World Literature Book Club at West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Join us for an engaging discussion on some of the world’s best short stories! This year’s selections are from 100 Great Short Stories edited by James Daley and The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction. For the Zoom link and weekly story to be discussed, email wvally@lapl.org with “World Literature” in the subject line. This month’s selections are:
February 10: The Apparition of Mrs. Veal by Daniel Defoe
February 17: Library Closed, President’s Day
February 24: Alice Addertongue by Benjamin Franklin
Where: West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 10 am
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/world-literature-book-club
Book Adventures: Valenslime at Willowbrook Library, LACL – In-Person Kids Event
Come celebrate the month of love and friendship by joining us in this read aloud of Valenslime by Joy Keller! We’ll discuss the meaning of love and friendship followed by experimenting and creating our own slime!
For ages 5 – 12 with parent or caregiver.
Where: Willowbrook Library, LACL
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 11737 Wilmington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90059
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12788425
Evening Book Club: The House of Eve at Manhattan Beach Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss The House of Eve by author Sadeqa Johnson. A limited number of titles are available for attendees at the library. For Adults.
1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the desperation that has been passed on to her. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and when she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold.
Where: Manhattan Beach Library, LACL
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 1320 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12045213
Mystery Book Club: The Ex at Lake Los Angeles Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss the mystery novel, The Ex by author Alafair Burke. A limited number of titles are available for attendees at the library. For Adults.
Copies of the book are available at customer service desk for checkout.
Where: Manhattan Beach Library, LACL
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 16921 East Avenue Q, #A., Palmdale, CA 93592
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12790257
Philosophical Horror Book Club: The Eyes Are the Best Part at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss The Eyes Are the Best Part, by author Monika Kim.
Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying…yet enticing.
In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.
Monika Kim is a second-generation Korean American living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. She learned about eating fish eyes from her mother, who immigrated to Los Angeles from Seoul in 1985. The Eyes are the Best Part is her first novel and you can find her at monika-kim.com.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Monday the 17th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/philosophical-horror-book-club-eyes-are-best-part
Writing for Children Workshop with José Chávez via Inlandia Institute – Online Event
Alternating Mondays, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, and 3/10/25, 6:00-8:00 pm PT, on Zoom.
$50. Registration required. https://tinyurl.com/Winter2025CWW
This workshop is designed to meet the needs of those who wish to write or are writing for children. We’ll explore the writing voice for children, define a “picture book,” story arc, story introductions, appropriate vocabulary, children’s poetry, and more. There will be time to flex our writing muscles and develop the beauty and strength of our “voice” for children.
José Chávez is a retired bilingual teacher who dedicates his life to writing. His poetry has been published in the Multilingual Educator Journal, Acentos Review, and the Inlandia anthology, and he is the author of two award-winning bilingual poetry books for children. José lives in Riverside, California, is married, and has three grown children.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://inlandiainstitute.org/events/?format=list&month=2&yr=2025
Robertson Readers Book Club: Year of Wonders at Robertson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for book club at Robertson Branch. We will discuss the book and share other interesting books we have been reading. New members are welcome!
Participants will discuss Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks.
Print copies of each book will be available for checkout in the branch beginning three weeks prior to the book club meeting date, while supplies last.
Where: Robertson Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 1719 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/robertson-readers-book-club-5
Mics and Mugs Open Mic: Every Monday Night at Equator Coffees – In-Person Event
Mics and Mugs Open Mic is offered every Monday Night at Equator Coffees Culver City.
See site for details.
2 Item purchase per person.
Where: Equator Coffees
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 8900 Venice Blvd., #105, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDL67D8RDmB/
Andy Corren, with Patrick J. Adams, & Dirtbag Queen at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Andy Corren, in conversation with Patrick J. Adams, will discuss and sign Dirtbag Queen.
In this “utterly unhinged, hilarious” memoir, a son pays tribute to his larger than life ‘zaftig good time gal’ mother and his unusual childhood (Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author).
In this uproariously funny, deeply moving family portrait, readers meet the rest of his absurd clan: his brothers, affectionately nicknamed Asshole , Twin, and Rabbi; his one-eyed pirate queen of a sister, Cathy Sue; and then there’s Bonus, who Andy isn’t aware of until later in life since this mysterious oldest brother grew up at the Green Valley School for Emotionally Disturbed and Delinquent Children.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/andy-corren-dirtbag-queen
Meditation Monday with Alex Petunia via Los Angeles Poet Society – Online Event
Alex Petunia offers Meditation Monday on the Second Monday of every month via L.A. Poet Society.
Each session includes: breathing meditation, journaling time, creative writing prompts, and affirmative creation.
Relax and write with community online.
Where: Los Angeles Poetry Society
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEwQopFxWMB/?img_index=1
Black History Event: Derrick Barnes at Malik Books – In-Person Event
Come celebrate Black history with us at Malik Books! Meet best-selling author Derrick Barnes and dive into the rich stories of our culture.
Derrick Barnes is a National Book Award Finalist for his 2022 graphic novel Victory. Stand! -Raising My Fist For Justice, which also won the 2023 YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award, and a Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers.
In 2020, he became the only author to have won the Kirkus Prize twice for his twelfth release, the New York Times bestseller I Am Every Good Thing. The title also won a Charlotte Huck Award (NCTE), and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor.
Derrick is also the creator of the New York Times Bestselling companion picture books, The King of Kindergarten (2019) and the Queen of Kindergarten (2022).
He is a graduate of Jackson State University (BA-Marketing ’99) and was the first African American male creative copywriter hired by greeting cards giant Hallmark Cards. Derrick is a native of Kansas City, MO, but currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his enchanting wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes, and their four sons, the Mighty Barnes Brothers.
Where: Malik Books
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 2470, Culver City, CA 90230
R.U.P.O. Open Mic at Back to the Grind in Riverside – In-Person Event
RUPO Open Mic is every Monday Night at Back to the Grind in Riverside.
Every Monday at 7 pm to 9 pm. Sign-ups are at 6:30 pm and in person only, $4 cash admission. See you then!
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Back to the Grind, Riverside
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501
Website: https://www.facebook.com/backtothegrind
Monday Night Fiction Workshop via Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – 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 Literary Arts Center – Online event
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.beyondbaroque.org/calendar.html or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-1234735811049
No Pulp Open Mic at Work Evolution Laboratories, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Every 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-1234735811049.
Eighth Floor.
Doors at 7:30 pm. All Ages.
Where: Work Evolution Laboratories, Long Beach
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 8:30 pm – 11 pm
Address: 235 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Lit Angels: Healing Through Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is HOUSE OF HEARTS now out in paper ack. https://www.francescaliablock.com/
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1801720250211
Virtual Book Club: Colored Television at La Crescenta Library, LACL – Online Event
Join us for a weekly discussion on Zoom of Colored Television by Danzi Senna to celebrate African American & Black History Month.
Please contact Marta Wiggins at mwiggins@library.lacounty.gov for more information and the link to the Zoom Meeting.
Where: La Crescenta Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12859674
Celina’s Scribes with Wil Clarke via Inlandia Institute – Online Event
(All Levels)
Tuesdays, beginning 1/7/25, 11:30 am – 1:00 am PT, on Zoom.
Free. Registration required. https://tinyurl.com/Winter2025CWW
Participants respond to prompts about universal themes related to the human condition and are encouraged to explore all genres of writing. Individual writing is shared with a friendly, supportive group who do their best to encourage each member’s success.
Wil Clarke was born in Africa to missionary parents. He lived a total of 27 years in Africa. He is a career mathematician and enjoys writing memoirs of his various experiences. His motto is, “You only live life once, so you may as well enjoy it the first time around and do all the good you can.”
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 11:30 am – 1 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://inlandiainstitute.org/my-calendar/?mc_id=2492
Nonfiction Book Club: The Barn at Agoura Hills Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss The Barn: the secret history of a murder in Mississippi by author Wright Thompson. For adults.
Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12626413
Teen Book Club: Blackbirds in the Sky at Norwood Library, LACL – In-Person Event
In honor of African American and Black History Month, participants will discuss Blackbirds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by author Brandy Colbert. For ages 14- 17.
Where: Norwood Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 4550 Peck Rd., El Monte, CA 91732
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12858458
Poetry Open Mic via Westwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Share a poem you wrote or a poem you love. You are also welcome to just listen and enjoy. Emceed by Wyatt Underwood.
RSVP:
To receive a Zoom invitation, please contact wwood@lapl.org.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6 pm
Address: Online Evnt (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/poetry-open-mic-0
Community in Conversation with ACLU: Highest Law in the Land at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss the book, Highest Law in the Land,by author Jessica Pishko.
Cellar Door will be hosting the third conversation on Jessica Pishko’s The Highest Law in the Land, in partnership with the American Civil Liberties (ACLU)! We will only be discussing the third part of the book during this meeting.
The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy (Hardcover) is an account by a leading authority on sheriffs who investigates the impunity with which they police their communities, alongside the troubling role they play in American life, law enforcement, and, increasingly, national politics.
Jessica Pishko is a journalist and lawyer with a JD from Harvard Law School and an MFA from Columbia University. She has been reporting on the criminal legal system for a decade, with a focus on the political power of sheriffs since 2016. In addition to her newsletter Posse Comitatus, her writings have been featured in The New York Times, Politico, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, The Appeal, Slate, and Democracy Docket. She has been awarded journalism fellowships from the Pulitzer Center and Type Investigations and was a 2022 New America Fellow. A longtime Texas resident, she currently lives with her family in North Carolina.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com
Silver Lake Book Club: A Visit From the Goon Squad at Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss wonderful books, from new bestsellers to old favorites. The meetings are held in person, unless circumstances warrant a hybrid meeting with Zoom added.
February selection: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Where: Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 2411 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/silver-lake-book-club-0
Book Club Tuesday: Solito at Hollydale Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a facilitated discussion of Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora.
Copies of the current title are available to check out at the customer service desk while supplies last. New members are always welcome!
Where: Hollydale Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 12000 Garfield Ave., South Gate, CA 90280
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12868783
Nonfiction Book Club: The Barn via Agoura Hills Library, LACL – Online Event
Participants will meet virtually to discuss Wright Thompson’s The Barn: the secret history of a murder in Mississippi. For adults.
To attend this meeting virtually, contact Nina Hull at 818-889-2278 or email nhull@library.lacounty.gov
Where: Agoura Hills, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 12000 Garfield Ave., South Gate, CA 90280
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12626452
Greg Hurwitz, with Robert Crais, & Nemesis: An Orphan X Novel (#10) at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Greg Hurwitz, in conversation with Robert Crais, will discuss his new novel Nemesis: An Orphan X Novel (#10).
