Earth Day Author Talk: Rosanna Xia, with Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey P. Horvath, & California Against the Sea at West Hollywood County Library– In-Person Event
Join Board of Supervisors Chair Lindsey P. Horvath for an engaging chat about the environment and coastline with Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia, environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times and author of the book California Against the Sea
Rosanna Xia is an environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in stories about the coast and ocean. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2020 for explanatory reporting, and her work has been anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. Her first book, California Against the Sea, has been praised as a beautiful and revelatory exploration of how we relate to the natural world. Don’t miss this insightful discussion on environmental issues and our coastal ecosystems!
NOTE: See site for guidelines and details.
Where: West Hollywood Library
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/10565489
Author Talk: Rashin Kheiriyeh at Encino Tarzana Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Kids and families are invited to join us for a fun author talk.
Rashin Kheiriyeh is a multi-award-winning author-illustrator, animator, and painter who has more than ninety children’s books to her credit. Her books have been published in at least twelve countries and she was nominated for the 2023 & 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to children’s literature. She is also the recipient of a Sendak Fellowship Award, a 2009 New Horizon Award (Bologna Ragazzi), and is a six-time winner of the Bologna Book Fair Illustration competition. Rashin Kheiriyeh is the character artist of the most popular animation series on national television in Iran called Shekarestan (Sugarland). She now lives in Washington, DC.
Participants attending the program will have an opportunity to receive a free copy of Rumi Poet of Joy and Love!
NOTE: See site for details. NO RSVP required.
Where: Encino-Tarzana Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 4 pm
Address: 18231 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/author-talk-rashin-kheiriyeh
Book Launch & Signing: Sheila Yasmin Marikar with Christine Najjar & Friends in Napa at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event
Sheila Yasmin Marikar, in conversation wirh Christina Najjar, will discuss her new novel, Friends in Napa.
In this story, six old friends descend on Napa Valley for a luxurious weekend of fine wine and good times…until old tensions simmer to the surface. So much can go wrong in this dark comedy by the author of The Goddess Effect.
Sheila Yasmin Marikar is the author of The Goddess Effect. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Economist, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, Vogue, and many other publications. She is a graduate of Cornell University, where she studied history, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband. For more information, visit www.sheilayasminmarikar.com
Christina Najjar, popularly known as Tinx, is a digital creator, podcast host and New York Times best-selling author. Tinx’s wit and candor have established her as a resounding voice for women, with her uniquely engaging and empathetic approach to content resonating with millions. From her satirical “Rich Mom” content and takes on pop culture, to her theories on sex, dating and relationships, and her honest reviews and recommendations of everything from food and restaurants to beauty, fashion and lifestyle products, Tinx possesses an effortless ability to capture the cultural zeitgeist. Tinx has developed a devoted fanbase of those who come for her expert advice, often given with her famous mini mic in hand, and to have a great laugh at the same time.
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 6 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Author Event: Rachel Stark & Perris, California at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Debut author Rachel Stark returns to the Inland Empire. When one of Cellar Door’s publishing reps told Linda that she absolutely had to read this book both because it is about the area in which we live and because it was one of the best of the season, she agreed. Rachel grew up in Perris and attended both RCC and UCR and will join store owner Linda in conversation on Monday, April 22nd at 7:00 pm.
In these times when cruelty, viciousness, and inhumanity rule, we need this book because it reminds us that we can be different, better. This town on the edge of the Southern California desert and her people are both tragic and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
Perris, California: a Novel holds horrors, tragedies, the difficulties of a working-class that lives constantly on the edge of not enough and the frustration of dreams denied. When teenage Tessa shows up on Angie and Buck’s porch in the middle of the night battered and bloody but with a powerful will to survive, they take her in and make sure she will not be bothered again by her assailants. Ten years later, Tessa is pregnant with her third child, living in a trailer on her mother-in-law’s property, haunted by her past. When her first love, Mel, moves back to town, Tessa must reexamine the life she lives. Moving between 1989 and 1999 and the voices of characters trying desperately to figure out how to love each other well, Perris, California is filled with fire and wisdom, the love slathered onto every lunch and breakfast made, the heartbreak that happens when love is thwarted by hate, and the utter grace of love fueled by the deepest regard of others. – Linda
About the author: Rachel Stark grew up in Perris, California. She received her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from University of California, Riverside, and her master’s degree in creative writing at University of California, Davis. She currently resides in southern Colorado where she writes, runs mountain trails, and teaches yoga.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/perriscalifornia
In Honor of Mother Earth: Eco-Inspired Poetry Readings by L.A. Poet Societyat 33rd Hill Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join L.A. Poet Society for an evening of eco-inspired creativity with featured guests:
La Neta, Conga Poet, Ramiro Rodriguez, Shonda Buchanan, Anthropoetry, Jessica M. Wilson, Alex Petunia, Lynda La Rose, Lauren Yang + Open Mic.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: 33rd Hill Bookstore
When: Monday the 22nd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 3226 S. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90007
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C52pph_OhuB/
Mae Ngai, with Josh Kun, & Corky Lee’s Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographing Justice at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Mae Ngai’s Corky Lee’s Asian America is a stunning retrospective of his life’s work—a selection of the best photographs from his vast collection, from his start in New York’s Chinatown in the 1970s to his coverage of diverse Asian American communities across the country until his untimely passing in 2021.
Corky Lee’s Asian America traces Lee’s decades-long quest for photographic justice, following Asian American social movements for recognition and rights alongside his artistic development as an activist social photographer. Iconic photographs feature images of protests against police brutality in New York in the 1970s, a Sikh man draped in an American flag after 9/11, and a reenactment of the completion of the transcontinental railroad of 1869 featuring descendants of Chinese railroad workers, and his last photos of community life and struggle during the coronavirus pandemic.
This book represents Lee’s mission to chronicle a history of inclusion, resistance, ethnic pride, and patriotism. This is a remarkable documentation of vital moments in Asian American history and a timely reminder that it’s also a history that we continue to make.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Mae-Ngai-with-Josh-Kun-discusses-Corky-Lees-Asian-America
Monday Night Fiction Workshop at Beyond Baroque – Online Zoom Event
This free Monday Night Community Writing Workshop led by Raquel Baker is a 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 22nd
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.beyondbaroque.org/free_workshops or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-884076656077
Book Release Party: Emily Henry & Funny Story and Romance Trivia Night at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event
Emily Heny will launch her romance novel, Funny Story.
Join Chevalier’s Books in celebrating reigning queen of romance Emily Henry’s new book, FUNNY STORY, with a midnight release party and romance trivia night!
Games, shopping, and socializing start at 9:30 pm. Exclusive romance-related items and titles will be available for purchase. Starting at 10 pm, attendees can join a game of romance trivia! In the style of a pub quiz, teams of up to six compete to be named the champion of romcom knowledge (plus prizes, swag, and Chevalier’s gift cards!). The night will end at midnight with the release of FUNNY STORY.
Each ticket includes one SIGNED copy of FUNNY STORY (first twelve people who register will receive books with signed pages bound in the book, the rest will receive bookplates for their copies) and a spot in romance trivia. Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks for your team!
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Monday the 22nd
Time: 10 pm – 11 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://www.chevaliersbooks.com/calendar
Book Release Party: Emily Henry & Funny at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
Emily Heny will launch her romance novel, Funny Story.
Join us in celebrating reigning queen of romance Emily Henry’s new book, FUNNY STORY.
There will be swag and prizes provided by the publisher, and you can pre-order your book at the site link.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Address: 3806 Main Street., Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Big Read Book Discussion: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? at Westchester-Loyola Village Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by author Roz Chast.
In her first memoir, Roz Chast brings her signature wit to the topic of aging parents. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, and a narrative as rife with laughs as it is with tears, Chast’s memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents.
Where: Westchester – Loyola Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 3 pm
Address: 7114 W. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles, CA 9004
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/big-read-book-discussion-24
Big Read Book Discussion & Resources for Seniors: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? at Vermont Square Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Participants will discussCan’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by author Roz Chast.
Book Club & local community medical center to come and table with resources for seniors.
Where: Vermont Square Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 4 pm
Address: 1201 W. 48th St., Los Angeles, CA 90037
Website: https://lapl.org/branches/vermont-square
Phy-Sci Book Club: Stiff at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by author Mary Roach.
For two thousand years, cadavers – some willingly, some unwittingly – have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They’ve tested France’s first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender confirmation surgery, cadavers have helped make history in their quiet way. “Delightful—though never disrespectful” (Les Simpson, Time Out New York), Stiff investigates the strange lives of our bodies postmortem and answers the question: What should we do after we die?
Mary Roach is the author of five best-selling works of nonfiction, including Grunt, Stiff, and, most recently, Fuzz. Her writing has appeared in National Geographic and the New York Times Magazine, among other publications. She lives in Oakland, California.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 6 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/phy-sci-book-club-stiff
Mystery Book Club: The Guest List at Playa Vista Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss The Guest List, by author Lucy Foley.
Where: Playa Vista Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 6400 Playa Vista Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90094
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-48
Conchas y Café Zine Writing Workshop via DSTL Arts – In-Person Event
Conchas y Café is a DSTL Arts bilingual community writing workshop series for adults that produces a biannual zine by the same name, featuring artwork and creative writing produced by our community and program participants.
The goal of Conchas y Café is to bring together our community under the arts, building skills and arts-literacy, so that more adults may appreciate the cultural and economic value the arts bring to our lives. The content taught through this workshop series is primarily for new and emerging poets and writers, or people returning to creative writing after a long-term absence from the craft.
The Conchas y Café workshop series spans 15 weeks, and is an ongoing program offered every trimester. Our program participants write on a new theme for their zine every trimester and celebrate its release with a public reading.
