Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Do you want to find creative inspiration and overcome writer’s block in a supportive and peaceful community setting? Are you interested in writing professionally or for personal growth and healing but unsure where to begin?
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/
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 9 am – 10 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Robertson Writers Group at Robertson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Writing a book, poem, or screenplay? Need deadlines? Want constructive feedback? Then this is the place for you. Bring 5 – 10 double-spaced typed pages to read. Everyone will get a chance to read. RSVP:
This group mostly meets in person, but email rbrtsn@lapl.org if you’d prefer to join via Zoom.
Where: Robertson Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 11 am
Address: 1719 S. Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/robertson-writers-group-2
Seniors Writing Groupat Studio City Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join Danny Stone, a Saved by a Story member, leads an ongoing writing group for seniors. New members are welcome to all or any sessions.
Write to prompts, share (if you want), connect with fellow seniors in the neighborhood, hone your writing skills, and find your story.
RSVP:
An RSVP to studio@lapl.org is recommended but not required. If you RSVP we will send you a welcome packet, guidelines, and a reminder the day before the meeting.
Where: Studio City Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 1 pm
Address: 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, CA 91604
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/seniors-writing-group
Omega Science Fiction Writing Workshopat Jefferson – Vassie D. Wright Memorial Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Teen Event
Join us for a special writing workshop with Nature Nexus Institute! This workshop will focus on Science Fiction as part of the Omega Sci-Fi Writing Contest. If you love writing and wish to submit your work to a contest, then this workshop is for you! This program is Best for Ages 11-18.
Where: Jefferson – Vassie D. Wright Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Address: 2211 W, Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/omega-science-fiction-writing-workshop
Book Club: Carrie Soto Is Back at Sun Valley Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Join us for a lively book discussion. We meet online via Google Meet.
January 2026 book selection: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
RSVP:
Email ebarrera@lapl.org for the Google Meet link.
Where: Sun Valley Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/sun-valley-branch-book-club-0
Evening Book Club: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store at Manhattan Beach Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Patrons can enjoy a facilitated discussion of fiction and nonfiction titles. A limited number of titles are available for attendees at the library. For adults.
January Selection: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Chicken Hill is where Moshe and Chona Ludlow live and run the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which serves as the neighborhood’s quirky collection of black and European immigrants. When the state comes looking for a deaf black child, claiming that the boy needed to be institutionalized, Chicken Hill residents band together to keep the boy safe.
Where: Manhattan Beach Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 1320 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, Ca 90266
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14757645
YA for Adults Book Club: The Dead of Summer at Cellar Door Bookstore, Riverside – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss The Dead of Summer (Book 1) by author Ryan La Sala.
A heart-pounding thriller told in a mix of narrative voices and found documents from the bestselling author of The Honeys, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, E. Lockhart, Karen McManus, and Rory Powers!
Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor’s Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration—his mom is cancer free, and she’s determined to have the best summer ever—but Ollie’s (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he’s returning with a lot of questions. Because for a place that’s perfect on the surface, a secret rots below the waves. A secret that could explain his mom’s illness, and the illness of so many other locals.
Ollie’s desperate search for the truth turns life-or-death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises…
Ryan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre-defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy, including The Dead of Summer, The Honeys, and Beholder. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl. He can hold his breath for one minute and three seconds. You can ping him on his shell phone at ryanlasala.com.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Monday the 126h
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-01-12/ya-adults-book-club-dead-summer
Inlandia Workshop: Writing for Children with Jose Cahvez – Online Zoom Event
(BEG-INT)
Alternating Mondays, 1/12, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/23, and 3/9/26; 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT, on ZOOM.
This workshop is designed to meet the needs of those who wish to write or are writing for children. We’ll define a “picture book,” and demonstrate story introductions, character development, plot and theme, appropriate vocabulary, and more. There will be time to flex our writing muscles and develop the beauty and strength of our “voice” for children.