In the next explosive novel in this New York Times bestselling series, Evan Smoak, having lived his life by the assassin’s Ten Commandments, finds himself at odds with his oldest friend in the world, where principles are in conflict with honor, no rules hold―and no one may get out alive. Evan Smoak was once a highly successful black ops assassin known as Orphan X, dedicated to a rigid set of operational rules. Even after going deep underground and remaking his life, Evan remains dedicated to his unbreakable code. But for the first time in his life, those principles have put him on a collision course with the man who might be his best friend in the world, Tommy Stojack.
Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of 24 thrillers including the Orphan X series. His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW). Additionally, he’s written screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks, comics for AWA (including the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), DC, and Marvel, and he’s penned op eds for The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Bulwark and others, and has produced several hundred commercials which got over a hundred million views on digital TV platforms. He also helped write the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup.
Robert Crais is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-four novels, twenty of them featuring private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike. Crais was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and has received numerous awards, among them an Anthony Award from the World Mystery Convention, multiple Shamus and Barry Awards, and a Falcon Award from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan. His novels have been translated around the world and have received dozens of rave reviews and the highest praise. The Philadelphia Inquirer says it all: “Robert Crais is one of those rare, treasured writers who combine genuine humanity with tales of crime and detection—not to mention the steadily building tension that always manages to pile up till his books can’t be put down.” A native of Louisiana, Robert Crais lives in Los Angeles.
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Suite 33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://www.dieselbookstore.com/event//Gregg-hurwitz-nemesis-Author-signing
Conchas y Café Bilingual Writing Zine Workshop via DSTL Arts – Online Event
Our Conchas y Café bilingual community writing workshop series is a 15-week virtual course that explores skills in poetry and other forms of creative writing. Writers of all skill levels are welcome to join.
The SPRING 2025 SEMESTER will culminate with the publishing of Conchas y Café Zine; Vol. 10, Issue 2.
The theme we will be exploring during this series and zine is the concept: “TBD.”
Days and Times: Tuesdays (weekly); 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
To enroll in our series, visit: https://classroom.google.com/c/NzAzMDE4NzMyODY4?cjc=ixjqfbg
Nuestra serie de clases bilingües comunitarias de escritura ‘Conchas y Café’ es un curso virtual de 15 semanas que explora técnicas poéticas y otras formas de escritura creativa. Autores de todo nivel técnico son bienvenidos a participar.
Where: DSTL Arts
Date: Tuesday the 11th (through May 6, 2025)
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.dstlarts.org/calendar
Open Mic Readings Every Tuesday at the Aftermath Bar, Sherman Oaks – In-Person Event
CALLING ALL WRITERS! Every Tuesday we’ll be having Open Mic Readings open to the public! Read your poems, fiction, and spoken word at our open mic reading EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT from 7 pm – 10 pm!
Read your poetry, fiction, spoken word, or lyrics.
Free event. 21+
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: The Aftermath Bar
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Address: 14537 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDniBCVy64L/
Francesco Paola & Left on Rancho at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Francesco Paola will discuss and sign Left on Rancho.
Cannabis and immigration: those are the only two reasons to take a left on Rancho.
In October 2019, burned out tech entrepreneur Andrew Eastman arrives in Adelanto, a desolate outpost in the Mojave Desert, to help out an old friend with a fledgling legal marijuana business.
As an outsider, Andrew asks too many questions about shady dealings in the area. He ends up on the hunt for contraband that takes him from Adelanto to West Hollywood to the dark underbelly of LA. As bodies pile up around him and tragedy strikes, Andrew is faced with one last decision that will change him forever.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/francesco-paola
Open Mic Poetry at The Library Coffee House, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Hosted by Chad Brian Poetry.
Sign-ups at 6:45 pm. All Ages.
Where: Library House Coffee, Long Beach
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 3418 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Adult Book Group: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea at Once Upon a Time – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
This group meets on the second Tuesday of each month in a hybrid format both in-person and via Zoom.
Participants will read and discuss The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by author Debra Magpie Earling.
This book club has been going strong for 40+ years and loves to see new faces! Find out what the next book is at site.
Books are available in print, and when possible as an e-book and a digital audiobook.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
A Special Author Dinner with Kira Jane Buxton & Tartufo at pages Off-site at Love & Salt – In-Person Event
Celebrate at an author dinner and launch event for Kira Jane Buxton for her new novel Tartufo.
From the author of Hollow Kingdom, a fantastically funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever.
After nearly losing the election to a geriatric donkey, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can’t help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara’s cherished ristorante is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with glis glis poo—even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that’s left is Bar Celebrità, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina’s volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they’ve spent their entire lives.
Little do the villagers know that local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything. A truffle—un tartufo, that is—sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen.
Kira’s debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards, and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR, Book Riot, and Good Housekeeping.
NOTE: See site for tickets and details on wait list. (Sold Out)
Where: pages: a bookstore Off-site at Love & Salt
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 317 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://www.pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-02-11/special-author-dinner-kira-jane-buxton
Mystery Book Club: That’s Not My Name at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Event
Mystery Book Club participants read new release mysteries. Book selection is done by email voting prior to each meeting so that the following month’s book will be available at the preceding month’s meeting.
Participants will discuss That’s Not My Name by author Megan Lally.
Facilitated by Bobby Mccue.
She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. A gripping debut thriller perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph.
It was a mistake to trust him.
Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how she got there—or who she is. A passing officer takes her to the police station, and not long after, a frantic man arrives. He’s been searching for her for hours. He has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos.
He is her father. Her name is Mary. Or so he says.
When Lola slammed the car door and stormed off into the night, Drew thought they just needed some time to cool off. Except Lola disappeared, and the sheriff, his friends, and the whole town are convinced Drew murdered his girlfriend. Forget proving his innocence, he needs to find her before it’s too late. The longer Lola is missing, the fewer leads there are to follow…and the more danger they both are in.
Where: pages: a bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://www.pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-02-04/other-worlds-book-club
At Skylight: Sara Gran & Little Mysteries at Skylight – In-Person Event
Sara Gran will present and sign Little Mysteries: Nine Miniature Puzzles to Confuse, Enthrall, and Delight.
Who destroyed Professor Wolf’s prize-winning tomatoes? What’s behind the mysterious goings-on at Killington Manor? And why does life sometimes feel like we’re stuck in a mystery, with few clues and no solutions? In her first collection of short stories, Sara Gran explores what detective stories mean and why we need them. If you love mysteries, and wonder why, this book is for you. Featuring Claire DeWitt and more.
Sara Gran is the author of the novels The Book of The Most Precious Substance, Marigold, Dope, Come Closer, Saturn’s Return to New York, and the Claire DeWitt series.
Her work has been published in over a dozen countries and as many languages. She also writes for TV and film and occasionally writes other things.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, now living in California, Ms. Gran has worked with books as a writer, bookseller, and collector for most of her career.
Where: Skylight
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-sara-gran-presents-little-mysteries
The Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic: Rick Lupert & Guest Mary Leanna Christensen – Online Zoom Event
The Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic with host Rick Lupert presents guest reader Mary Leanna Christensen.
Mary Leanna Christensen is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and a PhD student at the University of Southern Mississippi. Mary is the Managing Editor of The Swamp Literary Magazine. Her work can be found in New Ohio Review, Puerto del Sol, Cream City Review, The Laurel Review, Southern Humanities Review, and Denver Quarterly.
Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event
Date: Tuesday, the 11th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.poetrysuperhighway.com/cobalt
LiveTalks LA Presents: Ethan Kross & Shift: Managing Your Emotions –So They Don’t Manage You at Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre at New Roads School – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Ethan Cross, in conversation with Michael Gervais, will discuss his book Shift: Managing Your Emotions –So They Don’t Manage You.
A myth-busting, science-based guide that addresses the timeless question of how to manage your emotional life using tools you already possess—from the bestselling author of Chatter.
From the mundane nuisances we encounter each day to devastating & enormous losses so many people are experiencing in the Los Angeles area today, our lives are filled with situations that send us spiraling. From psychologist Dr. Ethan Kross, the bestselling author of Chatter, comes a myth-busting, science-based guide that addresses the timeless question of how to manage your emotional life using tools you already possess. Kross writes that emotions, rather than being “good” or “bad,” can be our superpower..
When they’re activated in the right ways and at the right time, they function like an immune system, alerting us to our surroundings, telling us how to react to a situation and helping us make the right choices.
Ethan Kross, PhD, is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed about his work on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His pioneering research has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New England Journal of Medicine and Science.
Michael Gervais is a sport and performance psychologist. He is one of the world’s leading experts on the relationship between the mind and human performance. He founded Finding Mastery, powered by a world-class team of Olympians, PhDs, psychologists and changemakers, to bring insights from the frontier of sport and performance into the business world. He is the host of the popular Finding Mastery podcast that explores the psychology of the world’s most extraordinary thinkers and doers. He is the author of The First Rule of Mastery, published by Harvard Business Review Press.
NOTE: See site for tickets and details. Free Parking available at the venue.
Where: Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre at New Roads School
Date: Tuesday the 11th
Time: 8 pm
Address: 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404
Website: https://livetalksla.org/events/ethan-kross-with-michael-gervais/
Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic Night at Greenway Court – In-Person Event
The nation’s largest weekly Open Mic event is 25 years strong. At an open mic, all are welcome to share their poetry or sit in their audience.
Feature: Pastiche Queen.
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 the theater.
Masks are encouraged. All ages are welcome.
Where: Greenway Court Theatre
Date: Tuesday, the 11th
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/
Mystery Book Club: The Plot at West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for engaging discussions at our monthly Mystery Book Club meeting! Here’s our upcoming schedule:
February 12: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
Where: West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Address: 19036 Vanowen St., Reseda, CA 91335
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-2
Washington Irving Adult Book Club: The Man in My Basement at Washington Irving Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us in celebrating African American History Month. We will be reading The Man In My Basement by Walter Mosley. Copies are available for check out in the branch and in e-book/e-audio format.
Where: Washington Iring Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 12 pm noon
Address: 4117 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/adult-book-club
Artesia Book Club: Parable of the Sower at Artesia Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a book discussion. The book for February is Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. For adults.
Books are available for checkout at the library. Some titles are available as free downloadable eBooks or digital audiobooks from LA County Library at lacountylibrary.org.
Where: Artesia Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 1 pm – 2 pm
Address: 18801 Elaine Ave., Artesia, CA 90701
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12907038
Adult Mystery Book Club: Fairwell Amethystine at Sylmar Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us in celebrating African American History Month. We will be reading Fairwell Amethystine byWalter Mosley. Copies are available for check out in the branch and in e-book/e-audio format.
Where: Sylmar Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 2 pm
Address: 14661 Polk St., Sylmar, CA 91342
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/adult-mystery-book-club-7
Poets Café via KPFK 90.7 FM – Live On-Air Event
Poets Café celebrates Poetry. This program is a weekly half-hour literary arts discussion and reading program featuring guest authors and their works.