Enrollment via Google Classroom required for workshop participation and full access to session handouts.
For any questions regarding Conchas y Café, feel free to contact us directly by email at Info@DSTLArts.org.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: DSTL Arts
Date: Tuesday the 23rd (through April the 30th)
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.dstlarts.org/conchasycafezine
Joy Sullivan, with Melanie Zanetti, & Instructions for Traveling West: Poems at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Joy Sullivan, in conversation with Melanie Zanetti, will present and discuss her book, Instructions for Traveling West.
Joy Sullivan’s Instructions for Traveling West is a lush debut collection that examines what happens when we leave home and leap into the deep unknown. Mid-pandemic, Sullivan left the man she planned to marry, sold her house, quit her corporate job, and drove west. This dazzling collection tells that story as it illuminates the questions haunting us all: What possible futures lie on the horizon? What happens when we heed the call of furious reinvention?
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/jpy-sullivan
North Fig Memoir Reading Group: Alien Daughters Walk into the Sun at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Spirited Awake Reading Group participants will discuss Alien Daughters Walk into the Sun by Jackie Wang.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-ltnjauru
Book Launch & Trivia: Stuart Gibbs & Charlie Thorne and The Royal Society at Once Upon a Time – In-Person Kids & Family Event
Stuart Gibbs will present and discuss Charlie Thorne and The Royal Society.
Test your knowledge against other fans with a fun trivia night to launch the fourth book in the bestselling Charlie Thorne series, Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society. Stuart will have a short presentation, answer questions from the audience and then sign books. Best for smarty-pants ages 9+.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/charlie-thorne-royal-society-trivia
Notes From the Chicana/o/x Underground – Episode 3: Reyna Grande, in Conversation with Matt Sedillo at Re/Arte Centro Literario – In-Person Event
Reyna Grande will be in conversation with Matt Sedillo in this ongoing series of events.
Novelist and memoirist Reyana Grande is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. She has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlan Literary Award, and the Latino Book Award. In 2012, she was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Awards. Her works have been published internationally in countries such as Norway and South Korea. She is the author of Across a Hundred Mountains, The Distance Between Us, A Ballad of Love and Glory, and the anthology Somewhere We Are Human.
Matt Sedillo is a renowned and internationally known political poet and speaker/teacher, co-founder of El Martillo Press, and the author of Mowing Leaves of Grass and City on the Second Floor.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Re/Arte Centro Literario
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 2123 E. Cesar Chavez Ave., Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Website: https://reynagrande.com/events/ or https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Psq-rLNOm/?locale=en_gb
Raquel Willis & The Risk it Takes to Bloom, On Life and Liberation at Reparations Club Off-site at L.A. LGBT Center – In-Person Event
Raquel Willis will present and discuss her book, The Risk it Takes to Bloom, On Life and Liberation.
Raquel Willis is an award-winning activist, author, and media strategist dedicated to Black transgender liberation. She has held groundbreaking posts, including director of communications for Ms. Foundation for Women, executive editor of Out magazine, and national organizer for Transgender Law Center.
NOTE: See site for tickets, guidelines, and details.
Where: Rep Club Off-site at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, at Los Angeles LGBT Center
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1125 N McCadden Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Website: https://events.humanitix.com/raquel-willis-the-risk-it-takes-to-bloom-on-life-and-liberation
Book Release Party: Marisa Kanter, with Amy Spaulding, & Finally Fitz at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
Marisa Kanter, in conversation with Amy Spaulding, will launch her romance novel, Finally Fitz.
There will be a book signing after the conversation. This is a ticketed event and you may register at the website link.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm
Address: 3806 Main Street., Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Book Release: Jared Joseph & Rose Mask at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
Author Jared Joseph will present his book, Rose Mask. featuring readings from Sophie Appel, Kate Durbin, and Brittany Menjivar.
Rose Mask is a series of transcriptions of conversations between the author and the customers served at a cocktail lounge and restaurant in Santa Cruz, CA, during 3 months of masked service due to the pandemic. The work is further framed as an impossible-to-stage work of theater, one that unfortunately plays itself out constantly in real life.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Stories Books & Café
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club: Bable at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Village Well’s Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Club participants will discuss Babel by R.F. Kuang.
Presenting the second Village Well Book Club offshoot, the Sci-fi Fantasy book club! To the Tolkien nerds, SJM stans, and R.F. Kuang enjoyers, this group is for you! On the fourth Tuesday of every month, we will come together and discuss a story that falls within the realms of either science fiction or fantasy (or sometimes both!). To join our emailing list, reach out to events@villagewell.com.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/36301
Michael Ramos & A Veteran’s Notes on Coming Home at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Michael Ramos’ A Veteran’s Notes on Coming Home.
When Michael Ramos enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to serve as a chaplain’s bodyguard thirteen days before 9/11, he had no idea he would soon be sent to Iraq. But he embraced the posting, combat service, and career for a decade, until, at age thirty-four, the military told him his skill set was no longer relevant. Then he struggled with the return to civilian life, and particularly with civilian attitudes toward veterans.
In twenty-four concussive, embodied, and nonlinear essays, Michael creates a challenging and complex portrait of what it means to be a warrior, civilian, veteran, father, husband, and teacher—for he ultimately uses the skills he developed in the military to help others find meaning in their lives. While this may sound like a redemption story, it is instead a brutally honest portrayal that refuses easy answers and seeks to help other war veterans realize they’re not alone as they search for their place in the world.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Michael-Ramos-discusses-The-After
The Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic + Featured Reader Jubi Arriola-Headley – Online Zoom Event
No Reading today.
Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event
Date: Tuesday the 23rd:NO READING TODAY
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.poetrysuperhighway.com/cobalt/calendar.html
Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic 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 SLAM and special events) they hold open mic night. In a standard slam, there are five judges that are selected. Before the competition begins, the host may bring up a sacrificial poet who is not competing in the slam but is scored by the judges in order for them to calibrate their scoring.
NOTE: See sign-ups, details, and guidelines at website link.
$10 donation. Do NOT line up prior to 7:30 p.m. Free parking adjacent to theatre.
Masks are encouraged. All ages are welcome.
Where: Greenway Court Theatre
Date: Tuesday the 23rd
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
Mystery Book Group: Death Under a Little Sky at Once Upon a Time – In-Person Kids & Family Event
Mystery Book Group participants will discuss Death Under a Little Sky, by author Stig Abell.
In this widely praised debut crime thriller, a high-flying detective leaves London for a fresh start in the countryside—only to find himself on familiar ground hunting for a dangerous killer.
Whether you loved it, hated it, or haven’t finished it, we want to see you at our Mystery Book Group at America’s Oldest Children’s Bookstore!
We will be meeting to discuss the book outside of the shop in the circle in front of Star Cafe. You may still email your thoughts to share with our club if you are unable to attend in-person.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 9 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/mystery-book-group-death-under-little-sky-stig-abell
Wednesday Morning Book Club: The Vaster Wilds at Westchester-Loyola Village Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss The Vaster Wilds by author Lauren Groff.
New members are welcome.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Westchester-Loyola Village Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 11:30 am
Address: 7114 Manchester Ave., Los Angeles CA 90045
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/wednesday-morning-book-club-5
Classics Book Club: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at Granada Hills Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Book Club participants will discuss the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by author Ken Kesey.
RSVP:
Please email grnhls@lapl.org for the Zoom link.
Where: Granda Hills Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 1:30 pm – 3 pm
Address: 10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-43
Poets Café: Poetry Event via KPFK 90.7 FM – Live On-Air Event
Poets Café celebrates National Poetry Month and hosts poets in discussion. It’s aired weekly on KPFK.
This program is offered weekly on KPFK Los Angeles 90.7 FM.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: KPFK 90.7 FM
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: On-air Event (live)
Website: https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/poets-cafe/oe
We Love L.A. Book Club: The Late Show at Eagle Rock Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
We Love L.A. Book Club participants will discuss the novel, The Late Show by author Michael Connelly.
This series opener introduces Renée Ballard, a Hollywood detective relegated to the midnight shift after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor. Ballard must hand over her cases every morning, but she disobeys orders by continuing to investigate an assault and a murder which may be intertwined.
The library will have copies to check out or check our e-media page for electronic access on Libby and hoopla.
Please bring book suggestions for future meetings.
Where: Eagle Rock Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 5027 Caspar Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90041
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/we-love-la-book-club-9
Science Fiction Book Club: Project Hail Mary at Van Nuys Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Science Fiction Book Club participants will discuss the novel, Project Hail Mary, by author Andy Weir.
“Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish!”
Awakening from a long slumber he finds himself stranded millions of miles away from earth. Alone and with amnesia clouding his mind, he gradually pieces together the dire situation: he’s on a crucial mission to save humanity from extinction. Racing against time and facing insurmountable odds, Ryland must decipher complex scientific enigmas and confront the looming threat to our species. But as the clock ticks down and the vastness of space isolates him further, he begins to question whether he truly is alone in this mission.
Moderated by John Tommasino.
Open to all. Pick up a copy at the check-out desk. No RSVP Req.
Where: Van Nuys Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 6250 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/science-fiction-book-club-project-hail-mary-andy-weir
Feedback Circle Workshop via The Poetry Lab – Online Event
The Feedback Circle workshop is appropriate for writers who have at least 5 poems ready for revision. Participants will have opportunities for feedback in small groups, large groups, and one-on-one settings. Much attention will be paid to giving feedback to others compassionately and equitably. Craft-focused feedback will be strongly encouraged, and a review of elements of craft will be made available to facilitate this focus.
Maximum class size: 12 people
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Poetry Lab
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 5 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)
Website: https://www.thepoetrylab.com/feedback
Quest Book Club: The Hundred Years War on Palestine at The Book Jewel – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss The Hundred Years War on Palestine, by author Rashid Kahlidi.
