Join our fun Summer book club featuring different books with important themes for ages 6 and 7. Local Girl Scout Lilah Schulte, a rising Junior in high school, will lead this book club as part of her Gold Award project. Lilah hopes to encourage children to read and experience all the important lessons that children’s literature has to offer. Each meeting will include a book reading and a fun activity.

RSVP:

Please RSVP for which dates your child would like to attend at the Google form.

Where: Playa Vista Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Address: 6400 Playa Vista Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90094

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/where-wild-books-are-childrens-book-club

Philosophical Horror Book Club: Suffer the Children at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Participants will discuss Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie.

SO MANY MOUTHS TO FEED…

It begins on an ordinary day: children around the world are dying.

All children, everywhere—a global crisis beyond any parent’s worst nightmare. Then, a miracle beyond imagining: three days later, they return. Shattered mothers and fathers see their sons and daughters happy and whole once more, playing and laughing as before—but only when they feed. They hunger for blood…and they can’t get enough upon which to feast.

Without it, they die again. How far would you go to keep someone you love alive?

Craig DiLouie is the author of the highly successful zombie novels The Killing Floor, The Infection, and Tooth and Nail, as well as The Great Planet Robbery, a science fiction novel, and Paranoia, a psychological thriller. He lives with his family in Calgary, Canada, and blogs regularly about horror media at CraigDiLouie.com.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 6 pm

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

Safe spaces and safe places do not come into being on their own; they require nurturing, care, and constant growth. Chevalier’s Books is committed to offering a safer space for all our neighbors and community members, and we recognize the need to cultivate dedicated opportunities for historically marginalized writers to flourish, in life and creatively.

For queer and trans writers, for Black and Brown writers, and for writers who hold multiple, overlapping identities, a protected space is vital not just for creativity to flourish, but for true freedom of expression to blossom.

All Write Nights are donation based. QTBIPOC Write Nights require free advanced registration and, for the safety of all guests, will be facilitated by a QTBIPOC-identifying staff member.

As with all of our events, we do not tolerate bigotry or harassment in any form.

Where: Chevalier’s

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

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

Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2025-08-18/august-qtbipoc-write-night

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 from 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 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501

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

An Evening of Poetry at Heavy Manners Library – In-Person Event

Join us for an evening of poetry featuring local poets Katja Bartholmess, Martha Lees, Sarah Kassel, Janis Robertson, Charlie Stuip, Auzelle Epeneter, Jai Tudor, and Cindy Rinne.

Katja Bartholmess writes both fiction and non-fiction, and she is forever curious about protagonists—and real people—who find themselves at turning points. An anthropologist by academic training and a dreamer by nature, her process is fueled by research, observation, interviews, memory and imagination.

Martha Lees is a writer and Creative Director from New Zealand, now living in Los Angeles. She’s into big creative swings, obsessive craft, and ideas that get people talking. At Expedia, she is on the four-person brand creative team, leading creative across everything from TV to video to OOH. Before that, Lees was at Rosewood Creative, making scroll-stopping brand campaigns for Apple, Robinhood, and Beats. She believes in being kind, having fun, and making things happen.

Sarah Kassel was raised in Upstate New York. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation in 2018. Since then, she has worked in public relations, as an emcee for a traveling dance competition and most recently, on a cruise ship. Kassel documented her experience at sea thoroughly and decided to adapt some of it into her first novel. She has always been telling stories one way or another, but it wasn’t until her time at sea that her inherent need to connect with people manifested on the page.

Janis Robertson grew up among oak trees, rattlesnakes, and coyotes howling at night. Most recently, she has been in development at Nickelodeon. Previously, she was story editor/head writer at Netflix Animation Studios. She has also written for Netflix’s adult animated anthology series LOVE, DEATH + ROBOTS, created by Tim Miller and David Fincher, as well as MIDDLEMOST POST, BEN 10, POWER PLAYERS, and MEGAMAN: FULLY CHARGED. After starting her career at George Lucas’ ILM Studios, Janis made her way to Los Angeles and graduated from the UCLA MFA Screenwriting Program. An avid traveler, Janis assisted artists in the outback, hiked volcanoes in the Andes, climbed glaciers in Norway, and sampled the local beer in 34 countries.

Charlie Stuip is a writer who also works with video and performance. Their work has been described by loved ones as discomforting, romantic, and economical.

Auzelle Epeneter is a poet based in Los Angeles, California. Her work takes place on the border between poetry and prose, where she explores identity, relationships, and experience. She is currently at work on her first collection.

Jai Tudor is a product designer based in sunny Los Angeles, CA. Her favorite thing about design is uncomplicating unruly problems and turning them into something beautiful, and more importantly, useful. She’s lived several lives as a singer-songwriter, romance novelist, painter, creative director, and so many other titles. The thing that remains constant through all of them is that she loves to create. Design is just one of the many manifestations of that love.

Cindy Rinne writes in San Bernardino, CA. Represented Poet by Lark Gallery, LA, CA. She was Poet in Residence for the Neutra Institute Gallery and Museum, Los Angeles, CA. A Pushcart nominee. Her poems have appeared in literary journals, anthologies, art exhibits, and dance performances. Cindy is the author of several books: Word Become Ashes: An Offering (Bamboo Dart Press), Today in the Forest with Toti O’Brien (Moonrise Press), silence between drumbeats (Four Feathers Press), Knife Me Split Memories (Cholla Needles Press), Letters Under Rock with Bory Thach, (Elyssar Press), and others. Her poetry appeared or forthcoming: Anti-Heroin Chic, The Poetry Barn, Verse-Virtual, LitGleam, and others.

This reading will also include a fundraiser with tons of prizes to benefit Heavy Manners Library!

Where: Heavy Manners Library

Date: Monday, the 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 1200 N. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90026

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-of-poetry-818-tickets-1563878896879?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

A Second Night with Derrick C. Brown and Buddy Wakefield at The Last Bookstore Studio City – In-Person Event

Join spoken word legends Derrick Brown and Buddy Wakefield for a second evening of unforgettable poetry, friends and laughs. They will both be performing entirely different sets from the first night.

DERRICK C. BROWN is a Storyteller & Writer | Comic | Award-winning poet | Ghost writer | President of Write Bloody Publishing whose innovative blend of art earned him Paste Magazine’s Comedy Album of the Year in 2023. The New York Times celebrates his work as “a rekindling of faith in the weird, hilarious, shocking, beautiful power of words,” capturing his unique ability to blend comedy and poetry. He used to be a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne, but finds writing to be more fun. Brown has performed at prestigious venues worldwide alongside comedy luminaries including David Cross, Eugene Mirman, Bob Odenkirk, Kristin Schaal, Jon Glaser, Kyle Kinane and H. Jon Benjamin. He is the author of ten books of poetry and four children’s books, and winner of the Texas Book of the Year award for Poetry.

BUDDY WAKEFIELD is an actor, writer, producer, and three-time world champion spoken word artist featured on the BBC, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, ABC Radio National and has been signed to both Sage Francis’ Strange Famous Records as well as Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. In 2004 he won the first Individual World Poetry Slam Finals thanks to the support of anthropologist and producer Norman Lear, then went on to share the stage with nearly every notable performance poet in the world in over 2000 venues internationally from The Great Lawn of Central Park, Zimbabwe’s Shoko Festival and Scotland’s Oran Mor to San Quentin State Penitentiary, House of Blues New Orleans and The Basement in Sydney, Australia.

Where: The Last Bookstore Studio City

Date: Monday, the 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 4437 Lankershim Blvd., Studio City, CA 91602

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-second-night-with-derrick-brown-and-buddy-wakefield-tickets-1572009776559?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Michael Chessler, with Meghan Daum, & Mess at Book Soup – In-Person Event

Michale Chessler, in conversation with Meghan Daum, will discuss Mess: A Novel.

Marie Kondo meets The Real Housewives in this charming and perceptive story of a professional organizer to Hollywood’s elite who learns to find love and acceptance amid the messiness of life.

To the world, Jane Brown, a Los Angeles based professional organizer, is a model of composure and reticence. But inside, she’s fiercely judgmental and critical of herself and others. A lover of order and tidiness, she struggles to accept the world’s exasperating messiness of both her own clients—a superficial sphere of influencers and rich creatives—and her live-in boyfriend, who is becoming as aggravating as he is comforting.

When she arrives at the home of a new client, a has-been Hollywood actress—a woman opposite to her in every way—Jane finds herself unexpectedly moved. Realizing how desperately she wants to lower her defenses and open her heart, Jane decides to declutter the mess of her own mindset. Organizing her own feelings turns out to be the most daunting job she’s ever tackled, but one that promises big rewards if she succeeds, including freedom—and even love.

Set against the dazzlingly rich, beautiful, and shallow world of Hollywood money and mansions, Mess is an honest, heartfelt, and often hilarious response to the disorder of our lives today.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

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

The titles include:

August 2025: Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem by Michael Schmidt.

Where: Santa Monica Main Library

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm

Khadijah Queen, in conversation with Ashaki Jackson, will discuss Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, a poet’s memoir about family, survival, and one servicewoman’s search for autonomy.

Yanked out of college and torn from her sunny hometown of Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Khadijah Queen finds herself sharing a basement apartment with her mother and sister and working two retail jobs in snowy, tiny Inkster, Michigan. Longing to escape the cycle of her family’s poverty, incarceration, and addiction, she joins the US Navy, determined to earn money to finish college and make it back to L.A. on her own terms.