Poetry From Around the World is a segment of this series offered monthly on the 2nd Monday of the month on KPFK Los Angeles 90.7 FM.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: KPFK 90.7 FM
Date: Wednesday, the12th
Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: On-air Event (live)
Website: https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/poets-cafe/
Book Adventure: There Was a Party for Langston at La Mirada Library, LACL – In-Person Kids Event
Join us in celebration of African American and Black History Month. Enjoy a read-aloud of There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynold and learn about Langston Hughes. For ages 5 – 12 with parent or caregiver.
We will create self-portraits illustrated with inspiring words and watercolors. For ages 5 – 12 with parent or caregiver. Space and supplies are limited. No reservations required.
Where: La Mirada Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 3 pm – 3:45 pm
Address:13800 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, CA 90638
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12606002
Malibu Book Club: The Secret Life of Sunflowers at Malibu Library, LACL – Online Zoom Event
Participants will discuss The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molner.
When Emsley Wilson finds Johanna Bonger’s diary, the inspiration couldn’t come at a better time. Johanna was Van Gogh’s sister-in-law who inherited his paintings. Motivated by Johanna’s diary, can Emsley find answers to her own problems? For adults.
The Malibu Library Bookclub is now available on Zoom. Participate from the comfort of home! Contact the librarian at cfischer@library.lacounty.gov or call 310.456.6438 to be added to Zoom participation.
Where: Malibu Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12626471
History Book Club: Rampage at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss the book, Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila by author James M. Scott.
In early 1945, General Douglas MacArthur prepared to reclaim Manila, America’s Pearl of the Orient, which had been seized by the Japanese in 1942. Convinced the Japanese would abandon the city, he planned a victory parade down Dewey Boulevard—but the enemy had other plans. The Japanese were determined to fight to the death. The battle to liberate Manila resulted in the catastrophic destruction of the city and a rampage by Japanese forces that brutalized the civilian population, resulting in a massacre as horrific as the Rape of Nanking. Drawing from war-crimes testimony, after-action reports, and survivor interviews, Rampage recounts one of the most heartbreaking chapters of Pacific War history.
James M. Scott is the author of Black Snow, Rampage, Target Tokyo, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and co-author, with Jack Carr, of Targeted: Beirut. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/history-book-club-rampage
Writing the Personal Essay with JD Mathes via Inlandia Institute – Online Event
(All Levels)
Alternating Wednesdays, 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, and 3/12/25, 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT, on Zoom.
$50. Registration required.
In this workshop, participants will explore moments from their lives and use research to uncover connections between themselves and the wider world – topics can include nature, science, travel, culture, history – to write personal essays that ring with humanity.
J.D. Mathes grew up a feral child in the deserts of the American Southwest who loved to read library books and take photographs. He is a 2019-2020 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellow, a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar alumnus, an award-winning author of four books, photographer, screenwriter, and arts reporter. Although Mathes still struggles with subject-verb agreement and where to put commas, he is finishing work on his memoir.
NOTE: See site for link and details.
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://inlandiainstitute.org/events/?month=2&yr=2025
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 the Los Angeles Poet Society.
Guests: TBA
This program is offered weekly on radio in Los Angeles 101.5 FM.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: 101.5 FM
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: On-air Event (live at 101.5 FM)
Website: https://www.lapoetsociety.org/events
Poetry at DiPiazza’s, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Hosted by Tamara Madison. Ages 21+. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/groups
Where: DiPiazza’s, Long Beach
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 5205 Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, CA 90804
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Unplugged Pomona: All Ages Open Mic Poetry at The Union, Pomona – In-Person Event
Hosted by Ceasar K. Avelar and featuring Brian ‘SUPERB’ Oliva, with vibes by Mark Vasquez.
Brian “SUPERB” Oliva is a poet, songwriter, community builder, photographer and creative consultant.
All ages. 3-4 minute sets. NO hate speech.
Where: The Union, Pomona
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 350 N. Garvey Ave., Pomona, CA 91767
Website: https://www.instagram.com/thecathedralpomona/
Book Club: Miracle Creek at Pacoima Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
This is an online, mostly fiction book club. We select book titles throughout the year.
For the February meeting we will discuss Miracle Creek by Angie Kim.
March’s book is James by Percival Everett.
Where: Pacoima Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/pacoima-book-club
Wiseburn Library Book Club: Romantic Comedy at Wiseburn Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a book discussion and light refreshments! This month, read Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Copies of the books are available at the library. For ages 18+.
Refreshments generously provided by the Friends of the Hawthorne and Wiseburn Libraries.
“Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls, a late-night live comedy show that airs every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.
But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called The Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.
Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy—it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her…right?”
Where: Wiseburn Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm
Address: 5335 W. 135th St., Hawthorne, CA 90250
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12602867
Kira Jane Buxton, with Alissa Nutting, & Tartufo at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Kira Jane Buxton, in conversation with Alissa Nutting, will discuss and sign Tartufo.
After nearly losing the election to a geriatric donkey, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can’t help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara’s cherished ristorante is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with glis glis poo—even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that’s left is Bar Celebrità, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina’s volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they’ve spent their entire lives.
Little do the villagers know that local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything. A truffle—un tartufo, that is—sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/kira-jane-buxton-conversation-alissa-nutting-discusses-signs-tartufo
RECESS Open Mic is at SIPA HQ, Palms Up Academy – In-Person Event
RECESS Open Mic is at SIPA HQ on Wednesdays.
This dynamic open mic is the most accessible public program in the Palms Up Academy curriculum and manifests their mission statement in a physical (and digital) space.
Join them at the intersection of Historic Filipino town & The World: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines, and details.
Where: SIPA HQ
Date: Wednesday, the 12th
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
What She Wants: Valentine’s Poetry at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Do you love Valentine’s Day? Do you hate Valentine’s Day? Come to this fabulous poetry reading full of romance, regret, and desire.
Poet laureate of West Hollywood Kim Dower presents her new collection What She Wants in partnership with Lory Bedikian, offering a reading and conversation.
Reserve your tickets on EVENTBRITE!
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1815620250212
Tommy Siegel & The Secret Lives of Candy Hearts at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Tommy Siegel presents and discusses The Secret Lives of Candy Hearts.
Never have the secret lives of relationships been so clearly and amusingly on display as in Tommy Siegel’s Candy Hearts comics.
Tommy Siegel’s Candy Hearts comics reveal the most awkward and amusing truths about relationships, and since their viral debut in 2020, the inner world of Candy Hearts has only gotten stranger. This new collection of Candy Hearts comics explores topics like commitment, cohabitation, family dynamics, pets, dating apps, and wedding planning. With dozens of comics never before seen in print or online, The Secret Lives of Candy Hearts hits everything from disaster to happily-ever-after, with hilarious results.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-02-12/tommy-siegel-discusses-secret-lives-candy-hearts
Poetry Event: Armen Davoudian at The Hammer Museum – In-Persin Event
Armen Davoudian, who grew up in Isfahan, Iran, has published his first volume of poems, The Palace of Forty Pillars, which the San Francisco Chronicle named “Best Book of Spring.” Davoudian also translated from Persian Hopscotch, by the contemporary dissident Persian poet Fatemeh Shams. Currently a PhD candidate in English at Stanford University, Davoudian’s dissertation focuses on metanoia, a figure emergent in the Renaissance and embodied in the work of many poets over the centuries.
Organized and hosted by poet, literary critic, and UCLA Distinguished Research Professor Stephen Yenser. Cosponsored by the UCLA Department of English and UCLA Recreation.
Where: Hammer Museum
Date: Wednesday the 12th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024
Website: https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2025/poetry-armen-davoudian
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 — TBA;
- 9:05 pm – 10:00 pm — Open mic.
Suggested: $5.00 Donation via PayPal: The World Stage Gallery.
NOTE: See site for further details and any change in the schedule. Contact kaliflowers@gmail.com or call (323) 293-2451.
Where: The World Stage
Date: Wednesday, the 12th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.instagram.com/anansiwritersworkshop/ or https://www.facebook.com/anansiwritersworkshop/
Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop at Beyond Baroque – Online Event
The West Coast’s longest-running free poetry workshop is offered by Beyond Baroque 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 be prepared to share one poem.
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. An instructive video is available at the site.
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 Literary Arts Center
Date: Wednesday, the 12th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wednesday-night-poetry-workshop-tickets-1227907417139
Poetry Nights with East Los Soul at East Los Angeles Rising Youth Club – In-Person Event
East Los Soul presents Poetry Nights every Wednesday from 8 pm – 9:45 pm at East L.A. Rising Youth Club. Poetry starts at 8:15 pm.
Every 2nd Wednesday will be a poetry contest with a $200 prize for the poet winner, via unanimous vote.
Every 4th Wednesday will be an art contest with a $200 prize for the artist winner, via unanimous vote.
$2 entrance fee
Where: East Los Angeles Rising Youth Club
Date: Wednesday, the 12th
Time: 8 pm – 9:45 pm
Address: 324 N. McDonnell Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90022
Website: N/A
Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg and Guest TBA at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event
Host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug on Wednesday Nights and the feature is Keavya Mitchell.
Keayva Mitchell (she/they) is a Black queer CODA living in Long Beach, California. Her poetry has appeared in Hooligan Mag, Fight Evil With Poetry and Moon Tide Press among others, and she has been featured in the Los Angeles Times. You can find her at home, trying desperately to keep her plants alive.
$4 cover fee, cash only
NOTE: See site for further details.
Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange
Date: Wednesday, the 12th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events
Lit Angels: Heal Through Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Let Francesca help you with all aspects of your writing!
Do you want to write professionally or for personal satisfaction and healing but aren’t sure where to start and need some inspiring tips and support? Do you have a project that needs revision? Are you feeling stuck creatively? Join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a discussion of her 12 Questions followed by free writing and Q&A. Come be a part of the supportive Lit Angels writing community and consider writing a story to share at our Valentine’s event on 2/7 for possible submission in Lit Angels Journal.
Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is HOUSE OF HEARTS now out in paper back. https://www.francescaliablock.com/
About Lit Angels Writing Studio:
There are so many fitness classes available for the body, but what are you doing to exercise your creative mind?
Lit Angels offers classes that provide just that—a fun and freeing way to work out the creative muscles and eliminate the stumbling blocks that might be holding you back, not only in your writing, art, or performance projects, but in all areas of your life—uplifting and refreshing your mind and soul, improving relationships, work, and your outlook on the future. Taught by top-level working professionals, Lit Angels classes cultivate community and connection, something we all desperately need in these challenging times.
Come make some magic at the Village Well! All genres and levels are welcome!
