stay alive without feeling obligated to.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/maya-williams
Book Talk: Matt Dalleck & Birchers at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event
Matt Dalleck will discuss his book in-store, BIRCHERS: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.
BIRCHERS is about how a notorious far right organization set the Republican Party on a long march toward extremism.
Historian Matthew Dallek reveals how the Birch Society’s extremism remade American conservatism. Most Birchers were white professionals who were radicalized as growing calls for racial and gender equality appeared to upend American life. Conservative leaders recognized that these affluent voters were needed to win elections, and for decades the GOP courted Birchers and their extremist successors. The far right steadily gained power, finally toppling the Republican establishment and electing Donald Trump.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Chevalier’s Books
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 133 Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://www.chevaliersbooks.com/calendar
Rachel Lynn Solomon, with Elissa Sussman, & Business or Pleasure at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
The Ripped Bodice presents YA romance authors Rachel Lynn Solomon, in conversation with Elissa Sussman, to discuss her book launch of Business or Pleasure.
There will be a book signing to follow. This event is free to attend and tickets are not required, however, we do appreciate RSVPs when possible!
NOTE: See site for tickets, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Friday the7th
Time: 7 pm
Address: Main Street, Culver City, CA 90323
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Book Launch: The Inner Ear of Don Zientara, with Editor Antonia Tricarico at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
Composed by photographer Antonia Tricarico, The Inner Ear of Don Zientara is an oral history of not just Inner Ear’s recordings, but the role that Don played in creating one of the most welcoming and nurturing recording studios the world over. Alongside 250 photographs, this volume includes testimonials from members of Fugazi, Scream, Fire Party, Shudder to Think, Jawbox, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Dismemberment Plan, as well as musicians like Kathleen Hanna and Henry Rollins, among other notables.
Editor Antonia Tricarico will be joined by three musicians featured in the book: Joe Lally (Fugazi, Messthetics, Coriky), Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think), and Jason Farrell (Swiz, Red Hare, Bluetip) to celebrate the release of this photo-filled oral history of the DC-area music studio that brought us some of the world’s most iconic recordings.
Antonia Tricarico has been taking photos since 1997. She worked as a photo archivist for Lucian Perkins (a Washington Post Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer) and has collaborated with Tolotta Records, Dischord Records, Kill Rock Stars, and Youth Action Research Group. Her work can be found in private collections; in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History; the People’s Archive in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC; the Special Collections in Performing Arts in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland; and the Collections of DC History Center, Washington, DC. Her photos have appeared in Photo Review, Guitar World, Kerrang!, All Music, Chicago Reader, the Oregonian, Razorcake, the Quietus, and Fretboard Journal. She is the creator of two books: The Inner Ear of Don Zientara: A Half Century of Recording in One of America’s Most Innovative Studios, Through the Voices of Musicians and Frame of Mind: Punk Photos and Essays from Washington, DC, and Beyond, 1997–2017, both available from Akashic Books.
Craig Wedren first gained notice as the dynamic, multi-octave-wielding frontman of Shudder to Think. With its eccentric song structures and complex time signatures, Shudder to Think would prove a significant influence on math rock, post-hardcore, and emo. Since the band wound down in the late-’90s, Wedren has released a series of solo albums and related collaborative projects, and his music has become an essential part of some of film and television’s most popular and lauded shows, including The School of Rock, Laurel Canyon, Reno 911!, GLOW, New Amsterdam, and most recently, YELLOWJACKETS.