But soon after Queen completes her grueling training and boards a doomed destroyer, she finds herself faced with near-constant sexual harassment, demeaning labor assignments, and overt racism. Stuck on a ship with nowhere to hide, she looks to poetry, literature, and letters from home to get through the long days and maintain her dignity. She keeps her head down until the workplace hostility against women spills over into her dating life and threatens to derail everything she has worked for.

In trying to break through the unspoken code of silence between sailors, Queen must decide where her loyalties lie: with the Navy or within herself. Unflinching and masterfully penned, this memoir questions the promises of service to reveal the true price of being a woman at sea.

Khadijah Queen holds a PhD in English and literary arts from the University of Denver. She is the author of seven books of poetry and prose. Her work appears and has been praised in O Magazine, The New Yorker, Rain Taxi, and elsewhere. Queen is a Cave Canem alum, a 2022 United States Artists Disability Futures Fellow, a 2023 Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellow, and holds the 2025 Cy Twombly Award in Poetry from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and a William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America. She divides her time between the US, the UK, and France.

Ashaki M. Jackson, Ph.D., is a social psychologist, program evaluator and writer. Her work has appeared in CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action, Obsidian, McSweeney’s, Pluck! Journal of Affrilachian Arts and Culture, Midnight Breakfast, and Prairie Schooner among other journals and anthologies. The author of two chapbooks—Surveillance (Writ Large Press, 2016) and Language Lesson (Miel, 2016)—Jackson is Publisher at The Offing online magazine of literature and Art Share LA Board member. She lives in Los Angeles.

Where: Skylight

Date: Monday, the 18^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-khadijah-queen-presents-between-devil-and-deep-blue-sea

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 is passionate about discussing everything related to the craft and social significance of literature!

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – Online event

Date: Monday the 18^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)

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

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Join us weekly on Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 11 am for the Virtual Book Club. In August we will be discussing When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi. For adults.

Please contact Marta Wiggins at mwiggins@library.lacounty.gov for your link to join.

Each week we read and discuss 1/4 of the book. Please see the weekly discussion breakdown below.

Week 3: August 19: Days 13 – 20 Pages: 162 -242

Week 4: August 26: Days 21 -36,524 Pages: 243 to the end of the book.

The moon has turned into cheese. Now humanity has to deal with it. For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now…something absolutely impossible. Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives—over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t. It’s a wild moon-age daydream. Ride this rocket.

Where: La Crescenta Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14176542

Books and Bagels Book Club: The Art Thief at Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Love books and good company? Join us for a lively discussion of our current selection over fresh bagels and coffee. New members are always welcome! Copies of the current book are available at the front desk. 


August 19: The Art Thief, Michael Finkel

Where: Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 12:30 pm

Address: 501 S. Venice Blvd., Benice, CA 90291

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/books-and-bagels-2

Before the Ban Book Club: Maizy Chen’s Last Chance at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event!

Participants will discuss Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee.

Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota…until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance (where she and her family are the only Asian Americans) and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries. For instance:

You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food.

And people can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways.

And the Golden Palace has secrets.

But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers.

Lisa Yee is a Newbery Honoree and National Book Award finalist for Maizy Chen’s Last Chance. She is also the author of over 21 books for young people, including the groundbreaking Millicent Min, Girl Genius; Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time; and the DC Super Hero Girls novel series. Lisa is a frequent contributor to NPR’s Books We Love. A third-generation Chinese American, Lisa says, “I wrote Maizy Chen’s Last Chance as a tribute to my grandparents and to all the immigrants who made the journey to America.” Lisa divides her time between Western Massachusetts and Los Angeles.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 1 pm

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

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene have to face the pressures of everyday life even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then a deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. In her letters home, Jolene paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own.

Where: Pico Rivera Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 9001 Mines Ave., Pico Rivera, CA 90660

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/13542035

Adult Book Club: The Music Shop at Norwood Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Participants will discuss The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce. For adults.

Frank is a man who helps everyone with their problems by giving them the music they need from his little music shop. It sells only vinyl. When a woman faints outside his shop, Frank realizes he can’t hear the music she needs. His life changes forever.

Where: Norwood Library, LACL

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 4550 Peck Rd., El Monte, CA 91732

After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen’s Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?

Just as soon as she hangs up the phone, a strange man visits Nancy’s house to warn her and her father that they are in danger because of a case he is working on buying property for a railroad company. This warning leads Nancy and her father Carson to search for the missing Willie Wharton, a landowner, who can prove he signed away his land to the railroad and save the railroad from a lawsuit. Will Nancy be able to find the missing landowner and discover how these mysteries are related?

Carolyn Keene is a pen name used by a variety of authors for the classic Nancy Drew Mystery series. The first author to use the pseudonym was Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote 23 of the original 30 books. Other writers who have adapted the “Carolyn Keene” moniker include Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, and Nancy Axelrod.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 6 pm

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

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/classic-detectives-book-club-hidden-staircase

Mariko Tamaki and Nicole Goux & This Place Kills Me at Vroman’s – In-Person YA Event

Mariko Tamaki and illustrator Nicole Goux will discuss and sign their book This Place Kills Me.

A compelling, propulsive YA graphic novel mystery from acclaimed Eisner Award-winning author of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Mariko Tamaki, and Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Goux.

At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Tuesday, the 19^th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

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

Virginia, 1954. When a woman wakes up on a transport bus to Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital, she remembers nothing of her life up to that moment. Doctors tell her she’s Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic committed by the state for her violent delusions. She refuses to believe them, but despite her uncanny fighting skills and ability to pick locks and find impossible escape routes, she has no idea who she actually is and no knowledge of any of the dark things she may have seen and done.

Visions begin invading her reality, transporting her to a dystopian future where she is told of her mission, which could help save humanity. She decides not to tell her doctors about the hallucinations or her doubts of her own sanity—until she has a visitor. A man whose concerned, loving face she recognizes; a man her doctors calls her husband, Paul.

Now she is unsure of nothing, but she needs answers—about the future and about Paul and, most important, about herself. To find those answers, she will have to face the darkness inside her as she risks everything in a cat-and-mouse quest for the truth.

Melissa Pace, a Wesleyan University graduate, is a former editor and writer for Elle Magazine, and a past finalist in the Humanitas New Voices fellowship for emerging television and screenwriters. She is a middling soccer player, an erstwhile oil painter but a mother to three incredible grown children. Pace lives in Los Angeles with her husband. The Once and Future Me is her first novel.

Sophie Stava has loved to read as long as she can remember. Her passion for reading led her to study English Literature at University of California Santa Barbara, where received her B.A. She spent a number of years as (among other things) an event planner, executive recruiter, and ghostwriter before pursuing her own writing. She currently resides in Southern California with her family. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her reading, acting as personal assistant to her children, and travelling. Count My Lies is her debut novel.

Where: Diesel, A Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm

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

Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2025-08-19/melissa-pace-sophie-stava

Book Club: There’s Always This Year at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Join us to discuss There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib.

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.”

There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 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 19^th

Time: 7 pm – 10 pm

Address: 14537 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Where: North Figueroa Bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Facilitated by Lisa Becker

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: pages, a bookstore

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90042

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: Online Event (see site)

An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!

Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.

Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Caroline Kepnes is the New York Times bestselling author of You which inspired the hit Netflix series. Her work has been translated into thirty-two languages, and her sixth novel is forthcoming. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and then worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up in Cape Cod and now lives in Los Angeles.

Catriona Ward was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She studied English at the University of Oxford and later earned her master’s degree in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Ward is a three-time winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel: for The Girl from Rawblood, her debut; Little Eve; and The Last House on Needless Street. Little Eve also won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel. Ward is the international bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial.

Sarah Langan is a three-time Stoker Award-winning novelist and screenwriter, whose novels (A BETTER WORLD, GOOD NEIGHBORS, THE MISSING, etc.) have made best of the year lists at NPR, Newsweek, The Irish Times, and PW. She has an MFA from Columbia University, an MS in Environmental Health Science/ Toxicology from NYU, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, the writer/director JT Petty, their two daughters, and two maniac rabbits. Her next novel Trad Wife is coming from Tor UK in 2026.

Steven Barnes is an award-winning, NY Times bestselling author of over 35 novels, including his most recent, the Star Wars novel The Glass Abyss. He is also a stress performance counselor holding black belts in three different martial arts, and husband of L.A. Times book award winning novelist Tananarive Due. They live in Southern California with their son Jason.

Tananarive Due is an award-winning author who teaches at UCLA. A leading voice in Black speculative fiction, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award. Her books include The Reformatory (winner of a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Chautauqua Prize, Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and a New York Times Notable Book), The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights.

David J. Schow is a multiple-award-winning American writer. Ten novels, thirteen short story collections, comics (ten years with John Carpenter’s Storm King imprint), movies (The Crow, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, The Hills Run Red), television (Masters of Horror, Mob City, Creepshow), nonfiction (The Outer Limits Companion, The Art of Drew Struzan), and can be seen on various DVDs as expert witness or documentarian on over 50 films and television shows. Thanks to him, the word “splatterpunk” has been in the Oxford English Dictionary since 2002. Google him.

Where: Skylight

Date: Tuesday the 19^th

Time: 7 pm

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

The sequel of The Vallendor series The Cruel Dawn is Rachel’s newest novel, and she will be in conversation with Sunya Mara for this special night of reading, signing, and Q&A.

This story is a sweeping romantasy where gods bleed, realms fall, and one woman stands between salvation and ruin.

A god’s wrath is unforgettable. Her love, even more dangerous.

Kaivara Megidrail was once worshipped as the Grand Defender of Vallendor―until betrayal, punishment, and exile left her Diminished. Now, the realm she abandoned teeters on the edge of collapse. Monsters roam free. Gods whisper in shadows. And one man―Jadon Wake, prince, blacksmith, liar―may be the key to her salvation…or her final ruin.