Reserve your tickets on EVENTBRITE!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1880320250213
All Genres Workshop with Mae Wagner Marinello via Inlandia Institute – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Thursdays, 11:15 am – 1:15 pm, In person at the Redlands Community Center, 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, Ongoing. Meets Weekly. (A Zoom option may be available; contact Inlandia for details.)
This ongoing writing workshop meets weekly at Redlands Community Center. Memoir writing, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing are all encouraged and welcome. Discover the pure joy of writing and creating with others in a supportive environment.
Mae Wagner Marinello has been a part of Inlandia since a 2008 writing workshop with Ruth Nolan. In 2014, she began facilitating a weekly writing workshop called Joslyn Joy Writers, at the Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands. During the pandemic lockdown, the weekly workshop continued on Zoom; it is now a hybrid class averaging between 10-20 combined participants on Zoom and in-person.
NOTE: All Levels. See site for details.
Where: Inlandia Institute at the Redlands Community Center
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 11:15 am – 1:15 pm
Address: 111 W. Lugonia Ave, Redlands, CA 92374
Website: https://inlandiainstitute.org/my-calendar/?mc_id=2503
Big Read Book Club (ESL/ELL- Low Intermediate) With Leah: The House on Mango Street at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss The House on Mango Street, by author Sandra Cisneros.
Are you an English language learner and interested in practicing your reading? This book club is for ESL/ELL adults who want to work on vocabulary, grammar, and reading skills. Read selections from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros in class with other learners. Books will be provided. For more information, please call 213-228-7037 ext. 0 or email singleton@lapl.org.
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Singleton Adult Literacy Center
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 1 pm – 2:20 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/big-read-book-club-house-mango-street-0
Mystery Book Club: We Solve Murders at Culver City Julian Dixon Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss We Solve Murders by Richard Osman.
“Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job…Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?”
Where: Culver City Julian Dixon Library, LACL
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 4975 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12727288
Mystery Book Club: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice via Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Participants will discuss The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, by author Laurie R. King OR Queen by Laurie R. King.
Where: Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 5 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club
Writing Through Grief: A Workshop with Angela Aguirre: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice at Pasadena City College – In-Person Event
The PCC Creative Writing Program presents Angela Aguirre to lead a workshop on “Writing Through Grief.
We acknowledge that in challenging times, community is essential and we wanted to help provide an opportunity to invite all to take a moment to reflect, write, and hopefully process the many emotions we might all be experiencing right now.
Join us. Open to all in the community.
Where: Pasadena City College, Creveling Lounge
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 5 pm – 7 pm
Address: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd.. Pasadena, CA 91106
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFyBTs-yOFd/
Heart & Hand Book Talk: Myah Ariel, & When I Think Of You via L.A. County Library LACL – Online Event
This Valentine’s Day, Join LA County Librarian and CEO Skye Patrick and author Myah Ariel for an enchanting discussion of romance, storytelling, and a little Hollywood magic.
Myah will be discussing her debut romance novel, When I Think Of You:
It’s been seven years since Kaliya’s whirlwind college romance with Danny Prescott went up in flames. While her passions have stalled, his career is taking off. So when the hot shot director reappears to offer her a job on his next production, it’s a shock to the system. Working with Danny may recapture the intensity of their film school days, but trusting him again won’t come as easily.
Skye and Myah will be chatting about the importance of and the role that romance novels play in our lives, what it means to be a Black romance writer and to tell Black love stories, and what the current romance renaissance says about us as readers.
Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance When I Think Of You and the forthcoming No Ordinary Love (Summer 2025). Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg. For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories.
Where: Virtual Program, LACL
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12732071
Diverse Romance Book Club: Hearts Unbroken at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss the book, Hearts Unbroken by author Cynthia Leitich Smith.
Winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award
New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school — and first love.
When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?
Cynthia Leitich Smith is the best-selling, acclaimed author of the Tantalize series and the Feral series. She is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/book
Book Talk: David Greenberg, with Todd Purdum, & John Lewis: A Live at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event
This biography is a comprehensive, authoritative biography of Civil Rights icon John Lewis, “the conscience of the Congress,” drawing on interviews with Lewis and approximately 275 others who knew him at various stages of his life, as well as never-before-used FBI files and documents.
Born into poverty in rural Alabama, Lewis would become second only to Martin Luther King, Jr. in his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. He was a Freedom Rider who helped to integrate bus stations in the South, a leader of the Nashville sit-in movement, the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, and the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which he made into one of the major civil rights organizations. He may be best remembered as the victim of a vicious beating by Alabama state troopers at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he nearly died.
Greenberg’s biography traces Lewis’s life through the post-Civil Rights years, when he headed the Voter Education Project, which enrolled millions of African American voters across the South. The book reveals the little-known story of his political ascent first locally in Atlanta, and then as a member of Congress. Tapped to be a part of the Democratic leadership in Congress, he earned respect on both sides of the aisle for the sacrifices he had made on behalf of nonviolent integration in the South and came to be known as the “conscience of the Congress.”
Thoroughly researched and dramatically told, Greenberg’s biography captures John Lewis’s influential career through documents from dozens of archives, interviews with hundreds of people who knew Lewis, and long-lost footage of Lewis himself speaking to reporters from his hospital bed following his severe beating on “Bloody Sunday” in Selma. With new details about his personal and professional relationships, John Lewis: A Life is the definitive biography of a man whose heroism during the Civil Rights movement helped to bring America a new birth of freedom.
David Greenberg is a professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and a frequent commentator on historical and political affairs. He is the author or editor of several books on American history and politics including Nixon’s Shadow: The History of an Image and Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency. Formerly acting editor of The New Republic and then a columnist for Slate, Greenberg now writes regularly for Politico, Liberties, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. His work has also been featured in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous academic journals. In support of this book, Greenberg won awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Cullman Center of the New York Public Library, and the Leon Levy Center for Biography. He holds a PhD in history from Columbia University and a BA from Yale and lives with his family in Manhattan.
Todd S. Purdum is senior writer at POLITICO and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He was formerly with The New York Times, where he worked for 23 years, covering politics from city hall to the White House, and also serving as diplomatic correspondent and Los Angeles bureau chief. He is a native of Macomb, Ill., and a graduate of Princeton University. He is the author of Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution, and An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, both published by Henry Holt & Co. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Dee Dee Myers, the former White House press secretary, executive vice president for worldwide corporate communications and public affairs at Warner Bros., and their two children.
Where: Chevalier‘s
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://www.chevaliersbooks.com/upcoming-events
Thrival Open Mic at Hot Java, Long Beach – In-Person Event
All arts community open mics & community plugs. All ages. More info on Instagram @thrivalopenmic.
Where: Hot Java, Long Beach
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 2101 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Nicole J. Sachs & Mind Your Body: A Revolutionary Program to Release Chronic Pain and Anxiety at Deisel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Nicole J. Sachs to discuss her book, Mind Your Body: A Revolutionary Program to Release Chronic Pain and Anxiety.
Learn how to free yourself from chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, and myriad debilitating conditions through the transformative process of nervous system regulation in this accessible guide from psychotherapist and leading Mindbody clinician Nicole Sachs, LCSW. In Mind Your Body, Sachs teaches readers about Mindbody medicine—which helped her overcome her own debilitating pain and dark prognosis. She explains the essential practice of turning inward, using her revolutionary JournalSpeak method, which has enabled countless people to achieve striking mental, emotional, and physical healing. Mind Your Body takes chronic pain recovery into its next stage, for a new generation of readers who have been so underserved by our medical system.
Note: Please RSVP at site. Seating is limited.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., #33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://www.dieselbookstore.com/event/Nicole-J-Sachs-Author-signing
Reading and Discussion Group: Leila Khaled & My People Shall Live at Midnight Books – In-Person Event
Leila Khaled will present and discuss her book,My People Shall Live.
My People Shall Live, printed by @hbw.fff and Midnight Press is the story of revolutionary Leila Khaled’s life, from childhood to resistance icon. We ask you read the first two chapters for the first meeting and the next two for the second.
Additional dates TBA.
Where: Midnight Books
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 3382 E. Florence Ave., Huntington Park, CA 90255
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFgaa8VT1zH/?hl=en
Goth Prom Night: Martian Sunset, EAM, Spiral Teeth + Vendors (Fundraiser) at Beyond Baroque – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Goth Prom is a night to remember! Bring a date to enjoy a night of music, aiding incarcerated firefighters in the recent LA wildfires.
Calling all Kings & Queens! Bring a date to Beyond Baroque for an early start to Valentine’s Day weekend full of dark wave music, zines, books, and more! This event is a community fundraiser for The Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), an organization that works to end mass incarceration in California.
Music performances in the Wanda Coleman Theater feature SFV’s Surf-Punk band, The Martian Sunset, and the darkwave industrial sounds of Spiral Teeth and EAM (Empathic Assesment Module).
Vendors will sell zines and other goth merch. Get a facepaint by Tesorito, and a Tarot Reading by poet Ingrid M. Calderon!
Vendors: Mattazine Society, Genesis Perez, Unitedwemosh, Drifter Zine, Cartoon Distortion, Chica de Luz, Tarot by Ingrid, Tesorito Facepaints, & Dead Relatives Mag.
In the aftermath of the Palisades, Eaton, and several other fires that erupted across Los Angeles in early January, ticket sales of this program will go towards The ARC’s firefighter fund. The ARC empowers formerly and currently incarcerated people to thrive by providing a support network, comprehensive reentry services, and opportunities to advocate for policy change. There are nearly 1,000 incarcerated firefighters currently battling the Los Angeles fires.
Event lasts 1 day 4 hours.
If you have any questions, please email us at info@beyondbaroque.org
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information. $15
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Thursday, the 13th at 7 pm through Friday, the 14th at 11 am. (28 hours long)
Time: 7 pm through 11 am, Thursday through Friday
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Shannon Luders-Manuel, with Santana Dempsey, & The One Who Loves You: A Memoir of Growing Up Biracial in a Black and White World at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Shannon Luders-Manuel, in conversation with Santana Dempsey, will discuss and sign her book, The One Who Loves You: A Memoir of Growing Up Biracial in a Black and White World.
As a child, Shannon Luders-Manuel felt like an outsider in every environment she entered. Born to a Black father and white mother who separated when she was three, Luders-Manuel grew up with her white extended family, in largely white areas of California. Throughout her life, she yearned to understand her charismatic, transient father—whose promises were rarely kept, who struggled with alcohol and violence, and whose love she desperately needed. How could she find a place among two worlds—one white and one Black—when they felt so different?
Luders-Manuel sought guidance in Baptist religion, becoming a born-again Christian at age fourteen, and eventually found herself in an abusive relationship. When her father entered hospice care when she was just twenty-four, she became his caretaker despite their long estrangement and hoped to find connection while she still could. Instead, she learned that neither man nor God could give her the home she needed—she would have to build her own sense of self.