Jason Farrell is a musician, designer, and filmmaker born in Washington, DC, and active in the DC music scene since 1985. Several of his bands have recorded at Inner Ear Studio, including Swiz, Bluetip, Fury, Bells of, and Sweetbelly Freakdown. Jason has been designing album covers for Dischord Records since 1992, including Inner Ear recordings of Fugazi, Lungfish, Severin, Circus Lupus, Fire Party, Hoover, Slant-6, Bluetip, Dag Nasty, Coriky, Evens, Rites of Spring, One Last Wish, Hammered Hulls, and Scream. Jason currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Joe Lally plays bass guitar and is a founding member of Fugazi, Messthetics, Ataxia (with John Frusciante), and Coriky. He lives in Washington, DC.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Stories Books & Café
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
Tia Chucha’s Friday Open Mic Night at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore – In-Person Event
Tia Chucha’s Open Mic & Spoken Word event is offered every 1st Friday of the month from 7pm – 9pm.
NOTE: See site for guidelines, and details.
Where: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, CA 91342
Website: https://www.tiachucha.org/calendar_of_events
Jeri Westerson & The Isolated Séance at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Jeri Westerson will present and discuss her new book The Isolated Séanc, the first in a gripping new Victorian mystery series by Westerson set in London.
London, 1895. Former Baker Street Irregular Tim Badger is determined to follow in the footsteps of his great mentor, Sherlock Holmes, by opening his own consulting detective agency with his partner, Benjamin Watson. The intrepid duo are ready to make a name for themselves…if only they had clients
Their luck changes when Sherlock recommends his prot g’s to Thomas Brent. Brent is eager to find out who killed his master, Horace Quinn, during a’s ance at Quinn’s house. What was Quinn desperately trying to find out from his deceased business partner, Stephen Latimer, before he was stabbed through the heart?
It seems that everyone in Quinn’s household had a reason to want him dead. Can Tim and Benjamin step out of Sherlock’s shadow to navigate dark secrets and unexpected dangers in their pursuit of a cold-blooded killer?
Jeri Westerson was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the author of the Crispin Guest medieval noir mysteries, the King’s Fool Tudor mysteries featuring Will Somers, three paranormal series and several historical novels. Her books have been nominated for the Shamus, the Macavity and the Agatha awards.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, cost, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Jeri-Westerson-The-Isolated-Seance
SWAAM Spoken Word Art & Music Event & Open Mic by Lorenzo Frank at Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center – In-Person Event
Welcome to The New Renaissance and another edition of SWAAM Spoken Word Art & Music.
Join us to hear a featured poet, plus an Open Mic, hosted by Lorenzo Frank on the first and third Friday of the month.
Featured artist for your listening pleasure, Mr Oralgasm himself “Yawo Watts” will be in the building. Leimert Park Poet Yawo Watts, is a proud father of two. The name “Yawo” originates from the African country Ghana, meaning “born on Thursday.” Yawo is a Social Worker and Community Activist with Seniors, Veterans, and at risk youth in afterschool programs and at Los Angeles Youth Correctional Facilities. Yawo is also the Host of the “Oralgasm,“ one of the hottest erotic poetry showcases in Los Angeles. He’s a composer, a songwriter and has been featured all over America on radio, stage and T.V. Yawo self-published a Volume of Poetry titled “Lemon Grass” True emotions of you and I in Verse. Lemon Grass is available online at lulu.com.
Show starts promptly at 8pm, early arrival suggested.
Lorenzo Frank is the Arthur of ‘Nzinga Teaches/Learns a Lesson’ book series.
NOTE: See site for costs, guidelines, and details.
Where: Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Address: 4305 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/swaam-spoken-word-art-music-tickets-667253161167
First Fridays Rapp Saloon Reading Series, with host Cynthia Alessandra Briano, via Rapp Saloon – Hybrid In-Person & Online Event
First Fridays at Rapp Saloon Open Mic & Featured Readers is an event offered every 1st Friday of the month, curated by host Cynthia Alessandra Briano.
This is a HYBRID event, with a return to live in-person events while maintaining at HISUA Zoom option for our performers and guests.
All languages are welcome.
Featured guest poets and artists this month: TBA
Share your voice at the Open Mic, where there is a time limit of 4 minutes max. Sign-ups are: 8 pm – 8:30 pm.
NOTE: See site for event details.
