48^th UCR Writers Week Festival (Day 1 of 4) at University of California, Riverside – In-Person Event

The 48^th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival is free and open to the public.

Day 1 of 4 of the UCR Writers Week Festival features:

11 a.m.: Jean Guerrero: Reading: Crux and Hatemonger

Jean Guerrero is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and a senior journalism fellow at the UCLA Latina Futures 2050 Lab. An award-winning investigative journalist, essayist and speaker, Guerrero is the author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda. Her first book, Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir, won a PEN Literary Award and was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice of 2023 and one of NPR’s Best Books of 2018

A former opinion columnist at the Los Angeles Times, she has been published in Vanity Fair, Politico, The Nation, Wired, the New York Times, The Washington Post, Best American Essays 2019 by Rebecca Solnit and more. She won the 2022 “Best Commentary” award from the Sacramento Press Club. As an investigative border reporter at KPBS, she won an Emmy, contributed to NPR, the PBS NewsHour and more. Months before Trump’s family separations captured national attention, her PBS reporting on the practice was cited by members of Congress. She started her career at the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires as a foreign correspondent in Mexico and Central America. She was named one of the California Chicano News Media Association’s most influential Latina journal.

1 p.m.: Xochitil-Julisa Bermejo: Reading: Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites and Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge.

Xochitil-Julisa Bermejo is the daughter of Mexican immigrants raised in San Gabriel, California. Her debut collection, Posada: Offerings of Witness and Refuge (Sundress Publications 2016), was written while living in a house in the shadows of Dodger Stadium in historic Solano Canyon. Bermejo’s seconds collection, Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites (Mouthfeel Press 2023), explores US monuments, memorializes Black and brown bodies murdered by state sanctioned violence, and shares love poems to family, friends, and dalliances in rituals of resistance and resilience.

3 p.m.: Lilliam Rivera: Reading: Tiny Threads

Lilliam Rivera is a MacDowell fellow and an award-winning author of nine works of fiction: a dark thriller, four young adult novels, three middle grade books, and a graphic novel for DC Comics. Her books have been awarded a Pura Belpré Honor, been featured on NPR, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, and multiple “best of” lists.

Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Elle, and Washington Post, to name a few. Lilliam has also written for the episodic podcast series Love in Gravity. She’s received fellowships and grants from PEN America and the Elizabeth George Foundation.

A Bronx, New York native, Lilliam currently lives in Los Angeles.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: University of California, Riverside

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 11 am – 5 pm

Address: 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521

Website: https://writersweek.ucr.edu/schedule2025

Young Readers Book Club: The Girl Who Kept the Castle at Mar Vista Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Kids & Teen Event

Participants will discuss The Girl Who Kept the Castle by author Ryan Gaudin.

There will also be a crafty competition to see who would make the best image of Mar Vista!

Copies of The Girl Who Kept the Castle are available at the Mar Vista reference desk.

Where: Mar Vista Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Address: 12008 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/young-readers-book-club

Special Author Event: Pam Munoz Ryan & El Niño at pages: a bookstore Off-site at Manhattan Beach Library – In-Person Kids Event

Critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning middle grade author, Pam Muñoz Ryan will celebrate the enchanting release of El Niño.

The event will be at Manhattan Beach Public Library, 1320 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 4:30pm. This is a free event. We hope you will consider purchasing a copy of the book in support of the authors and pages, an independent bookstore.

About the book:

Sometimes the only way to hold onto what we love is to let it go. Kai Sosa is so passionate about swimming he is practically a fish. This summer, he’s determined to become the athlete he once was on an elite invitational team. But something invisible holds him back. His race times are off. Dreams of his sister Cali haunt him. And he hasn’t found her missing gold cuff, her last request. Mom is still talking about grief, even though it’s been two years. He’s fine now, isn’t he? When Kai discovers a library book Cali had checked out multiple times—about an underwater realm and a mysterious place called the Library of Despair and Sorrow—details from the story begin to appear in his own life: dolphin pods, imposing rock towers, unusual sea creatures, and even Cali’s beloved bracelet. As myth and reality collide, El Nino unleashes its fury, and Kai is swept up in a storm of events that will change his understanding of love, death, grief, and how best to honor those we’ve lost.

NOTE: See site for link and details.

Where: pages: a bookstore

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 1320 Highland Ave. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-05-05/special-author-event-pam-munoz-ryan

Rupo 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 5^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501

Website: https://www.facebook.com/backtothegrind

Mike Drucker, with Adam Conover, & Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games at Book Soup – In-Person Event

Mike Drucker, in conversation with Adam Conover, will discuss and sign Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games.

A hilarious and nostalgic memoir about the video games that entertain and inspire us, and even hold the power to transform our lives, from an Emmy(R)-nominated television writer, stand-up comedian and former writer for Nintendo.

In this fond and joyful memoir, Drucker combines ridiculous personal stories and fascinating gaming history to explore the poignant ways that electronic entertainment can save us from ourselves. Good Game, No Rematch is a love letter to video games and the people who play them, from a very nerdy voice in the world of comedy.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/mike-drucker-conversation-adam-conover-discusses-signs-good-game-no-rematch-life-made-video

At Skylight: Luka Yuanyuan Yang, with Lou Wang-Holborn, & Dance in Herland at Skylight – In-Person Event

Luka Yuanyuan Yang, in conversation with Lou Wang-Holborn, will discuss and sign Dance in Herland.

Published by te editions, Dance in Herland surveys artist Luka Yuanyuan Yang’s cinematic oeuvre, including her feature-length production Chinatown Cha-Cha and five short films centered on diasporic Chinese communities. The book picks up where the films end, serving as both a reflection and a complement, while also creating a new narrative. Dance in herland brings together hundreds of archival materials from photo albums, rare and invaluable oral histories, creative writings, and interviews with scholars. Its editorial vision invites readers on a journey through mid-20th century San Francisco and Cuba, tracing history through the neon lights of Chinatown and the lingering echoes of Cantonese opera.

For the dancers and performers documented in this book, their bodies act as living archives; their memories and unspoken emotions may be concealed in their steps, fingertips, and gazes. Additionally, the design duo Studio Pianpian He and Max Harvey transformed the books into a vessel of collective memory through their design. They used papers in various colors to separate different oral history backgrounds. The designers delicately captured visual elements marked by the era from the archive, infusing the book with new charm grounded in the aesthetics of the last century.

Where: Skylight

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-luka-yuanyuan-yang-presents-dance-herland

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 5^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm

Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-1343843354649

LiveTalks LA Presents: Christie Brinkley, with Cindy Crawford, & Uptown Girl at Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Christie Brinkley, in conversation with Cindy Crawford, will discuss her memoir, Uptown Girl.

In 1974, a twenty-year-old Christie Brinkley was “discovered” outside a Paris phone booth, which set off a meteoric modeling career that would land her on the covers of hundreds of magazines and cement her legacy as an All-American icon. Although she’s lived more than fifty years in the public eye, the full story of her roller-coaster life has never been told.

This is a bighearted, beautifully crafted memoir of resilience and self-discovery, featuring more than 100 photographs and never-before-seen pieces of Christie’s original artwork, Uptown Girl is the brave account of a life lived at full throttle and on full display.

Christie Brinkley is a model, actress, entrepreneur, illustrator, photographer, humanitarian, bestselling author, Smile Train ambassador, activist in children’s environmental health and wellness, creator and owner of Bellissima wines and prosecco and the clothing line TWRHLL, and mother of three. In her five decades in the modeling industry, she has been photographed on six continents, in more than thirty countries and has appeared on more than five hundred magazine covers worldwide.

NOTE: See Ticket information at site.

Where: Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar 

Date: Monday the 5^th

Time: 8 pm

Address: 3200 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034

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 ack. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

The 48^th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival is free and open to the public.

Day 2 of 4 of the UCR Writers Week Festival features:

11 a.m.: Jennifer Espinoza: Reading: I Don’t Want to be Understood, I’m Alive, It Hurts, and I Love It; There Should Be Flowers

Jennifer Espinoza (see info at site)

1 p.m.: Geoffrey Dyer: Reading: The Last Days of Roger Federer; Jeff in Venice; Death in Varangas!; But Beautiful; Out of Sheer Rage; Homework (forthcoming)

Geoffrey Dyer (see info at site)

3 p.m.: Steven Shaviro: Talk: Fluid Futures: Science Fiction and Potentiality

Steven Shaviro (see info at site)

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: University of California, Riverside

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 11 am – 5 pm

The #1 New York Times bestselling authors and award-winning podcasters Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle created We Can Do Hard Things—the guidebook for being alive—to help fellow travelers find their way through life.

When you travel through a new country, you need a guidebook.

When you travel through love, heartbreak, joy, parenting, friendship, uncertainty, aging, grief, new beginnings—life—you need a guidebook, too.

We Can Do Hard Things is the guidebook for being alive.

The event will be held virtually, so join us from wherever you are! To secure your ticket, please order We Can Do Hard Things at link at website. Once you place your order for the book your name and email address will be added to our registration list. You will receive the link to join the day before the event. If you purchase a ticket but are unable to attend the event live, you will receive a link to the event that will allow you to view the conversation for 72 hours post-event.

NOTE: See site for link and further details.

Where: pages: a bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 4:30 pm

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-05-06/live-event-glennon-doyle-abby-wambach-amanda-doyle-we-can-do-hard-things

Big Read Book Discussion: The House on Mango Street at Ascot Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us to discuss the Big Read Book of 2025, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

Where: Ascot Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 120 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90003 

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/big-read-book-discussion-house-mango-street-3

Women and Books Book Club: God Help the Child at West Hollywood Library, LACL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Join the Women and Books Book Club for a hybrid (in-person and online) discussion of God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. For adults.