José Chávez is a poet, educator, and consultant. He’s written two award-winning bilingual children’s poetry books that offer the rhythm and oral practice that help children learn to read. He teaches Writing for Children online and is finishing a book of poetry book for teachers.
$50 EACH • 6 SESSIONS OVER 10 WEEKS • ENROLL TODAY! https://tinyurl.com/Winter2026CWW
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Monday the 5th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2026CWW
Robertson Readers Book Group: Foster at Robertson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for the book club at the Robertson Branch. We will discuss the book and share other interesting books we have been reading. New members are welcome! Print copies of each book will be available for checkout in the branch beginning three weeks before the book club meeting date, while supplies last.
Upcoming meeting:
January 12: Foster by Claire Keegan
Where: Robertson Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 1719 S. Robertson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/robertson-readers
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 the12th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501
Website: https://www.facebook.com
Main Library Book Group: The Parable of the Sower via Santa Monica Library – Online Event
Join us to discuss The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E, Butler.
Where: Santa Monca Main Library
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
At Skylight: Amanda Montell, with Traci Thomas, & The Age of Magical Overthinking at Skylight – In-Person Event
Amanda Montell, in conversation with Traci Thomas, will present and discuss her book The Age of Magical Overthinking.
From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger-than-life celebrities, to how the “sunk cost fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while or even hear a melody in it.
Amanda Montell is a writer and linguist from Baltimore. She is the author of the acclaimed books Wordslut, Cultish, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Along with hosting the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @Amanda_Montell.
Traci Thomas is the creator and host of the critically acclaimed literary podcast, The Stacks. She is a passionate champion of books and a deeply curious interviewer. Traci is a monthly contributor on NPR’s Here & Now, a columnist for shereads.com, the creator of the LAist live literary series, One for the Books. She also hosts and moderates literary events, book festivals, and author talks nationwide. Traci’s substack, Unstacked, is a place where she dives deeper into books, and also discusses topics outside the literary world like pop culture, sports, politics, and more. Away from The Stacks, Traci is a lover of hot takes, a watcher of sports, and a true snack enthusiast. Originally from Oakland, CA, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mr. Stacks, and her twin boys, the Mini Stacks.
Where: Skylight
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
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
Date: Monday the 12th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monday-night-fiction-workshop-tickets-1979863990492
Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Do you want to find creative inspiration and overcome writer’s block in a supportive and peaceful community setting? Are you interested in writing professionally or for personal growth and healing but unsure where to begin?
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/
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
NEW! Toddler Tuesdays: A Travelin’ Storytime – Session 1 at Main Library, SMPL – In-Person Kids Event
This fun and engaging weekly series of stories, songs, and rhymes travels to different library locations. Limited space; first come, first served. For ages walking – 3 years.
Where: Main Library, SMPL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 10:30 am – 11 am
Address: 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
Virtual Author Talk: David Brooks & How to Know a Person via LACL – Online Event
Join us for a discussion with prominent cultural author David Brooks on his book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply. Learn how to ask the essential questions needed to truly get to know someone.
If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to?
Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and determination to grow as a person, Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way it offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility, and misperception.
The act of seeing another person, Brooks argues, is profoundly creative: How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them and, in turn, see something larger in ourselves? How to Know a Person is for anyone searching for connection and yearning to be understood.
Register now to take part in a riveting and timeless conversation on how to connect with people from all walks of life and why doing so is paramount to our individual and communal growth.
Where: Virtual Program, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15211079
Virtual Book Club: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall via La Crescenta Library, LACL – Online Event
Join us weekly on Zoom for the Virtual Book Club. In January we will be discussing Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall. 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 2: January 13: Part 2 – Bobby – Pages 107 – 175
Week 3: January 20: Part 3 – Jimmy – Pages 179 – 231
Week 4: January 27: Part 4 – Frank – Pages 235 to the end of the book
Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident. As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
Where: La Crescenta Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15404038
NEW! Toddler Tuesdays: A Travelin’ Storytime – Session 2 at Main Library, SMPL – In-Person Kids Event
This fun and engaging weekly series of stories, songs, and rhymes travels to different library locations. Limited space; first come, first served. For ages walking – 3 years.