Where: Sunny’s Bookshop; Located inside our floral shop Shades of Petals (Tarzana, CA)

Date: Tuesday, the 19^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 18604 Ventura Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91356

Todd Robinson is the author of Mass for Shut-Ins (Backwaters Press, 2018) and Note at Heart Rock (Main Street Rag Publishing, 2012). His writing has appeared in such venues as The Adroit Journal, North American Review, Notre Dame Review, Prairie Schooner, Sugar House Review, Cortland Review, and A Dozen Nothing.

Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event

Date: Tuesday, the 19^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Address: Online event (see site)

Website: https://www.poetrysuperhighway.com

Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic Night at Greenway Court Theatre – In-Person Event

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 19^th

Time: 9 pm – 11 pm

Address: 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

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.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

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

Facilitated by Linda McLoughlin Figel

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: pages, a bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 10 am – 11 am

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90042

Where: Granada Hills Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 1:30 pm – 3 pm

Address: 10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-club-anxious-people

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 20^th

Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm

Address: On-air Event (live)

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

Book Club for Adults: A Short History of Nearly Everything at San Gabriel Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Join us for a lively discussion of the book A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Copies of this title are available at the Information Desk. For ages 18 and up.

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveler, but even when he stays safely at home he can’t contain his curiosity about the world around him. A Short History of Nearly Everything is his quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization – how we got from there, being nothing at all, to here, being us. The ultimate eye-opening journey through time and space, revealing the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.

Where: San Gabriel Library, LACL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 3 pm – 4 pm

Address: 500 S. Del Mar Ave., San Gabriel, CA 91776

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14257625

Author Talk: Casey McQuiston & The Pairing via Virtual Event, LACL – In-Person Event

Bring an appetite for sizzling drama as we discuss New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston’s latest romantic comedy, The Pairing.

When two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour, they challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—except they’re definitely not.

Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other’s lives once and for all.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It’s in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It’s not until they board the tour bus that they discover they’ve both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s fine. There’s nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.

Register now to join our discussion about Casey McQuiston’s spiciest book yet!

About the Author: Casey McQuiston is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, including One Last Stop, Red, White & Royal Blue, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, and The Pairing. Red, White & Royal Blue was adapted into a movie in 2023 and released on Amazon Prime. Casey was recently named on the 2022 Time100 Next List. Their writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with a poodle mix named Pepper.

Where: Virtual Event, LACL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Address: Online Event

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14121348

Write-In Event at Canoga Park Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Come and write in the company of others! Any writer knows that working alone can be difficult—the loneliness, the temptation of distractions, and the lack of accountability make it easy to lose motivation. Just sitting in a room with other writers while you work can be a surprisingly effective tool for keeping yourself on task and hitting your daily word count. Bring your laptop or notebook and enjoy some soothing background music, and camaraderie. Hang around afterward to chat with your fellow writers or share a bit of your work.

RSVP:

Optional: email katie.wright@lapl.org to RSVP.

Where: Canoga Park Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 4 pm

Address: 20939 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA 91303

We read new releases of middle grade fiction. Book selection is done by voting at each meeting for the following month’s meeting.

Please RSVP to amy@pagesabookstore.com

Note: Please RSVP at site.

Where: pages, a bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90042

Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2025-08-20/middle-grade-book-club

Book Club for Adults: Fuzz at San Fernando Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Join us as we discuss Fuzz: When Nature Breaks The Law by Mary Roach. Copies of the current title are available at the Information Desk. New members are always welcome! For adults

What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When it comes to ‘problem’ wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.

Where: San Fernando Library, LACL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 5:30 pm

Address: 217 N. Maclay Ave., San Fernando, CA 91340

Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14013000

Fiction Book Club: The Queens of Crime at Studio City Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join us on the third Wednesday of every month for our long-running book club for adults!

August (8/20): The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 6:30 pm

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

Jonathan Demme, one of the most influential and dynamic directors of the twentieth century, was a fearless and radical filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer—a compassionate artist, advocate, and humanist who was compelled to tell the stories of marginalized communities. His intense passion and appreciation of music, culture, and art were interwoven throughout his life and extraordinary body of work.

There’s No Going Back is the first complete biography of an auteur whose remarkable and versatile career encompassed acclaimed narratives, documentaries, and films spanning nearly five decades. Best known for Melvin and Howard (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), and Beloved (1998), Demme was an Oscar-winning filmmaker with a recognizable style and voice. He often used that voice to champion women’s rights and amplify social and environmental justice issues. Demme was also well regarded for the loyalty, devotion, and collegiality shown to the actors, camera crew, and technical staff he employed in his projects.

Cinephile and journalist David M. Stewart affirms that Demme was more than just a quirky filmmaker or a product of 1970s New Hollywood; he was ceaseless and earnest in his approach to capturing humanity in all its complexities. Drawing from interviews with Demme’s collaborators and colleagues, Stewart presents the many facets of the filmmaker’s life as seen through the eyes of those who were in his warm, eclectic orbit. There’s No Going Back is a compelling and fitting tribute to the brilliance and breadth of the man behind the camera.

David M. Stewart is a published scholar and film journalist and has been writing about movies since he was a high school senior. He worked on the set of the film The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) and did research for the documentary Hal (2018). His work can be seen in Air Mail, the Film Stage, the Arts Fuse, and PleaseKillMe.com. He teaches film and media studies at Emerson College, Plymouth State University, and Southern New Hampshire University. He lives outside of Boston.

Amy Scott is a filmmaker passionate about capturing human stories that spotlight artists, musicians, and underdogs. Her unscripted directing credits include Hal, Sheryl, Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, which she co-directed, and Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?. She also helmed a film for HBO’s Music Box series, set for release in Spring 2025, and has an upcoming music-centered project in production. A former creative director for MasterClass and a seasoned editor with decades of experience, Amy brings a deep understanding of storytelling to her work. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she spent formative years in Chicago before settling in Los Angeles, where she continues to craft compelling narratives.

Where: Diesel, A Bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 6:30 pm

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

1994: A medical breakthrough is on the horizon, but for those already living with HIV, it may not come soon enough.

For Hope Winterfield, the AIDS epidemic is no longer just a distant tragedy-it’s at her doorstep. When her brother, Robert, a cosmetic surgeon, faces the devastating realities of the disease, she steps in to help him hold together his collapsing practice, his complicated relationships, and his fading hope.

But Robert’s struggles extend beyond his diagnosis. His husband, Cody, is charming yet manipulative, threatening everything Robert has built. His business partner, Anthony, is fiercely loyal but hides secrets of his own. Meanwhile, Robert’s increasingly erratic behavior adds another layer of mystery to the turmoil, pulling him further from those who love him. Hope not only fights for her brother but must also confront the unresolved wounds of her past. As she balances the needs of her husband, Ben Maxwell, and their three children, she continues to navigate her strained relationship with their mother, whose love comes with unspoken expectations. Caught between duty and old resentments, Hope must finally face her own hurt and regrets, reckoning with the love and loss that have shaped their fractured family.

Just as all seems lost, a groundbreaking treatment offers a sliver of hope. But will Robert live long enough to see it? And will love, family, and loyalty be enough to weather the storm?

A poignant, deeply human novel set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Hope in a Time of Dying explores resilience, redemption, and the power of love and family in the face of unimaginable loss.

Where: Book Soup

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

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

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/len-leatherwood-discusses-signs-hope-time-dying

Poetry Night at Sovern – In-Person Event

An evening of poetry and reflection as poets share original works inspired by the themes of the current exhibition, Navigating the Heart. Through spoken word and verse, this special night invites everyone deeper into the emotional terrain of love, self-acceptance, and the digital age’s impact on our connections. Together, we’ll explore what it means to be seen, held, and heard—both by others and by ourselves. This gathering will open space for community reflection on our collective experiences of love and loneliness, and offer a moment to reconnect with the vulnerability and power of the human heart.

Suggested Donation: $20, but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Where: Sovern LA

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 5757 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poetry-night-tickets-1542927069399

Poetry Open Mic at the Oasis – In-Person Event

The open mic is NOHO Production Oasis, a creative hub in the heart of the NOHO Arts District. They are an indoor/outdoor boutique space hiding in plain sight. Their goal is to facilitate a peaceful environment where creative ideas can grow, flow and foster community.

How to Sign Up:

After you purchase your general admission ticket send them an email to nohoproductionoasis@gmail.com with “Poetry” as the subject line.

Where: The Oasis

Date: Wednesday, the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: N/A

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poetry-open-mic-at-the-oasis-tickets-1573959909459

Book Talk: Jim Newton, with David Ulin, & Here Beside the Tide at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event

Jim Newton, in conversation with David Ulin, will discuss Here Beside the Tide.

In 1965, in Palo Alto, Jerry Garcia opened a dictionary to a fable in which an appreciative soul repays the generosity of a traveler, a “gift of the grateful dead.” After a traumatic car accident that injured him and killed a close friend, Garcia had resolved to build his life around music. He had practiced relentlessly and caromed across the northern California folk and bluegrass scene. He had gathered up some fellow musicians and formed a band.

Now they had their name.

Following the history of the Grateful Dead means tracking American cultural history through a period of radical reconsideration. The Dead played at the Acid Tests and the Human Be-In and Woodstock, at the occupation of Columbia and the Bail Ball for People’s Park. They performed at the base of the Pyramids during a lunar eclipse, at Madison Square Garden to defend the rainforests, in San Francisco to sound the alarm over AIDS and at Huey Newton’s birthday party. For three decades, the band explored the meaning and limits of freedom.