This is a hybrid event and will be hosted in-person in the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room as well as on Zoom. Please contact the library to borrow a print copy of the book. Register at the link below to receive the link to the meeting via email.

https://library-lacounty-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pd-Goqz4uGNNbzVuW720zsRrGxTK1VeLG

Summary provided by the publisher:

At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.”

Where: West Hollywood Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/13020631

Feminist Book Club: Tias and Primas at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Kids Event

Cella Door welcomes participants to discuss Tias and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez .

Born into a large, close-knit family in Nicaragua, Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez grew up surrounded by strong, kind, funny, sensitive, resilient, judgmental, messy, beautiful women. Whether blood relatives or chosen family, these tías and primas fundamentally shaped her view of the world—and so did the labels that were used to talk about them. The tía loca who is shunned for defying gender roles. The pretty prima put on a pedestal for her European features. The matriarch who is the core of her community but hides all her pain.

In Tías and Primas, the follow-up to her acclaimed debut For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts, Mojica Rodríguez explores these archetypes. Fearlessly grappling with the effects of intergenerational trauma, centuries of colonization, and sexism, she attempts to heal the pain that is so often embodied in female family lines.

Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez is a leading Latine activist, writer, and speaker. She is the founder of Latina Rebels, a platform with over 350,000 followers, and the author of For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts. She has been featured on NPR, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. She earned her master’s from Vanderbilt and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/feminist-book-club-tias-and-primas

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

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 6^th (final meeting of series)

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm

Address: Online Event

Website: https://www.dstlarts.org/calendar

Laura Day & The Prism: Seven Steps to Heal Your Past and Transform Your Future at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event

Laura Day presents The Prism: Seven Steps to Heal Your Past and Transform Your Future, a transformational program to heal your past, remake your present and create the future you deserve.

Laura Day—in her bestselling, breakthrough book Practical Intuition—explained how anyone can train themselves to gain full access to the powers of their intuitive mind. Only Day’s closest friends, however, knew that behind the book’s phenomenal success was a dark family history—one that provided her with profound insights into human nature and an understanding of what it takes to achieve your dreams, no matter how challenging your past or present.

Where: Diesel, A Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm

Address: 225 26^th St., Santa Monica, Ca 90402

Website: https://www.dieselbookstore.com/event/Laura-Day-May-6-Author-signing

Creativity Book Club: Dear Writer by Maggie Smith at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Do you think of yourself as creative, or wish that you were? Do you get inspired by a book of reflections, or do you prefer an actual workbook with tasks and prompts? Do you wish you had more people to talk with about painting, poetry or pottery?

Here is the time and the place; you just need to be here with us. Be a part of the start—and let 2025 be your most creatively satisfying year yet!

About the book:

New York Times bestselling author and poet Maggie Smith distills creativity and the craft of writing with a practical guide perfect for fans of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.

Drawing from her twenty years of teaching experience and her bestselling Substack newsletter, For Dear Life, Maggie Smith breaks down creativity into ten essential elements: attention, wonder, vision, play, surprise, vulnerability, restlessness, tenacity, connection, and hope. Each element is explored through short, inspiring, and craft-focused essays, followed by generative writing prompts. Dear Writer provides tools that artists of all experience levels can apply to their own creative practices and carry with them into all genres and all areas of life.

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

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 6^th

Time: 7 pm – 10 pm

John Mason, in conversation with Elliot Mintz, will discuss and sign Crazy Lucky.

“It’s never your typical day at the office when Michael Jackson attends a meeting in person, headphones on his ears and a Walkman in his hands. Little did I know then that he was listening to the first demos for what would become Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad…”

Most lawyers aren’t like John Mason. Then again, most lawyers don’t do what he does. For decades, John Mason has been a confidante, meditator, gladiator and last line of defense for some of the most visible (and talented) artists in the world; from Brian Wilson and Roy Orbison, to Reba McEntire and the Jackson Five, to Quincy Jones, Shakira, and his dear friend of over forty years, Olivia Newton-John. In Crazy Lucky, he tells their stories from his perspective, and shows us what it means to truly have someone’s back.

Crazy Lucky is a career retrospective packed with never before heard stories. A rollicking journey for anyone interested in entertainment history, Crazy Lucky shows what it takes to represent the interests of some of the biggest names in the world, in critical, career-defining moments.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/john-mason-conversation-elliot-mintz-discusses-signs-crazy-lucky

Other Worlds Book Club: Parable of the Sower at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Event

Other Worlds Book Club meets monthly, generally on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm.

A new pages bookclub exploring the nooks and crannies of speculative fiction: fantasy, science fiction, alternative history, horror, and their intersections.

Book: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler.

​​​​​​​Facilitated by Leo Lukin.

Where: pages: a bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7 pm

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-05-06/other-worlds-book-club

At Skylight: Casey Johnston & A Physical Education at Skylight – In-Person Event

Casey Johnston will discuss and sign A Physical Education.

From the most visible woman writing about weightlifting today, a “profoundly engrossing” memoir and manifesto about how lifting helped dissolve her allegiance to diet culture; taught her to be at home in her body; and led her to grow every kind of strength (Elizabeth Greenwood).

In A Physical Education, Casey Johnston recounts how she ventured into the brave new world of weightlifting, leaving behind years of restrictive eating and endless cardio. Woven through the trajectory of how she rebuilt her strength and confidence is a staggering exposé of the damaging doctrine spread by diet and fitness culture.

Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weightlifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021.

Where: Skylight

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-casey-johnston-presents-physical-education

New Location & Time: The Sunless Sea Open Mic Readings Every 1^st Tuesday at 7 pm at Qusqo Bistro, West Los Angeles – In-Person Event

Every 1^st Tuesday of the month DeForest Wright hosts the Sunless Sea Poetry and Spoken Word Open Mic Show, now at a new location: Qusqo Bistro.

Featuring: Dayna Leslie Hodges

These Open Mic Readings open to the public! Read your poems, fiction, and spoken word at our open mic reading EVERY 1^st TUESDAY NIGHT of the month from 7 pm – 10 pm!

Where: Qusqo Bistro

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7 pm – 10 pm

Marisa Kanter, in conversation with Kate Spencer, will discuss and sign Friends with Benefits.

Lifelong best friends say ‘I do’ to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center.

Evie Bloom pays attention to the details. Her very job depends on it—as an aspiring Foley artist, she’s responsible for every crisp footstep, smacking kiss, and distinct sound in film and television. So when she’s selected for a fellowship opportunity that would make all her career dreams come true, she’s quick to spot the catch: there are no health benefits, and for someone with a chronic illness, that’s a non-starter.

Theo Cohen is an elementary school teacher who can’t afford to live on his own in LA, and is facing eviction after his roommates couple up and move out of their rent-controlled apartment. But there is one loophole in his lease: each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless the tenants are married.

For Theo, the answer is obvious. Marry Evie, his best friend since forever. It’s not as if they don’t spend all their free time together anyways. Not only will Theo be able to keep his apartment, but Evie can be added to his insurance plan so she can accept her dream fellowship. It’s such a logical, practical solution. Never mind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married—not to Theo, not to anyone—ever. Or the small, complicating fact that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie.

But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything.

It’s…going to change everything.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-06/marisa-kanter-conversation-kate-spencer-discusses-friends-benefits

Book Launch: Rosie Stockton, with Anahid Nersessian, & Fuel at Poetic Research Bureau – In-Person Event

Rosie Stockton, in conversation with Anahid Nersessian, will discuss their poetry collection, Fuel.

The poems in Fuel (Nightboat Books, 2025) pick at the weave of oil-soaked world orders to interrogate the ways capitalist death-drive seeps into our unconscious lives.

Traversing multivalent intimacies from the underworld of California’s Central Valley oil fields to the quotidian domestic and love’s painful retraction, Stockton’s poems articulate the blurry modes of extraction, fantasy, loss, gender, and labor as they interact and overlap in the shadow of environmental and personal collapse. Between gas station gifts, Venmo requests, and nocturnal love letters, Fuel unravels the self and violent systems of domination, longing for a togetherness that transcends its own ending.

Rosie Stockton is the author of Permanent Volta (Nightboat Books 2021) which was the recipient of the Sawtooth Prize as well as being a finalist for the California Book Awards in Poetry and the Publishing Triangle’s Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry. Their poems have been published by Social Text Journal, VOLT, Jubilat, Apogee, Mask Magazine, Tripwire and WONDER PRESS. They hold an M.A. in Creative Writing from Eastern Michigan University and are currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Gender Studies Department at UCLA. Rosie lives and works in Los Angeles.

Where: Poetic Research Bureau

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9 pm

Address: 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057

Website: https://www.poeticresearch.com/events/rosie-stockton

Tuesday Night Café: Features & Open Mic at Tuesday Night Project, Aratani Courtyard/Union Center – In-Person & YouTube Hybrid Event

Tuesday Night Cafe is a flagship free public arts and performance series. Launched in 1999, TNC has since become one of the longest-running free arts series in Downtown LA and is the oldest Asian American mic series in the country.

The series runs on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month, April through October, and features a curated program of multidisciplinary visual and performing art as well as an open mic section.

It may be API Heritage Month, but we’ve been celebrating Asian American art for 27 years and counting!! (Get on our level?) 😎

Featuring:

Grace Chikui is a long time resident of Little Tokyo.

@lianne.cosplay

@sahhhrena_

@yumisakugawa

@zoshaymusic/@cutsleeve.show

DJ: @waxstyles

Want to perform for our Open Mic? Make sure to sign up for our lottery by 6:40 p.m., there will only be 3 spaces available. We may ask to review your content.

As a reminder, masking is required in our courtyard and inside the UCA lobby, and we will have masks available on site. If you can’t join us in-person, we will continue to stream our shows on YouTube in our link in bio!