This book isa landmark history of one hundred years of war wages against the Palestinians for the foremost U.S. historian of the Middle e-East, told through pivotal events and family history.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events
Mystery Book Discussion: The Thursday Murder Club at Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Mystery Book discussion participants will discuss the novel, The Thursday Murder Club, by author Richard Osman.
RSVP:
This program meets via Zoom. Please pre-register at site.
Where: Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 6 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-discussion
Ekphrasis: An Evening with Poet Gabriele Tinti at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
The Los Angeles Public Library and the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles are pleased to announce ‘Ekphrasis,’ an evening with the poet Gabriele Tinti presenting his ekphrastic poetry series and a talk on this form of writing. Tinti will introduce some videos of readings of his poems by Willem Dafoe, Abel Ferrara, Robert Davi, Joe Mantegna, and Jamie McShane. These videos are the documentation of a series inspired by ancient and modern myths, which has involved some of the best-known artists of our time and major world museums, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the LACMA, the British Museum, the Capitoline Museums, the Ara Pacis Museum, the Colosseum, and the National Roman Museum, amongst others. Special guests to include: Robert Davi, Joe Mantegna, Jamie McShane, Getty Head Curator Kenneth Lapatin, and LACMA educator Chelo Montoya.
With the support of The Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles in collaboration with Laboratory Arts Collective The Hoxton.
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Mark Taper Auditorium
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/ekphrasis
Reading in Bed with Jessica: L.A. Poet Society via 101.5 FM – Live On-Air Event
Reading in Bed with Jessica hosts poets and writers in conversation and is aired weekly on 101.5 FM.
Jessica Wilson Cardenas is the founder of Los Angeles Poet Society.
Guests TBA
This program is offered weekly on radioollin Los Angeles 101.5 FM.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: L.A. Poet Society via www.radioollin.com 101.5 FM
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: On-air Event (live at 101.5 FM)
Website: https://www.lapoetsociety.org/events
Mystery & Thriller Book Club: 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister at Studio City Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Book club participants will discuss 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister by author Joyce Carol Oates.
RSVP:
Please email studio@lapl.org for participation details.
Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-thriller-book-club-1
Evan Waite & Life Wants You Dead at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Evan Waite will present and discuss his book, Life Wants You Dead: A Calm, Rational, and Totally Legit Guide to Scaring Yourself Safe.
A BOOK TO KEEP YOU SAFE IN THESE ANXIOUS TIMES: Anxious and fearful about the state of the world? Friend, you are not frightened enough! Never mind the asteroid hurtling toward Earth. That bird over there? It’s just waiting for the chance to swoop down and peck at your eyes. Your shoelaces? Trying to strangle your feet. From the stop signs obviously attempting to dead-end your life to that creep in the mirror who looks exactly like you, danger is everywhere. And your best survival strategy is to be afraid of everything, at all times.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/evan-waite
Material Girl: A Marxist Feminist Reading Group at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Our Marxist feminist reading group, MATERIAL GIRL, meets monthly and has a different reading each month. Check the Public School LA’s instagram for the latest reading: @thepublicschoolla.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
RECESS Open Mic Is at SIPA HQ, Palms Up Academy – In-Person Event
RECESS Open Mic Is Back at SIPA HQ on Wednesdays.
This dynamic open mic is the most accessible public program in our curriculum and manifests our mission statement in a physical (and digital) space.
Join us at the intersection of Historic Filipinotown & The World: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines, and details.
Where: SIPA
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 6:30; Open Mic at 8 pm)
Address: 3200 W. Temple St., Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://www.palmsupacademy.com https://www.instagram.com/p/C3blXIZJERV/
Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group: The Marriage Portrait at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Reading Group participants will discussThe Marriage Portrait by author Maggie O’Farrell.
This event is free and open to the public.
This group meets every 4th Wednesday of the month.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Vroman’s Meeting Room
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 709 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 120, Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/vromans-fiction-reading-group-7
Kaveh Akbar & Martyr! at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Kaveh Akbar will present and discusshis book Martyr!
Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others.
Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Kaveh-Akbar-discusses-Martyr%21
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 — Roniz Backstreet;
- 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@gmail.com or call (323) 293-2451
Where: The World Stage
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.instagram.com/anansiwritersworkshop/
Earth Day Celebration: L.A. Press at Patagonia in Pasadena – In-Person Event
Join an Earth Celebration at Patagonia in Pasadena with poets and performers:
Linda Ravenswood is a poet and performance artis and is also publisher of Los Angeles Press. She is the author of Letters from Cantadora, The Stan Poems, a poem is a house, and if we never meet again, a Pandemic diary.
Bernadette McComish is a producer and poet, and the author of First Time Mom (Los Angeles Press, 2024). She holds an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence, and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from Hunter. She writes poems that explore parallel realms where fortunetellers work as cashiers, and ghosts ride subways underwater singing Shakespeare. Her poems have appeared in The Cortland Review, Deluge, Flapperhouse, Hospital Drive, Slipstream, Storyscape, Flypaper Magazine, Peregrine, and she was a finalist for the New Millennium Writers 41st poetry prize.
Maryam Hosseinzadeh organizes walks, talks to strangers, pieces together speculative archives, and sometimes does other things to bridge the gap between the archive and the street at the intersection of community arts programming and regional history with a focus on Los Angeles County. Maryam officially studied Los Angeles’s built environment and California history in the Historic Preservation program at USC but has learned much more unofficially through her lifelong journey in the diasporic landscapes of 1980s and 1990s LA. She has lived most of her life bouncing between two ends of the Arroyo Seco—Altadena to Northeast LA. One of her earliest visual memories is of a fantastical storage yard of discarded signs you could see from the freeway nestled at the confluence of the 110, the 5, and Avenue 26.
Terrence Le Clere is an actor known for Hollywood, je t’aime (2009), Lymelife (2008) and Silver Lake (2010) and the poetry Brothel.
Matt Sedillo is a renowned political poet, international performance artist and speaker. He is the author of Mowing Leaves of Grass and City on the Second Floor, and the co-founder of El Martillo Press.
Erin MIzrani is a poet, scholar, educator, curator, and collaborator living in Los Angeles and teaching English for New York University’s LA campus. She is co-founding editor of Cobra Milk, a new multimedia literary and arts journal, and director of the Cobra Milk reading series. Their writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Yes Poetry, Ginger Zine, Anti-Heroin Chic, Ben Yehuda Press and elsewhere.
Brendan Constantine is a poet and educator and the author of Letters To Guns (Red Hen Press 2009), which is now required reading in creative writing programs across the nation. He is currently poet in residence at the Windward School and adjunct professor at Antioch University. In addition, he regularly offers classes in hospitals, prisons, shelters, and with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project.
Christian Perfas aka Soul Stuf is a second generation Filipino-American spoken word poet who speaks on the Song, Truth Universal, and Flow of his own wandering spirit. Originally trained in the art of hip-hop and improv, Christian has learned from legendary spaces such as The Spoken Literature Art Movement at Art-Share LA, The Upright Citizens Brigade on Sunset, and Richard Horvitz’s 5 Steps To Success in North Hollywood. He is the author of A Reclamation of the Soul (World stage Press, 2022).
Anna Goodman Harris N/A
Where: Patagonia
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 47 N. Fair Oaks, Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103
Website: FB Flyer N/A
Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop at Beyond Baroque – Online Zoom Event
Beyond Baroque’s longest-running free poetry workshop is offered on Zoom and welcomes 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 this quarter is L.A. Johnson, the author of the chapbook Little Climates (Bull City Press, 2017). She holds an MFA from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of Southern California, where she is currently a Mellon Humanities and University of the Future postdoctoral fellow. The winner of the 2022 Mississippi Review Poetry Prize, the 2022 Greensboro Review Poetry Prize, the 2021 Arts & Letters Rumi Poetry Prize, her poems appear in The Atlantic, Poetry Magazine, and The Slowdown. She’s received support for her writing from Vermont Studio Center, Community of Writers, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and elsewhere. Find more about her at http://www.la-johnson.com
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. There’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 24th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.beyondbaroque.org/free_workshops or
Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg and Featured Guest Ashley Lanuza at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event
Host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug on Wednesday Nights offers a Reading & Open Micwith featured guest Ashley Lanuza.
Ashley Lanuza is a published author, editor, spoken word poet, and lifelong learner. She is a born-and-raised Angeleno who graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Film Studies and Asian American Studies. Her writing experience spans from the creative to the analytical. Her interests vary, too: lifestyle, travel, culture, relationships, psychology, art, film, and Los Angeles. Her debut poetry collection, My Heart of Rice: a Poetic Filipino American Experience, can be found at your favorite online retailer. Ashley is currently studying for her Master’s in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge.
$4 cover fee, cash only
NOTE: See site for further details.
Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange
Date: Wednesday the 24th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: https://www.facebook.com/people/Two-Idiots-Peddling-Poetry/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/1070393567522555
Book Signing & Talk: Morgan Richard Olivier & the strength that stays at The Book Jewel – In-Person Event
Author Morgan Richard Olivier will present and discuss her book, the strength that stays, which shares words of wisdom, strength, and self -awareness as she delves into the profound link between pain and purpose and guides readers on their journey of self-discovery, healing, and empowerment.
This book encourages readers to apply lessons learned and also receive the peace and power that comes from embracing the refined and resilient people they are today.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events
Sci-Fi Short Story Club: Jonathan Lethem & We Who Are About To… at Mark Twain Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Explore Joanna Russ’ subversive 1976 novellaWe Who Are About To… with sci-fi lovers from across the universe via Zoom, as selected by special guest Jonathan Lethem, who will be joining us to celebrate his brand-new collection, The Collapsing Frontier. Available in print and eBook.