Where: Rapp Saloon at HISUA
Date: Friday the 7th
Time: 8:30 pm – 11 pm
Address: 1436 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 (Zoom link in bio)
Website: https://www.facebook.com/RappSaloonReadingSeries or https://www.instagram.com/rappsaloon/?hl=en
Social Justice Book Club: All the Way to the Top at Eagle Rock Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Kids & Family Event
Children, parents, and family members are invited to learn about and discuss the book, All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans With Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel
Email cquinn@lapl.org for the meeting link.
Literature can transform the way we look at the world. Join children’s librarians from the Los Angeles Public Library to discuss kid-friendly books related to topics of social justice. This is an all-ages book club for the whole family. Participants of all ages are welcome.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Eagle Rock Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 10 am
Address: Online event
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/social-justice-book-club
Book Club: Never Let Me Go at Westwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join your neighbors for lively discussions of good books. Participants will discuss this month’s selection, Never Let Me Go, by author Kazuo Ishiguro.
This modern classic is suspenseful, moving, and atmospheric as a young man and young woman look back on their shared past and how it makes them special.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 11 am
Address: 1246 Glendon Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-club-3
Children’s Book Launch: Mikki Hernandez & Cake Mix: Learning to Love All Your Ingredients at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Kids Event
Join Mikki Hernandez to celebrate the debut of her picture book, Cake MIx: Learning to Love All Your Ingredients.
Mikki will share her journey as a new author, do a full reading, and host a Q&A session. There will also be delicious cake provided by Chef Heather Wong of Flouring LA bakery.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 12 pm – 1 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/27547
Creative Writing Group: at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Calling all writers of fiction, screenplays, poetry, etc. Get feedback on your writing in a fun, supportive environment. Meetings include a writing prompt/exercise, snacks, and a rollicking good time! Whether you are just starting out or well on your way to glory, join us every other Saturday afternoon from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and banish (at least temporarily) those Lonely Writer Blues!
NOTE: See site for details. RSVP to fiction@lapl.org today!
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Literature and Fiction Study Rooms
Date: Saturday the 9th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/writers-group-0
Deep Critique Writing Workshop via Saturday Afternoon Poetry – Online Zoom Event
A Deep Critique Poetry Writing Workshop will be held on Zoom only.
Meeting ID: 759 9367 3202 (no spaces required) Password: poetry
Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.
Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: http://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Mindfulness through Spoken Word: Writing Workshop with Sheena Barlow at Sims Library of Poetry – In-Person Event
In this free workshop, you will explore what it means to be mindful and present through poetic reflection and personal meaning.
We will be focused on poetry that is based on mindfulness and being present. Workshop attendees will have time to write their own poetry, followed by reflection and personal meaning.
Sheena Barlow is a mom, wife, life coach, mental wellness and psychology professional who guides people out of limbo and where they’re meant to be. Sheena spent 11 years climbing the corporate ladder and growing more burnt-out and unmotivated as each day passed by. She was doing everything she was “supposed” to do, but never felt like she living out her real dreams and desires. Now, Sheena helps hundreds of men and women discover their dreams and goals, triumph over their roadblocks and create life changing momentum towards their dream lives.
Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 3:30 pm – 5 pm
Address: 2702 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindfulness-through-spoken-word-tickets-543218831147
YBAM: York Blvd. Art Market at The Pop Hop – In-Person Event
Join us for a day of local art makers and more!