Where: Main Library, SMPL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 11:30 am – 12 pm
Address: 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
Book Club: So Late in the Day at West Covina Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan.
So Late in the Day is a collection of three short stories of women and men, exploring complex gender dynamics, love, and betrayal through tales of missed connections, male resentment, and a woman’s encounter with a possessive stranger. The stories, including the title story, “The Long and Painful Death,” and “Antarctica,” are known for their dark, nuanced, and often unsettling look at relationships, revealing the subtle ways expectations and a lack of generosity can corrupt them.
Where: West Covina Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 1601 W. Covina Pkwy., West Covina, CA 91790
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15415855
Agoura Hills Nonfiction Book Club: When It All Burns at Agoura Hilla Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us in person to discuss Jordan Thomas‘ When It All Burns. For adults.
Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 136h
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15191783
Book Club: Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club at Montebello Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim.
There are copies available at the Circulation Desk upon request. For Adults
Where: Montebello Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 136h
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 1550 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15422491
Book Party: Remember Us at Lancaster Library, LACL – In-Person MG/Teen Event
Join us to discuss Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson.
This novel is about a teenage girl who loves to play basketball with the boys. After, we will make our own trash bin basketball set. This book is appropriate for Grades 5 – 9.
Where: Lancaster Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 136h
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 601 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA 93534
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15191795
Poetry Open Mic via Westwood Banach Library, LAPL – Online Event
Join us to share a poem you wrote or a poem you love. You are also welcome to just listen and enjoy.
RSVP:
To receive a Zoom invitation, please contact wwood@lapl.org.
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 136h
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/poetry-open-mic-0
Inlandia Workshop: David Puma & The Spoken Page: Poetry, Dialogue, Monologue and Scene Workshop – Online Zoom Event
Join an Inlandia Writing Workshop with David Puma: All Genres Workshop.
Alternating Tuesdays, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, and 3/10/26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT, on ZOOM.
In this flexible, multi-genre workshop, we will explore the relationship between the fundamentals of poetry and dialogue, monologue, and the practice of setting a scene. This workshop is not constrained by genre and is designed to work in-tune with traditional poetry, novel/fiction writing, memoir writing, playwriting and/or screenwriting. If you have an idea that you are either working on or are interested in beginning, it has a place in this workshop!
Over the course of the workshop, we will analyze examples of film, spoken word poetry, plays and literature to help understand what truly makes a piece of performance writing become captivating. Rhythm, word choice, voice, and efficiency are all tools writers must have at their disposal, and this workshop seeks to help writers generate, develop and experiment with the medium of their choosing in an inclusive and collaborative environment. The best training I ever got for writing dialogue in scripts was learning how to write poems. The goal of this workshop is to refine the way we look for the poetry in everything we write.
David Puma obtained an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at San Jose State University and a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Redlands. He has performed spoken word across California, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire, as well as in New York City and abroad in London, U.K. Professionally, his poetry has been included on streaming platforms like Disney+.
$50 EACH • 5 SESSIONS OVER 10 WEEKS • ENROLL TODAY! https://tinyurl.com/Winter2026CWW
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2026CWW
Book Club Tuesday: Blackmail and Bibingka via Hollydale Library, LACL – Online Event
Join us to discuss Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala. New members are always welcome! This program presented in English. For adults.
Copies of the current title are available to check-out at the customer service desk while supplies last.
Where: Hollydale Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15450664
John McMahon & Inside Man: A Head Cases Novel at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome John McMahon to the store to discuss and sign Inside Man: A Head Cases Novel.
In Inside Man, FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.
PAR’s latest case involves a militia group stockpiling weapons. When their confidential informant in the case is killed, it quickly becomes clear that the militia did not kill him.
As the squad looks into the evidence surrounding his murder, an unidentified man is caught on camera with their informant. This mystery man’s picture is connected to another case at the FBI, an unsolved series of murdered women, buried in the ground in north Florida. Could they have uncovered a serial killer? And if so, what is his connection to their C.I.?