The One Who Loves You eloquently speaks not only to mixed-race individuals but to anyone who struggles with being labeled by others and to those who seek to reconcile the most contradictory parts of their own identities.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/gianella-ghiglino
Trenches Full of Poets Reading Series: Speaking Axolotl in Long Beach at Page Against the Machine, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Join us for our monthly Trenches Full of Poets Reading Series, featuring a trio of Bay Area poets:
hector son of hector lives in Oakland, CA. He is the child of Mexican immigrants, currently works in a hospital, dreams of short stories and writes poetry in secret.
Josiah Luis Alderate (he/him) is a full blooded spanglish speaking Pocho y left handed callejero de Aztlán who has been part of the Bay Area’s spoken word scene for over twenty years. He is the curator and host of the long running monthly Latine reading series Speaking Axolotl and is the author of two books of poetry, 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘹𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘴 & 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴 (Black Freighter Press 2021) and the chapbook 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘴 𝘑𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘴 (For The Pueblo 2023). In 2023 he was the Poetry Center’s Mazza Writer in Residence at San Francisco State. Along with his bookstore sister Tân Khanh Cao, Josiah tends the portal known as Medicina Para Pesadillas Bookstore y Galeria on 24th Street in San Pancho, Califas.
soledad con carne is a casually queer, intergalactic Oakland/Ohlone-based chicanx punk poet, working/poor multiple high school drop-out, analog zinester, poet laureate of the San Fernando Valley, and blatant smoker sharing-trauma-with-their-mother. Their debut chapbook, SFV Or Die, Foo was published with Lilac Press.
Ra Avis (she/her) is a social justice educator, and an award-winning author and blogger. She specializes in projects that connect communities across digital and analog spaces, and writes regularly at Rarasaur.com. She can be found @rawra.avis
The event takes place on the second Thursday of every month and is always free and open to the public, no tickets or reservations, plus Long Beach’s own Ra Avis. An open mic opportunity will follow the readings.
hector son of hector lives in Oakland, CA. He is the child of Mexican immigrants, currently works in a hospital, dreams of short stories and writes poetry in secret.
Josiah Luis Alderete (he/him) is a full blooded spanglish speaking Pocho y left handed callejero de Aztlán who has been part of the Bay Area’s spoken word scene for over twenty years. He is the curator and host of the long running monthly Latine reading series Speaking Axolotl and is the author of two books of poetry, 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘹𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘴 & 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴 (Black Freighter Press 2021) and the chapbook 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘴 𝘑𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘴 (For The Pueblo 2023). In 2023 he was the Poetry Center’s Mazza Writer in Residence at San Francisco State. Along with his bookstore sister Tân Khanh Cao, Josiah tends the portal known as Medicina Para Pesadillas Bookstore y Galeria on 24th Street in San Pancho, Califas.
soledad con carne is a casually queer, intergalactic Oakland/Ohlone-based chicanx punk poet, working/poor multiple high school drop-out, analog zinester, poet laureate of the San Fernando Valley, and blatant smoker sharing-trauma-with-their-mother. Their debut chapbook, 𝘚𝘍𝘝 𝘖𝘙 𝘋𝘐𝘌, 𝘍𝘰𝘰 was published with Lilac Press.
Ra Avis (she/her) is a social justice educator, and an award-winning author and blogger. She specializes in projects that connect communities across digital and analog spaces and writes regularly at Rarasaur.com. She can be found @rawra.avis
Trenches Full of Poets is a monthly poetry series created, curated, and hosted by Los Angeles-based poets and editors, Nikolai Garcia and Mauricio Andres Moreno with the goal of supporting a diverse array of published SoCal authors and the local independent bookstores that carry their works.
Where: Page Against the Machine
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 2714 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/3485995455036027
At Skylight: Corinna Vallianatos, with Xuan Juliana Wang, & Origin Stories at Skylight – In-Person Event
Corinna Vallianatos, in conversation with Xuan Juliana Wang, will discuss her book of stories, Origin Stories.
The stories in Origin Stories take as their subject the sources of love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, artistic ambition, restiveness, and shame. Their characters perceive more than they can explain, want more than they can have, and contend with the bounty and frugality of their relationships. In “This Isn’t the Actual Sea,” a woman considers that her friend’s failure and sudden success have given her the material she needs to write something of her own, if she’s willing to risk the friendship to do so. “The Artist’s Wife” describes, in a painting stowed in a bowling alley broom closet, the chasm between seeing and being seen. “Dogwood” is a piece of lyric reportage on beauty, family, and survival whose sections range from the narrator’s childhood to her son’s new adulthood. And “Origin Story” acts as an accounting of the many different states where a woman and her husband have lived, and what it is they’ve been searching for.
Corinna Vallianatos is the author of My Escapee, winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, the novel The Beforeland, and Origin Stories, out in February from Graywolf Press. Her stories have been published in Best American Short Stories 2023, BOMB Magazine, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. She lives in Virginia.
Xuan Juliana Wang is the author of the short story collection Home Remedies, which received the California Book Award for First Fiction and was a New York Public Library Young Lions and PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist. Her writing has appeared in New York Times, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and Aperture. She teaches creative writing at UCLA.
Where: Skylight
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Book Launch: On Healing by Amitha Kalaichandran at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran, in conversation with Dr. Robert Lufkin, will discuss her book On Healing.
In a time when the boundaries of traditional healthcare are being questioned, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran, physician, award-winning journalist, and integrative medicine expert, delivers a revolutionary guide to health and longevity in her debut book, On Healing: Finding Wholeness Beyond the Limits of Medicine.
This highly anticipated release is poised to become an essential resource for anyone looking to take charge of their health and embark on a journey of self-empowerment, blending evidence-based practices with ancient wisdom to address chronic disease prevention and management, lifestyle medicine, and the art of healing beyond the confines of the medical system.
Offering practical, research-backed strategies to empower readers in building sustainable, healthy habits, Dr. Kalaichandran explores the impact of community, environment, faith, and workplace culture on health and longevity, creating a blueprint for those striving to find balance and well-being in their lives.
Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran, M.D., blends her medical expertise with profound insights into integrative and lifestyle medicine. A Fellow in Integrative Medicine, she is a sought-after speaker and has contributed to publications like The New York Times, Wired, and The Atlantic. As a renowned leader in health tech, she most recently served as the Director of Clinical Content for Function Health, and has held roles on the Health Design teams and Board of Advisors at Twitter, and several startup positions including at Hearty Health. On Healing is her first book and she lives in New York City.
Dr. Robert Lufkin is a physician, medical school professor, and New York Times bestselling author committed to transforming lives through evidence-based lifestyle changes. After reversing his own chronic illness, he became an advocate for better metabolic health and longevity. His book, Lies I Taught in Medical School, reframes how we approach health and has earned widespread acclaim. With over 200 scientific publications, 14 books in ten languages, and a global social media following of 400,000+, Dr. Lufkin is a leader in medical innovation. He is Adjunct Clinical Professor of Radiology at USC, focusing on the applied science of longevity.
Reserve your tickets on EVENTBRITE!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Thursday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1811620250213
How a Book Changed My Life Student Essay Contest: Letter to an Author at Diamond Bar Library, LACL – In-Person Teen Event
If you’re a book lover, you’ve likely read something, fiction or non-fiction, classic or contemporary, that has left its mark on you. Now’s your chance to express your appreciation to the author with an essay in the form of a letter.
In this letter, you’ll describe how the author’s work has altered your worldview or personal life. Who knows—the author may even read it!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity.
Three (3) winners will be chosen and will each be awarded $300.
Pick up an entry form at Diamond Bar Library or download a form here. You can submit the completed entry form and essay by dropping it off or mailing it to Diamond Bar Library.
The deadline for submission is April 15, 2025. Winners will be announced on April 26, 2025.
Prizes: $300 (3)
Contest Rules:
* Open to students ages 13-18
* Entries must be 1,000 words or less
* Must be mailed or dropped off at Diamond Bar Library
* All entries become the property of LA County Library
* A completed entry form must accompany all essay submissions
Sponsored by the Diamond Bar Friends of the Library
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Diamond Bar Library, LACL
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: All Day (see site)
Address: 21800 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event
Pajama Storytime at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Kids & Family Event
Our most popular story time is ready to delight and dazzle! This is also the prime time to see Pippi Longstocking, our bookstore cat in action.
Open to all ages. Free to attend.
There is a large FREE parking lot off Florencita Dr. as well as metered parking along Honolulu Ave. and Montrose Ave.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 9:30 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/pajama-story-time-0
Speaking Axolotl: A Poetry Reading at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
This poetry reading features writers and artists:
hector son of hector is the name of a Bay Area poet who reads his poem “Notes from the Library”. Some lines from the poem include:
“Born north of the border / I am still less Mexican than the light skinned son of Bulgarians”
“Parallel lines show the old support the new / but when a cathedral’s foundation is that / of a razed pyramid / I have to scrape the earth for allusions”
Sesshu Foster taught composition and literature in East L.A. for 20+ years. He’s also taught writing at the University of Iowa, the California Institute for the Arts, the University of California, Santa Cruz and Naropa University’s Summer Writing Program. His work has been published in The Oxford Anthology of Modern American Poetry, Language for a New Century: Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond, and State of the Union: 50 Political Poems.
His most recent books are the novel Atomik Aztex and World Ball Notebook. Atomik Aztex won a 2006 Believer Magazine Annual Book Prize and World Ball Notebook won the 2009 Asian American Writers Workshop Poetry Prize. His blog, with links to Mp3 files, photos and video is www.atomikaztex.wordpress.com.
Josiah Luis Alderete is host of Bay Poets, poet of the Bay Area, and co-owner of Medicine For Nightmares book shop and event space in San Francisco’s Mission District. He is a full blooded Pocho, Spanglish speaking poeta who has been an active part of la Area Bahia’s spoken word scene for over twenty years. He was a founding member of outspoken word group “The Molotov Mouths” and is the curator and host of the long running monthly Chicano/Latinx reading series Speaking Axolotl which happens the 3rd Thursday of every month in el Zoom mundo. Josiah’s book of poems, Baby Axolotls y Old Pochos is being released this year from Black Freighter Press.
soledad con carne is a casually queer, intergalactic Oakland/Ohlone-based chicanx punk poet, working/poor multiple high school drop-out, bookstore lackey, San Fernando Valley poet laureate, and blatant smoker sharing-trauma-with-their-mother.
Hosted by:
Tori Gesualdo
Where: Stories Books & Coffee
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 11:55 am
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
Current Events Nonfiction Book Club: Lovely one at Studio City Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us on the second Friday of every month for the current events nonfiction book club.
February (2/14): Lovely one: a memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 12 pm
Address: 12511 Moorpark Ave., Studio City, CA 91604
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/current-events-nonfiction-book-club
Writing Group for Seniors by Saved By a Story at Venice Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
We write prompts to spark creativity, share stories and build community. We write to surprise ourselves and discover the bounty of stories that lie within.