Where: The Pop Hop
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 4 pm – 8 pm
Address: 5002 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://www.thepophop.com/calendar/
Danny Jensen: LA Scavenger at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Danny Jensen will present his book Secret Los Angeles: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and 100 Things to Do in Los Angeles Before You Die. His writing and photography have been published by Time Out, Thrillist, KCET, and others. Danny has explored the hidden corners, unusual landmarks, and under-the-radar restaurants of Los Angeles for over a decade.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/27546
At Skylight: (SCREEN)PLAY PRESS: Dan Mirvish, Annika Pampel, & Lee Matthew Goldberg at Skylight Books – In-Person Event
Join us for an event celebrating (Screen) Play Press, a press dedicated to publishing great, unproduced screenplays as literary works in their own right and which can be read in book form. The Press’s Eva Aridjis and Christine Vartoughian will be presenting three writers from their second group of titles:
Award-winning filmmaker-author Dan Mirvish directed and produced such features as 18½, Bernard and Huey, Between Us, Open House, and Omaha (the movie). Dan’s films screened in over 100 festivals on 7 continents, sold to 150 countries, all had theatrical releases and played on everything from Netflix and Showtime to Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue. He co-wrote the critically-acclaimed novel I Am Martin Eisenstadt (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) and wrote two editions of The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking (Focal Press/Routledge). Dan has lectured at over 50 film schools around the world and co-founded the Slamdance Film Festival.
Annika Pampel is a writer-director represented by Paradigm. After graduating from college, she received a Fulbright Scholarship and rounded off her education at the Savannah College of Art & Design with a Master’s degree. She worked for John & James Cameron at their tech company HHO as VP of Production. Annika published her first novel in 2022. She’s a genre-agnostic writer focusing on female-centric stories. She was a fellow for the SUNDANCE/WIF Finance Lab, a Nicholls Fellowship Semi-Finalist, and was named one of 25 Writers to Watch by the International Screenwriters Association. She’s currently adapting a YA book and is preparing to direct her first feature in 2023.
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of twelve novels including The Ancestor and The Mentor and the five-book Desire Card series. He has been published in multiple languages and was nominated for the Prix du Polar. Since receiving an MFA from The New School, he’s contributed pieces to CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, LA Review of Books, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, The Big Idea, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, Hypertext, If My Book, Past Ten, Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review and Maudlin House. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in NYC.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Skylight Books
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 5 pm – 7 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
El Martillo Press Poets Group Reading at Café con Libros, Pomona – In-Person Event
El Martillo Press publishes writers whose pens strike the page with clear intent; words with purpose to pry apart assumed norms and to hammer away at injustice. El Martillo Press proactively publishes writers looking to pound the pavement to promote their work and the work of their fellow pressmates. There is strength in El Martillo. Founded in Los Angeles in 2023 by Matt Sedillo and David A. Romero, and launched with a diverse group of celebrated and hardworking writers who embody our working-class intellectual spirit, El Martillo Press maintains an editorial board that makes its selections for publishing.
Poets featured at this reading include:
Caesar K. Avelar is the current Poet Laureate of Pomona. He is the writer in residence of Cafe con Libros Press, and the founder of Obsidian Tongues open mic. Avelar writes through the sociological lens of a blue-collar worker. He is the author of God of the Air Hose and Other Blue-Collar Poems (El Martillo Press, 2023). Avelar will graduate this summer from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
Margaret Elysia Garcia is the author of the short story collection Graft, the chapbook Burn Scars, and poetry collection the daughterland (El Martillo Press, 2023). She’s the co-editor of the anthology Red Flag Warning: Northern Californians Living with Fire out on HeyDay Books in 2024. She writes about family, culture and surviving climate change disasters.
Donato Martinez was born in the small pueblo, Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated into the USA at six years old. He teaches English composition, Literature, and Creative Writing at Santa Ana College. He has also taught classes in Chicano Studies. He has a self-published collection with three other Inland Empire poets, Tacos de Lengua. His full collection of poetry, Touch the Sky, was published by El Martillo Press in June 2023.
Co-Founders:
David A. Romero is a Mexican American spoken word artist from Diamond Bar, CA. Romero is the author of My Name Is Romero (FlowerSong Press), a book reviewed by Gustavo Arellano (¡Ask a Mexican!), Curtis Marez (University Babylon), and founding member of Ozomatli, Ulises Bella.