Where: Tuesday Night Café

Date: Tuesday, the 6^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Address: 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJCYQX5JJBf/?hl=en

LiveTalks LA Presents: Ed Helms, with Tig Notaro, & SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups at Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Ed Helms, in conversation with Tig Notaro, will discuss his book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups.

From actor, comedian, writer, and host of the hit history podcast SNAFU, Ed Helms brings you an absurdly entertaining look at history’s biggest blunders, complete with lively illustrations.

Ed Helms is an actor, comedian, and writer who first gained national attention as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Helms is perhaps best known for his iconic roles as Andy Bernard on NBC’s hit sitcom The Office and Stu in The Hangover film trilogy alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. His extensive filmography includes more titles such as Vacation, Cedar Rapids, and the hit Netflix comedy Family Switch alongside Jennifer Garner. Ed also co-created and starred in Rutherford Falls, an acclaimed sitcom on Peacock that cleverly tackled identity and history. Ed hosts SNAFU, the hilarious and illuminating podcast that inspired this book. A proud banjo enthusiast, he co-founded The Bluegrass Situation, a platform for roots music fans.

Tig Notaro is an actor, writer, producer, director, comedian and podcast host who Rolling Stone has called one of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. With her wife, Stephanie Allynne, she directed the feature film, AM I OK? More recently, she starred in the Netflix films YOUR PLACE OR MINE, WE HAVE A GHOST, and ARMY OF THE DEAD. Her semi-autobiographical Amazon Prime series, ONE MISSISSIPPI, won critical acclaim, as did her 2024 special, TIG NOTARO: HELLO AGAIN. Her documentary, COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT, premiered at Sundance this past January and won the Festival Favorite Award. Her work has been nominated for an Emmy, Grammy, WGA, SAG, GLAAD and Critic’s Choice Awards.

History contains a plethora of insane screwups—otherwise known as SNAFUs. Coined during World War I, SNAFU is an acronym that stands for Situation Normal: All F*cked Up. In other words, “things are pretty screwed up, but aren’t they always?”

Spanning from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, Ed Helms steps in as unofficial history teacher for a deep dive into each decade’s craziest SNAFUs. From planting nukes on the moon to training felines as CIA spies to weaponizing the weather, this book will unpack the incredibly ironic decision-making and hilariously terrifying aftermath of America’s biggest mishaps.

Filled with sharp humor, SNAFU is a wild ride through time that not only entertains but offers fresh insights that just might prevent history from repeating itself again and again.

NOTE: See Ticket information at site.

Where: Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar 

Date: Tuesday the 6^th

Time: 8 pm

Address: 3200 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034

NOTE: Free Parking available at the venue

Website: https://livetalksla.org/events/ed-helms/

The Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic: Rick Lupert & Guest Denise Dumars – Online Zoom Event

Cobalt Poets Reading & Open Mic and host Rick Lupert welcomes guest Denise Dumars to read and discuss his work.

Denise Dumars has written and published poetry, short stories, articles, and reviews in journals such as Terra Incognita, Cinefantastique, and Talebones. She is a columnist for Star*Line, the journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and a peer reviewer for Coreopsis: A Journal of Myth and Theater. She has also published two collections of short stories; two non-fiction books, including The Dark Archetype (with Lori Nyx), and numerous chapbooks of poetry, the most recent of which is Letting in the Dark (Yellow Bat Press). Denise teaches a variety of English courses in Southern California colleges.

Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event

Date: Tuesday, the 6^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The nation’s largest weekly spoken word Open Mic event is 26 years strong. DPL is a community space for every poet to be heard. They provide a platform to celebrate poetry while using it as the foundation for creativity, innovation, and expression across an array of media outlets.

$10 donation. Do NOT line up prior to 7:30 pm Free parking adjacent to the theater.

Masks are encouraged.

Where: Greenway Court Theatre

Date: Tuesday, the 6^th

Time: 9 pm – 11 pm

Come write with us!

Many people believe that a morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.

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: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 8:30am – 9:30 am

The 48^th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival is free and open to the public.

Day 3 of 4 of the UCR Writers Week Festival features:

11 a.m.: Jos Charles: Reading: a Year & other poems and Safe Space

Jos Charles is a trans American poet, writer, translator, and editor. Her book feeld won the National Poetry Series and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. She is the founding editor of THEM, the first trans literary journal in the United States.

1 p.m.: Sarah Manguso: Reading: Liars; Very Cold People

Sarah Manguso is the author of ten books, most recently Questions Without Answers, a work of choral philosophy written in collaboration with hundreds of children and illustrated by Liana Finck. Sarah’s work has been translated into fifteen languages.

3 p.m.: Edgar Gomez: Reading: High Risk Homosexual and Alligator Tears

Edgar Gomez is a queer NicaRican writer born and raised in Florida. He is the author of the memoir High-Risk Homosexual, winner of the American Book Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Their sophomore book, Alligator Tears, was released February 2025 and called “triumphant, dazzling, and unfailingly stylish” by Publisher’s Weekly. Gomez lives between New York and Puerto Rico.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: University of California, Riverside

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 11 am – 5 pm

In this enlightening event, Dr. Rosmarin, author of Thriving with Anxiety, will teach you how to use anxiety to become more self-accepting, connected to others, and resilient. This evidence-based approach will empower you to use anxiety to thrive.

David H. Rosmarin, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, a program director at McLean Hospital, and Founder of Center for Anxiety. Through his work as a clinical psychologist, scientist, educator, author, and keynote speaker, David has helped thousands of individuals and organizations to thrive by embracing the emotion of anxiety. His clinical work and research have been featured in Good Morning America, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and TED

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: Virtual Event, LACL

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: Online Event (see site)

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/13582243

Book Club: Good Night Irene at Chatsworth Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Join us to discuss Good Night Irene: A Novel by Luis Alberto Urrea. 2023. 407 pages.

In 1943 Irene Woodward abandons an abusive fiancé and heads to Europe with the Red Cross. As one of the Donut Dollies, she sees service from the Battle of the Bulge to the liberation of Buchenwald. Join us for fun and interesting conversation.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: Chatsworth Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 1:30 pm

Address: 21052 Devonshire St., Chatsworth, CA 91311

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/chatsworth-book-club-good-night-irene

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 2^nd Monday of the month on KPFK Los Angeles 90.7 FM.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: KPFK 90.7 FM

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm

Address: On-air Event (live)

Website: https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/poets-cafe/

History Book Club: Dead Wake at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Kids Event

Cella Door welcomes participants to discuss Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson.

On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige.

Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history.

Erik Larson is the author of six New York Times bestsellers, most recently The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, which examines how Winston Churchill and his “Secret Circle” went about surviving the German air campaign of 1940-41. Larson’s The Devil in the White City is set to be a Hulu limited series; his In the Garden of Beasts is under option by Tom Hanks for a feature film. He recently published an audio-original ghost story, No One Goes Alone, which has been optioned by Chernin Entertainment, in association with Netflix. His Thunderstruck has been optioned by Sony Pictures Television for a limited TV series. Larson lives in Manhattan with his wife, who is a writer and retired neonatologist; they have three grown daughters.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/history-book-club-dead-wake

Be the Change: Social Justice Writing Workshop with James Coats – Online Event

Be the Change, a Social Justice Writing Workshop, is held every 1^st Wednesday of the month and led by poet and author James Coats.

Workshop is free: name your own price.

NOTE: See site for RSVP and details.

Where: Online Event

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm

Address: Online Zoom Event Zoom ID: 826 5843 0669 Password: justice

Website: N/A

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 7^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: On-air Event (live at 101.5 FM)

​​​​​​​In this inspiring evening, author Sol Smith will combine current research and his personal experience as a late-diagnosed autistic adult to discuss how neurotypical individuals can transcend common mischaracterizations, overcome shame, and gain the skills to flourish and how neurotypicals can support them in that process. Sol knows that neurodivergent people often feel that nothing they have been taught relates to how they experience the world. To resolve this conflict, they try to change or mask who they are, which can cause isolation, depression, and anxiety. He advises the opposite: Understand yourself, accept yourself, and reduce conflict.

Sol Smith is the author of The Autistic’s Guide to Self-Discovery and a certified autism specialist who is autistic, dyslexic, and living with ADHD. He spent more than two decades as a college professor before shifting his professional focus to coaching other autistic and ADHD people to gain autonomy in their lives. Sol’s speaking skills have earned him a following of hundreds of thousands on TikTok and led to educational seminars about neurodiversity with corporations around the world. He lives in Southern California with his wife and four children and you can find him online at http://www.ProfessorSol.com.

Where: Diesel: A Bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 6:30 pm

Address: 225 26^th St., #33, Santa Monica, CA 90402

Website: https://www.dieselbookstore.com/event/Sol-Smith-May-7-Author-signing

YA Book Launch: Claire Ahn & Bad Influence at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Join us at Village Well Books & Coffee for a book launch celebrating the release of Bad Influence by Claire Ahn.

In this contemporary YA novel, high school student Charlotte Goh is an aspiring Asian American fashion influencer desperately trying to lift her family out of hardship, only to find it may come at a cost higher than any Chanel bag.

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Goh is juggling two very different personas: the dutiful Korean daughter, and the hustling NYC fashion influencer. Her best friend Steven scoffs at her ambition, but she secretly hopes that her posts will help financially support her struggling family. Then one night, after posting about a racist experience she had at an influencer event, Charlotte finds herself going viral and garnering the fame she’s always craved. And as much as she doesn’t want her newfound popularity to change her, she can’t help but be swept away by the exciting perks: chic new friends, the attention of one of Hollywood’s hottest heartthrobs, and a slew of companies clamoring to sponsor her.