The radical message of the Dead, to reject the mainstream and build a bohemian community, radiated across the world, manifesting itself in art, music, business, and politics. Here Beside the Rising Tide tells the story of those disparate shafts of light, putting Garcia into a broader context while tracing his eventful life.

Nearly a century after his birth, Garcia’s influence stretches onward, expressed in guitar licks and a gentle way of life, one of excellence and gratitude, chasing freedom, living moment to moment, guided by song—the gift of the Grateful Dead.

Jim Newton is a journalist, teacher, and author of Justice for All, Eisenhower, Worthy Fights, and Man of Tomorrow. He was at the Los Angeles Times for twenty-five years as a reporter, bureau chief, editorial page editor, columnist, and editor at large. He lives in Pasadena, California, and teaches at UCLA, where he founded and edits the award-winning public affairs magazine Blueprint.

Where: Chevalier’s

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

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

Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2025-08-20/book-talk-jim-newton-discusses-here-beside-tide-w-david-ulin

Book Launch: Stuart Gibbs & Space Case the Graphic Novel at Once Upon a Time – In-Person Kids Event

Meet New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs as he shares his newest book Space Case the Graphic Novel! Stuart will have a short presentation, answer questions from the audience and then sign books. Best for astronauts ages 8+.

For twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson, living on the moon is a dream come true. Except for the low-gravity lunar toilets. And the food. And the part where his best friend lives about 250,000 miles away. And how there are almost no other kids up here, except for his kid sister and a couple of billionaire bullies. Oh, right, and the fact that a fellow lunarnaut just died—and only Dashiell knows that his death wasn’t an accident.

Plenty of people on the moon-base are hiding something, but which of them are capable of murder? It’s up to Dashiell to figure it out—before the killer strikes again.

*Please note*: Fans MUST have purchased a copy of Space Case the Graphic Novel from Once Upon A Time in order to be in the signing line.

Masks are optional but preferred at events. If you can’t make it to the event, you can order signed books in advance at website.

Where: Once Upon a Time

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/space-case-graphic-novel

Book Event: S.A. MacClean, with Kaylyn Josephson, & Voidwalker at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event

S.A. MacClean, in conversation with Kaylyn Josephson, will present her new romance novel Voidwalker.

There will be a book signing to follow.

RSVP required, Ticketed event.

Where: The Ripped Bodice

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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

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 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm; Open Mic at 8 pm)

Address: 3200 W. Temple St., Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Website: https://www.palmsupacademy.com

At Skylight: Emily Hunt Kivel, with Chelsea Kirk, & Dwelling at Skylight – In-Person Event

Join is to hear Emily Hunt Kivel, in conversation with Chelsea Kirk, discuss Dwelling, a dazzling, surrealist fairy tale of a young woman’s quest for house and home—from New York to the Texas hinterlands and, maybe, back again.

The world is ending. It has been ending for some time. When did the ending begin? Perhaps when Evie’s mother died, or when her father died soon after. Perhaps when her sister, Elena, was forcibly institutionalized in a psychiatric hippie commune in Colorado. Certainly, at some point over the last year, as New York City spun down the tubes, as bedbugs and vultures descended, as apartments crumbled to the ground and no one had the time or money to fight it, or even, really, to notice.

And then, one day, the ending is complete. Every renter is evicted en masse, leaving only the landlords and owners—the demented, the aristocratic, the luckiest few. Evie—parentless, sisterless, basically friendless, underemployed—has nothing and no one. Except, she remembers, a second cousin in Texas, in a strange town called Gulluck, where nothing is as it seems.

And so, in the surreal, dislodged landscape, beyond the known world, a place of albino cicadas and gardeners and thieves, of cobblers and shoemakers and one very large fish, a place governed by mysterious logic and perhaps even miracles, Evie sets out in search of a home.

A wry and buoyant fairy tale set at the apex of the housing crisis, Emily Hunt Kivel’s Dwelling takes us on a hapless hero’s journey to the end of the world and back again. Madcap and magical, hilarious, and existential, Dwelling holds a funhouse mirror to our moment—for anyone in search of space, belonging, and some semblance of justice.

Emily Hunt Kivel is a writer whose fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, BOMB, American Short Fiction, New England Review, and Guernica, among other publications. She teaches at St. Edward’s University and Columbia University. Dwelling is her first novel.

Where: Skylight

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm

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

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-emily-hunt-kivel-presents-dwelling-w-chelsea-kirk

Banned Books Club: The Handmaid’s Tale at Underdog Bookstore – In-Person Event

Our Banned Books Club pick for August 20th is Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

You can pick up a copy in store or keep supporting Underdog by purchasing the audiobook through us on Libro.fm

Banned Books Club meets every third Wednesday in store and online to discuss a new banned or challenged book each month. We’re also now on the BookClubsHQ app!

Where: Underdog Bookstore

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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. Hosted by Jessica Gallion aka “Yellawoman.”

• 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm — Formal workshop;
• 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm — TBA;
• 9:05 pm – 10:00 pm — Open mic.

Date: Wednesday, the 20^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm

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

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Story Salon: Theme: 90 Second Stories at Art Parlor in Valley Village – In-Person Event

Join us for a night of storytelling, with the theme: 90 Second Stories!

Story Salon challenges you all to tell stories in 90 seconds! Can you do it? If you can, join us Wednesday 7/30!

Tickets can be purchased early with the link in bio or at storysalon.com.

#storytelling #valleyvillage #storysalon #communitystories #LAthingstodo #northhollywood

Check to Verify.

Where: Art Parlor

Date: Wednesday the 20^th

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)

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 on the site.

The workshop can sometimes reach high levels of attendance, which means not everyone will get a chance to read every session.

Jose Hernandaz Diaz is a 2017 NEA Fellow. He is the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020) Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024) The Parachutist (Sundress Publications, 2025) and Portrait of the Artist as a Brown Man (Red Hen Press, 2025). He has been published in Bennington Review, The Yale Review, The London Magazine, The Southern Review, Poetry Ireland Review, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011, and in The Best American Poetry 2025. He has taught creative writing at the University of California at Riverside. Currently, he is the Visiting Writer in Residence at the University of Tennessee.

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

Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center

Date: Wednesday, the 20^th

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

Host Ben Trigg and Two Idiots Peddling Poetry celebrates its 20^th Anniversary!

On August 20th, Two Idiots Peddling Poetry will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a very special feature with our hosts Ben Trigg, Steve Ramirez, and Ellen Webre!

It is humbling to see how this reading has changed over these years, and we are so thankful to be blessed with such fantastic features, regulars, and newcomers. You all have made this a wonderful weekly home to return to. May we continue to celebrate many more!

Ben Trigg dreams of being Truly Outrageous, striving to be a safe space for all, but especially the queer community. He is one third of Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug in Orange, California, a weekly series that has been running since 2000. Ben’s poetry has been described (by him) as the sweet spot junction of heartfelt, pop culture, and comedy. His collection Kindness from a Dark God came out on Moon Tide Press in 2007. He co-edited the anthology Don’t Blame the Ugly Mug: 10 Years of 2 Idiots Peddling Poetry. When all else fails, Ben goes to Disneyland.

Steve Ramirez has never been captured on film (unless you count the spectral image taken at the infamous 1951 séance). He keeps to himself at the wrong times. While attempting to dance with a drop of rain at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in Wichita Falls, he discovered a talent for fog. Most nights, he can be found covering the pier. Yesterday morning, he graciously accepted the award for Most Inspired before falling back to sleep. He usually sees at 24 frames per second, but when kissing switches to a high-speed camera on a revolving track. Previous occupations include: coal miner, poltergeist, hubcap salesman, medical leech, spatial geographer, and mongoose.

Ellen Webre is a biracial, Taiwanese American poet, born in Hong Kong and raised in California. She is a social media marketing specialist and videographer for Moon Tide Press, is a co-host of Two Idiots Peddling Poetry, and is an editor of Freezeray Magazine. Ellen’s debut book, A Burning Lake of Paper Suns, was released in October 2021 with Moon Tide Press. Her poem “Metaphors for My Body in Midwinter” has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2021. Ellen’s other poems have most recently been published in A Moon of One’s Own, FreezeRay Press, Sh!t Men Say to Me Anthology in Response to Toxic Masculinity, DARK INK: A Horror Anthology, and Voicemail Poems

$5 cover fee, cash only.

Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange

Date: Wednesday, the 20^th

Time: 8 pm – 10 pm

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.

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/

Tuesdays & Thursdays @10 am | $15

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 10 am – 11 am

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

August 21: A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

Where: Palms – Rancho Park Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 1:30 pm

Address: 2920 Overland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-discussion-1

In-Person Book Club at John C. Fremont Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Join our in-person book club for adult patrons. It intends to be a social gathering where members will read and discuss their favorite books over coffee, tea, and snacks. The Book Club is open to any genre of literature, but preference would be given to literary fiction, which is often considered to have greater intellectual and artistic merit.

Members can choose to read the same book or select any other title and then share their thoughts and impressions with the rest of the group. After all, the goal of book clubs is to inspire people to read more.

Where: John C. Fremont Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 3 pm – 4 pm

Address: 6121 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038

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

Book Club for Adults: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks at Chet Holfield Library, LACL – In-Person Event

Whether you like historical fiction, sci-fi, romance, or memoirs, this book club reads it all. This month, join us for a discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. For Adults.

Pick up a copy of the book at the information desk today!

Where: Lawndale Library, LACL

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Address: 1060 S. Greenwood Ave., Montebello, CA 90640

Hosted by Aaron Hernandez.