Matt Sedillo has been described as the “best political poet in America” as well as “the poet laureate of the struggle.” His work has drawn comparisons in print to Bertolt Brecht, Roque Dalton, Amiri Baraka, Alan Ginsberg, Carl Sandburg, and various other legends of the past.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Café con Libros Press
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 280 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766
Website: https://www.elmartillopress.com/events-1/el-martillo-press-cafe-con-libros
Griot Café Open Mic with Sistah Shy & Samuel Rain & Featured Guest at Shades of Africa, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Sistah Shy & Samuel Rain host the Griot Café Open Mic & Poetry event every Saturday evening at Shades of Africa in Long Beach. See site to subscribe for reminders, etc.
Where: Griot Café at Shades of Africa
Date: Saturday the 8th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 1001 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90802
Website: https://shadesofafrika.com/griot-cafe-open-mic-poetry/
Book Party: Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS at Once Upon a Time – In-Person Event
Celebrate the launch of Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS with other fans, crafts, snacks, and more at your local independent bookstore. BTS has taken the music world by storm and is now taking on the book world with the release of their official history filled with unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information.
Space is limited! RSVP is required. The $10 RSVP will include snacks, crafts, and a whole lot of fun!
NOTE: RSVP at event link.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Sunday the 8th
Time: 10 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/beyond-story-bts-fan-book-party
Special Storytime: Jazmyn Simon & Dule Hill Present Repeat After Me: Big Things to Say Every Day at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event
Parents and actors Jazmyn Simon & Dule Hill will present their children’s book, Repeat after Me: Big Things to Sa, Every Day.
Every child, no matter their age, needs to know how loved they are and, more importantly, should love themselves. In this gorgeously illustrated book of affirmations, young readers are told how cherished, deserving, and gifted they are enough.
In their tender picture book, actors Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill tell children about the magic of self-love and standing firm, regardless of outside voices and doubt. Children will feel their confidence grow as they repeat the encouraging words on the page, take in the warm illustrations, and learn to believe in themselves!
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Sunday the 9th
Time: 11 am
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Jazmyn-Simon-Dule-Hill-story-time-Repeat-After-Me
At Dynasty Typewriter: Greg Mania and Jen Winston present EMPTY TRASH readings! – In-Person Event
Join us at Dynasty Typewriter for a reading where ten authors and journalists reach deep into the bowels of their “recently deleted” folders and share pieces that have been cut, unpublished, or otherwise killed. Join us as we give our dead darlings a second life!
Priyanka Mattoo is an LA-based writer and filmmaker. She was formerly a talent agentat UTA and WME, as well as Jack Black’s partner at their production company, Electric Dynamite. Priyanka is also the co-founder of EARIOS, a women-led podcast network. She is a contributor to the New York Times and The New Yorker, and a recipient of a Macdowell Fellowship. Her memoir will be published by Knopf next summer.
Nereya Otieno is a writer focused on the storytelling inherent in music, food and art. Her bylines include Rolling Stone, LA Times IMAGE, Whetstone and Hyperallergic. She was a 2021 Ann Friedman Writing Fellow and received honorable mention for Best Food Writing in America 2020. She is cofounder of The Rising Artist Foundation and currently resides in Los Angeles where she eats just enough hot dogs.
Laura Warrell is the author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Lit Hub, Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, and other publications. Laura graduated from the Creative Writing Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and she has attended residencies at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Tin House Writer’s Workshop. She lives in Los Angeles.
Celia Laskey is the author of So Happy for You and Under the Rainbow, a finalist for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her third novel, Cover Story, is forthcoming in 2025. Her other work has appeared in Catapult, Guernica, The Minnesota Review, and elsewhere. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their dog Whiskey.