But as she falls deeper into the influencer world, she finds that she may have to sacrifice more than she bargained for—including her unexpected new feelings for Steven. Will Charlotte be able to stay true to herself, or will she lose the things that are most important to her?

Claire will be joined by fellow author Chanel Miller, who will moderate a discussion on family burdens, Asian identity, and the writing process in the world of YA.

Reserve your tickets on EVENTBRITE!

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Carla Litto will discuss and sign Outsmarting Egomaniacs: How to Respond to Narcissists and Master Manipulators.

Outsmarting Egomaniacs is the self-help book for people who want to protect themselves from getting bullied, abused, and manipulated in relationships. The world is full of toxic people. The latest news reports and documentaries present us with a constant stream of scams, cons, cults and shady situations that have damaged far too many innocent people.

Carla Litto, Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles who specializes in relationship issues, specifically Narcissistic Personality Disorder and emotional abuse recovery, breaks down the manipulation tactics that predatory individuals use to confuse you and abuse you.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Anna Todd, in conversation with Victoria Aveyard, will discuss her new romance novel The Last Sunrise.

There will be a book signing to follow the discussion.

NOTE: RSVP for this ticketed event.

Where: The Ripped Bodice

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3806 Main St., Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://www.therippedbodice.com/events-and-tickets

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 7^th

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

At Skylight: Sarah Schulman & The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity at Skylight – In-Person Event

Sarah Schulman will discuss The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity a brilliant examination of the inherent psychological and social challenges to solidarity movements, and what that means for the future

For those who seek to combat injustice, solidarity with the oppressed is one of the highest ideals, yet it does not come without complication. In this searing yet uplifting book, award-winning writer and cultural critic Sarah Schulman delves into the intricate and often misunderstood concept of solidarity to provide a new vision for what it means to engage in this work—and why it matters.

Schulman examines a range of case studies, from the fight for abortion rights in post-Franco Spain, to NYC’s AIDS activism in the 1990s, to the current wave of campus protest movements against Israel’s war on Gaza, and her own experience growing up as a queer female artist in male dominated culture industries. Drawing parallels between queer, Palestinian, feminist, and artistic struggles for justice, Schulman challenges the traditional notion of solidarity as a simple union of equals, arguing that in today’s world of globalized power structures, true solidarity requires the collaboration of bystanders and conflicted perpetrators with the excluded and oppressed. That action comes at a cost, and is not always effective. And yet without it we sentence ourselves to a world without progressive change towards visions of liberation.

Sarah Schulman is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer, and AIDS historian. Her books include The Gentrification of the Mind, Conflict Is Not Abuse, and Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993, and the novels The Cosmopolitans and Maggie Terry.

Where: Skylight

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-sarah-schulman-presents-fantasy-and-necessity-solidarity

Meghan Daum, with Annabelle Gurwitch, & The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays at Vroman’s – In-Person Event

Meghan Daum, in conversation with Annabelle Gurwitch, will discuss her new collection of essays,The Catastrophe Hour.

Written between 2016 and 2023, these essays are classic Daum, showcasing the author’s wit, her intellect, and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Delving into divorce, dating, music, friendship, beauty, aging, death and money, Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists.

Annabelle Gurwitch is a New York Times bestselling author of five books. She is an activist, actress and two-time Thurber Prize finalist. She’s written for The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Her next book The End of My Life is Killing Me is due out next year from Zibby Publishing.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Wednesday the 7^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-07/meghan-daum-conversation-annabelle-gurwitch-discusses-catastrophe-hour-selected

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: $10.00 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 7^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm

Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008

Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DH_iBedvp6E/

Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop with Tom Laichas via 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.

Tom Laichas is author of four books of poetry, including Three Hundred Streets of Venice California (FutureCycle Press, 2023) and the forthcoming Landscapes From An American Afterlife (The Los Angeles Press, 2025). His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Plume, BarBar, The Los Angeles Times, the Irish Times, The High Window Review (UK), and elsewhere. He is the winner of poetry prizes from Jabberwock Review, Puerto del Sol, and Prime 53, and has been shortlisted in competitions sponsored by The Moth (Ireland), Aesthetica, Arts & Letters, New Letters and Gunpowder Press. He lives with his family in Venice, California.

NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information. 

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

Address: Online event (see site)

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wednesday-night-poetry-workshop-tickets-1348166846329

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.

This week’s event is titled Ghosts & Echoes,

Hosted by John White, with vibes by DJ Hennytee.

Where: East Los Angeles Rising Youth Club

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 8 pm – 9:45 pm (Doors at 7:30)

Eye-opening essays about searching for peace in the cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments—from award-winning actor Lili Taylor.

Most people don’t really know birds—or rather, they aren’t aware of them. Lili Taylor used to be one of those people. She knew birds existed. She thought about them, maybe even more than the average person. But she didn’t know them. And then something happened.

During a much-needed break from her work as an actor, Lili sought silence and instead found the bustling, symphonic world of birds that had always existed around her. Since then, she has kept a keen eye pressed to her binoculars in search of vivid stories that elevate the everyday, if only one pays attention.

Through a series of beautifully crafted essays, Taylor shares her intimate encounters with the birds that have captured her heart and imagination—from tracking flitting woodpeckers through oak trees to spotting majestic blue jays perched on a Manhattan fire escape; from the exhilaration of witnessing a migratory flock from the top of the Empire State Building to the quiet joy of observing a nest of hatchlings in her own backyard. Through simply paying attention to birds, Lili has been shown a parallel world that is wider and deeper, one of constant change and movement, full of life and the will to survive.

Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and theater actor. Some of her credits include: Mystic Pizza, Dogfight, Short Cuts, I shot Andy Warhol, High Fidelity and Say Anything. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance. Lili nests in Brooklyn and upstate New York with her husband, the memoirist and poet Nick Flynn, and their daughter.

Where: Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 8 pm

Address: 3200 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034

(Free Parking available at the venue) 

Website: https://livetalksla.org/events/lili-taylor/

Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg and Guest Sandy Shakes at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event

Host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry welcome featured guest Sandy Shakes.

Sandy Shakes is a spoken truth artist home grown in Boyle Heights. She has shared microphones all over LA county, San Diego, New Mexico and El Paso. She has collaborated and performed for many poetic organizations and has had her work honored in their powerful anthologies. In the last few years she has led poetry workshops, spoken in classrooms and has had her stories featured in up and coming podcasts. In 2024 she released her first poetry chapbook baptized Scribble Scrabbles. You can follow all her upcoming projects and performances on Instagram @sandyshakes_themic.

$4 cover fee, cash only

NOTE: See site for further details.

Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange

Date: Wednesday, the 7^th

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA

Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/600382839176457

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.

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/

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 8^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events/1880320250508

48^th UCR Writers Week Festival (Day 4 of 4) at University of California, Riverside – In-Person Event

The 48^th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival is free and open to the public.

Day 4 of 4 of the UCR Writers Week Festival features:

11 a.m.: Maggie Nelson: Reading:

Pathemata, Or, The Story of My Mouth; Like Love: Essays and Conversations; On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint; The Argonauts; The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning; Bluets

Maggie Nelson is the author of several acclaimed books of poetry and prose, many of which have become cult classics defying categorization. Her nonfiction titles include the forthcoming essay collection Like Love: Essays and Conversations (2024), the national bestseller On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint (2021), the National Book Critics Circle Award winner and New York Times bestseller The Argonauts (2015), The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning (2011; a New York Times Notable Book of the Year), Bluets (2009; named by Bookforum as one of the top 10 best books of the past 20 years), The Red Parts (2007, reissue 2016), and Women, the New York School, and Other True Abstractions (2007). Her poetry titles include Something Bright, Then Holes (2007) and Jane: A Murder (2005; Finalist, the PEN/ Martha Albrand Art of the Memoir). In addition to a 2016 MacArthur “genius” Fellowship, she has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in Nonfiction, an NEA in Poetry, an Innovative Literature Fellowship from Creative Capital, and an Arts Writers Fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and has taught literature, writing, art, criticism and theory at the New School, Pratt Institute, Wesleyan University, CalArts, and the University of Southern California, where she is currently a Professor of English.

1 p.m.: Erin Marie Lynch: Reading: Removal Arts

1 p.m.: Blas Falconer: Reading:Rara Avis

3 p.m.: Bret Anthony Johnston: Reading: We Burn by Daylight; Corpus Christie: Stories; Remember Me Like This

Bret Anthony Johnston is the internationally bestselling author of the novels We Burn Daylight and Remember Me Like This, and the multi-award-winning collection Corpus Christi: Storie

He also edited Naming the World and Other Exercises for the Creative Writer and wrote the documentary film Waiting for Lightning, which was released in theaters around the world by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Among his many honors are a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, the Glasgow Prize, and the Sunday Times Short Story Award, “the world’s richest and most prestigious prize for a single short story.” His work has been widely translated and appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Paris Review, The New York Times Magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere.

After selling his television to buy his first board almost 40 years ago, Bret has yet to outgrow skateboarding. After directing the creative writing program at Harvard University for over a decade, he is now the Director of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin.

NOTE: See site for details.

Where: University of California, Riverside

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 11 am – 5 pm

Address: 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521

Attendees should bring their own poetry to share, a notebook, and a pen.

Where: Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 2411 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/poetry-workshop-martin-jago

Diverse Romance Book Club: This Could Be Us at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Kids Event

Cella Door welcomes participants to discuss This Could Be Us by author Kennedy Ryan.