Where: SPARC Center Gallery

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 5 pm – 7 pm

Address: 1000 Fremont Ave., Suite 120, Pasadena, CA 90640

If you are unable to join us in person you are welcome to join us virtually.

RSVP:

Contact us at ayosco@lapl.org for this month’s writing prompt or to request the meeting link.

Where: Arroyo Seco Regional Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 6 pm

Address: 6145 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/arroyo-writing-group-0

Library Loud & Clear: Open Mic Night! at Exposition Park – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Do you have a song in your heart, a poem on your mind, or a story to tell? Step into the spotlight at Library Loud & Clear, our quarterly open mic night. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or taking the stage for the very first time, this is your chance to share your talents in a welcoming and supportive environment. All forms of creative expression are encouraged – poetry, spoken word, acoustic music, comedy, storytelling, and more.

Here’s what you need to know:

Sign-ups start at 5:30 at the door.

Each performer gets 8 minutes to share their work.

Our stage is equipped with a basic sound system and microphone. Acoustic performances are highly encouraged!

This event is free and open to all ages, but we kindly request that content be appropriate for a general audience.

Come and share your voice or simply enjoy an evening of community and creativity. We can’t wait to hear what you’ve got!

Where: Exposition Park – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library, LAPL

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 6 pm

Address: 3900 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90062

A gripping 1920s-set whodunnit, this debut features a queer sleuth who must solve a murder in a mansion on London’s Hampstead Heath without revealing his sexuality, lest he be arrested as a criminal.

London, 1929.

Selby Bigge is a bank clerk by day and a denizen of the capital’s queer underworld by night, but he yearns for a life that will take him away from his ledgers, loveless trysts and dreary bedsit in in which his every move is scrutinized by a nosy landlady. So, when he meets Patrick, son of knight of the realm and banking millionaire Sir Lionel Duker, he is delighted to find himself catapulted into a world of dinners at The Ritz and birthday parties at his new friend’s family mansion on Hampstead Heath.

But money, it seems, can’t buy happiness. Sir Lionel is being slandered in the press, his new young wife Lucinda is being harassed by an embittered journalist and Patrick is worried he’ll lose his inheritance to his gold-digging stepmother. And when someone is found strangled on the billiards room floor after a party it doesn’t take long for Selby to realize everyone has a motive for murder.

Can Selby uncover the truth while keeping his own secrets buried?

Robert Holtom is an award-winning playwright and storytelling coach, based in London. Their play ‘Dumbledore Is So Gay’ won a VAULT Festival Origins Award for new work and an Offies Commendation. It has since played at the Pleasance and the Southwark Playhouse, receiving five stars from the Daily Express, Broadway World and Theatre Weekly. Robert also runs workshops in writing and communication skills. You can find Robert on Twitter/X @Robert_Holtom; on Instagram @robertholtomwriter and at their website robertholtom.co.uk.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 6 pm

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

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/mystery-book club-queer-case-selby-biggie-mystery-series

Bel Canto Book Club: I Have Some Questions for You at Bel Canto Books Off-site at Union & Compound – In-Person Event

This book club meets at Union & Compound on the third Thursday of each month to discuss a handpicked favorite chosen by bookstore owner Jhoanna.

August – I Have Some Questions for You by author Rebecca Makkai.

This book is a stirring investigation into collective memory and a deeply felt examination of one woman’s reckoning with her past, with a transfixing mystery at its heart. Timely, hypnotic, and populated with a cast of unforgettable characters, I Have Some Questions for You is at once a compulsive page-turner and a literary triumph.

Free to attend; RSVP requested.

Food/drink purchase recommended.

Where: Bel Canto Bookstore at Union & Compound

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 6:30 pm

Address: 1395 Coronado Ave., Loing Beach, CA 90804

Website: https://belcantobooks.net/book-clubs

Aaron Abke & The Three Beliefs of Ego: a Sufferers Guide to Freedom at Diesel, A Bookstore – In- Person Event

Join us as we welcome Aaron Abke to the store to discuss and sign The Three Beliefs of Ego: A Sufferer’s Guide to Freedom.

This event is free to attend and will be held in the courtyard at DIESEL, A Bookstore in Brentwood.

Free seating is limited. To reserve a seat, please purchase one copy of a book for one seat.

The Three Beliefs of Ego explores a simple but transformative idea: that the ego, often misunderstood, is structured around three unconscious beliefs — lack, attachment, and control. These beliefs quietly shape how we think, feel, and respond to life, giving rise to emotional pain.

In this debut work, spiritual teacher Aaron Abke draws from his background in both Christian theology and nondual spiritual teachings, incorporating both Eastern and Western perspectives to map a clear path toward healing. At the heart is the Emotional Guidance System, a practical tool for recognizing ego patterns in daily life and shifting beyond them. This book offers a direct and accessible framework for anyone looking to understand the roots of suffering and rediscover a more peaceful, authentic way of being.

Aaron Abke is the author of The Three Beliefs of Ego. A spiritual teacher and thought leader who delivers a fresh new perspective on self-realization, his online academy for consciousness expansion, 4D University, has more than 10,000 members. Multiple Gaia TV series, chart-topping spirituality podcasts, and SiriusXM radio programs have showcased Abke’s passion and purpose, which is to awaken this planet to the awareness of our oneness. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Where: Diesel, A Bookstore

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm

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

Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2025-08-21/aaron-abke-three-beliefs-ego-sufferers-guide-freedom

Speculative Fiction Panel: Cozy in the Time of Climate Change at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event

Join a panel of six speculative fiction writers as they discuss the craft of writing, the cozy genre, and escapism. Signing to follow.

From cli-scifi and other climate change fiction to speculative cozy fantasy, the genre of science fiction has been a place to both examine real-world problems and escape it. Bestselling and critically acclaimed authors discuss and answer craft questions, followed by an audience Q&A and a signing to follow. Books will be available for sale.

Sanjana Sekhar is an author, filmmaker, and narrative strategist. Her work crafts “thrutopian” stories aimed at making climate action the hottest place to be, with a focus on reclaiming and healing extractive narratives to instead build a healthy human future on Earth. She’s been featured in Grist’s Imagine 2200 Climate Fiction anthology, the Hollywood Climate Summit, TEDx Climate AcrosstheAmericas, and the Webby Honorees, and she’s worked with organizations such as the Center for Cultural Power, Visit California, and The Washington Post. As the founder of creative studio GARMI, she is currently bringing her climate communication to auto-ethnographic newsletters, speculative fiction, music, and digital communications. Sanjana is based in Los Angeles on Tongva land.

Kate Maruyama is the author of Alterations, The Collective, Bleak Houses, and Harrowgate. Her novella Family Solstice was named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine. Her short work has appeared in numerous anthologies including Winter Horror Days, Halloween Carnival Volume Three, and journals including Asimov’s, Analog, and Uncharted. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Shirley Jackson Awards and has served on the working board for Women Who Submit. She writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles where she lives.

Emily Skrutskie is six feet tall. She lives and works in Los Angeles. Skrutskie is the author of A Legionnaire’s Guide to Love and Peace, The Salvation Gambit, Vows of Empire, Oaths of Legacy, Bonds of Brass, Hullmetal Girls, The Abyss Surrounds Us, and The Edge of the Abyss.

Henry Lien is a graduate of Brown University, UCLA School of Law, and Clarion West Writers’ Workshop. He is the author of the Peasprout Chen fantasy series and the non-fiction book Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling. His writing has appeared in publications including Asimov’s, Analog, F&SF, Literary Hub, and Poets & Writers, and he is a four-time Nebula Award finalist. Henry also teaches for institutions including UCLA Extension, the University of Iowa, Clarion West, and Writing the Other and won the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award. Henry has previously worked as an attorney and fine art dealer. Born in Taiwan, Henry currently lives in Hollywood, California. Hobbies include writing and performing campy anthems for his books and losing Nebula Awards. www.henrylien.com

C.B. Lee is a USA Today and Indie Bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction. Their works include Coffeeshop In An Alternate Universe, A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix, Minecraft: The Shipwreck, the Lambda Literary Award nominated Sidekick Squad series, Ben 10 graphic novels, Out Now: Queer We Go Again, and From A Certain Point Of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Lee’s work has been featured in NPR, People Magazine, Teen Vogue, Wired Magazine, Hypable, Tor’s Best of Fantasy and Sci Fi and the American Library Association’s Rainbow List.

Dahlia De La Vega is the LA-based content creator and interviewer behind ofpagesandprint on social media. She is a voracious reader and audiobook devourer and created ofpagesandprint to support fantasy, romance, sci-fi, and YA authors. She can be found moderating book events at bookstores and conventions across Southern California; hosting her monthly book club, Musings of the Nine; and chatting about her favorite reads on Instagram.”

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-6a09959a-e863-45f0-a4e1-d590b25ea00e

Writing Workshop: Persona Poems at Underdog Bookstore, Monrovia – In-Person Event

In this generative workshop, writers explore the power of persona—writing in the voice of someone (or something) other than themselves.

Participants will learn how embodying a fictional, historical, or imagined perspective can expand creative possibilities and deepen empathy.

Through examples, discussion, and guided writing prompts, you’ll craft your own persona poem and leave with tools to keep experimenting with voice and identity.

Limited space so RSVP at website!

Where: Underdog Bookstore

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm

Address: 312 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016

Website: https://www.underdogbookstore.org/events/writing-workshop-persona-poems

All Women’s Open Mic Night at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Village Well is partnering with local trauma-healing poet Kate Burns to provide a platform for female poets, musicians, storytellers, and comedians. While all are welcome to attend, this is an event that aims to amplify women’s voices only.