RSVP:
For the Zoom link, please email mtwain@lapl.org.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Mark Twain Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/sci-fi-short-story-club-we-who-are-about-guest-jonathan-lethem
Cover to Cover Book Club: West with Giraffes at Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL– In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss West with Giraffes by author Linda Rutledge.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 16244 Nordhoff St., North Hills, CA 91343
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/cover-cover-book-club-3
LGBTQ+ Book Club: The Spear Cuts Through Water at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss The Spear Cuts Through Water: A Novel by author Simon Jimenez.
The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.
But that god cannot be contained forever…
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/lgbtq-book-club-spear-cuts-through-water
Book Talk & Signing: Katherine Haake, with Lou Matthews, & What Happened Was at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event
Katherine Haake, in conversation with Lou Matthews, will discuss her latest book, What Happened Was.
In Katharine Haake’s new eco-fable, What Happened Was, emissaries from the posy-world return to us with accounts of a future that spooled itself out because we weren’t paying attention. In it, everything looks a lot like now, only a little bit different. Intimate, precarious, often beguiling, sometimes hilarious, and never free of political context, these reports are haunted by loss. Whether parts of the body or children in trees, things disappear in this world without warning or sense as everything fades toward oblivion and dead parents taunt from the grave: What made you think you were so special it wouldn’t happen to you?
Katharine Haake is the author of the eco-dystopian science fiction fable, The Time of Quarantine, and the California hybrid prose lyric, That Water, Those Rocks, and three collections of stories. Her work has appeared broadly and been recognized as distinguished by Best American Fiction and Best American Essays, among others. She is a professor of creative writing at California State University, Northridge.
Lou Mathews is the author of the novels L.A. Breakdown, an L.A. Times Best Book, and Shaky Town, long-listed for 2022 Tournament-of-books, both from Tiger Van Books. He has received a Pushcart Prize, A Katherine Anne Porter Prize and California Arts Commission and NEA Fellowships in Fiction. His new novel Hollywoodski, is due out in January 2025. His short stories have been published in ZYZZYVA, New England Review, Short Story, Black Clock and more than 40- other literary magazines. He has taught in the UCLA Writer’s Program since 1989.
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Cookies and Comics Graphic Novel Book Club: Keeping Two at Westwood Branch Library, LAPL– Online Event
Do you love graphic novels? Does your family get tired of having to talk about Watchmen—again? Looking for someone to geek out with you over the new stuff from Brian K. Vaughan? Then this is the club for you! event is teens aged 16+ and adults.
This event is new to Westwood Library, but it’s not new to the Los Angeles Public Library. J. Blakemore will continue to lead the lively discussion, just as he has since 2018.
Participants will discuss Keeping Two, written and illustrated by Jordan Crane.
RSVP:
RSVP to cookiesandcomicsclub@gmail.com to be included on the monthly mailing list and for the Zoom link.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/cookies-comics-graphic-novel-book-club-0
ALOUD On Ideas Series: AI in the Spotlight: Revolutionizing Creativity and Industry in the Arts at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
From generating new forms of artistic expression to transforming industry practices, artificial intelligence is redefining the boundaries of creativity. This event will bring together creatives from diverse backgrounds and industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the performing and fine arts.
ALOUD on Ideas is an ongoing series that will take a thematic look at subjects that are particularly relevant to our time. This season, ALOUD presents Navigating the AI Maze: Investigating Artificial Intelligence in Our Lives: A Three-Part Series curated by Avriel Epps aimed at demystifying Artificial Intelligence, exploring its multifaceted impact on both society at large and our individual well-being.
RSVP: https://lfla.org/event/ai-series-2/
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Central Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Terry J. Benton-Walker, with Adam Sass, & Blood Justice at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Terry J. Benton-Walker, in conversation with Adam Sass, will discuss his book, Blood Justice (Blood Debts #2).
They took back their family’s stolen throne to lead New Orleans’ magical community into the brighter future they all deserve.
But when Cris and Clem restored their family power, Valentina Savant lost everything. Her beloved grandparents are gone, and her sovereignty has been revoked—she will never be Queen. Unless, of course, someone dethrones the Trudeaus again. And lucky for her, she’s not the only one trying to take them down.
Cris’s hunger for vengeance and Clem’s desire for love could prove to be their family’s downfall, all while new murders, shocking disappearances, and impossible alliances are changing the game forever.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/terry-j-benton-walker
Queer Spaces Storytelling Night with Jen Hitchcock & Guests at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
It’s time for another QUEER SPACES STORYTELLING NIGHT, hosted and curated by Jen Hitchcock aka @bookshowla!
This month’s lineup:
Hank Henderson (@hankinla) Hank Henderson is a poet and storyteller. His monologues and one-man show have been featured at Highways’ BEHOLD! Queer Performance Festival, INSTALL: WeHo, APT 3F, and the West Hollywood One City One Pride Arts Festival. Most recently, written work has been published in RFD Magazine and online at Entropy Magazine and HIV Here & Now. Hank has also curated the LGBTQ reading series homo-centric since 2010. He lives in Los Angeles with three cats and a man named Joe.
Miles Grillo (@dreambuttt) N/A
Jen Cheng (@jen.and.potato) Jen Cheng is a multi-disciplinary storyteller, weaving her skills as a poet, writer, musician, improvisor, and artist. She helps create your story and amplify under-represented stories. She is the West Hollywood Poet Laureate and author of Braided Spaces.
Karrie Winship (@stury_topp) N/A
It is a safe bet that if you are a queer person, you have a story about a queer space that inspired and shaped you. Where you found your tribe. Where you felt safe, seen, understood, loved. This is an evening of unique individual stories about our communal gathering spots, be they historical or contemporary, in real life or virtual. Dedicated queer space will always be essential to our community. Queer Spaces Storytelling Night strives to preserve this notion through the ancient art of sharing stories.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-lulmrx76
Community Writing Workshop with Carly Sotas and Mimi Thompson at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Village Well is hosting an engaging writing workshop! Participants will be guided through a series of interactive prompts that will span across various writing formats. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned writer, this workshop is a perfect opportunity to explore different styles in a low-pressure, inclusive environment, expand your skills, and connect with fellow writing enthusiasts.
Please bring a pen and notebook, or a laptop!
Tickets are available for purchase at website link!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/35045
James Charles Darnborough & The Gambler’s Game at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
James Charles Darnborough will discuss his new book, The Gambler’s Game: Based on the True story of the Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.
In the twilight of the 19th century, as the Old West collides with the opulence of the Gilded Age, one man embarks on a journey that will redefine his life. The Gambler’s Game
is a captivating historical fiction saga that follows the extraordinary life of a mid-western baseball player turned high-stakes gambler. His audacious spirit leads him from the dust chocked plains to the refined ambiance of English garden parties and the allure of Belle Epoque Monte Carlo.
This is a story of self-discovery in a rapidly changing world. The Gambler’s Game lures readers into a realm where the echoes of gunshots meet the clinking of champagne glasses, and the magnificent network of railways and steamships takes the reader on grand adventures.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7 pm
Address:695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/James-Charles-Darnborough-discusses-The-Gamblers-Game
Tia Chucha’s Book Club: I’m Glad My Mom Died at Tia Chucha’s Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss the novel, I’m Glad My Mom Died, by author Jennette McCurdy.
McCurdy’s debut memoir is revealing, describing the abuse she endured from her mother, who pushed her into acting at age 6, then guided her directly into an eating disorder and much worse until her death in 2013. It’s also a poignant, and funny read that offers much hope and will surely provide help to those suffering similar abuses.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Tia Chucha’s
Date: Thursday the 25th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, CA 91342
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5mTW_Qvg22/?hl=en&img_index=1
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!
Open to all ages. Free to attend.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Once Upon a Time Bookstore
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 9:30 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event
Storytime & Signing: Alexandra Adlawan & Sub Journey at Bel Canto Bookstore – In-Person Event
Author and illustrator Alexandra Adlawan will present her book, Sub Journey.
Join these two best friends as they dive into the ocean depths in their submarine. Scuba with Maddie and Albert as they swim with the dolphins, cuddle sea otters, and explore the colorful coral reef.
Alexandra Adlawan is a writer and illustrator from Long Beach, CA and creator of the Amazing Artists publishing company. A naturally gifted visual arts and written word communicator in reaching children, Alexandra enhanced her skill set by graduating from a professional digital arts & animation studio for artists with Autism. Alexandra’s children’s book series includes The Adventures of Maddie and Albert, Wild Imagination, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Flying the Imaginary Skies, and Backyard Jungle.
Where: Bel Canto Books, Retro Row, Long Beach
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 12 pm – 1:30 PM
Address: 2106 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90807
Poetry Playground at West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Kids Event
Step into the enchanting world of poetry with our interactive workshop to celebrate National Poetry Month and Card Letter Writing Month! Through captivating activities and prompts, kids will uncover the power of words to stir emotions and weave narratives. From crafting their own heartfelt poems to infusing poetic elegance into personalized greeting cards, this workshop is a celebration of creativity and expression. As a bonus, each participant will receive a sweet treat in honor of National Gummy Bear Day, adding an extra dash of sweetness to their poetic journey!
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 19036 Vanowen St., Reseda, CA 91335
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/poetry-playground
Black Lit Book Club: Maame at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss Maame: A Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick by Jessica George.
Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.
It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.
When her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.
Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. Maame is her first novel.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/black-lit-book-club-maame
Poetry Reading & Spoken Word: Open Micat Bookman Bookstore, Orange – In-Person Event
The Bookman poetry reading & Open Mic is a monthly event held on the last Friday of the month, where the community comes together to share their words and works.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Bookman Bookstore
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 320 E. Katella Ave., Suite M, Orange, CA 92867
Website: https://www.instagram.com/bookmanorange/?hl=en
Nervous Ghost Press Open Micat Brewjeria Co., Pico Rivera – In-Person Event
The Nervous Ghost Press Open Mic is a monthly event on the last Friday of the month, where the community comes together to share their art. All styles and media, genres, and voices are welcome to participate, always. Our open mic is truly open and it allows us to live our mission and work toward realizing our vision in bringing the arts to all people. Art is what binds us, heals us, and saves us. Come join the party.
Community Guest Emcee: Ramiro Rodriguez.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Brewjeria Co.
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 4937 Durfee Ave., Pico Rivera, CA
Website: https://www.nervousghostpress.org/openmic
International Poetry Film Festival at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – In-Person Event
Beyond Baroque hosts the 2024 International Poetry Film Festival opening night screening of “Life Is a Saxophone” by S. Pearl Sharp, commemorating its 40th anniversary, followed by Q&A with director and film crew.
S. Pearl Sharp instigates through art. Her films include The Healing Passage/ Voices From The Water (2004), Life Is A Saxophone (1984), the semi-animated short Picking Tribes, and merging poetry and film in Back Inside Herself, Channeled and her recent short, Blood Bank (2023). Sharp’s literary offerings include the poetry w/jazz CD Higher Ground, the documentary comic book Black Women For Beginners, an audio collection of short fiction, and her essays and commentaries broadcast on NPR and Pacifica Radio are collected in The Evening News. She is currently dodging digital stress by returning to her love for composing songs and playwriting. “Permission. The unseen force that offers us to see, to interpret, to play with the psyche of the eye/ear/tongue and call it word.”
Gale Fulton Ross speaks art with painting, portraiture, printmaking, and sculpture. Through commissions and artist residencies she has created work in Italy, France, Tanzania and China, and her many portrait subjects include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jackie Robinson, and Toni Morrison. Gale offers a TEDx Talk on creativity (TEDxSarasota), and her work is included in S. Pearl’s poetry video Blood Bank.” She serves as art director on Beyond Borders, a forthcoming film elevating young artists of African descent. “Creativity exists when we desire to solve a problem with relevance and imagination.”
Roberto Miranda, bassist, has performed and recorded with jazz artists Kenny Burrell, Horace Tapscott, Bobby Bradford, Cecil Taylor, Charles Lloyd among many others. Miranda is a long-time member of Los Angeles’ renowned Pan Afrikan People’s Orchestra. His own group, Home Music Ensemble, blends African American, Latin, and experimental jazz. A dedicated mentor, Prof. Miranda teaches Global Jazz Studies @UCLA’s Herb Albert School of Music. He and poet Kamau Daáood have created art together since the 1980s. “There are many careers, or many different ways, for you to share this music. Be honest with yourself and figure out what it is you want to do.”
Benin Lemus (moderator) creates as poet, educator, and librarian. Her work online and in print includes the poetry collection Dreaming in Mourning (World Stage Press), Márọkọ́: Journal of African Poetry and TORCH Literary Arts. She is a 2022 Inaugural Workshop Fellow with Obsidian Magazine’s O|Sessions: Black Listening–A Performance Master Class and she served as the 2024 Finalist Judge for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Intro to Journals competition for poetry. Benin is on the faculty of UCLA’s Extension Writer’s Program. “Even in our deepest moments of suffering and grief… dreaming can still be present in our mourning.”
Kamau Daáood, poet, resident griot and cultural worker in Los Angeles’ literary community for over sixty years, carved a niche as “the word musician.” Daáood’s published work includes The Language of Saxophones (City Lights), a French-English collection, Notes D’un Griot de Los Angeles (Griot Notes from L.A.) (Le Castor Astral) and the critically acclaimed poetry with jazz CD Leimert Park. In 1989 he and master drummer Billy Higgins co-founded The World Stage Performance Gallery in Los Angeles with drummer Billy Higgans. In 2018 Kamau received Beyond Baroque’s George Drury Smith Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry.
Ticket purchase is required. Tickets will be available at the Beyond Baroque bookstore on the day of the event, but we recommend registering in advance through Eventbrite. Masks are required while inside our center.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Craig Willse with Rosie Stockton, & Providence at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Join us for a reading and discussion of Providence, the new novel by Craig Willse, in conversation with Rosie Stockton.
In this story, an introverted English professor’s quiet life gets turned upside down when he falls for a dangerous, enigmatic sophomore.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-ltnjjxpi
At Skylight: Liz Kerin, with Olivie Blake, & First Light at Skylight Books – In-Person Event
Liz Kerin, in conversation with Olivie Blake, will discuss her new novel, First Light, the riveting sequel to Night’s Edge.
It’s been nine months since the catastrophe in Tucson sent Mia fleeing from her home. But she’s not running away from the darkness—she’s running toward it, obsessively pursuing the man who gave her mother a thirst for blood and destroyed their lives.
But when Mia finds the monsters she’s been hunting and infiltrates a secret network of fugitives, she discovers she might have been their prey all along. To escape their clutches, she’ll have to reckon with her mother’s harrowing past and confront a painful truth: that they might be more alike than she ever imagined.
Liz Kerin is an author, playwright, screenwriter, and graduate of the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is also the author of Night’s Edge (2023) and The Phantom Forest (2019). She lives in Southern California.
Olivie Blake is a New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including The Atlas Six and Alone with You in the Ether. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, goblin prince/toddler, and rescue pit bull. Find her at olivieblake.com
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Skylight Books
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-liz-kerin-presents-first-light-w-olivie-blake
Remembering Vin Scully: Tom Hoffarth & Eric Nusbaumat Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a baseball author event featuring two authors in conversation about their books and thoughts about Vin Scully.
Tom Hoffarth and Eric Nusbaum will discuss their respective books about long-time Dodgers broadcaster and legend Vin Scully.
Tom Hoffarth and Ron Rapoport are the authors of Perfect Eloquence: An Appreciation of Vin Scully,
Eric Nusbaum is the author of Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/37049
Shaina Steinberg, with Tracey Nyberg, & Under the Paper Moon at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Sahina Steinberg, in conversation with Tracey Nyberg, will discuss her new book, Under the Paper Moon.
It’s 1942, and as far as her father knows, Evelyn Bishop, heiress to an aeronautics fortune, is working as a translator in London. In truth, Evelyn—daring, beautiful, and as adept with a rifle as she is in five languages—has joined the Office of Strategic Services as a spy. Her goal is personal: to find her brother, who is being held as a POW in a Nazi labor camp. Through one high-risk mission after another she is paired with the reckless and rebellious Nick Gallagher, growing ever close to him until the war’s end brings with it an act of deep betrayal.
Six years later, Evelyn is back home in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator. The war was supposed to change everything, yet Evelyn, contemplating marriage to her childhood sweetheart, feels stifled by convention. Then the suspected cheating husband she’s tailing is murdered, and suddenly Evelyn is back in Nick’s orbit again.
Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case—and realize that the war has followed them home.
Tracey Nubereg is a film and tv producer with a particular love for adapting books to screen. She has been in Los Angeles for over twenty years working in entertainment. Most recently she produced the Apple TV+ show Lessons in Chemistry, and the Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine. Other notable projects include The House with a Clock in its Walls; Ready or Not; Safe Haven, and I Am Legend. She lives with her husband and two children, and she can often be found watching the USC marching band rehearse—which is emotionally complicated because she graduated from Stanford.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Shaina-Steinberg-discusses-Under-the-Paper-Moon
Book Launch: Constance Debré, with Anahid Nersessian, & Playboy at Poetic Research Bureau – In-Person Event
Semiotext(e) and the Poetic Research Bureau present the Los Angeles book launch of Constance Debré’s Playboy, translated by Holly James.
Following the reading, Constance will be in conversation with writer and scholar Anahid Nersessian.
see all her beauty, I see the beauty of women. I see my own body, new. I tell myself there are so many things that are possible.
First published in France in 2018, Playboy is the first volume of Constance Debré’s renowned autobiographical trilogy that describes her decision, at age forty-three, to abandon her marriage, her legal career, and her bourgeois Parisian life to become a lesbian and a writer.
The novel unfolds in a series of short, sharp vignettes. The narrator’s descriptions of her first female lovers—a married woman fifteen years older than her, a model ten years her junior—are punctuated by encounters with her ex-husband, her father, and her son.
As Debré recently told Granta: “It was a bit like Saint Augustine and his conversion. In the same week, I had sex with a girl and I had the feeling that I could write. I had this incredible feeling that I could catch things, that life was there to be caught.”
Constance Debré left her career as a lawyer to become a writer. Her other novels include Un peu là, beaucoup ailleurs (winner of the 2005 Prix Contrepoint), and Manuel pratique de l’idéal Abécédaire de survie.
Anahid Nersessian is the author of ‘Keats’s Odes: A Lover’s Discourse’ and the poetry editor of Granta Magazine.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Poetic Research Bureau
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)
Address: 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Website: https://www.poeticresearch.com/events/constance-debr-1
WSP Book Launch: Camille McDaniel & Blood, Skin, and Water at Sims Library of Poetry – In-Person Event
Celebrate the World Stage Press release of Camille McDaniels’ book, Blood, Skin, and Water.
Host: Tommy Domino.
Features: Nomad the Poet and MARIE EE
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Sims Library of Poetry
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 2702 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://events.humanitix.com/blood/tickets
L.A. Get Down Festival: Palms Up Academy: Gold Standard – In-Person Event
LA Get Down, a month-long celebration of Hip Hop & Spoken Word in honor of National Poetry Month, takes place every April at Greenway Court Theatre.