Seniors come together and write, choose to share (or not, you decide), listen and write some more.
In later groups, we will draft stories and workshop them. Creativity and community in a non-judgmental environment. For welcome materials contact: kathleenkatims@gmail.com from Saved By A Story.
Where: Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: 501 S. Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/writing-group-seniors-saved-story
Stranger Than Fiction Book Club: Courageous Creatures at Agoura Hills Library, LACL – In-Person Kids Event
Participants will read and discuss the book Courageous Creatures: and the Humans who Help Them by Lauren Tarshis. For ages 7 – 12.
Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12790374
A Night of Love: Celebration of Arts & Poetry & Love at Café con Libros, Pomona – In-Person Event
Celebrate love, art, and connection with an unforgettable evening at Café Con Libros Press. Join us for “A Night of Love”, a romantic experience designed for couples and lovers of poetry. Indulge in the beauty of romantic poetry, savor fine wine and delicious snacks, and be mesmerized by the elegance of a live belly dancing performance.
Whether you’re looking for a unique date night or a chance to immerse yourself in the arts, this event promises an intimate and unforgettable evening.
• Tickets: $20 per person
• Age Requirement: 21+
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Café con Libros
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 280 West 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFLI62hvNhn/
Self-Care Book Club: Fourishing Kin at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss the book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Wisdom for Collective Well-Being by author Yuria Celidwen, PhD.
This is a first-of-its-kind book about our aspiration for sustainable, collective flourishing through Indigenous wisdom, traditions, and practices that bridge Indigenous and Western knowledges and ways.
How do we cultivate happiness? When facing the monumental challenges of our world, we often end up disconnecting in order to focus on our mental health. Dr. Yuria Celidwen explains this focus on our own state of mind alone is precisely why so many of us struggle to flourish. “What’s been overlooked is the Indigenous perspective of relationality,” she says. “It is the understanding that happiness is only possible in community, when we cultivate our relationships toward all kin, from human to more-than-human, and to our living Earth.”
Yuria Celidwen, PhD, (Indigenous Nahua and Maya) researches Indigenous forms of contemplation, examining self-transcendence and its embodiment in prosocial behavior (belonging, planetary flourishing, ethics, compassion, awe, love, and sacredness). She calls this work the Indigenous “Ethics of Belonging” rooted in honoring life and emphasizes the reclamation, revitalization, and transmission of Indigenous wisdom and advancement of Indigenous and planetary rights. For more, visit yuriacelidwen.com.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/self-care-book-club-flourishing-kin
Swing Set Open Mic at The Center, Long Beach – In-Person Event
We’re back, baby! It’s time to join in community for another Swing Set Open Mic night @centerlb.
We’re calling all poets, musicians, comedians, storytellers for another magical night. Performers and artists of all kinds, come through!
Swing Set isn’t just about performance—it’s about real connection and finding mirrors in the people all around you. We’re so excited to share space with y’all again.
Where: The Center, Long Beach
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 2017 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Thrival Open Mic at Confidential Coffee, Long Beach – In-Person Event
All arts community open mics & community plugs. All ages. More info on Instagram @thrivalopenmic.
Where: Confidential Coffee, Long Beach
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 137 W. 6th St., Long Beach, CA 90802
Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/
Broken Hearts Zine Workshop at The Pop Hop – In-Person Event
If you’ve got a heart, it’s probably hurting right now. Let’s reclaim the Feast of St. Valentine and process our pain together in community through creative writing, drawing, collage and zine making (and snacks, snacks always help).
Facilitator Adriana Yugovich (she/her) will lead participants in an hour of irreverent writing and drawing prompts around the themes of love and loss. The remaining hour will be open art and zine making and socializing time.
• This event is for ages 21+
• BYOB and snacks to share
• Materials provided
• No one turned away for lack of funds
• Free for folks experiencing displacement/loss due to the fires
NOTE: See site for details. $10
Where: The Pop Hop
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 5002 York Blvd., Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://withfriends.co/event/22699341
Village Well Open Mic at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
This all-inclusive event will create space for local artists of any medium to share their talents with the community. Come hang out, as an audience member, or a performer, and meet some talented locals!
Sign-ups for performers are at the door, day of, 30 minutes prior to the event. Sets are limited to 5-10 minutes. All performances must be family friendly. We will provide two microphones and two mic stands. Please bring any other equipment you will need. This event is free, no registration is required!
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Friday the 14th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1342820250214
Poetry Brothel LA: Lust Letters at Sassafras Saloon – In-Person Event
Step into the sultry embrace of The Poetry Brothel LA: “Lust Letters”, a Valentine’s Day immersive experience where every stanza drips with desire and every verse teases temptation. Join us on Friday, February 14th at the sinful Sassafras Saloon, where love letters transform into lustful liaisons and sonnets sway between smitten and sinful.
UPDATE: A portion of ALL ticket sales will go to the California Wildfire Recovery Fund!
Join us to a night of literary libations and amorous alliterations that will ignite your passions as poets bare their hearts—and maybe a little more—through evocative performances. From heart-pounding poetry of the flesh to steamy one-on-one experiences, you’ll find yourself blushing between the lines.
Sip on scintillating cocktails that stir your senses and savor the intimate ambiance as our live band plays the soundtrack as we weave tales of romance, rendezvous, and risqué revelry. Whether you’re swooning with your sweetheart, hunting for a heartthrob, or simply ready to revel in the art of seduction, “Lust Letters” is your ticket to a night of pure poetic pleasure.
Dress to impress—or undress the imagination—and prepare for an evening of passion, poetry, and prose that’s sure to leave your pulse racing.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Sassafras Saloon
Date: Friday, the 14th
Time: 8 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)
Address: 1233 Vine St., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-poetry-brothel-la-lust-letters-tickets-1098142436589
Graphic Novel Book Club: Swim Team via Bel Canto Books – Online MG & All Ages Event
Participants will discuss Swim Team: A Graphic Novel by author Johnnie Christmas.
“Combines wonderful characters and history to create a story that will make you want to dive right in!” JERRY CRAFT, author of the Newbery Medal–winning New Kid
A splashy, contemporary middle grade graphic novel from bestselling comics creator Johnnie Christmas!
Bree can’t wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees—until she’s stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she’s forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.
With Etta’s training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school’s failing team around. But that’s easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake.
Where: Bel Canto Books
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://belcantobooks.net/events
Poet Laureates on Wheels: L.A. Fire Recovery Ride at the L.A. River – In-Person Event
Powered by LARA, El BiciCrófono and LA Poet Society, the Recovery Ride along the LA River celebrates our community’s resilience through poetry, music, and shared space.
Together, we will listen to the River, LAPS poets and Juan Flautista’s congero-driven grooves, as Re:Ciclos’ bike-driven stage El BiciCrófono guides our way along Elysian Valley’s LA River Greenway Trail to the LA River Center & Garden in Cypress Park (6 miles).
At key points along the route, poets will take the mic, honoring the sacred elements of our cultural landscape as we water our community roots and explore relations to Self, one another, the restoration of our community, and the River. Guests will also have the opportunity to write and share their own words as we close the afternoon in celebration at Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park.
Every dollar raised directly supports the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy, whose newly acquired LandBack property was damaged in the fire. More about the TTPC @tongva.taraxat
Where: L.A. River Arts Gate at Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park
Date: Saturday, the 15th
Time: 11 am – 3 pm (arrive early!)
Address: 2944 Gleneden St., Venice, CA
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFbRHygSxDn/?img_index=1
Kids Storytime: Michael Stivers & Scat the Cat at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Kids Event
Culver City local Michael Stivers taught preschool and kindergarten for thirty years. He learned graphics programs to make the illustrations for Scat the Cat. He made the book at home for his students and their families. He decided to make a version to publish and share with other families and teachers. Come experience how Scat the Cat changes colors with magic words!
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1817020250215
Will Power & Nana’s New Soul Food at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event
Will Power presents and discusses Nana’s New Soul Food.
Theater pioneer Will Power inspires families to connect through healthy eating choices, vegan soul food, and community in this heartwarming story of a boy’s love for his grandmother—and good food! Includes a vegan recipe!
Can healthy food be delicious food, too? A young boy helps us discover that yes, it can! Nana’s New Soul Food follows this energetic boy on an adventure with his mom to find healthy food in his neighborhood. Motivated by his love for his nana, who has to change the way she eats because of her health, the boy rediscovers his neighborhood while finding tasty vegan soul food.
Award-winning playwright, pioneer of hip-hop theater, and performer Will Power injects masterful rhythm into this uplifting story of family and community, which teaches us that healthy food can be a joy. The pages are graced with beautiful, vibrant illustrations from Coretta Scott King Award Honor and Caldecott Honor illustrator R. Gregory Christie, who captures the loving relationships within a family as they connect through their mission to make better eating choices. Back matter includes a fun recipe for Mango-Coconut-Lime Ice Pops courtesy of Chef Bryant Terry, along with a letter from Will Power.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-02-15/will-power-discusses-nanas-new-soul-food
Inlandia at the Maloof: Anthology These Black Bodies are… with Romaine Washington and contributors at Sam and Alfreda Maloof, Foundation for Arts and Crafts – In-Person Event
Join editor Romaine Washington and contributors for a conversation and readings from the anthology These Black Bodies Are… at The Maloof.
Romaine Washington (she/her) is the editor of These Black Bodies Are…A Blacklandia Anthology, and the author of two poetry books, Purgatory Has an Address and Sirens in Her Belly. Washington’s poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net and she is a twice-nominated Pushcart Prize poet.
Where: Sam and Alfreda Maloof, Foundation for Arts and Crafts
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 12 pm – 2 pm
Address: 5131 Carnelian St., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701
Website: https://www.instagram.com/inlandia_institute
Author Event: Alex Espinoza & The Sons of El Rey at Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Alex Espinoza will discuss his novel The Sons of El Rey.
The Hollywood Library welcomes local author, Alex Espinoza and co-hosts, The Punk Rock Marthas, for a book chat and Q & A about Alex’s latest release, The Sons of El Rey. We will have copies of the book, along with Alex’s other publications, available to check out.
About The Sons of El Rey:
Ernesto Vega has lived many lives, from pig farmer to construction worker to famed luchador El Rey Coyote, yet he has always worn a mask. He was discovered by a local lucha libre trainer at a time when luchadores—Mexican wrestlers donning flamboyant masks and capes—were treated as daredevils or rock stars. Ernesto found fame, rapidly gaining name recognition across Mexico, but at great expense, nearly costing him his marriage to his wife, Elena. Years later, in East Los Angeles, his son, Freddy Vega, is struggling to save his father’s gym while Freddy’s own son, Julian, is searching for professional and romantic fulfillment as a Mexican American gay man, refusing to be defined by stereotypes. With alternating perspectives, Ernesto and Elena take us from the ranches of Michoacán to the makeshift colonias of Mexico City. Freddy describes his life in the suburban streets of 1980s Los Angeles and the community their family built as Julian descends deep into our present-day culture of hook-up apps, lucha burlesque shows, and the dark underbelly of West Hollywood.