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who’s never met a party she couldn’t host or a charge she couldn’t lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her daughters’ heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. An EBONY Power 100 Honoree, Kennedy and her writings have been featured in NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, and many others. Kennedy is an executive producer for her Skyland series, which is currently in development for television at Peacock. The cofounder of LIFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, Kennedy has a passion for raising Autism awareness. Dubbed the Queen of Hugs by her readers, she is a wife to her “lifetime lover” and mother to an extraordinary son.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/diverse-romance-book-club-could-be-us

Thrival Open Mic at Hot Java, Long Beach – In-Person Event

Thrival Open Mic is held at Hot Java in Long Beach.

All arts community open mics & community plugs. All ages. More info on Instagram @thrivalopenmic

Where: Hot Java

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 2101 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803

Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/

YA Book Talk: Angourie Rice and Kate Rice & Stuck Up and Stupid at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Join us at Village Well Books & Coffee for a chat with Angourie & Kate Rice!

The Rices have written a brand new YA romance, Stuck Up and Stupid, and they’ll take us through the writing process and the characters with moderator extraordinaire Gretchen Schreiber. Then, you the audience will have a chance to ask questions and meet the authors!

An ordinary girl. A Hollywood star. A love story that could change everything. Pride and Prejudice gets a modern twist from two debut authors who know their material—and deliver it with heart and hilarity.

Lily has the whole summer stretched out before her—endless days of sunshine and friends at beautiful Pippi Beach. Then superstar Dorian Khan arrives, with his party of Hollywood types. While most of the locals, including Lily’s glamor-obsessed mum, are thrilled to be so close to the A-listers, Lily can’t help but see them as superficial and arrogant, especially Dorian, the most famous of them all. But as Lily’s and Dorian’s paths continue to cross, she begins to wonder if she’s got him all wrong. Playwright Kate Rice and her daughter, Hollywood actor Angourie Rice, team up to write a teen romance novel from those who know firsthand what the international film industry is really like. Inspired by the ever-popular Austen fandom, Stuck Up and Stupid is for a generation of teens who are definitely NOT looking for love.

Reserve your spot on EVENTBRITE!

Angourie Rice is an actor whose credits include starring roles in the movie-musical Mean Girls and Apple TV+’s The Last Thing He Told Me as well as supporting roles in the MCU Spider-Man movies. She is also a writer, producer, and host of the literary podcast The Community Library. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Kate Rice is an AWGIE Award–winning playwright with a PhD in ethical creative process and has written plays with and for young people. Her work has been commissioned by Melbourne City of Literature, Curtin University, Deckchair Theatre, Barking Gecko Theatre, Darwin Theatre Company, Darwin High School, and Corrugated Iron Youth Arts. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Gretchen Schreiber grew up between the hills of Kansas and the hospitals of Minnesota, but now calls the hills of Los Angeles home. After getting her MFA from USC School of Cinematic Arts, she now works as a professional bookworm for Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s media company. She is always down to run away to Disneyland or a bookstore.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

Mark B. Perry, with Jeff Kline, & And Introducing Dexter Gaines: A Novel of Old Hollywood at Book Soup – In-Person Event

Mark B. Perry, in conversation with Jeff Kline, will discuss and sign And Introducing Dexter Gaines: A Novel of Old Hollywood.

HOLLYWOOD, 1952

Blessed with the smoldering good looks that destine him for the silver screen, the unfortunately named Dan Root arrives on the scene as a naïve but ambitious 21-year-old. Mentored and exploited by a powerful and dashing Svengali-like producer and his beguiling wife (a movie star whose career is on the tragic cusp between fame and fade out), Dan is transformed into the promising young actor, Dexter Gaines.

Soon their three lives become dangerously entangled by sexual awakening and unrequited love, but when their passion and deceit lead to a crushing discovery and attempted murder, Dexter is forced to choose between stardom and survival. Four decades later, a heartbreaking event compels Dan to return to the city of lost dreams and confront his past. It is only then he begins to unravel the twists and turns of a long-ago emotional mystery, to make peace with his past and his foiled chance at stardom.

Mark B. Perry’s alternating timelines explore the corrosive confluence of fame, fortune, sexuality, and ill-fated romance in this captivating Capote-esque novel.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/mark-b-perry

De Angela McVay is a Los Angeles-born writer and creative force whose work spans lyrics, poetry, prose, and beyond. With a deep connection to language and emotion, she eloquently captures the complexities and nuances of life. Her authentic voice and distinct point of view offer a fresh perspective on love, life, and the human experience. Whether crafting the verses of a song or the flow of prose, she invites you into her world—where every line is a reflection, a revelation, and a revolution. De-Angela is a dynamic storyteller. She thinks and creates beyond the conventional, yet the heart of her work is grounded and accessible. Prepare to be immersed. She will captivate you.

Jesenia Chavez (she/her) is a Chicanita, poet, public school teacher, and storyteller. She is inspired by the borderlands, and her parents’ migration to Los Angeles from Chihuahua, México #abolishice. Her poetry collection,This Poem Might Save You (Me) is a journey through the streets of Los Angeles that explores intersectionality and the rituals of survival. She believes in crying in public with sunglasses on. She also co-hosts 𝘘𝘶𝘦́ 𝘔𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴: 𝘈 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦/𝘹 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 and has an MFA in creative writing from UCR. Find more of her work at jeseniachavez.com.

This event is hosted by Los Angeles-based poets and editors, Nikolai Garcia and Mauricio Andres Moreno.

Where: Page Against the Machine, Long Beach

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 2714 E. 4^th St., Long Beach, CA 90814

The intention of this event is to coregulate our nervous systems with sound in community to leave you feeling inspired to create more by the end of the event!

We’ll be set up on chairs and tables, so BYO notebook and writing utensils! Eye masks, water, and comfortable clothing are encouraged.

Taleen Kali is an L.A. native artist who has offered soundbath and meditation events at Space 1520, Junior High, Langham Hotels, L.A. State Historic Park, Griffith Park, Arlington Park, Goatlandia, and more. Soundbath instruments include crystal singing bowls in the key of D, F, A, Paiste Planetary Venus Gong (24″ A3 221.23 Hz), guitar, and synths

NOTE: $25 tickets at site

Where: The Pop Hop

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 7 pm

Address: 5002 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://withfriends.co/event/23141755

At Skylight: The Horizon Experiment with Pornsak Pichetshote, Tananarive Due, J. Holtham, Sabir Pirzada, & Dani Fernandez at Skylight – In-Person Event

A comics anthology that puts a new, diverse spin on popular genres and pop culture icons.

The Horizon Experiment collects five one-shots by some of the most celebrated names in comics, literature, TV, and film, providing pilots for new series featuring a Chinese James Bond, a Muslim exorcist, a reverse Indiana Jones, East African werewolves living in Miami, and an Evil Dead for black nerds.

Everyone’s challenge was the same: Create a protagonist from a marginalized background in a popular genre where if their background changed, so did the entire story.

Featuring contributors Pornsak Pichetshote, Tananarive Due, J. Holtham, & Sabir Pirzada:

The Manchurian by Pornsak Pichetshote, Terry & Rachel Dodson: a thriller featuring a Chinese super spy by inspired by James Bond.

The Sacred Damned by Sabir Pirzada: a love letter to classic horror and follows a Muslim exorcist.

Motherf#cking Monsters by J. Holtham & Michael Lee Harris: a nerdy Black kid from Brooklyn and his friends stumble upon demon-worshipping frat brothers trying to take over the world.

Moon Dogs by Tananarive Due: a family of Black lycanthropes of East African descent find themselves caught in a war when the truth comes out that werewolves aren’t just a myth.

Pornsak Pichetshote is aThai-American award-winning writer of comics and TV. He began his career as a rising star editor at DC’s Vertigo imprint before overseeing DC Entertainment’s TV’s department, helping spearhead what would become the CW’s Arrowverse of shows. As a comics writer, his work includes the books Infidel which was selected for NPR’s 100 Favorite Horror Stories of all Time, the Eisner- and Harvey-winning The Good Asian, Dead Boy Detectives, and Man’s Best. He also wrote and curated THE HORIZON EXPERIMENT anthology. As a TV writer, he’s worked on Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, Light as a Feather, and Two Sentence Horror Stories, Most recently, he is one of the writers on the James Tynion IV & Michael Walsh-led Image series EXQUISITE CORPSES.

Born in London and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sabir Pirzada is of Pakistani descent and earned his B.A. in Psychology at U.C. Berkeley. There, he conducted psychological experiments in the basement of a sleep lab as well as tutored prisoners at San Quentin State Prison before transitioning to writing. Sabir has written on such shows as MOON KNIGHT, MS. MARVEL, STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH, and PERSON OF INTEREST. He has also written GHOST RIDER and MS. MARVEL for Marvel Comics. His original graphic novel, DANDELION, was published with Image Comics in June 2024. Sabir is currently a Co-Executive Producer on Dick Wolf’s FBI.

The “Octavia Butler of horror,” Tananarive Due has been a leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years. Her novel The Living Blood won an American Book Award and she has also won an NAACP Image Award, a World Fantasy Award, and a British Fantasy Award. She also has had her writing included in multiple best-of-the-year anthologies. Having written for TV, she is also an executive producer on the groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. Her latest novel The Reformatory has debuted to rave reviews, earning praise from such horror luminaries as Stephen King. With her husband/collaborator, Steven Barnes, she co-authored the graphic novel The Keeper. The Horizon Experiment: Moon Dogs, published by Image Comics, marks her first solo full-length writing in comics.