Acts are limited to 3-5 minutes in length. Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm and conclude at 7:00 pm!

Also, please note that not all material may be considered “family-friendly” so please use discretion when deciding whether or not to bring children.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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

The debut novel from award-winning filmmaker and author, Stephen Vittoria. This is a book for the moment-a heart wrenching tale about overcoming your demons and finding your people. Vittoria doesn’t flinch in the face of painful subject matter. At its heart, Christina and the Whitefish is an antiwar, anti-empire narrative, one that underscores love and empathy.

Stephen Vittoria is an award-winning filmmaker and author. His last two feature documentaries—Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary and One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern—have been embraced by moviegoers and audiences worldwide. Vittoria was also a producer on two feature documentaries by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney: Gonzo: The Life & Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place.

Along with journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, Vittoria co-authored the three-book nonfiction series Murder Incorporated: Empire, Genocide, and Manifest Destiny—with forewords by Angela Davis and Chris Hedges.

Award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and author, Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host, and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali. She’s the author of Talking About Abolition: A Police-Free World is Possible (Seven Stories, 2025) and Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice (City Lights, 2023). Her first book, co-authored with James Ingalls, is Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence (Seven Stories, 2006). Her first novel, Queen of Aarohi, will be published by Red Hen Press in 2027.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Thursday the 21^st

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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

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 22^nd

Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am

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

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 22^nd

Time: 9:30 am

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/pajama-story-time-27

2^nd Annual Los Angeles Street Poetry Festival (Day 1 of 2) at The Los Angeles Theatre Company– In-Person Event

Join us L.A. Poet Society for two days of events at the Los Angeles Street Poetry Festival: Poesia of Resistencia Y Amor.

We’ll have poetry, workshops, a literary fair, an Open Mic for the People y mas.

Hosted by Jessica M. Wilson and Daisy Magallanes

Free event. Join the fun and speak truth at our mic.

Huge thanks to our sponsors for keeping this festival free to the public.

Where: The Los Angeles Theatre Center

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Address: 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013

¡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 22^nd

Time: 11 am

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

On these days we will be bringing out more of our usual used book inventory for an exclusive two-day sale!

Where: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 2 pm – 9 pm

This Friday at The Bookman: Poetry Reading & Spoken Word.

Our monthly open mic is back. Read something, say something, or just listen in.

Where: Bookman Bookstore

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm

Address: 320 E. Katella Ave., Orange, CA 92867

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 22^nd

Time: 6 pm (Doors at 5:30 pm)

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

In this poignant retelling of The Great Gatsby, set amongst L.A.’s Black elite, a young veteran finds his way post-war, pulled into a new world of tantalizing possibilities—and explosive tensions.

In 1945, Charlie Trammell steps off a cross-country train into the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles. Lured by his cousin Marguerite’s invitation to the esteemed West Adams Heights, Charlie is immediately captivated by the Black opulence of L.A.’s newly rechristened “Sugar Hill.”

Settling in at a local actress’s energetic boarding house, Charlie discovers a different way of life—one brimming with opportunity—from a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm, the absence of Jim Crow, to the potential of an unforgettable romance. But nothing dazzles quite like James “Reaper” Mann.

Reaper’s extravagant parties, attended by luminaries like Lena Horne and Hattie McDaniel, draw Charlie in, bringing the milieu of wealth and excess within his reach. But as Charlie’s unusual bond with Reaper deepens, so does the tension in the neighborhood as white neighbors, frustrated by their own dwindling fortunes, ignite a landmark court case that threatens the community’s well-being with promises of retribution.

Told from the unique perspective of a young man who has just returned from a grueling, segregated war, The Great Mann weaves a compelling narrative of wealth and class, illuminating the complexities of Black identity and education in post-war America.

Kyra Davis Lurie is a New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter. Her novels have been published in nine languages across six continents. Kyra was born and raised in California and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their utterly perfect dog, Potus.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 6 pm

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

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/black-lit-book-club-great-mann

Political Science Book Launch: Exit from International Organizations by Felicity Vabulas at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event

Join us for the launch of Exit from International Organizations with co-author Felicity Vabulas!

Vabulas will discuss the findings of her research and the implications for contemporary geopolitics in conversation with Professor Benjamin A T Graham and Professor Margaret Peters.

Reserve your seat on EVENTBRITE!

This book asks many questions: Why do states exit international organizations (IOs)? How often does exit from IOs – including voluntary withdrawal and forced suspension – occur? What are the effects of leaving IOs for the exiting state? Despite the importance of membership in IOs, a broader understanding of exit across states, organizations, and time has been limited. Exit from International Organizations addresses these lacunae through a theoretically grounded and empirically systematic study of IO exit. Von Borzyskowski and Vabulas argue that there is a common logic to IO exit which helps explain both its causes and consequences. By examining IO exit across 198 states, 534 IOs, and over a hundred years of history, they show that exit is driven by states’ dissatisfaction, preference divergence, and is a strategy to negotiate institutional change. The book also demonstrates that exit is costly because it has reputational consequences for leaving states and significantly affects other forms of international cooperation.

Dr. Felicity Vabulas is the Blanche E. Seaver Associate Professor of International Studies at Pepperdine University. Her research focuses on the political economy of international cooperation. Specifically, she is interested in when and why states change how they cooperate internationally and the implications this has for international relations. Her research includes examining states’ exit from international agreements, states’ engagement in informal modes of global governance, and states pushing for different foreign policy strategies through foreign lobbying. Her research is published in the Review of International Organizations, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, Global Perspectives, Global Policy, European Journal of International Relations, International Politics, and multiple edited volume chapters. She has been awarded a Seaver College Endowed Professorship and the Howard A. White Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her earlier research received a best paper award from the American Political Science Association and has been supported by the World Bank, the National Science Foundation, and the International Studies Association. She serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Culver City Education Foundation.

Margaret Peters is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at UCLA. Her research focuses broadly on international political economy with a special focus on the politics of migration. Her book, Trading Barriers: Immigration and the Remaking of Globalization (2017, Princeton University Press) examines the relationship between trade policy, outsourcing, and immigration policy and received the Lowi award for the best first book from APSA and IPSA, and the Best Book Award from the IPE and Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Migration Sections of the International Studies Associations and the Migration and Citizenship section of APSA.

Benjamin A T Graham is an associate professor of international relations at USC. He is one of three principal investigators in the Security and Political Economy (SPEC) Lab. He is also the coordinating principal investigator of the Everyday Respect research project.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Nikki Nash, in conversation with Brian Kiley, will discussCollateral Stardust.

In this offbeat memoir, Nikki Nash tells the story of an obsession that starts with a young girl’s movie-star fantasy. At fourteen, longing for excitement and something of her own, Nikki fixates on superstar Warren Beatty. She’s determined to find him and have him in her life forever. She creates a solid plan that she initiates four years later at the age of eighteen when she gets a job as a restaurant hostess where Beatty frequents. A year later, on a warm Sunday evening in April, after breaking a finger in a judo class and looking her worst-dirty hair pulled back, no makeup on, broken finger in a glass of ice—Warren Beatty walks through the door and her plan comes to fruition. In this entertaining and genuine account of the inner workings of Hollywood, Nash pursues a vibrant career as a TV associate director, comic, writer, and actress. Her celebrity-infused journey is also a dance with drugs, religion, Hollywood culture, and other volatile mysteries in the city of angels, including her own metamorphosis.

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 7 pm – 8 pm

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

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/nikki-nash-conversation-brian-kiley-discusses-signs-collateral-stardust

Book Launch: Charlie Jane Anders & Lessons in Magic and Disaster at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event

Join us for the launch of Charlie Jane Anders new book Lessons in Magic and Disaster, in conversation with Michelle Tea!

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of Lessons in Magic and Disaster, coming August 2025 from Tor Books. Her other novels include All the Birds in the Sky, The City in the Middle of the Night and the young-adult Unstoppable trilogy. She’s also the author of the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes, and Never Say You Can’t Survive (August 2021), a book about how to use creative writing to get through hard times. She’s won the Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, Lambda Literary, Crawford and Locus Awards. She co-created Escapade, a transgender superhero, for Marvel Comics and wrote her into the long-running New Mutants comic. And she’s currently the science fiction and fantasy book reviewer for the Washington Post. With Annalee Newitz, she co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct.

Michelle Tea is the author of many books, including the recent Modern Magic and the forthcoming novel, Little F. She is the founding editor of DOPAMINE Books.

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-1c22e311-306f-42ea-9a85-cbb130958d8d

At Skylight: Ed Park, with Sandi Tan, & An Oral History of Atlantis at Skylight – In-Person Event

Ed Park, in conversation with Sandi Tan, will discuss An Orla History of Atlantis.

Gilt-edged stories that slice clean through the mundanity of modern life, from the author of Same Bed Different Dreams, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

In “Machine City” a college student’s chance role in a friend’s movie blurs the line between his character and his true self. (Is he a robot?) In “Slide to Unlock” a man comes to terms with his life via the passwords he struggles to remember in extremis. (What’s his mom’s name backward?) And in “Weird Menace” a director and faded movie star gab about science fiction, bad costume choices, and lost loves on a commentary track for a B-film from the ’80s that neither remembers all that well.

In Ed Park’s utterly original collection, An Oral History of Atlantis, characters bemoan their fleeting youth, focus on their breathing, meet cute, break up, write book reviews, translate ancient glyphs, bid on stuff online, whale watch, and once in a while find solace in the sublime. Throughout, Park deploys his trademark wit to create a world both strikingly recognizable and delightfully other. Spanning a quarter century, these sixteen stories tell the absurd truth about our lives. They capture the moment when the present becomes the past—and are proof positive that Ed Park is one of the most imaginative and insightful writers working today.