As PAR juggles an investigation into both the dead women and the militia, they enroll a new informant, only to find the case escalating in dangerous ways. How will PAR handle a case that increasingly looks like a terrorist plot? And in the serial case, with no puzzles or witnesses, and few leads, how will a group set up to decode riddles be successful?
John McMahon’s debut novel The Good Detective was labeled “pretty much perfect” by the New York Times, which listed it among their “Top Ten Crime Novels of 2019.” The book was also a finalist for the 2020 Edgar Award and the ITW Thriller Award, both for Best First Novel. Head Cases is his fourth novel and is currently in development with Warner Bros. TV for a streaming series on HBO Max. John currently lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and a rescue dog. He splits his time between crime-writing and his day job in advertising.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore (in the Courtyard)
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Suite 33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2026-01-13/john-mcmahon-inside-man-head-cases-novel
Activism Book Club: State of Resistance withManuel Pastor at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Activism Book Club participants will discuss State of Resistance with author Manuel Pastor.
Each month, we’ll dive into a book that informs and directs us about the state of the world, and how we can put what we learn into practice. We’ll have guest speakers, workshops, volunteer activities, and discussions of how we can positively impact the community. We’re looking forward to building a community that’s more connected around our collective well-being.
State of Resistance is lauded by James Fallows on the front page of the New York Times Book Review as “concise, clear, and convincing” upon its hardcover publication, This book makes the case for honestly engaging racial anxiety in order to address our true economic and generational challenges, renewing our commitment to public investments, cultivating social movements and community organizing, and more.
Once upon a time, any mention of California triggered unpleasant reminders of Ronald Reagan and right-wing tax revolts, ballot propositions targeting undocumented immigrants, and racist policing that sparked two of the nation’s most devastating riots. In fact, California confronted many of the challenges the country faces now—decades before the rest of us.
As white residents became a minority and job loss drove economic uncertainty, California had its own Trump moment twenty-five years ago but has become increasingly blue over each of the last seven presidential elections. Today, California is leading the way on addressing climate change, low-wage work, immigrant integration, overincarceration, and more. Pastor expertly reveals how the Golden State did it.
And as Neera Tandeen, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, said, “State of Resistance paints a brilliant picture of how our generation can seize the opportunity to forge a more inclusive, just, and prosperous America for every family.”
Dr. Manuel Pastor is a professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California, where he also serves as director of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and as co-director of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. Dr. Pastor has received Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships as well as the 2012 Wally Marks Changemaker of the Year award from the Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles and is author of State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resurgence Mean for America’s Future (The New Press). He currently holds the Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change at USC and lives in Los Angeles.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd.,1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://villagewell.com
Open Mic Readings Every Tuesday at the Aftermath Bar, Sherman Oaks – In-Person Event
CALLING ALL WRITERS! Every Tuesday we’ll be having Open Mic Readings open to the public! Read your poems, fiction, and spoken word at our open mic reading EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT from 7 pm – 10 pm!
Read your poetry, fiction, spoken word, or lyrics.
Free event. 21+
Note: Please RSVP at site.
Where: The Aftermath Bar
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Address: 14537 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Book Launch: Jeff Rake, with Josh Dallas, & Detour at Chevalier’s Books – In-Person Event
Jeff Rake, in conversation with Jossh Dallas, will discuss Detour: A Novel (Detour #1).
A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they’vereturned to is not the home they left behind in the first book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.
Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.
Thanks to Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.
But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.
When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.
Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.
Jeff Rake recently served as creator, executive producer, writer, and showrunner for NBC/Netflix’s Manifest. He previously developed and executive produced The Mysteries of Laura, which aired for multiple seasons on NBC and in more than one hundred countries. His past credits include consulting producer on The CW’s Beauty and the Beast, TNT’s Franklin & Bash and Hawthorne, and Fox’s Bones. Rake also executive produced ABC’s Cashmere Mafia and Boston Legal, NBC’s Miss Match, and Fox’s The $treet. On the feature side, he has written screenplays for MGM and Disney. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their many children.