J. HOLTHAM writes things. TV: THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu), MARVEL’S JESSICA JONES (Netflix), SUPERGIRL (CW), MARVEL’S CLOAK & DAGGER (Freeform), PITCH (Fox). Theatre: Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Second Stage Theater, Bespoke Plays, Hollywood Fringe Festival 2024. Comics: Epitaphs from the Abyss/Cruel Universe (Oni Press/EC Comics), Night Thrasher: Remix (Marvel Comics), Bishop: War College (Marvel Comics), Star Trek: The Mirror War (IDW), Marvel Voices: Legacy (2022) (Marvel Comics), Spider-verse Unlimited/Venomverse Unlimited (Marvel Unlimited), Marvel Voices: Loki Presents (Marvel Unlimited). Podcasts: Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye, Marvel’s Wastelanders. He is a proud product of public education.

Dani Fernandez is an LA based actress, writer, and director. She wrote in the anthology series The Good Immigrant USA about her life as a Chicana in America. She has hosted for E! News, iHeartRadio, Nerdist, the CW, and Disney. She wrote on the Warner Brothers dramas “The Girls on the Bus”, “MORE” and “Incarnate” formerly at Netflix. She also sold a half-hour comedy pilot based on her life, “1% Happy” to Max. She wrote a Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy love story for DC Comics and recently wrote and starred in a psychological thriller “In the Static” that was an official selection at LALIFF, Essence Fest, Femme Fatale Fest, and The Micheaux Film Festival.

Where: Skylight

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-horizon-experiment-w-pornsak-pichetshote-tananarive-due-j-holtham-sabir-pirzada-dani

Sam Lumley and Daryl Wood Gerber Present: How to Have a Killer Time in DC and Essence of Foul Play, respectively, at Vroman’s – In-Person Event

Sam Lumley will present and discuss How to Have a Killer Time in DC

A young, gay, autistic travel writer takes a head-spinning detour when murder and romance unbalance his well-planned life and career in this fun, quirky debut mystery.

Daryl Wood Gerber will present and discuss Foul Play.

Emma Brennan may have her head in a cloud of eucalyptus, but her feet are firmly planted on the ground in breathtaking Carmel, California, as she prepares to open her new spa business, Aroma Wellness. But all the reiki, shiatsu, and massage in the world can’t help her relax when she’s accused of murder.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Thursday the 8^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-08/sam-lumley-and-daryl-wood-gerber-discuss-their-new-books-how-have-killer-time-dc

Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Many people believe that morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 am come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.

About the instructor:

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 paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/

Come make some magic at the Village Well! All genres and levels are welcome!

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

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.

There is a large FREE parking lot off Florencita Dr. as well as metered parking along Honolulu Ave. and Montrose Ave.

Free to attend.

NOTE: Free to attend.

Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose

Date: Friday, the 9^th

Time: 9:30 am

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/pajama-story-time-13

Bilingual Storytime at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Bilingual Storytime! Exposing your children to multiple languages is highly beneficial for their learning and development, and what better way to do it than through this fun activity where we will read a wonderful story in both English and Spanish.

¡Hora de cuentos bilingüe! Exponer a tus hjijos a varios idiomas es de gran beneficio para su aprendizaje y desarrollo, y qué mejor que hacerlo en esta divertida actividad en donde leeremos un maravilloso cuento en inglés y en español.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 11 am

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

Current Events Nonfiction Book Club 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.

Upcoming meeting:

May (5/9): I heard there was a secret chord : music as medicine by Daniel J. Levitin.

Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Friday, the 9^th

Time: 12 pm

Address:12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/current-events-nonfiction-book-club

Stranger than Fiction Book Club: Uprooted at Agoura Hills Library, LACL – In-Person Kids Event

The Stranger Than Fiction Book Club will read and discuss Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan. For ages 7 – 12 with parent or caregiver.

Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/13246275

Self-Care Book Club: Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Participants will discuss Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions by author Batja Mesquita.

Brilliantly synthesizing original psychological studies and stories from peoples across time and geography, Between Us skillfully argues that acknowledging differences in emotions allows us to find common ground, humanizing and humbling us all for the better.

Batja Mesquita is a social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology. She is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and director of the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology at the University of Leuven.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 6 pm

Address: 473 E. Alessadro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508

We’re calling all poets, musicians, comedians, and storytellers for another magical night.

Swing set is not just about performance—it’s about finding real connection.

RSVP on the Eventbrite link in our bio.

Where: The Center, Long Beach

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 2017 E. 4^th St., Long Beach, CA 90814

All arts community open mics & community plugs. All ages. More info on Instagram @thrivalopenmic

Where: Confidential Coffee

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 137 W. 6^th St., Long Beach, CA 90802

Website: https://www.lbpoetry.com/

Open Mic Night Every Friday Night at The Den Café, Santa Ana – In-Person Event

See you for a night of local talent, food, coffee and cocktails at The Den Cafe. A stage that’s been a home for OC’s artist since 1999.

Sign-ups start at 5:30 with @rodharrison66

Music starts at 6 pm

Spoken word and poetry are welcome!

Where: The Den Café

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 6 pm (Doors at 5:30 pm)

Address: 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 9270

Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHuMOcESB9H/?hl=en

Pat Thomas, with Jess Rotter and Jessica Hundley, & Evergreen Review: Dispatches form the Literary Underground: Covers & Essays 1957-1973 at Book Soup – In-Person Event

Pat Thomas, in conversation with Jess Rotter and Jessica Hundley, will discuss and sign Evergreen Review: Dispatches form the Literary Underground: Covers & Essays 1957-1973.

For the first time ever since their original print date, full color reproductions of all front covers of all 100 issues of the Evergreen Review from 1957 to 1973, plus hundreds of pages from many of the issues are reprinted exactly as they looked then – with all illustrations, photography, even the ads for other books, albums, letters to the editor, subscription offers, etc. – left intact!

Historian Pat Thomas interviewed original 1960s era Evergreen staffers to get the inside scoop on the day-to-day operation of the magazine, and those conversations join new essays looking back on this golden era by John Oakes, Loren Glass, Kasia Boddy, Dale Peck, Ethan Persoff, Ken Jordan and Stanley Gontarski. Will this new Evergreen Review change the world as it did in the 1960s? Of course it will!

Where: Book Soup

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/pat-thomas-conversation-jess-rotter-jessica-hundley-discusses-signs-evergreen-review

At Skylight: Hannah Zeavin, with Rosie Stockton, & Mother Media at Skylight – In-Person Event

An essential history for understanding how we mother now, and how motherhood itself became a medium—winner of the Brooke Hindle Award from the Society for the History of Technology

Hannah Zeavon, in conversation with Rosie Stockton, will discuss Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the Twentieth Century.

From the nursery to the prison, from the clinic to the commune, Mother Media tells the story of how we arrived at our contemporary understanding of what a mother is and how understandings of “bad” mothering formed our contemporary panics about “bad” media. In this book, leading historian of psychology Hannah Zeavin examines twentieth-century pediatric, psychological, educational, industrial, and economic norms around mediated mothering and technologized parenting. The book charts the crisis of the family across the twentieth century and the many ingenious attempts to remediate nursemaid and mother via speculative technologies and screen media.

Growing out of her previous award-winning book The Distance Cure, which considered technologized care, the book lays bare the contradictions of techno-parenting and how it relates to conceptions of “maternal fitness,” medical redlining, and surveillance of children, parents, and other caregivers. The author offers narratives of parenting in its extremity (for example, Shaken Baby Syndrome) and its ostensible banality (for example, the Nanny Cam) and how the two are often intertwined. Ultimately, Zeavin grapples with a simple contradiction: technology is seen and judged as harmful in domestic and educational spaces, even as it is a saving grace in the unending labor of raising a family.

Hannah Zeavin is Assistant Professor of the History of Science in the Department of History and the Berkeley Center for New Media at UC Berkeley. She is the author of The Distance Cure (MIT Press) and Founding Editor of Parapraxis. In 2021, she cofounded The Psychosocial Foundation.

Rosie Stockton is the author of Fuel (Nightboat Books 2025) and Permanent Volta (Nightboat Books 2021). They hold an M.A. in Creative Writing from Eastern Michigan University and are currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Gender Studies Department at UCLA. Rosie lives and works in Los Angeles.

Where: Skylight

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

This event is free, no registration is required!

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday, the 9^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., 1B, Culver City, CA 90232 

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

Alyssa Villaire, with Autumn Krause, & The Glittering Edge, at Vroman’s – In-Person Event

Penny Emberly is caught in a magical feud in order to save her mother’s life – perfect for fans of Tracy Wolff and Maggie Stiefvater.

Rumors are the lifeblood of Idlewood, Indiana. The locals whisper that the De Lucas are witches, and that decades prior they cursed the wealthy Barrion family as revenge for a love gone tragically wrong: now, if a Barrion falls in love with you, you’ll die. If this isn’t reason enough for wallflower Penny Emberly to stay away from both families, she doesn’t know what is. But when Penny’s mom is in an accident that leaves her on the brink of death, Penny can’t ignore the rumors anymore—because the Barrion curse is real. And her mom is its latest victim. To save her mom’s life, Penny must bring together two bitter enemies on either side of the feud and work with them to break the curse. For star quarterback Corey Barrion, doing so would mean finally saving his family from the magic that killed his mom. And for misfit witch Alonso De Luca, it would mean convincing everyone in Idlewood—especially Penny—that he isn’t the villain they believe him to be.

But as the trio navigates Alonso’s unpredictable magic, the tangled web of Barrion-De Luca history, and an increasingly chaotic group chat, it soon becomes clear that the curse is not what they expected. Did a De Luca really curse the Barrions in a fit of jealousy, or is something even more sinister afoot? Penny will have to conquer her anxiety, wrestle with her budding feelings for Alonso, and delve into dangerous, forbidden magic to find the truth and save her mom—even if it means putting her own life at risk.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-09/alyssa-villaire-conversation-autumn-krause-discusses-glittering-edge

From Venice to Venice: Anthology Celebration with El Martillo Press at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – In-Person & Livestream Hybrid Event

This anthology brings together some of the most prominent voices in poetry from Venice, Italy & Venice, California.