This event presents Palms Up Academy: Gold Standard poets, hosted by Lady Basco.
Features include:
Kat Evasco is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and cultural strategist celebrating the She is a 2018 Lambda experiences of immigrant, women, and LGBTQ communities. She is a 2018 Lambda Fellow in playwriting and her works have been featured in many publications and venues.
Kelsey O. Daniels is an artist organizer from southeast San Diego who understands storytelling and curating spaces for others, She is a poet, content creator, singer and much more.
RJ Walker is a performance poet and voice actor from Salt Lake City Utah. He’s performed numerous times at the National Poetry SLAM and the Individual World Poetry SLAM. He is a winner of the Button Poetry video contrast, host and operator of the Greenhouse Effect Open Mic, a TEDX speaker, and the creative mind behind Lords of Misrule Theatre Company.
$10 admission.
Where: The Greenway Court Theatre
Date: Friday the 26th
Time: 8 pm
Address: 544 North Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website https://www.ticketsource.us/whats-on/ca/greenway-court-theatre/lagd-palms-up-academy-gold-standard/2024-04-26/20:00/t-nogokyg
Arts & Literaty Festival at Santa Monica Library Off-site at Virgina Avenue Park – In-Person Event
The City of Santa Monica in collaboration with SMMUSD presents the annual Arts & Literacy Festival at to Virginia Avenue Park on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. which is celebrating its 10th year.
The year’s theme is “The ROBOTS Are Here,” and the event will host over thirty different community organizations offering games and activities that align with Santa Monica Cradle to Career Building Blocks for Kindergarten campaign. The campaign promotes social and emotional development, self-care, physical well-being and motor skills, language development and early learning to help parents, educators, early childcare providers, and other community partners work together to make sure all Santa Monica children start kindergarten ready to learn, inside and outside the classroom.
Collecting stamps from activity booths on the event’s Explorer Card, redeemable for a free book at the Santa Monica Public Library booth.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Virginia Avenue Park, SMPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Address: 2200 Virginia Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
Book Club for Middle Grade Readers via Sun Valley Branch Library, LAPL – Online MG Event
Middle-grade readers are invited to participate in our fun monthly book discussions. This month, we will be reading Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson.
RSVP:
Please e-mail Ms. Ashley at akagan@lapl.org or Ms. Gail at gkim@lapl.org for the Zoom login information.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Sun Valley Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-club-middle-grade-readers-23
Independent Bookstore Day at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore. Author events include:
10:30 am: Kelly Finnerty Children’s Storytime & Book signing: Strolling on the Sand.
1 pm – 3 pm: Elish Quinn Meet & Greet & Book signing: Medea: A Novel
3 pm:Alta Journal LA Release, Issue 27, with Alta Contributors: George Chen, Victoria Patterson, and Sam Elijah Holley.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: pages: a bookstore
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 10:30 am – 3 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Besch, CA 90266
Website: https://www.pagesabookstore.com/event/independent-bookstore-day-spring-2024
Independent Bookstore Day at Flintridge Bookstore – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore. Author events include:
11 am – 1 pm: Rene Colato Lainez Storytime & Book signing: My Friend, MI Amigo series: El señor Pancho tenía un rancho, Jugamos al futbol/We Play Soccer,
1 pm – 3 pm: Elish Quinn Meet & Greet & Booksigning: Medea: A Novel
1 pm – 3 pm: Rosanna Xia Meet & Greet & Booksigning: California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Flintridge Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am – 3 pm
Address: 858 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada Flintridge, CA, 91011
Website: https://www.flintridgebooks.com/instore-events/2024/4/27/independent-bookstore-day-2024
Independent Bookstore Day at Once Upon a Time – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore. Author events include:
11 am: Dominique Furukawa signing Black Girls
11 am: Sue Ganz-Schmitt signing Skybound!
Noon: Rex Ogle signing Four Eyes
Noon: Callie C. Miller signing The Hunt for the Hollower
All Day: Exclusive Independent Bookstore Day items for sale (while supplies last)
All Day: Treats, goodies, and prizes!
All Day: Richard Scarry’s Goldbug Scavenger Hunt!
All Day: Time with our bookstore kitty, Pippi (based on her napping schedule)
In-store purchases given priority for exclusive items. Inventory updated nightly.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am – 6 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA, 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/independent-bookstore-day-2024
Independent Bookstore Day at Flintridge Bookstore – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore.
See information at website for in-house and off-site events.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Reparations Club
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am – 6 pm
Address: 3054 S. Victoria Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website: https://rep.club/pages/contact-us
Independent Bookstore Dayat Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Village Well is once again celebrating National Independent Bookstore Day on April 27, 2024!
Come by and meet local authors, try eats from our new menu, and go on blind dates with books!
Participating authors include:
Nicole Rose Julian is the author of From the Stories of Old.
Tim Cummings is the author of Alice the Cat.
Colin Hinckley is the author of The Black Lord.
Gary Phillips is the author of One Shot Harry.
Kate Korsh is the author of upcoming children’s book series, Oona Bramblegoop’s Sideways Magic.
Erika Lewis is the author of Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts.
CJ Leede is the author of Maeve Fly.
Liz Kerin is the author of Night’s Edge: A Novel.
Kate Burns is the author of Paths to Transformation: From Initiation to LIberation.
Jamie Varon is the author of Radically Content.
Samara Bay is the author of Permission to Speak: How to Change What Power Sounds Like, Starting with You.
Francesca Lia Block is the author of many books, including the Weetzie Bat Series and Life Inside My Mind.
Daryl McCullough is the author of Chubby the Bear’s Big Choice, among others.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/37298
LGBTQ Book Club: The Humble Lover via Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL – Online MG Event
Join us on the third Saturday of the month for an engaging book discussion. Of The Humble Lover by author Edmund White.
RSVP:
Email silver@lapl.org for the Zoom link.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/lgbtq-book-club
Mystery Book Club: Standing in the Shadows at Westwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Mystery Book Club participants will discuss Standing in the Shadows, by author Peter Robinson.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 11 am
Address: 1246 Glendon Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-14
International Poetry Film Festival at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center: Official Selection – In-Person Event
Beyond Baroque hosts the 2024 International Poetry Film Festival for poetry-inspired films from around the world!
The third edition of the International Poetry Film Festival, Los Angeles features screenings of nearly 40 poem-based films from around the world, including selections from France, India, Belgium, Ireland, and the United States, among other countries. Selected by festival director Lynn Holley and members of Beyond Baroque, the films will be screened in The Wanda Coleman Theater.
Join us for a day full of poetry on the big screen! The official schedule for the festival’s program will include a variety of experimental, narrative, documentary, and animated poem-based films. We are thrilled to showcase the work of filmmakers and poets pushing the boundaries of their artistic disciplines to create a whole new experience for lovers of both art forms. This year we are also excited to debut a short poetry film using components of AI technology made by Mike Gioia, co-founder of Blank Verse Films, a small film studio that produces poetry-related films and broadens the reach of poetry and literature in digital culture. In The Mike Kelly Gallery, we will showcase Photo News, an ongoing project by visual artist Jody Zellen comprised of daily montages built on headline fragments from lead stories in the daily newspaper combined with either news images or images of nature. The result is a series of heavily saturated images whose eerie hues highlight the surreal quality of the realities they reference. Also, The Los Angeles Review is co-presenting a poetry video of J. Michael Martinez’s Sonnet IX, made for “Latinx Digital Poeitcs: An Electronic Literature Folio” curated by Brent Ameneyro.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 1 pm – 6 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Independent Bookstore Day at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore. Come in to celebrate all day, form 10 am – 6 pm.-, but a special author event will occur at 2 pm.
Author event:
2 pm: Moncia Mancillas, author of Mariana and Her Familia, The Worry Balloon, and How to Speak in Spanglish will be at Cellar Door at 2:00 pm for an in-conversation about her brand-new middle-grade book, Sing It like Celia. You can preorder her book in English (out April 2nd) or Spanish (out June 18th)!
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/indiebookstoreday2024
L.A. Get Down Festival: Workshop Showcase at The Greenway Court Theatre – In-Person Event
L.A. Get Down Festival is held on weekends in the month of April (National Poetry Month) at the Greenway Court Theatre.
Workshop Showcase is hosted by Maddox Pennington.
$10 admission.
Where: The Greenway Court Theatre
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 544 North Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website: https://greenwaycourttheatre.org/lagetdown2024/ or https://greenwaycourttheatre.org
Annual Local Authors Forum: Standing in the Shadows at Brentwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
In celebration of National Library Week, the Friends of the Kaufman Brentwood Branch Library will host the annual Authors Forum, featuring Janet Elizabeth Lynn, Carlene O’Neil, Jeri Westerson, and Will Zeilinger, four authors working in various genres. The authors will discuss their backgrounds, writing history, inspiration, and published books. They will also answer questions from the audience and read excerpts from recently published books.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Donald Bruce Kauffman-Brentwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 11820 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/local-authors-forum
Fourth Saturdays Poetry: Jodie Hollander & Veronica Michalowski at Helen Renwick Claremont Library – In-Person Event
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Fourth Saturdays presents readings by:
Jodie Hollander: Longlisted for Laurel Prize 2023. Set in a technicolour world of dreams, ghosts, classical music, and Key West storms, Jodie Hollander’s compelling second collection Nocturne charts the emotional journey of the daughter of a professional classical pianist. These bold and arresting poems, rich with musicality, and fierce in their emotional honesty, chart the complicated repercussions of family dysfunction and musical obsession while traversing the landscape of the human condition and exploring the need for refuge in the natural world.