Where: Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 1 pm – 2:20 pm
Address: 1623 Ivar Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/q-sons-el-rey-author-alex-espinosa
Spring into Mystery with Sisters in Crime Los Angeles at Agoura Hills Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us as we welcome authors from Sisters in Crime Los Angeles, Ellen Byron, Sybil Johnson, and Marjorie McCown, as they discuss their latest releases, followed by a Q&A with the audience. For adults.
Copies of the authors’ books are available to check-out through the library.
Attendance is limited, and advance registration is required. Please register every individual in your party, including kids. This will be used to save your spots in the program. We cannot guarantee availability for any unregistered attendees.
Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 1 pm
Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12859866
Jeannette Clough & Fire Roulette: an L.A. Book Launch with Cahuenga Press at Beyond Baroque – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Celebrate the L.A. launch of Fire Roulette — poems of risk that “dance between rebellion and the norm” (Mariano Zaro, Decoding Sparrows). Joining author Jeanette Clough are Cahuenga Press members James Cushing, Phoebe MacAdams, and Harry Northup. Book signing and reception to follow after the readings in The Wanda Coleman Theater.
Fire Roulette is Jeanette Clough’s fourth poetry collection. An earlier book, Flourish, was a finalist in the Otis College of Art and Design and Eastern Washington University book competitions. Other publications include Island from Red Hen and two artist books, Stone and Rx. Her poetry received awards from the Los Angeles Poetry Festival Fin de Millennium, Ruskin Art Club, and Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry competitions, and a Commendation in the Aesthetica Creative Works competition (UK). She was also Artist in Residence in Joshua Tree National Park. A native of Paterson, New Jersey, Clough holds an M.A from the University of Chicago, Division of the Humanities. She worked as an art librarian at the Getty Research Institute, and divides her time between Ventura County and L.A.
Phoebe MacAdams was born and raised in New York City, but has mostly lived in California. She moved to LA in 1986. With the poets James Cushing, the late Holly Prado and Harry Northup, she is a founding member of Cahuenga Press, which now includes the poet Jeanette Clough. She taught English at Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights until her retirement in 2011. She has published seven books of poetry, the last five with Cahuenga Press, including in 2016, her new and selected volume, The Large Economy of the Beautiful. In 2017, Beyond Baroque published Every Bird Helps: A Cancer Journal. She lives in Pasadena with her husband, Ron Ozuna.
Harry E. Northup has published twelve books of poetry, the latest being: Love Poem to MPTF (Cahuenga Press, 2020). He received his B.A. in English from CSUN, where he studied Verse with Ann Stanford. Northup made a living as an actor for thirty-four years, acting in thirty-seven films, including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver; The Silence of the Lambs and; Over the Edge. He lives in the Motion Picture Country Home. Harry produces and hosts a weekly, one-hour poetry show on ZOOM, Harry’s Poetry Hour, Creative Chaos MPTF.
James Cushing, born 1953 in Palo Alto CA, holds a doctorate in English from UC Irvine. In the early 1980s, he hosted a live poetry radio program on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles which gave early exposure to Dennis Cooper, David Trinidad, Amy Gerstler, Wanda Coleman, Leland Hickman, Scott Wannberg, and many others. From 1989 through 2020, when he retired, he taught literature and creative writing at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and served as the community’s Poet Laureate for 2008 – 2010. Cushing’s poems have appeared in many journals, and his 30-year association with Cahuenga Press has resulted in seven full-length collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Tangled Hologram. His daughter is the New York-based poet Iris Cushing.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Saturday, the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd Venice Beach Los Angeles, CA 90291
Raegan Fordemwalt & Prince of Hearts at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Raegan Fordemwalt will present and sign her second collection of poetry and art, Prince of Hearts.
Following the success of Lover Girl, Raegan Fordemwalt returns with Prince of Hearts. An indirect sequel to her bestselling debut, this all-new collection of art and poetry takes readers along the narrator’s journey through abandonment and dismantled trust following the loss of significant relationships, both platonic and romantic.
A far-too-relatable retelling of the courage required to survive young love, first heartbreaks, and your early-20s, Prince of Hearts is a look through both the rearview and the windshield along the journey to self-love.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-02-15/raegan-fordemwalt-discusses-prince-hearts
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! The Central Library Creative Writing Group meets every other Saturday for fellowship, feedback, and snacks. Meetings start out with a short writing prompt exercise, then writers are invited to share up to five pages of their work for feedback from the group. 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.
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Meeting Room B
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/creative-writing-group
Expressions L.A. Poetry Reading Series and Open Mic at Studio City Library, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us in-person or via Zoom for Expressions L.A. Poetry Reading Series, featuring poetry readings and open poetry mic.
RSVP:
Please email studio@lapl.org for participation details.
Where: Studio City Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/12573746
Saturday Afternoon Poetry: Hedy Habra + Poets published in Four Feathers Press online edition: Heart Flames with Don Kingfisher Campbell – Online Zoom Event
Join a Poetry Reading featuring Hedy Habra + Poets published in Four Feathers Press online edition: Heart Flames, hosted by Don Kingfisher Campbell, online via Zoom.
Hedy Habra is the author of The Taste of the Earth.
Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.
Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry
Date: Saturday, the 15th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: httcaps://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Black History Month Book Event: Kim Watson & Trespass at Malik Books, Culver City – In-Person Event
Malik Books in partnership with PAFF brings the talented artist Kim Watson, a writer, director, author, and creative innovator in conversation with radio personality Dion Raymond. Book Talk, Art and conversation as Kim Watson challenges our preconceptions and debunks myths about the homeless of Los Angeles in his new book, Trespass…Profiles of Unhoused Life, Love, and Understanding (Broadleaf Books).
Through his powerful words and captivating images, this author, writer, director, and photographer skillfully reveals his subjects’ daily struggles, disappointments, and triumphs. The enduring relationships he forms with them are evident in the mutual love and respect that makes this “the project of a lifetime.” Throughout his four-year journey, Watson has embodied one crucial principle: the homeless are not “THEM,” they are “US.”
Kim Watson exhibit of his famed art in the book Trespass: Portraits of Unhoused Life, Love, and Understanding will be on display at Malik Books.
Book signing to follow after discussion. Limited quantity of books. Purchase book at MalikBooks.com
About Kim Watson:
“I’m gonna be an artist!” That was my childhood mantra—even before I knew what it meant. You see, growing up in St. Albans, Queens and with family roots firmly planted in Harlem, I was surrounded by artistic expression, much of it created by my own family and much more blooming from the talented artists like Count Basie, James Brown and others who lived in our community—a community that would also bring us Run DMC, LL Cool J and Tribe Called Quest.
Yes, I knew the path I would take but had no idea of the journey it would become. Untethered by labels, I have scratched my creative itch through writing, filmmaking, photography, and music; always aspiring to tell a story that touches and inspires us to see the world a little bit differently and with a little more empathy.
For the past four years, I have been immersed in TRESPASS, bringing focus to Los Angeles’ homeless community through my photographs, writings, and film. I eagerly and with great respect share the stories of those who are often unseen and unheard, hoping that we as a society will realize that the unhoused are not THEM – they are US. I am honored and humbled to announce the May 2024 release of Trespass…Portraits of Unhoused Life, Love, and Understanding (Broadleaf Books): a collection of my photographs, reflections, and portrayals of those who have shared their world with me. Through TRESPASS, I hope to find a way into your heart, feed you spirit, and bring us all a little bit closer to those who need us most.
Where: Malik Books (Westfield Culver City Mall)
Date: Saturday, the 15th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 2470, Culver City, CA 90230
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by author Becky Chambers.
The acclaimed modern science fiction masterpiece, Hugo Award winner for Best Series!
Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.
Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.
Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.
Becky Chambers is a science fiction author based in Northern California. She is best known for her Hugo Award-winning Wayfarers series, which currently includes The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, A Closed and Common Orbit, and Record of a Spaceborn Few. Her books have also been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Locus Award, and the Women’s Prize for Fiction, among others. Her most recent work is To Be Taught, If Fortunate, a standalone novella.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 5 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/sci-fi-fantasy-book-club-long-way-small-angry-planet-0
Pages on Stages: Monica Salazar & Wisdom Looks Good on Her at Sims Library of Poetry – In-Person Event
This Pages on Stages event presents featured guest author and educator Monica Salazar, author of the poetry collection Wisdom Looks Good on Her.
Hosted by Anastasia Fenald.
$10@ The Door
Where: Sims Library of Poetry
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 2702 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90053
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFtBdOFyBW2/
Poetry Event: Yesika Salgado Reading at Bookman, Orange – In-Person Event
This poetry reading event features Yesika Salgado.
“Come join me for a love hangover. I’ll read new and older work. I’ll have books and prints to sign. grateful for the lovely folks at @bookmanorange to host us. come gimme a hug! all are welcome. no entrance fee.”
Where: Bookman
Date: Saturday the 15th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 320 E. Katella Ave., Orange, CA 92867
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFyM3qXS1wD/
Memory, Resilience & Regeneration: Vietnamese Writers in the Diaspora at Beyond Baroque – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
A Reading & Moderated Conversation with Viet Thanh Nguyen, Lan P. Duong, Mai Elliot + Art by Ann Le.
Beyond Baroque and The Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN) present Memory, Resilience & Regeneration. This special event marks the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Vietnam War, offering a deep exploration of the historical, present-day, and future journeys of the Vietnamese diaspora in an ongoing pursuit of liberation.
Through insightful conversation, celebrated writers and artists will examine the resilience, struggles, and evolving identities of Vietnamese communities across the world. Featured speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen, scholar and writer Lan Duong, and memoirist Mai Elliott, each of whom brings a unique lens to the discussion moderated by Los Angeles City Commissioner, Hoang Nguyen. Accompanying the literary discourse, the event will also showcase artwork by Ann Le, whose visual contributions further enrich the narrative of diaspora, resilience, and identity.
The event will also highlight The Cleaving: Vietnamese Writers in the Diaspora, a landmark anthology set for publication this year. As the first and only collection to bring together the voices and perspectives of Vietnamese diasporic authors from around the globe, this book provides an essential platform for stories of displacement, survival, and cultural reclamation. Physical copies will not be available, to pre-order your copy, see website link.
These writers and artists will engage in a dynamic dialogue, offering attendees a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese diasporic experience.