Join us in a celebration of El Martillo Press’s international anthology, From Venice to Venice (Da Venice a Venezia) edited by Mark Lipman & Anna Lombardo. The program features contributors from both sides of The Atlantic. From Venice, California, Harry E. Northup, Pam Ward, Bill Mohr, Richard Modiano, and Susan Hayden will be reading brief selections from the anthology and new work.

In addition, eight Italian poets, Alessandra Pellizzari, Fabia Ghenzovich, Domenico Brancale, Giovanni Asmundo, Adam Vaccaro, Brigidina Gentile, Valeria Raimondi, & Alessandra Drigo will appear on-screen reading from their selected works.

The program will be presented by founders of El Martillo Press, Matt Sedillo & David A. Romero.

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Friday the 9^th

Time: 8 pm

Address: 681 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90291

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-venice-to-venice-anthology-celebration-with-el-martillo-press-tickets-1339156215289?aff=oddtdtcreator

Special Author Event: Natasha Khan Kazi & Lulu on the Spotlight at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Local author Natasha Khan Kazi will join us for a special storytime to celebrate her new release, Lulu in the Spotlight: A South Asian Story. You are in for a treat – not only with an author reading and book signing, but also with interactive activities and a special performance by BollyPop LA, bringing the energy and vibrancy of Bollywood dance!

Just in time for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Lulu in the Spotlight brings South Asian traditions to life in a way that resonates with readers of all backgrounds. Kazi’s ability to blend cultural storytelling with engaging, relatable narratives continues to establish her as a powerful voice in children’s literature.

Where: pages, a bookstore

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 10 am – 10:30 am

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-05-10/special-author-event-natasha-khan-kazi

Writing + Reiki at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Please step into this Mother’s Day Edition of Writing + Reiki to embark on a one-of-a-kind healing journey and experience the theme of Compassion + Connection.

Writing + Reiki is a uniquely creative + holistic approach to emotional release + restoration.

This nourishing + special Morning Session includes a cup of coffee, an inspiring writing prompt, a journal, crystals, and energy healing.

We will begin with guided writing, allow for sharing, and close with a Reiki circle and meditation.

The shared belief that true transformation can occur through this unique + collaborative approach to well-being is what has brought instructors Chanel Brenner + Johanna Lieberman together.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 10 am – 11:30 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., 1B, Culver City, CA 90232 

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

Women Who Submit Workshop: Applying for Residencies – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Women Who Submit offers a free quarterly writing workshop and membership meeting with Eva Recinos.

This workshop is titled Applying for Residencies with Confidence and Enthusiasm. Attend in-person on online via Zoom.

Where: Women Who Submit (WWS) AT Eastside Café

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 10 am – 11:30 pm

Address: 5469 Huntington Dr. N., Los Angeles, CA 90032

Website: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI1otoWvFlK/?img_index=1

Poetry Workshop Where Do Poems Come From? (Week 2 of 3) at West Hollywood Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Join us for a poetry workshop with former City of West Hollywood Poet Laureate Kim Dower. For adults.

Often the “Muse” comes from the quotidian aspects of everyday living: watering our plants, a faded sign we see on the street, browsing the fruit aisle, a Polaroid that catches our eye, a conversation we overhear. But many times, a poem is born from deep emotions—memories of our past, a special wedding, falling in love or suffering through a difficult breakup, death of a loved one. This is also where poems come from.

Each week’s session will explore a variety of poems that deal with specific topics, such as memory, love, grief, and humor. We will explore how poets deal differently with similar subjects—how some sad topics and events can be written about in a humorous way. Reading other people’s poems will provide students with ideas and prompts for their own work. This fun, inspiring, and provocative examination of poems that deal with the core topics of Poetry and Memory, Poetry and Humor, Poetry and Grief, Poetry and Love will be used as prompts for student’s automatic writing which they will share in class. Through positive, constructive, nonjudgmental feedback offered in a cozy and creative environment, each student will receive encouragement and unique recognition and will go home with work they can develop into poems. Sponsored by the Friends of the West Hollywood Library.

Attendance is limited, and advance registration is required. This will be used to save your spot in the program. We cannot guarantee availability for any unregistered attendees. This is the second of a three-program series that will be held on May 3, 10, and 17. Each program date has its own event page. Please register individually for all of the dates you would like to attend.

Where: West Hollywood Library, LACL

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/13146715

Kids Storytime with Helena Rhee & Sora’s Seashells at Billie Jean King Main Library, Long Beach – In-Person Kids Event

Author Helena Rhee will read her picture book, Sora’s Seashells in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander month. Following the storytime, participants will engage in a seashell coloring activity.

Where: Bel Canto Books Off-site at Billie Jena King Main Library, Long Beach

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 200 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802

Website: https://belcantobooks.net/events

Kids Storytime with Drew Beckmeyer & Stalactite & Stalagmite at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Kids Event

On May 10, we’re delighted to host author and illustrator Drew Beckmeyer, reading from his picture book Stalactite & Stalagmite.

About the book:

DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite.

Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichtyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.

When you’re an ageless rock formation, it’s nice to have a friend who’s always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch?

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 9900 Culver Blvd., 1B, Culver City, CA 90232 

Website: https://shop.villagewell.com/events

Kids Storytime with Kobina Commeh & Kwesi & Nana Ruby Learn to Swim at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event

On May 10, Vroman’s will host author Kobina Commeh, reading from his book Kwesi & Nana Ruby Learn to Swim.

Kwesi doesn’t know how to swim…and discovers his grandmother doesn’t either! Can they conquer their fear of water together with the help of the West African legend Mami Wata?

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-10/kobina-commeh-reads-signs-kwesi-nana-ruby-learn-swim

3^rd Annual Riverside’s Inland Empire Pride Event at White Park with Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Cellar Door will present Drag Story Hour during the 3^rd annual I.E. Pride Event: Together We Are Unlimited.

NOTE: RSVP for free tickets at riverside.lgbt/festival

Where: White Park

Date: Saturday the 10^th

Time: 12 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3936 Chestnut St., Riverside, CA 92501

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com

Book Club Event: Thousand Cranes at San Pedro Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Let’s discuss a great novel! The San Pedro Library Book Club will talk about Nobel Prize laureate Yasunari Kawabata’s book Thousand Cranes.

This classic novel is readily available at most library locations.

Where: San Pedro Regional Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Address: 931 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA 90731

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-club-event-thousand-cranes-yasunari-kawabata

Anthology Celebration: Somos Chicanos, with Briana Muñoz, Angelina Sáenz, Gaby Moreno, Dr. Irene M. Sanchez, & Brenda Vaca at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – In-Person & Livestream Hybrid Event

Edited by Luz Schweig, this wildly anticipated, multi-genre anthology illuminates both the enduring and the new Xicana identity, presence and culture through the voices of 80 Xicanas, including Xicana trailblazers like Lorna Dee Cervantes and the 24th poet laureate of the United States, Ada Limón. For this celebration at Beyond Baroque’s Wanda Coleman Theater, contributors from Southern California Briana Muñoz, Angelina Sáenz, Gaby Moreno, Dr. Irene M. Sanchez, & Brenda Vaca will be reading selected works for an afternoon of poetry and prose.

These are a few of the varied lenses through which readers may appreciate the multiple layers of complex identities that make up what it means to be a Xicana, as expressed through the writings of Xicanas themselves.

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Saturday the 10^th

Time: 2 pm – 3:30 pm (Doors at 1:30 pm)

Address: 681 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90291

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/somos-xicanas-anthology-celebration-with-riot-of-roses-publishing-house-tickets-1344647961249?aff=oddtdtcreator

Teen Book Club: The Spirit Glass at Chatsworth Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person MG Event

Chatsworth Teen Council is hosting a monthly bookclub. One book will be read over three months.

The first book selection is Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Copies of the book available at the Reference Desk for check out.

May 10: discussing pages 161-24

Where: Chatsworth Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 3 pm

Address: 21052 Devonshire St., Chatsworth, CA 91311

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/teen-book-club-1

Creative Writing Group at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Calling all writers of fiction, screenplays, poetry, etc. Get feedback on your writing in a fun, supportive environment! 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!

Where: Central Library, LAPL, Meeting Room B

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 3 pm – 5 pm

Address: 630 W. 5^th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/creative-writing-group

Saturday Afternoon Poetry: Deep Critique Workshop with Don Kingfisher Campbell, Pasadena – In-Person Event

Deep Critique Workshop led by DKC (Submit up to 3 poems totaling no more than 150 lines including the subject of or at least mentioning rock or roll for Four Feathers Press online edition: Rock ‘n’ Roll by emailing donkingfishercampbell@gmail.com by 11:59 pm, May 16th)

Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.

Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry Online

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 3 pm – 5 pm

Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)

Website: https://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/

Virtual Book Launch: Jill Damatac & Dirty Kitchen via Bel Canto Books KUBO, Long Beach – In-Person Event

Filmmaker and author Jill Damatac will present a virtual launch of DIRTY KITCHEN: A MEMOIR OF FOOD AND FAMILY.

In the style of Crying in H Mart and Minor Feelings, filmmaker Jill Damatac blends memoir, food writing, and colonial history as she cooks her way through recipes from her native-born Philippines and shares stories of her undocumented family in America.

Jill Damatac left the United States in 2015 after living there as an undocumented immigrant with her family for twenty-two years. America was the only home she knew, where invisibility had become her identity and where poverty, domestic violence, ill health, and xenophobia were everyday experiences.

First traveling to her native Philippines, Damatac eventually settled in London, England, where she was free to pursue an education at the University of Cambridge, fully investigate her roots, and process what happened to her and her family. After nine years, she was granted British citizenship, and returned to the United States, for the first time without fear of deportation or retribution.