Rob Hart is the USA Today bestselling author of the Assassins Anonymous series, as well as The Paradox Hotel, which was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and The Warehouse, which was translated into more than twenty languages. He also wrote the novella Scott Free with James Patterson, the comic book Blood Oath with Alex Segura, and the novel Dark Space, also with Segura. He lives in Jersey City.
Where: Chevalier’s Books
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Where: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2026-01-13/detour-book-launch
Adult Book Group: When the Cranes Fly South at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us to discuss When Cranes Fly South: A Novel by author Lisa Ridzén.
A profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man’s attempts to mend his relationship with his son before it’s too late: an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs, and atonement that is already an international sensation.
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company…though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.
Whether you loved it, hated it, or haven’t finished it, we want to see you at our Adult Book Club that has been going strong for 40+ years at America’s Oldest Children’s Bookstore!
Download a PDF of the schedule:
Our members meet in a hybrid format both in-person and via Zoom.
Books are available in print, and when possible as an e-book and a digital audiobook.
Email Jessica@onceupona.com to Request Zoom Meeting Invite
Where: Once Upon a Time, Montrose (and Zoom)
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Mystery Book Club: The Killer Question at pages, a bookstore – In-Person Even
Mystery Book Club participants will discuss The Killer Question: A Novel by Janice Hallet.
Sue and Mal Eastwood run an isolated rural pub called The Case is Altered where a weekly trivia game has revived its flagging fortunes—that is, until a body is found in the nearby river. Soon after, a mysterious new team arrives and shakes up the diverse field of regulars by scoring top marks in every round…every week.
Meanwhile, Sue and Mal have a secret of their own. Before arriving here, they were caught up in a secret police operation which meant they had to leave town—and whatever happened back then seems to have finally caught up with them.
Five years later, the pub lies derelict, and their nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. What happened at this unassuming pub? And can a single question really kill?
NOTE: We read new release mysteries. Book selection is done by email voting prior to each meeting so that the following month’s book will be available at the preceding month’s meeting.
Facilitated by Bobby McCue
Where: pages, a bookstore
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2026-01-13/mystery-book-club
At Skylight: Khadijah Queen, with Ashaki Jackson, & Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea at Skylight – In-Person Event
Kahdijah Queen, in conversation with Ashaki Jackson, will present and discuss Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
We stay fighting, even if we don’t call it war.
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is 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 or is forthcoming in CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action, Obsidian, McSweeney’s, AGNI, 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 was the inaugural publisher at The Offing online magazine of literature and served as an Art Share LA Board member. She lives locally.
Where: Skylight
Date: Tuesday the 13th
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
Denise Nicholas, with Ed Boyer, & Finding Home: A Memoir at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Denise Nicholas, in conversation with Ed Boyer, will discuss Finding Home: A Memoir.
A poignant, revelatory memoir from acclaimed novelist and actor Denise Nicholas that offers an episodic exploration of her multifaceted life, delving intimately into themes of artistic self-invention, race, and grief.
Long before writing her acclaimed novel Freshwater Road, or her career as a path-breaking TV and film star, Denise Nicholas was a middle-class Black girl growing up in 1950s Detroit, struggling to decipher her family’s profound secrets. She loved Detroit’s vibrant culture despite the harsh realities of its racial segregation, which deeply influenced her perspective on identity. In her early twenties, she dropped out of the University of Michigan to tour the Deep South with the Free Southern Theater at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, a path that ultimately ignited her lifelong commitment to social justice and activism. A few short years later she would launch from stage work to meteoric national fame as a series lead on the groundbreaking ABC-TV show Room 222, a role that earned her three.