Veronica Michalowski is a designer, painter and poet and the author of BODY LANDSCAPE/PAISAJE CORPORAL [English/Spanish Edition]. Other books will follow with more autobiographical poetry.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Claremont Helen Renwick Library
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Address: 208 Harvard Ave., Claremont, CA 91711
Website: https://allevents.in/claremont/fourth-saturdays-poetry-jodie-hollander-and-veronica-michalowski/200026077811307 or https://www.facebook.com/fourthsaturdayspoetry/
Miriam’s Garden: Monthly Poetry Reading Series at Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
In celebration of National Poetry Month, host Yago Cura hosts Miriam’s Garden monthly poetry reading series, featuring:
Christina Cha is a writer of poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Her work has been published in The Coachella Review, Pratik, and The Los Angeles Press, and was shortlisted for the 46th New Millennium Writing Award for Nonfiction. One of her pieces was just nominated for this year’s Pushcart Prize.
Ebony Morgan is from Los Ángeles and is the author of Flat Soda for Roses (World Stage Press, 2024).
October BLU is the author of #InMySpaceOfHonest and other Hashtags.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Address: 2205 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Rjx4iPwBt/
Arroyo Seco Book Club at Arroyo Seco Branch, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Book Club participants will discuss a book pre-selected by participants.
Email ayosco@lapl.org with questions or for participation details.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Aroyo Seco Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/arroyo-book-club-1
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 and banish (at least temporarily) those Lonely Writer Blues!
RSVP:
Please RSVP by emailing fiction@lapl.org today.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Meeting Room B
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/writers-group-0
Keepers of Culture Poetry Series & Open Mic at Northridge Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us for a multinational spoken word event that will take place on the fourth Saturday of each month on-site at the Northridge Branch and online via Zoom. There will be an open reading included.
RSVP:
Please email Emily at eaaronson@lapl.org for the Zoom link.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Northridge Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 9051 Darby Ave., Northridge, CA 91325
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/keepers-culture-poetry-reading-series
Book Reading & Signing: Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilara & Breaking Pattern at LibroMobile, Santa Ana – In-Person Event
Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilara will read and discuss her YA novel, Breaking Pattern, published by Inlandia Books.
Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilara is a former teacher, rodeo queen, and lover of the dirt roads of California. In Breaking Pattern she writes about a girl who loves horses more than people.
The author received her MFA from Antioch University, and in In May 2023 completed her PhD in Creative Writing and Literature at USC where she was a Wallis Annenberg Fellow. She believes community support has made all of her success possible.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: LibroMobile at Bristol Court
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 1150 S. Bristol, #A3, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Spoken Word Art Series: Ode to the Los Angeles River: History & Beats with Mike the PoeT at Long Beach Main Library – In-Person Event
In honor of Earth Day and National Poetry Month, please join us for a fun and fascinating afternoon exploring the local history, cultural landscape, environment, ecology, restoration efforts, and powerfully evocative poetry of the Los Angeles River and its watershed—presented by Woodbury University professor and Long Beach/LA native, Mike Sonksen, aka “Mike the PoeT.” Limited seating available; first-come, first-served.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Long Beach Billie Jean King Main Library, Miller Room
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 200 W. Broadway, Long Beach CA 90802
Website: https://www.longbeach.gov/library/events/
Saturday Afternoon Poetry: Featured Reading by Jackie Chou & Four Feathers Press – Online Zoom Event
Poetry Reading featuring Publishing Party for Jackie Chou + Poets published in Four Feathers Press FLOWERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: FLORAL POETRY
Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.
Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry at Recreation Room 119 Off-site
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: Recreation Room 119 at 65 N. Allen Ave. in Pasadena, CA
Website: http://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Call of the Wild: Youth Poet Laureate Poetry Reading at Long Beach Library Off-site at Casita Bookstore, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Join us for an enchanting evening of poetry as Long Beach’s Youth Poet cohort members explore the intricate relationship between urban life and wildlife in our city. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the beauty of Long Beach’s ecology through the eyes of our talented young poets.
We extend a special thank you to Antonette Franceschi-Chavez, the founder and owner of Casita Bookstore, for graciously allowing the YPL Program to host our event at her bookstore.
Nancy Lynee Woo will host this event.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Casita Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm
Address: 1400 E. 4th St., Long Beach CA 90802
Website: https://www.longbeach.gov/library/events/
Friends of Hyde Park Book Club at Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us on the fourth Saturday of every month from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for the Friends of the Hyde Park Book Club. Every month, we read a different book; if you’d like to know which one we’re reading next, call us at the branch, 323-750-7241.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 4 pm – 5:30 pm
Address: 2205 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/friends-hyde-park-book-club
Independent Bookstore Day: Elizabeth L. Silver & The Majority at The Book Jewel – In-Person Event
Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2024 to support your local indie bookstore. Author events include:
5 pm: Elizabeth L. Silver & The Majority.
Inspired by history, this is a riveting novel of one woman’s fight to be a Supreme Court justice.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA, 90045
Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events
Historical Fiction Book Club: The House with the Golden Door at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book Club participants will discuss The House with the Golden Door, by author Elodie Harper, the second book in the Wolf Den trilogy.
The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glamorous yet perilous. At night in the home her patron bought for her, the house with the golden door, Amara’s dreams are haunted by her past. She longs for her sisterhood of friends—the women at the brothel she was forced to leave behind—and worse, finds herself pursued by the cruel and vindictive man who once owned her. To be truly free, she will need to be as ruthless as he is. Amara knows her existence in Pompeii is subject to Venus, the goddess of love. Yet finding love may prove to be the most dangerous act of all.
Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize-winning writer. She is a reporter and presenter at ITV News, and before that worked as a producer for Channel 4 News. Elodie studied Latin poetry as part of her English Literature degree at Oxford, instilling a lifelong interest in the ancient world. The Wolf Den, the first book in the Wolf Den Trilogy, was a number one London Times bestseller, and the second, The House with the Golden Door, was a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/historical-fiction-book-club-house-golden-door
Jasmines & Poetry Festival at The Libros, Lincoln Heights – In-Person Event
Celebrate the 4th annual Jasmines & Poetry Festival with Jazz at The Libros, Lincoln Heights, with Los Angeles Poet Society.
Featuring: Ramiro Rodriguez, John Martinez, Antonieta Villamil, Donato Martinez, Pam Conception, Juan Amador, Alejandra Roggerio, Anthopoetry, Dion Jahmal.
NOTE: See site for tickets and details.
Where: The Libros, Lincoln Heights
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 3422 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5xVSOHulhm/
QT Open Mic Night at Café con Libros Press, Pomona – In-Person Event
Liam and Charlie host a fun LGBTQ+ Open Mic event. Enjoy a round of best Story wins!
NOTE: See site for RSVP and details.
Where: Café con Libros Press
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 280 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766
Website: https://cafeconlibrospress.org/event-calendar/
L.A. Get Down: InkSlam Invitational Event at Greenway Court Theatre – In-Person Event
Celebrate Diverse Voices L.A. at LAGD with the InkSlam Invitational, hosted by Matthew “Cuban’ Hernandez and Edwin Bodney.
NOTE: See site for tickets and details.
Where: Greenway Court Theater
Date: Saturday the 27th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Storytime from Hawaii: Kaylin Melia George & Aloha Everything at The Book Jewel – In-Person Event
Join author Kayli Melia George to hear her discuss her book Aloha Everything and hear how she artfully blends 25 Hawaiian words into English prose and explores the meaning of “aloha” to the land, the people, and the lore.
RSVP for more info at 424-750-9991.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 11:30 am – 12 pm
Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events
Latinx Book Club: Vampires of El Norte at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Book club participants will discuss Vampires of El Norte, by author Isabel Cañas.
Vampires, vaqueros, and star-crossed lovers face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.
Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/latinx-book-club-vampire-el-norte
La Palabra Poetry Reading Series: Carla Leila Cramer & Lauren Yangat Avenue 50 Bookstore – In-Person Event
La Palabra Poetry Reading Series is held every 4th Sunday of the month and hosted by Chloe Diaz, and today will feature:
Carole Leila Cramer wears many hats and hold many titles. One of her titles, her day job- Special Education Teacher Extraordinaire. Another title she’s especially proud of is mother of four adult children and two daughter-in-loves (Meagan & Candace). But none of her other titles top the best title in the world- Grandma to River & Dakota!
She is a published author of two poetry books (The Ebb & Flow of Life: Stages of Walking in Your Power and Insanity & Butterflies), and three Special Education teacher guides (The New Special Education Teacher’s Survival Guide, The Special Education Teacher’s Guide to A Well-Run Classroom, & finally, Plan B: Life After…)
She is currently a member of the USC chapter of Community Literature Initiative (CLI) Season 11 and is working hard on her next book of poetry, Nakedness Personified: Rise of the Phoenix!
Lauren Yang was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Lauren observes all that moves and stands around her as she transmutes what she sees and hears into poetry, comedy, dance, and music. As an environmentalist and aspiring artist just getting started, she aims to love deeply and live furiously with every last spark of energy she can muster for the wellbeing of our Earth and humanity.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Avenue 50 Studio
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 131 N. Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5zSE1NPOt6/?hl=en
John Shepphird, with Travis Richardson, & Deception Specialist at The Book Jewel – In-Person Event
Join Shamus Award-winning author John Shepphird, in conversation with Derringer Award-winning author Travis Richardson, to discuss his new thriller, Deception Specialist.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events
National Poetry Month Workshop with A.K. Toney at Elysian Valley Arts Collective – In-Person Event
Poetry Book Rhythms: A Start to Finish Writing Art Performance Class Series is free and is led by A.K. Toney.
Join poet, spoken word performer and educator A.K. Toney for a journey into learning poetry, creating your own poetry art book, making rhythms to accompany your poetry and performing at a spoken word show in the heart of Frogtown.