About the authors:
Lan Duong is Associate Professor in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California. She is the author of Treacherous Subjects: Gender, Culture, and Trans-Vietnamese Feminism, coeditor of Troubling Borders: Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora, and cowriter of Departures: An Introduction. Dr. Duong’s second book project, Transnational Vietnamese Cinemas and the Archives of Memory, examines Vietnamese films across history and across several institutional and community-oriented sites. Her book of poems, Nothing Follows, was published by Texas Tech University Press in 2023. She is a founding member of the Critical Refugee Studies Collective (www.criticalrefugeestudies.com).
Viet Thanh Nguyen is author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel and New York Times bestseller The Sympathizer; its sequel, The Committed; and, most recently, the memoir A Man of Two Faces.
Mai Elliott was born in Vietnam and grew up in Hanoi and Saigon. She attended French schools in Vietnam and is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (She also writes under the name of Duong Van Mai Elliott). She is the author of The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family, a personal and family memoir which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her second book, RAND in Southeast Asia: A History of the Vietnam War Era, chronicles RAND’s research projects in Vietnam during the war — conducted at the behest of policy makers in Washington D.C.– and the impact of this work on RAND itself. She is a frequent speaker and writer on Vietnam. She recently contributed a chapter for a Cambridge University Press 3-volume work on the Vietnam War and has completed a novel set in Vietnam in the early 1960s. She is currently translating her personal and family memoir into Vietnamese.
Hoàng Nguyễn is the Director of Government Affairs at AAPI Equity Alliance, a co-founder of the national organization Stop AAPI Hate. He currently leads the organization’s policy advocacy to benefit the 1.6 million Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County. Previously, Hoàng served as senior staff to a Los Angeles County Supervisor, where he oversaw a variety of policy, political and community issues. While there, Hoàng established the LA vs. Hate program, a multi-million-dollar initiative to provide services to survivors of hate during the surge of anti-Asian hate. He also helped establish the Represent LA, an $8 million dollar government program to provide legal services to undocumented people facing deportation.
In 2023, Hoàng was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to serve on the Los Angeles City Civil and Human Rights Commission to help enforce the city’s civil rights laws, becoming the only openly gay person to serve on the Commission. He was also named one of the National Association of Asian Pacific in Politics & Public Affairs’ 40 Under 40. He serves on the executive boards of several community and political organizations, graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles and was the university’s Commencement Speaker.
Ann Le touches on identity, culture, family history, and the space in between becoming Vietnamese American in her work. Inspired by cultural contexts in her life, correlating the artificial with remembrances of generational trauma. Sentiment is vital in her works as she questions her personal experiences to construct imposing art. She excavates her lineage by revisiting her family’s experiences by using personal and found images to reconstruct slippages in time and history. As layers of images are stacked upon one another, Le travels through time commenting on the idea of home, displacement, separation, and how we embrace and conquer loss. Tragic and Poetic composites are pieced together to unravel narratives which places her Vietnamese American perspective into a contemporary landscape. Ann Le was born in San Diego, CA and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Saturday, the 15th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm)
Address: 681 Venice Blvd Venice Beach Los Angeles, CA 90291
Melrose Trading Post Event & L.A. Poet Society at Greenway Arts Alliance at Melrose Trading Post at Fairfax H.S. – In-Person Event
The Melrose Trading Post is a pioneering arts-based marketplace held every Sunday at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, CA with 275 local creative small business vendors, delicious food booths and local live music.
MTP was founded in 1997 with a mission to champion small businesses, art and community. The market funds Greenway Arts Alliance’s arts education programming and provides employment and leadership development opportunities for students at Fairfax High School.
JOIN us in space R18 each Sunday, from 11 am – 5 pm.
NOTE: Check every Sunday for story time and reading events
Where: Melrose Trading Post, Greenway Main Stage at Fairfax HS
Date: Sunday, the 16th (Every Sunday)
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Address: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Website: https://melrosetradingpost.org/tickets/ or https://www.instagram.com/p/DC7Q7CxSFcj/
Esther A. Armah & Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing at The Book Jewel, Westchester – In-Person Event
Celebrate Black History Month with The Book Jewel and learn from Esther A. Armah– an international award-winning journalist, playwright, media communications lecturer, activist, author and international public speaker. In her groundbreaking new book, Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing, Esther develops a new racial healing language to help us do our emotional work.
The author believes this work is collective work, not an individual focus or effort.
Where: The Book Jewel
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 12:30 pm
Address: 629 W. 87th St., Westchester, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFiy63BSO23/?hl=en
The Out and Open Queer Book Club: They Both Die at the End at The Open Book – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss They Both Die at the End, by author Adam Silvera.
In this heart aching work of speculative fiction, two men meet through an app after they are told they only have one more day to live. This will be the second meeting of this book club.
Chat about the book. Connect with your community.
Where: The Open Book
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 6316 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Suite #2180, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Website: https://www.instagram.com/theopenbook_topanga
Emily Greenberg, with Scott Broker, & Alternative Facts at The Pop Hop – In-Person Event
Author Emily Greenberg, in conversation with Scott Broker, will discuss and sign her debut story collection, Alternative Facts.
Emily Greenberg’s writing has appeared in The Iowa Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Big Fiction, Santa Monica Review, and Chicago Quarterly Review, among other publications. Emily will be in conversation with Scott Broker, a queer writer, bookseller, and teacher based in Los Angeles. Scott’s debut novel, The Disappointment, is forthcoming from Catapult in 2026, and his other writing has appeared in the New England Review, Ecotone, Fence, Guernica, and the Idaho Review, among other publications.
Where: The Pop Hop
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 5002 York Blvd., Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: https://withfriends.co/event/22650743
Bucket List Book Club: The Beautiful and Damned at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss The Beautiful and Damned by author Scott Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald’s second novel, a devastating portrait of the excesses of the Jazz Age, is a largely autobiographical depiction of a glamorous, reckless Manhattan couple and their spectacular spiral into tragedy. Published on the heels of This Side of Paradise, the story of the Harvard-educated aesthete Anthony Patch and his willful wife, Gloria, is propelled by Fitzgerald’s intense romantic imagination and demonstrates an increased technical and emotional maturity. The Beautiful and Damned is at once a gripping morality tale, a rueful meditation on love, marriage, and money, and an acute social document. As Hortense Calisher observes in her Introduction, “Though Fitzgerald can entrance with stories so joyfully youthful they appear to be safe—when he cuts himself, you will bleed.”
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/bucket-list-book-club-beautiful-and-damned
Shiza Shahid & Dinner at Our Place: Recipes for Gathering at Deisel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Shiza Shahid to discuss her cookbook Dinner at Our Place: Recipes for Gathering.
Our Place, the cookware brand that took the food world by storm, has always been about more than their brilliantly designed products—it’s about bringing people together, celebrating cultures, and cultivating connections. And what better way to do that, than through sharing a meal? Co-founder and CEO Shiza Shahid invited 11 pioneering tastemakers, chefs, and restauranteurs to take a month and throw a dinner party for you to join. In Dinner at Our Place, you’ll find more than 100 recipes and 12 specially curated dinner parties, plus playlists, mood lighting guides, plating philosophies, scripts for talking to your fishmonger, and so much more.
Note: Please RSVP at site. Seating is limited.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., #33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://www.dieselbookstore.com/event/Shiza-Shahid-February-16-Author-signing
NEW DATE: Mark Winkler & The Songwriter’s Handbook: Power Strategies for Crafting Great Lyrics at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, and lyricist Mark Winkler will discuss The Songwriter’s Handbook: Power Strategies for Crafting Great Lyrics.
Full of songwriting exercises and engaging personal vignettes, this book crosses a variety of genres and teaches the craft of modern commercial songwriting as practiced by the likes of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/mark-winkler
Vroman’s Local Author Day: Steve Fortunato and Nika Hogan at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Steve Fortunato presents The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality: How Rediscovering Generosity Restores a Civil World.
Are we losing the art of hospitality in an age dominated by entitlement and transactional relationships?
In The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality, award-winning experience specialist Steve Fortunato illuminates how our modern interactions have been tainted by competition and celebrity culture, leaving us feeling isolated and undervalued. Driven by his own personal confessions, he implores us to rediscover the essence of true hospitality—where each interaction is rooted in authenticity and connection. Join Fortunato on this urgent journey to recover true hospitality, where valuing others creates a virtuous cycle of generosity and understanding that enriches our communities and transforms our lives.
Nika Hogan presents Breakthroughs in College Reading: The Promises and Tensions of Disciplinary Reading Apprenticeships.
How do we help college students become independent learners in their disciplines? In this collection, the editors and contributors argue that we do so by supporting students in learning from texts, which entails recognizing reading as a problem-solving process, supporting students to take responsibility for the intellectual work in their classes, and creating strong classroom communities that help students develop identities as scholars.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 4 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-02-16/vromans-local-author-day-introducing-steve-fortunato-nika-hogan
Speech Bubble Comics Book Club: Shubeik Lubeik at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss Shubeik Lubeik by author Deena Mohamed.
Where: North Figeroa Bookshop
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 5 pm – 7 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 9042
Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-m6fgpgvs
OC Poetry Slam Showcase and Open Mic at The Untold Story Bookstore and Cafe – In-Person Event
Poets from the OC Poetry Slam team have been hard at work to represent Orange County at regional competitions! Come out and enjoy poetry!
Welcome to he OC Poetry Slam Showcase and Open Mic! Join us for a night filled with powerful words, raw emotions, and creative expression.
Come down to the Untold Story Bookstore on Sun, Feb 16, 2025 at 6:00 pm and be prepared to be amazed by the talent that Orange County has to offer. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy the show as poets take the stage to captivate the audience with their words.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with fellow poetry enthusiasts, support local artists, and maybe even muster up the courage to share your own work during the open mic portion of the event. Let your voice be heard and your creativity flow at the OC Poetry Slam Showcase and Open Mic!
Where: The Untold Story Bookstore and Cafe
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 6 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 1141 North Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92801
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oc-poetry-slam-showcase-and-open-mic-tickets-1226770777419
Book Event: Lenny Rosenberg, with Adaeze Nwanonyir, & It’s a Sweet World at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
LA legend and Nigerian designer Lenny Rosenberg, in conversation with Adaeze Nwanonyiri, talk about the historic influence of cultural desserts with ingredients that connect individuals around the world nationwide.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1594820250216
Focus on Craft Book Club: Come As You Are at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
February’s participants will discuss Come As You Are: A Gen X Romance by author Jess Hardy.
Developmental editor and teacher Jeanne De Vital will lead this discussion on examining popular romance novels from a writer’s perspective.
Everyone is welcome. RSVP required.
NOTE: See site for RSVP, guidelines, and details.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Sunday the 16th
Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 3806 Main Street, Culver City, CA 90323
Website: https://www.therippedbodicela.com/events-and-tickets
Los Angeles Literature 