With eloquence, vulnerability, and resolve, Nicholas mines her six-decade journey through TV and film stardom, the complexities of her three marriages, and her reconstituting her creative life to become a celebrated novelist, reflecting on the personal, professional, and societal pressures that buffeted her throughout. Constructed of episodic reflections from both personal and professional high points and low points of her life, Nicholas navigates the intersections of love and identity, exploring how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her understanding of success, intimacy, and commitment. Her narrative is rich with anecdotes from her career in Hollywood, as an actor and, later, a successful screenwriter for television and eventually a novelist, providing a backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path. She outspokenly discusses the challenges she faced as a trailblazing actress of color, shedding light on the systemic barriers and biases within the entertainment industry.
But at the deepest level, this memoir is a heartfelt exploration of grief, as Nicholas recounts the profound losses—including the unsolved, targeted slaying of her sister, the telling of which occupies the center of her story—that have shaped her. Her reflections on mourning and resilience paint a vivid, moving portrait of how to journey through healing to new dimensions of self-discovery. Through her powerful, stylish, and evocative storytelling, Nicholas not only chronicles her own remarkable life but also provides a resonant narrative of what it means to live, work, and succeed as a Black woman in America over the past half-century.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Tuesday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-01-13/denise-nicholas
The Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic: Rick Lupert & Malcome Friend – Online Zoom Event
Cobalt Poets Reading & Open Mic and host Rick Lupert welcomes featured poet Malcome Friend.
Malcome Friend is a is a poet originally from the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. He received his BA from Vanderbilt University, where he was the 2014 recipient of the Merrill Moore Prize for Poetry, and is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
He is the author of the chapbook mxd kd mixtape (Glass Poetry, 2017) and the full length collection Our Bruises Kept Singing Purple (Inlandia Books, 2018), selected by Cynthia Arrieu-King as winner of the 2017 Hillary Gravendyk Prize. He has received awards and fellowships from organizations including CantoMundo, Backbone Press, the Center for African American Poetry & Poetics, The Frost Place, and the University of Memphis. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in publications including La Respuesta magazine, the Fjords Review’s Black American Edition, Vinyl, Word Riot, The Acentos Review, Connotation Press: An Online Artifact, and Pretty Owl Poetry.
He is a Poetry Editor for FreezeRay Poetry, and together with JR Mahung is a member of Black Plantains, an Afrocaribbean poetry collective. He currently lives and teaches in Austin.
Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event
Date: Tuesday, the 13th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.poetrysuperhighway.com
Da Poetry Lounge: Open Mic Night at COC – COMMUNITY OWNED CENTER in Leimert Park – 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 suggested donation. Pay what you can. Do NOT line up prior to 7:30 pm Free parking adjacent to the theater.
Masks are encouraged.
Where: COC – COMMUNITY OWNED CENTER,New Leimert Park Location
Date: Tuesday, the 6th
Time: 9 pm – 11 pm (Doors at 8:15 pm)
Address: 4276 Crenshaw Blvd., Leimert Park, CA 90008
PARKING:
Street parking: Crenshaw and Degnan
Parking Lot: 3416 W 43rd St Leimert Park, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Come write with us!
Many people believe that a morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.
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/
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 9 am – 10 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Mystery Book Club: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murder at West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for engaging discussions at our monthly Mystery Book Club meeting!
Jan.14, 2026: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murder by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Where: West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Address: 19036 Vanowen Street, Reseda, CA 91335
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/mystery-book-club-20
Poets Café via KPFK 90.7 FM – Live On-Air Event
Poets Café celebrates Poetry. This program is a weekly half-hour literary arts discussion and reading program featuring guest authors and their works.
Poetry From Around the World is a segment of this series offered monthly on the 2nd Monday of the month on KPFK Los Angeles 90.7 FM.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: KPFK 90.7 FM
Date: Wednesday, the 14th
Time: 2 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: On-air Event
Website: https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/poets-cafe/
Drag Queen Story Hour at Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join us for storytime with a drag performer bringing inclusive stories, fabulous costumes, and extra sparkle.