Where: Bel Canto KUBO

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Address: Online Event (see site) 

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jill-damatac-virtual-book-launch-hosted-by-bel-canto-books-tickets-1336724853019?aff=oddtdtcreator

Lectura de poesia en espanol con: Viggo Mortensen, Margarita Pintado Burgos, Omar Pimiento at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – In-Person & Livestream Hybrid Event

Join us for a reading in Spanish with friends of Beyond Baroque, Viggo Mortensen, Omar Pimienta and Margarita Pintado Burgos.

Poet, actor, multidisciplinary artist, publisher, and longtime friend and supporter of Beyond Baroque, Mortensen makes his return to the space to present new and selected poetry. He will be joined by Tijuana-born poet and UC Santa Barbara professor Pimienta, whose work examines migration and border politics; and Puerto Rican writer Margarita Pintado Burgos, author of award-winning books of poetry which have received international recognition. Please note that all readings will be in Spanish.

Acompáñenos a una lectura de poesía en español con Viggo Mortensen, Omar Pimienta y Margarita Pintado Burgos. Poeta, actor, artista multidisciplinario, editor y gran amigo de Beyond Baroque, Mortensen regresa al espacio para presentar poesía nueva y selecta de su repertorio. Le acompañarán Pimienta, poeta nacido en Tijuana y profesor de la Universidad de California en Santa Bárbara, cuyo trabajo examina la migración y la política fronteriza; y la escritora puertorriqueña Margarita Pintado Burgos, autora de poemarios premiados y reconocidos internacionalmente. Todas las lecturas serán en español.

Viggo Mortensen is an American actor, filmmaker, poet, musician, photographer, and painter, known for his role as Aragorn in “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy. He was born on October 20, 1958, in Manhattan, New York City. He made his film debut in “Witness” in 1985 and has since appeared in numerous films, including “The Indian Runner” (1991) and “G.I. Jane” (1997). He is the founder of Perceval Press, a small, independent publisher specializing in art, critical writing, and poetry.

Omar Pimienta (Tijuana, 1978). His transdisciplinary work explores questions of identity, transnationality, poetics of emergence, and sociopolitical landscapes. He is a Professor of Border and Migration Studies in the Americas at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has published five books of poetry. In 2010, he was awarded the 10th Emilio Prado International Publication Prize from the Centro Cultural Generación de 27 in Málaga, Spain, and in 2024, the First Industrial Prize from Safra, Spain. In 2017-18, he was a fellow of the Art Matters Foundation in New York for his artistic work, and in 2019-22, he was a member of the National System of Mexican Creators in the field of poetry.

Margarita Pintado Burgos (Puerto Rico) is the author of the poetry collections Ficción de venado/ Deer Fiction (2012; 2024), Una muchacha que se parece a mí/ A Girl Who Looks Like Me (2016; 2024), Proyecto inacabado de la ruina/ Unfinished Project of Ruins (2017), Simultánea la marea/ Simultanous the Tide (2022) y Ojo en celo/ Eye in Heat (2024). Her work has been recognized with the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture Poetry Prize (2015), the Letras Boricuas-Mellon Foundation Fellowship (2022), and the Ambroggio Prize (2023). Since 2021, she has directed the poetry website Distropika. She is a university professor in San Diego, California.

Omar Pimienta (Tijuana 1978). Su obra transdisciplinaria explora cuestionamientos de identidad, trans-nacionalidad, poéticas de emergencia, y paisajes sociopolíticos. Es Profesor de Estudios de Fronteras y Migración en las Américas por la universidad de California en Santa Bárbara. Cuenta con 5 libros de poesía. En 2010 Fue acreedor del 10º Premio Internacional de Publicación Emilio Prado del Centro Cultural Generación de 27 de Málaga, España y en el 2024 del Primer Premio la industrial de Safra España. En 2017-18 fue becario de la fundación Art Matters de Nueva York por su obra artística y en 2019-22 fue miembro del Sistema Nacional de Creadores mexicanos en el área de poesía.

After the readings enjoy a reception with light refreshments and book signings.

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Saturday the 10^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm)

Address: 681 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90291

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/viggo-mortensen-omar-pimienta-margarita-pintado-burgos-tickets-1330554236539?aff=oddtdtcreator

Book Launch: Underground Samoan Orator at Cafe con Libros, Pomona – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event

Usolospher will present and discuss Underground Samona Orator, both in-person at Café con Libros and virtually via Zoom.

Usolosopher is a self-published author, poet, and spoken word artist from Long Beach, California of Samoan descent. His mission is to ignite the pen for Pacific Islanders worldwide for he feels that they are the minority of the minority and his voice can hopefully spark the ocean flood of Pacific Islander voices.

Hosted by Ceasar Avelar & Consuelo De Verano

RSVP and order your copy at events.humanitix.com/usolosopher

Where: Café con Libros Pomona

Date: Saturday, the 10^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Address: 280 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766

Website: https://www.instagram.com

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.

All poems are donation based, so you name your price.

NOTE: Check every Sunday for story time and reading events

Where: Melrose Trading Post, Greenway Main Stage at Fairfax HS

Date: Sunday, the 11^th (Every Sunday)

Time: 10 am – 5 pm (market); 11 am – 5 pm (poets on demand)

Address: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Website: N/A 

Second Sunday Poetry Series at The Studio Theatre at St. Denis Building – In-Person Event

The Second Sunday Poetry Series is hosted by Alex M. Frankel and features this month include:

Linda V.E. Crawford writes to sneak behind eyes, blow through ears, and stretch voices. She is a poet, born and raised in Barbados. She has lived on both coasts of the US (Connecticut and California). A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has appeared in national and international online and print journals including Prairie Schooner, ArtsEtc Barbados, The Caribbean Writer, The Galway Review, The Bookends Review, Moonstone Arts Center anthologies (various), Extinction Rebellion Creative Hub, California Quarterly, and Exposition Review. She is a graduate of The University of Connecticut (Bachelors) and Long Island University (United Nations Graduate Certificate) (Masters). She is the author of Washing Water, a 2024 poetry collection published by World Stage Press.

Jaun Vasquez Varela was born and raised in the salsa-popping streets of Cali, Colombia. He is a creative disruptor, poet, educator, and sustainable fashion advocate. Rooted in liberation, love, and learning, his work lives at the intersection of story, style, and self-expression. Whether he’s writing poems, sourcing one-of-a-kind pieces for the second-hand vintage store he co-owns with his wife, or building space for honest conversation, Juan moves with intention and imagination. With over a decade of experiencein education, he brings a deep understanding of people, culture, and possibility to everything he creates. When not writing or digging through vinyl crates (or clothes), you’ll find him vibing at live shows, obnoxiously rooting for the Knicks, or running the shop and chasing big ideas with his wife.

Where: The Studio Theatre at St. Denis Building

Date: Sunday, the 11^th

Time: 5 pm

Address: 3433 Cahuenga Blvd, West, Los Angeles 90068

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Haily Stiel & Daughter Dearest at PoetiK LA– In-Person Event

This Mother’s Day, Haley Stiel and her real-life mom will attempt to improvise an entire musical, Daughter Dearest.

$15 – Presale // $20 – Day Of

**Lineup subject to change** Late Arrivals will be turned away 20 minutes after scheduled event start.

No Refunds or Exchanges. For the protection of our audiences we reserve the right to refuse service.

Where: Lyric Hyperion Theater & Café

Date: Sunday the 11^th

Time: 5:30 pm – 7 pm

Address: 2106 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/daughter-dearest-tickets-1334688271549

On Motherhood: A Mother’s Day Poetry Reading with Kim Dower & Richard Blanco at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event

This Mother’s Day, celebrate the power of poetry with acclaimed poets Kim Dower and Richard Blanco.

Dower, known for her poignant and often humorous explorations of motherhood in collections like I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom, brings a unique blend of heart and wit to her work. Blanco, celebrated for his moving reflections on cultural identity and belonging, frequently honors his mother in his poetry, highlighting themes of family and connection. Together, these poets will offer a touching and memorable tribute to mothers through their evocative and heartfelt verses.

Where: Chevalier’s

Date: Sunday the 11^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004

Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2025-05-11/motherhood-mothers-day-poetry-reading

Library Girl Reading Series: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother at Ruskin Group Theater – In-Person Event

The Library Girl Reading Series event is hosted by Susan Hayden.

Library Girl Presents: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother. Featuring: Rick Bursky, Jane Cantillon, Melanie Chartoff, Melissa Greenwood, Stevie Kalinich, Shivani Mehta, Cynthia Adam Prochaska, and Kelly Shire.

Featuring music by Jason Luckett.

Where: The Ruskin Group Theater

Date: Sunday the 11^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3000 Airport Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Website: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=264653

May Fantasy Romance Book Club: Angels’ Blood at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event

General Manager Taylor will lead our fantasy and paranormal romance book club discussion of: Angels’ Blood by author Nalini Singh.

We read widely across the romance genre, featuring fantasy and paranormal authors.

No membership is necessary, but RSVP is required.

Where: The Ripped Bodice

Date: Sunday the 11^th

Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm

Address: 3806 Main St., Culver City, CA 90232

Website: https://www.therippedbodice.com/events-and-tickets

The Dazed + Confused Poetry Club 2025: Featured Poets & Open Mic at The Glendale Room – In-Person Event

Fernando Funes presents the Dazed + Confused Poetry Club every first Sunday of the month.

NOTE: Tickets at website link.

Where: The Glendale Room

Date: Sunday the 11^th

Time: 8:30 pm – 10 pm

Address: 127 Artsakh Ave., Glendale, CA 91206

Website: https://www.theglendaleroom.com/calendar