Jen Winston (she/they) is a writer and bisexual whose work focuses on dating, queerness, and the millennial condition. They are the author of the critically acclaimed book, GREEDY: NOTES FROM A BISEXUAL WHO WANTS TOO MUCH, which was named a Lambda Literary finalist last year. Publishers’ Weekly called Jen a “writer to watch” and BuzzFeed named GREEDY a Best LGBTQ+ book of 2021, calling it “more insightful about identity than any book this year.” Jen currently lives in Larchmont with her partner, dogs, and iPhone. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and, alas, TikTok at @jenerous.
Greg Mania is a writer, comedian, and award-winning screenwriter based in New York City. His words have been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, Oprah Daily, PAPER, among other international online and print platforms. His debut memoir, Born to Be Public, is out now from CLASH Books.
Ruth Madievsky is the author of a novel, All-Night Pharmacy (Catapult, July 2023). Her work appears in The Atlantic, Harper’s Bazaar, The Los Angeles Times, GQ, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles, where she works as an HIV and primary care clinical pharmacist. You can find her at http://www.ruthmadievsky.com @ruthmadievsky.
Alissa Nutting is a novelist, screenwriter, and showrunner, most recently of the Adult Swim & HBO MAX animated series Teenage Euthanasia, whose second season debuts in July, as well as the HBO MAX original comedy Made For Love based on her New York Times Editor’s Choice novel of the same name.
Jasmin Iolani Hakes was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. Her essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee. She is a 2018 Hedgebrook fellow. Her debut novel Hula is out now with HarperVia. She lives in California.
Rasheed Newson is a television drama writer, a showrunner, and a novelist. Rasheed – along with his television writing partner, T.J. Brady – is a co-creator and executive producer of the drama series Bel-Air. Rasheed and T.J. have also worked on The Chi, Animal Kingdom, and Narcos, among other drama series. In addition to his work in television, Rasheed is the author of the novel My Government Means to Kill Me. It was named one of “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times, and it is a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction. Rasheed lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena, California.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Skylight Books at Dynasty Typewriter
Date: Sunday the 9th
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm
Address: 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Second Sunday Poetry Series & Open Mic: Tom Laichas at The Studio Theatre at St. Denis Building – In-Person Event
This Open Mic poetry show, hosted by Alex M. Frankel, happens on the second Sunday of every month. Great poets perform their work, sell and sign books, plus mingle with audience members and open mic participants.
Featuring: Tom Laiches.
Tom Laichas is the author of Empire of Eden, Sixty-Three Photographs from the End of a War and, most recently, Three Hundred Streets of Venice California. His recent work has appeared in The Moth (Ireland), Salt, Anacapa Review, Jabberwock, Blue Unicorn, Stand (UK), and elsewhere. He lives in Venice, California.
NOTE: See details at event link.
Where: The Studio Theatre at St Denis Building
Date: Sunday the 9th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 3433 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Website: https://www.secondsundaypoetry.com/
Book Launch: Karen Tanbe & The Sunset Crowd at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
From Rodeo Drive to the French Riviera, Karin Tanabe’s The Sunset Crowd is a tale of survival and reinvention, of faking it until you make it, and the glittering appeal of success and stardom, as it seeks to answer that timeless question―who gets to have the American dream?
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Stories Books & Café
Date: Sunday the 9th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
July Fantasy Romance Book Club: A Discovery of Witches at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
The Ripped Bodice presents the July Fantasy Romance Book Club every 2nd Sunday of the month, and today’s selection is A Discovery of Witches by author Deborah Harkness.
The Fantasy Romance book club is led by bookseller Taylor C. and reads fantasy and paranormal books in the romance genre. Everyone is welcome!
No membership is necessary, feel free to show up!
Book for July: A Discovery of Witches, Book #1 of the All Souls Trilogy, by Deborah Harkness.
Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.
Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar’s depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, and concludes with The Book of Life.
Deborah Harkness is the number one New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. A history professor at the University of Southern California, Harkness has received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and National Humanities Center fellowships. She lives in Los Angeles.
NOTE: See site for tickets, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Sunday the 9thulver City, CA 90323
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Los Angeles Literature 