Where: Angeles Mesa Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 2700 W. 52nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/drag-queen-story-hour-0
2nd & 3rd Grade Book Club at pages, a bookstore – In-Person Kids Event
Join us for 2nd & 3rd Grade Book club, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month.
Participants will read and discuss The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser.
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It’s practically another member of the family. So, when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are.
And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
Where: pages, a bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 4:30 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2026-01-14/2nd-3rd-grade-book-club
Malibu Library Book Club: The Art Thief at Malibu Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a discussion about the book The Art Thief by Michael FInkel. For adults.
A spellbinding story of art, theft, and love. This book is a riveting portrayal of obsession, flawed genius, and the insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
Where: Malibu Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 23519 West Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15191831
Author Talk: Claire Bursky & Survive, Then Thrive: My Family’s Holocaust Story at West Hollywood Library, LACL – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us for an inspiring author talk with Claire Bursky as she shares her remarkable story in Survive, Then Thrive: My Family’s Holocaust Story.
In this moving account of love, resilience, and survival, Claire, born in Russia at the end of World War II, recounts her parents’ flight from Poland in the 1930s, their experiences during the Holocaust, and how they ultimately found refuge and a new life afterward.
This program is co-sponsored by Holocaust Museum LA.
This program will be held in the Community Meeting Room.
Where: West Hollywood Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15385419
Wiseburn Library Book Club: My Brilliant Friend at Wiseburn Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a discussion of the book My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferante. For adults.
The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets, the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change.
Where: Wiseburn Library, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 7:45 pm
Address: 5335 West 135th St., Hawthorne, CA 90250
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14511477
Inlandia Workshop: RM Ambrose & Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Fiction Workshop – Online Zoom Event
Join an Inlandia Writing Workshop with RM Ambrose: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Fiction Workshop.
Alternating Wednesdays, 1/14, 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, and 3/11/26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT, on ZOOM.
In this workshop, participants submit Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror (SFFH or Speculative Fiction) prose. Submissions may be short stories or excerpts of longer works. Fellow participants are expected to give each work a “close reading” prior to the meeting where we provide verbal feedback (i.e., “Milford” method). Instructor will provide lectures and exercises on various topics such as how to give and receive feedback, subgenres under the “spec fic” umbrella, character, worldbuilding, endings, use of violence, novel “plot breaking,” “verb poetry,” flash fiction, “The 10% Solution,” and navigating the “genre fiction” industry. Topics will seldom repeat from quarter to quarter, but topics of interest to participants will be prioritized for each quarter.
RM Ambrose received his MFA in Creative Writing with concentrations in Popular Fiction and Scriptwriting from Stonecoast at University of Southern Maine. He attended the Taos Toolbox workshop with Hugo-winning instructors Walter Jon Williams, Nancy Kress, and George R. R. Martin. He edited Inlandia book Vital: The Future of Healthcare, including one Best American SFF story and two award-winners for disability representation in Speculative Fiction. He guest-edited the medical issue of Future SF Digest, including two Years Best SF reading list stories. He was Assistant Fiction Editor at the Hugo-winning StarShipSofa Podcast. His story, “Olive Branch,” appears in Friends Journal.
$50 EACH • 5 SESSIONS OVER 10 WEEKS • ENROLL TODAY!
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: https://tinyurl.com/Winter2026CWW
Paula Lafferty & The Once and Future Queen at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Paula Lafferty to discuss her book The Once and Future Queen: The Lives of Guinevere.
Free seating is limited. To reserve a seat, please purchase one copy of a book for one seat.
Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend…22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.
After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her.
Paula Lafferty is the author of La Vie De Guinevere, a feminist timeslip reimagining of King Arthur’s legend that was independently published through a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign before being traditionally released by Kensington Publishing. It has since become an international sensation, published in 10 countries and translated into 8 languages, with an audiobook edition narrated by Julia Whelan. Born and raised in Kansas, she earned BFA in Film Production from Chapman University and a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology. She now lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in the Kansas City, KS area.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Suite 33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2026-01-14/paula-lafferty-once-and-future-queen
RECESS Open Mic at SIPA HQ, Palms Up Academy – In-Person Event
RECESS Open Mic is at SIPA HQ on Wednesdays.