A.K. Toney, a modern-day Griot, has dedicated his life to writing, performing and teaching poetry to young people. With over twenty years of experience in education and writing workshops, Toney has taught workshops and performed at some of our city’s most revered spaces including Angel’s Gate Cultural Center, LA County Museum of Art, The Natural History Museum and has worked as an educator with LAUSD and Vista AmeriCorps, Watts Learning Center K-5 Charter School.
NOTE: See WEBSITE for RSVP and details.
Where: Elysian Valley Arts Collective
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 1901 Blake Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Website: https://www.evartscollective.com/event-details/
NAPOWRIMO Poetry Club #4: Identity with Sofia Aguilar at The Pop Hop – In-Person Event
Celebrate National Poetry Writing Month with us! Whether you join us for one session or all four, get ready to expand your understanding of poetry and the joy of writing it. No previous writing experience necessary!
Facilitated by LA poet and author SOFÍA AGUILAR.
SOFÍA AGUILAR is a Chicana writer and editor based on the traditional homelands of the Tongva and Chumash peoples, now known as Los Angeles, California. Her work has appeared in the L.A. Times, Refinery29 Somos, and New Orleans Review, among other publications. As an alum of WriteGirl and a first-generation college graduate, Sofía earned a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she received the Andrea Klein Willison Prize for Poetry and the Spencer Barnett Memorial Prize for Excellence in Latin American and Latinx Studies. She is the author of self-published chapbooks STREAMING SERVICE: golden shovels made for tv (2021) and STREAMING SERVICE: season two. She is currently at work on her third poetry chapbook and her first novel.
Where: The Pop Hop
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 5002 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Poetry Night at UCCLB with Soul on Fireat Universalist Christian Church of Long Beach – In-Person Event
Join the first ever Poetry Night at UCCLB event, hosted by poet and co-host of Trenches Full of Poets, Mauricio Moreno, to hear some of the best local poets plus an Open Mic! The featured readers are: Karo Ska, Nancy Lynée Woo, Tommy Domino and Ravina Wadhwani.
Kara Ska is a South Asian and Eastern European gender-fluid writer living on unceded Tongva land. Their writing focuses on identity, mental health, survivorship, and the intersections of trauma and politics. They are a teaching artist for Community Literature Initiative’s Poetry Publishing class, author of loving my salt-drenched bones (World Stage Press, 2022) and are currently working on a memoir.
Nancy Lynée Woo is an eco-centric poet based in southern California who harbors a wild love for the natural world. She has released a full-length poetry book entitled I’d Rather Be Lightning from Gasher Press, as well as two chapbooks. Her poems have appeared in Tupelo Quarterly, Radar Poetry, Stirring, West Trade Review, Cathexis Northwest Press, and others. Nancy has received fellowships from PEN America, California Creative Corps, Artists at Work, Arts Council for Long Beach, and Idyllwild Writers Week. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. She has an MFA from Antioch University.
Tommy Domino is an Alumni from the Community Literature Initiative is a spoken blues poet raised in Northwest Pasadena. Member of the Stillwater’s Writers Collective since (2012). His work is featured in two Anthologies: Sounds for the Water (2013) & Poets, Allies for Resistance (2015) and Black Minds Publishing (2021). His book Switches, Hot wheel Tracks & Extensions Cords was published by World Stage Press (2018).
Ravina Wadhwani has been writing poetry from a very young age. She grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and attended college on the East Coast. She is the author of Yellow (World Stage Press, 2021)l.
Where: UUCLB
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm
Address: 5450 East Atherton St., Long Beach, CA
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C59XuJ_StI6/?img_index=1
Vroman’s Local Author Day: Fia Perera, Wayne Walker, Karen Saliba & Ken Kikkawa at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Local Authors Day will feature four authors presenting their books:
Fia Perera presents Pippa and the Major.
Pippa and the Major is a comedic action-packed graphic novel perfect for fans of historical fantasy fiction is a fully illustrated novel (the first in a 3 book series) loosely rooted in history with a surreal twist.
Wayne Walker presents The Great Sheepfold.
“We all need God’s protection,” says Rev. Wayne Walker, in the same way a sheepfold protects a flock of sheep against predators and thieves. The Great Sheepfold is a journey through understanding the mysteries Goshen, the Pyramids, and the sheepfold, which is the way to learn about the Kingdom of God.
Rev. Wayne Walker is a pastor of Temple Heights Church in San Pedro, CA, as well as a trainer and mentor. With the help of the EDD and Work Source Center, he founded The Clothes Closet, which provides clothing for disadvantaged job seekers. He grew up in Los Angeles and found his calling in Social Services, which also helped him to create The Visitation Center in Hawthorne, California. The Center allowed parents with children in the system to visit their children in a neutral and friendly environment. His spiritual goal is to help combat biblical Illiteracy.
Karen Saliba and Ken Kikkawa present The Unexpected Joy of Pickleball.
Discover the story behind the sensation that’s sweeping the country and beyond – pickleball. From its humble origins on Bainbridge Island in 1965 to becoming the fastest-growing sport in America, this book delves into the heart of what makes pickleball more than just a game; it’s a global phenomenon, an obsession, and a life-altering experience for the millions of people who play it.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 4 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91001
Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Vromans-Local-Author-Day-April-2024
Village Poets of Tujunga Poetry & Open Mic: Willaim Archila & Mandy Kahn at Bolton Hall Museum – In-Person Event
Village Poets of Tujunga celebrate National Poetry Month by featuring a reading and Open Mic with special guests William Archila and Mandy Kahn.
Willam Archila is the winner of the 2023 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry for his collection S is For. His book, The Gravedigger’s Archaeology, won the Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize and The Art of Exile won an International Latino Book Award. He was awarded the 2023 Jack Hauser fellowship and the Alan Collins Scholarship at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. He has been published in Poetry Magazine, The American Poetry Review, AGNl, Conjunctions, Colorado Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Missouri Review, Pleiades and Prairie Schooner and the anthologies The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext, Theatre Under My Skin: Contemporary Salvadoran Poetry, and The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States. He is a PEN Center USA West Emerging Voices fellow. He lives in Los Angeles on Tongva land. He has work forthcoming in Copper Nickle, Southern Indiana Review, The Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, Salamander and Guesthouse.
Mandy Kahn is the author of three poetry collections: Holy Doors (2023), Glenn Gould’s Chair (2017) and Math, Heaven, Time (2014). Her poems have been included in the Best American Poetry anthology series, have been read on BBC Radio, and have been featured in the national newspaper column American Life in Poetry. She has given readings at Cambridge University, the Getty Museum, MOCA and the Barrick Museum, has been profiled in the magazines Flaunt, Issue and Malibu, and has been interviewed by The Los Angeles Review of Books. She’s also the subject of Courtney Sell’s feature-length documentary Peace Piece: The Immersive Poems of Mandy Kahn. Kahn holds a degree in English from UC Berkeley. She lives in Los Angeles where she serves as writer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Bolton Hall Museum
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 4:30 pm
Address: 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga, CA 91042
Poetry Book Launch: Bernadette McComish and the Los Angeles Pressat Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a book launch for Prophets of Los Angeles, a new book from Bernadette McComish, published by The Los Angeles Press.
Accompanying readers include:
Richard Modiano served as Executive Director of Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center (2010 to 2019) and curated hundreds of literary events. His poetry collection The Forbidden Lunch Box was published by Punk Hostage Press.
KR Morrison K.R. Morrison is a poet and drummer who teaches English Literature and Creative Writing to inner city youth in San Francisco, Ca. In 1997, she fell in love with San Francisco, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy from USF(2001), a portion of which she earned at Oxford University, her emphasis on Medieval Philosophy and Gothic Art and Architecture. Morrison earned a teaching credential, another B.A. in English Literature, and minored in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach (2004). She is also the author of the poetry collection Cauldrons (Paper Press Books, 2021).
Kendalle Getty is a multimedia artist based in New York and Los Angeles, with an interest in sculpture, poetry, music, and the creative arts. Her upcoming show, The Hostile Home, uses sculptural installations to depict a pervasive sense of feeling unwelcome in her mother’s home.
Brian Sonia Wallace is the former poet laureate of West Hollywood and the author of The Poetry of Strangers.His reportage has appeared in Rolling Stone and The Guardian and he writes regularly for the LA County Department of Cultural Affairs. He is the founder of RENT Poet, which produces live, custom poetry for events, and he has been the Writer-in-Residence for Mall of America, Amtrak, and the Boston Harbor Islands. His most recent book is Maze Mouth.
Arthur Kayzakian is the winner of the 2021 inaugural Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series for his collection, The Book of Redacted Paintings, which was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. He is the recipient of the 2023 creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is also the winner of the Open Chapbook Competition for his chapbook, My Burning City.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/36481
Earthseed Symposium: Bookclub at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Join the Earthseed Symposium, a special fiction book club,
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-ltnjle4m
Screening & Discussion: From Palestine to Fukushima at Midnight Books – In-Person Event
Join Midnight Books for an event: From Palestine to Fukushima, by Toshikuni Doi.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Midnight Books
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 3382 E. Florence Ave., Huntington Park, CA 90255
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/C54me22JPGX/?hl=en
April Historical Romance Book Club: Forever Your Rogue at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
April’s Historical Romance Book Club participants will discuss Forever Your Rogue, by author Erin Langston. Please join us.
Forever Your Rogue, is a swoony, sexy, and heartfelt Regency romance that can be enjoyed as a standalone.
No membership is necessary, feel free to show up!
NOTE: See site for tickets, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Sunday the 28th
Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: Main Street, Culver City, CA 90323
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Los Angeles Literature 