Ed Park is the author of the novels Same Bed Different Dreams, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction, was named a Top Ten Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and was a New York Times Notable Book; and Personal Days, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Vice, Harvard Review, and other periodicals and anthologies, and he writes regularly for The New York Review of Books, Harper’s, The Atlantic, Bookforum, and elsewhere. Ed was a founding editor of The Believer and the former literary editor of The Voice Literary Supplement, and has also worked in publishing. Born in Buffalo, he lives in Manhattan with his family and currently teaches writing at Princeton University.

Sandi Tan is a Singapore-born, Los Angeles–based filmmaker and novelist. Her Sundance-winning Netflix documentary film Shirkers was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar and was named Best Documentary by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, among other accolades. She is the author of Lurkers (2021), described by Kevin Kwan as “pure genius,” and The Black Isle (2012), a thriller about a female ghost hunter.

Where: Skylight

Date: Friday, the 22^nd

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

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

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-ed-park-presents-oral-history-atlantis-w-sandi-tan

Kerrigan Send Off Party at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event

Closing early to celebrate our lovely Laura Kerrigan before she leaves LA – come party!

Where: Stories Books & Café

Date: Friday the 22^nd

Time: 7 pm – 9 pm

Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026

Check the database of writers and their bios who will participate and perform at these events: https://losfelizlitfest.org/our-writers/

Check events, details, and locations at: https://losfelizlitfest.org/schedule/

This festival is FREE.

Where: Various locations in Los Feliz area

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 9 am – 5 pm

Address: Various (see site details)

Get Lit Free Poetry Club: Every Saturday, July through September 27^th – In-Person Teen Event

Get Lit Poetry Club is offered every Saturday through September 27^th, for teens ages 13 – 19.

Link in bio! Every Saturday starting July 19 from 10 am-1 pm, teens are invited to a free poetry club at the Get Lit office in Los Angeles. This weekly space offers hands-on training in the craft of poetry, performance, and editing.

Writers will receive one-on-one support to help polish their work, connect with a diverse and passionate community, and explore real-world opportunities to share their voice.

No experience needed, just a willingness to show up and speak your truth.

Where: Get Lit Office 

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 10 am – 1 pm

Address: 672 S. La Fayette Park Pl. #10, Los Angeles, CA 90057

With poets from:

Get Lit: Violeta La Poeta

Homeboy Art Academy

LATC Youth Conservatory

Yesika Salgado is an American poet. She is the author of poetry collections Corazón, Tesoro, and Hermosa. She is also a co-founder of the poetry collective Chingona Fire.

Lynne Thompson, the 4^TH Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, is the daughter of Caribbean immigrants, and her poetry collections include: Beg No Pardon (2007), winner of the Perugia Press Prize and the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s New Writers Award; Start With A Small Guitar (2013), from What Books Press; and Fretwork. Her latest collection is Blue on a Blue Palette.

Matt Sedillo is an acclaimed political poet and co-founder of El Martillo Press. He is the author of Mowing Leaves of Grass, City on the Second Floor, and Mexican Style.

Workshops

Literary Fair

Open Mic for the People

Hosted by Jessica M. Wilson and Daisy Magallanes

Free event. Join the fun and speak truth at our mic.

Huge thanks to our sponsors for keeping this festival free to the public:

Where: The Los Angeles Theatre Center

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

A music, dance, & story celebration with author & illustrator, Natasha Khan Kazi, and special guests, BollyPop L.A.

Join a celebration with author& illustrator Natasha Khan Kazi of her newest picture books, Bela and Lily and Lulu in the Spotlight: A South Asian Wedding Story. Special guest, BollyPop instructor Madhavi Narayanan, joins to host a mini-Bollywood dance party filled with joy for your little ones.

Where: Children’s Book World 

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 10:30 am

Address: 10580 ½ W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Website: https://www.childrensbookworld.com/event/music-dance-story-celebration-author-illustrator-natasha-khan-kazi-saturday-august-23rd-0

Mystery Book Club: Badlands at Westwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event

Read the book and join our lively discussion!

August 23: Badlands by C.J. Box

Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL 

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 11 am

Address: 1246 Glendon Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-14

Kids Storytime & Draw-Along with Joseph Belisle at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Kids Event

Join us every Wednesday and Saturday for a storytime amongst the cozy bookstacks of Village Well!

Join author/illustrator Joseph Belisle for a reading and character draw-along from his award-winning book What if Wilhelmina. He’ll be reading, taking questions and later, you’ll have a chance to draw along with him as he demonstrates how he created the special characters in his book.

Wilhelmina, the world’s most beloved pet cat, is missing. Or is she? This boldly illustrated adventure features one very worried girl, two frayed dads, a backyard of perils, and sneaky references to great works of art. Based on a true story, a real family, and a real cat named Wilhelmina.

Joseph Belisle’s What if Wilhelmina won the coveted Bank St Book Prize and was made into a musical by Michigan State University. His second book, Penny’s Hair is Purple! will release later this year. He founded the LGBTQ youth group, Lighthouse, in his native New England. He and his family moved to Orange County last year where they now spend much of their time caring for their favorite furry animal, Wilhelmina.

Where: Village Well Books & Coffee

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

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

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

As this is a free event, food is not included—however, we hope you will enjoy a delicious lunch at the Desert Rose while Derrick shares about:

(1) the four kinds of writers block, and how to crush it;

(2) basic craft techniques to make your poems ready for public consumption;

(3) a short primer on understanding poetry publishing;

(4) a Q &A.

It’s time to break through.

We are grateful to the Desert Rose for hosting us! Make sure to enjoy some lunch and support our local business.

Where: Desert Rose

Date: Saturday, the 23^rd

Time: 12:30 pm –2 pm

Address: 1700 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poetry-pita-at-desert-rose-tickets-1439450819149?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Libro Swapmeet (Day 2 of 2) at Tia Chucha’s Bookstore, Sylmar – In-Person Event

We’re back this month with another Libro Swapmeet! Shop used books for as low as $1 😍

On these days we will be bringing out more of our usual used book inventory for an exclusive two-day sale!

Where: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 12 pm – 8 pm

Address: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, CA 91342

August’s Book: Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein. For adults.

Where: Carson Library, LACL 

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 2 pm – 3 pm

Address: 151 E. Carson St., Carson, CA 90745

Poets and artists published in Four Feathers Press Online Edition: Street Cracks will be published online and invited to read at the Saturday Afternoon Poetry Zoom meeting on Saturday, August 23rd between 3 and 5 pm PST.

Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.

Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry

Date: Saturday, the 23^rd

Time: 3 pm – 5 pm

Address: Online Event (see site)

When tourists ask, “Where’s the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken?” locals point them to a video-game arcade on Mott Street, where Lillie plays games of tic-tac-toe against anyone who wants to play against her.

But eight-year-old Beatrice worries that the dark arcade is just not a good place for Lillie to live. She devises a clever plan: She will challenge the arcade’s Big Boss in a game of tic-tac-toe. Will Beatrice win Lillie’s freedom?

Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken is a picture book inspired by the true story of Lillie, a real chicken trained to play tic-tac-toe in New York’s Chinatown Fair arcade, and her relocation to a farm for rescued animals. Featuring vibrant paintings of Chinatown by the award-winning illustrator Louie Chin (Bodega Cat, Fighting to Belong! Vols. I and II), Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken showcases a local cultural touchstone and shows how children can stand up for what they believe in and solve tough problems with ingenuity and heart.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Saturday, the 23^rd

Time: 3 pm – 4 pm

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

Gabriella Buba is a mixed Filipina Czech author and chemical engineer based in Texas who likes to keep explosive pyrophoric materials safely contained in pressure vessels or between the covers of her books. She writes adult romantic fantasy for bold, bi, brown women who deserve to see their stories centered. Her debut Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a Filipino-inspired epic fantasy out with Titan Books. Saints 2 to be released July 2025.

Krys Janae is a Filipino American voice actor, narrator, author, and musician, from central California. She has over three decades in the performing Arts (music, dance, theatre) and has been a published author and in VA / narration since 2015. At just 10 years old, she found a major passion for storytelling, and has been writing ever since. She writes in multiple genres, including contemporary romance, fantasy (urban fantasy and paranormal romance), sci-fi and thriller.

Krys is an award-nominated audiobook narrator, a finalist in the SOVAS 2023 for best ensemble, and AUDIES for Audiobook of the Year 2025. Krys has also performed in video games, including HEISTGEIST as Alexandra from Doublequote Studios, and Sacred Fire alongside Doug Cockle (The Witcher), from Poetic Studios.

Ferdelle Capistrano is an Audie and three-time Earphones Award winner—once beating Meryl Streep in her category. Born in Toronto, she grew up speaking English, Tagalog, and French. She began behind the mic singing professionally at 6, trained at Second City, and later studied Meisner in California. She briefly pursued neuroscience at the University of Toronto before switching to Book & Media Studies. She lives in Malibu with her husband and dogs, Anderson Pooper and Bruce Wayne.

Where: Bel Canto Books KUBO, Long Beach

Date: Saturday, the 23^rd

Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Community! Come enjoy a great night of poetry at @theuntoldstorybookstore_cafe! Stay tuned for

surprise guests and great friends that will be coming through and sharing work. I want to send a special invite to all family and friends. See you all soon.

Where: The Untold Story, Anaheim

Date: Saturday, the 23^rd

Time: 5 pm – 7 pm

Participants will discuss The American Daughters: A Novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin.

Ady, a curious, sharp-witted girl, and her fierce mother, Sanite, are inseparable. Enslaved to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the pair spend their days reminiscing about their family’s rebellious and storied history and dreaming of a loving future. When mother and daughter are separated, Ady is left hopeless and directionless until she stumbles into the Mockingbird Inn and meets Lenore, a free Black woman with whom she becomes fast friends. Lenore invites Ady to join a clandestine society of spies called the Daughters. With the courage instilled in her by Sanite—and with help from these strong women—Ady learns how to put herself first. So begins her journey toward liberation and imagining a new future.

The American Daughters is a novel of hope and triumph that reminds us what is possible when a community bands together to fight for their freedom.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is the author of The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, which was longlisted for the Story Prize and was a finalist for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and We Cast a Shadow, which was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the PEN Open Book Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and International Dublin Literary Award. A recipient of an Iowa Review Award in fiction, he has been published in the Virginia Quarterly Review, AGNI, the Kenyon Review, The Massachusetts Review, and Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas. A native of New Orleans, he is a graduate of the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop and a professor of creative writing at Louisiana State University.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 6 pm

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

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/historical-fiction-book-club-american-daughters

Barb Morrison and Patty Schemel Talk Music and Memoirs at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-40f9ee64-579d-466f-95a5-0539986d0349

Los Feliz Writers Festival (Day 2 of 2) at Various Locations in Los Feliz– In-Person Event

Join the 1^st annual Los Feliz Writers Festival for 2 days of events, performances, and workshops, held at various locations and times.

Check the database of writers and their bios who will participate and perform at these events: https://losfelizlitfest.org/our-writers/

Check events, details, and locations at: https://losfelizlitfest.org/schedule/

This festival is FREE.

Where: Various locations in Los Feliz area

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 9 am – 5 pm

Address: Various (see site details)

Melrose Trading Post: 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 24^th

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

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

Website: https://www.instagram.com

Back to School with EQ: Educational Storytime with Annie and Kevin LaFerriere at Chevalier’s Bookstore – In-Person Event

We are pleased to bring you the official return of Storytime.

Civic EQ is partnering with Chevalier’s to host a civic-themed storytime where familiar faces read civic-themed children’s books, as part of its ongoing mission to engage with children and their parents about their civic duty and move through the world with political consciousness.

Sunday, August 24th, we invite you to the following storytimes:

At 11am, for ages 3–6, we will be reading Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell. Penguin Random House heralds it as “a classic in the making, this heartwarming story about empathy and imagination is one that families will treasure for years to come.”

At 11:45am, for ages 5–8, we will be reading Come with Me by Holly McGhee. Penguin writes that “[i]n this lyrical and timely story, author Holly M. McGhee and illustrator Pascal Lemaître champion the power of kindness, bravery, and friendship in the face of uncertainty.

Our readers, Annie and Kevin Laferriere, are married comedians and content creators making relatable sketch videos mostly centered around the experiences, challenges, and joys of raising children. Kevin is one half of the Dumb Dads (@thedumbdads) and Annie can be found @AnnieLaferriere. They also have a weekly podcast called Overcommitted (@overcommittedpod), where they breakdown their often hectic lives trying to make sense of parenting and marriage.

As always, our storytime events are free to attend, but we recommend you RSVP so that we can accommodate all who want to join.

Where: Chevalier’s Bookstore

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm

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

Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2025-08-24/back-school-civic-eq-educational-storytime-annie-and-kevin-laferriere

Vroman’s Local Author Day – Young Readers Edition at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event

Shvona Chung presents Hop Around.

Join the hoppers as they go on a journey around the world. We will learn about customs, culture, and the arts together! Hop on the magic, uni-carriage, and explore!

Sarah McLean presents Leah Is a Dragonfly Now: A true story of grief and everlasting friendship.

Based on the award-winning animated short film, this poignant, touching, and uplifting picture book about grief reminds us that loved ones never truly leave our side, and that they can even take shape as tiny, little dragonflies.

When Celine’s best friend dies, she decides to wear a dragonfly bracelet to keep her close. After Celine and her family escape a car accident unharmed, she realizes she has lost the dragonfly bracelet. Rattled by the scary and unexpected series of events, Celine determines they must have a guardian angel watching over them.

Dragonflies symbolize transformation from a physical presence to a spiritual one. All too often we lose loved ones only to wonder where they’ve gone and if we’ll ever see them again. In this true story of life, death, and everlasting friendship, Leah Is a Dragonfly Now helps readers cope with the loneliness, sadness, and anxiety we may feel after someone we love leaves us. Leah, now a dragonfly, reminds her best friend that she will always be by her side, even if she doesn’t see her, and will always be looking out for her.

“Hi, friend. I’m here with you and always will be.”

A heartwarming gift for older children and adults who have suffered loss and want to stay connected to their loved ones.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Sunday, the 24^th

Time: 11 am – 12 pm

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

Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-08-24/vromans-local-author-day-young-readers-edition

Burning Issues Book Club: The Heat Will Kill You First via Bel Canto Books, Long Beach – In-Person Event

BIBC is an online and local book club that gathers to read and discuss non-fiction works related to climate change, environmental degradation, environmental and social justice, and implementation of social change movements. Past book club favorites include: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo.

Participants will discuss The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet by author Jeff Goodell.

Where: Bel Canto Books KUBO, Long Beach

Date: Sunday, the 24^th

Time: 12 pm – 1 pm

Address: Online Event (see site)

Website: https://belcantobooks.net/events

OC Poet Laureate Office Hours with Gustavo Hernandez at LibroMobile, Santa Ana – In-Person Event

OC Poet Laureate, Gustavo Hernández, is hosting office hours from 12:00 – 2:00 pm on Sunday August 23^rd.

Where: LibroMobile 

Date: Saturday the 23^rd

Time: 12 pm – 2 pm

Address: 1150 S. Bristol St., A3, Santa Ana, CA 92704

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin.

Ana Reyes is the New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick The House in the Pines. She has an MFA from Louisiana State University and teaches creative writing. She lives with her husband in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 2 pm

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

Website: https://www.cellardoorbookstore.com/event/latinx-book-club-house-pines

Zillennial Book Club: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event

Participants will discuss The Spirit Bares Its Teethby Andrew Joseph White.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old trans, autistic Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. When the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its guts to the world—so long as the school doesn’t break him first.

Featuring an autistic trans protagonist in a historical setting, Andrew Joseph White’s much-anticipated sophomore novel does not back down from exposing the violence of the patriarchy and the harm inflicted on trans youth who are forced into conformity.

Andrew Joseph White is a queer, trans author from Virginia, where he grew up falling in love with monsters and wishing he could be one too. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 2022, and has a habit of cuddling random street cats. Andrew writes about trans kids with claws and fangs, and what happens when they bite back.

Where: Cellar Door Bookstore

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 4 pm

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

Uplifting and engaging, Say Something, Poupeh Babaee! depicts the healing power of therapy, friendship, and familial bonds. This is a message of hope to all the awkward, overwhelmed immigrant children struggling to find acceptance.

Dr. Haleh Massey is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with almost two decades of experience working with children and their families. She met the love of her life, therapist and author, Christopher Massey aka William DeNoyer, while working for a non-profit agency in the big, bad city. Soon after, Dr. Massey returned to the suburbs, where she and Christopher opened a private practice and are awkwardly raising two amazing children. When she’s not working, Dr. Massey enjoys building Legos and eating turkey sandwiches.

Where: Diesel, A Bookstore

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 4 pm

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

Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2025-08-24/haleh-massey-say-something-poupeh-babaee

Vroman’s Local Author Day – Introducing Jonathan Grimm at Vroman’s – In-Person Event

Jonathan Grimm presents The Future Poor: How families and communities can join together to survive the looming retirement crisis.

The Future Poor reveals how millions of Americans under 50 earning less than $150,000 are heading toward poverty in retirement. Author and licensed financial advisor Jonathan Grimm exposes the broken retirement system and offers hope through community cooperation, financial literacy, and reimagined social pillars. An urgent wake-up call with practical solutions for surviving the looming retirement crisis.

Where: Vroman’s

Date: Sunday, the 24^th

Time: 4 pm – 5 pm

Join participants to discuss Saturnalia by Stephanie Feldman.

Where: North Figueroa Bookshop

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 5 pm – 7 pm

Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Website: https://northfigbookshop.com/event/#calendar-8a0f87f6-17d6-4f10-9815-04df4c8251ba-event-87024693-2d4d-417d-9721-940df08e59eb

Local Authors Meet-Up at Underdog Bookstore – In-Person Event

At Underdog Bookstore we love supporting local authors on the shelves and at our signings and panels, but sometimes you just want to turn off the book selling brain and enjoy each other’s company instead.

We hope that these meetups will provide an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and spend time in community. Whether you’re self published and new to the industry or have trade tales to share from your experience in indie or major publishing – all authors are welcome here.

Our space is food, drink, and pet friendly, so feel free to bring your favorite refreshments and animal companions!

RSVP at website.

Where: Underdog Bookstore

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Address: 312 South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, CA, 91016

Website: https://www.underdogbookstore.org/events/local-authors-meetup-segb8-sfzbl-mrthn

August Historical Romance Book Club: A Matter of Class at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event

Historical Romance Book Club is led by Orders Manager Katie S. It meets on the 4^th Sunday of the month, and participants read all historical romance titles, all eras, both new and old. Everyone is welcome.

This month’s selection is A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh.

RSVP required.

Where: The Ripped Bodice

Date: Sunday the 24^th

Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm

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

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