Standard mic RSVP, rules and entry apply.
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.
Host: Lady Basco
NOTE: Only self-sign-ups are allowed.
20 slots available; 15 slots for dinner served; remaining slots for faculty.
See site for further details,
NOTE: See site for RSVP, cost, guidelines, and details.
Where: SIPA HQ
Date: Wednesday, the 14th
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.instagram.com
At Skylight: Madeline Cash & Lost Lambs: A Novel at Skylight – In-Person Event
Madeline Cash will present and discuss Lost Lambs: A Novel, a new vision of the charms and pitfalls of family dysfunction.
The Flynn family is coming undone. Catherine and Bud’s open marriage has reached its breaking point as their daughters spiral in their own chaotic orbits: Abigail, the eldest, is dating a man in his twenties nicknamed War Crime Wes; Louise, the middle child, maintains a secret correspondence with an online terrorist; the brilliant youngest, Harper, is being sent to wilderness reform camp due to her insistence that someone—or something—is monitoring the town’s citizens.
Casting a shadow across their lives, and their small coastal town, is Paul Alabaster, a billionaire shipping magnate. Rumors of corruption circulate, but no one dares dig too deep. No one except Harper, whose obsession with a mysterious shipping container sends the family hurtling into a criminal conspiracy—one that may just bring them closer together.
Irreverent and addictive, pinging between the voices of the Flynn family and those of the panorama of characters around them, Madeline Cash’s Lost Lambs is a debut novel of quick-witted observation and surprising tenderness. With it, Cash has crafted a family saga for the twenty-first century, all held together with crazy glue.
Madeline Cash is a cofounder of Forever Magazine and the author of the story collection Earth Angel. Her fiction has appeared in Granta, The Baffler, The Sewanee Review, The Drift, and elsewhere. She currently lives in London.
Where: Skylight
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-madeline-cash-presents-lost-lambs
The Hollywood Stories at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for The Hollywood Stories, an evening of storytelling from folks in show business hosted by Patrick Stack.
In Patrick’s own words, “The Hollywood Stories is a show I have been producing on and off since 2010. It’s a lot like THE MOTH RADIO HOUR but instead of stories about random themes, these stories are about the crazy world of Show Business. All of the story tellers have spent some time toiling in the Entertainment Industry, and their shared experiences are funny, sad, weird or inspirational. But they all have one thing in common…Show Biz.”
The Story Makers: Tracy Newman, Charles Dennis, Peggy Maltby Etra, Brandon Steenhoek, Tim Stack, Peter Hastings, Brent Huff, Kay Donmyer
Tracy Newman is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, comedian, and singer-songwriter, known for co-creating According to Jim, writing for shows like Cheers and Ellen (winning an Emmy for “The Puppy Episode”), and as a founding member of The Groundlings improv troupe. A prolific children’s music artist and folk singer, she also wrote for The Nanny, The Drew Carey Show, and released albums like A Place in the Sun, blending her comedy and music talents.
Charles Dennis is a Canadian actor, playwright, journalist, author, director, and screenwriter.
Peggy Maltby Etra is a series regular on The Barbarian & The Troll where she originated over 10 of Characters. She has also appeared on The Last Champion (2018), Spoken Word (2016), Crash & Bernstein (2012), Hard Sun (2014), Seinfeld (1989). She was a puppeteer on The Happytime Murders (2018), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2017), Big Little Awesome (2017), Adam Ruins Everything (2015), No, You Shut Up! (2014), Ketchup With the Hot Dogs (2013). She was a member of The Groundlings “Always on a Sunday Show,” and she has been a performing cast member of Puppet Up! (an Adult Improv puppet show produced by the Brian Henson and The Jim Henson Company) for the last 13 years.
Brandon Steenhoek is known for Prey (2022), Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) and The Marvels (2023).
Tim Stack is an American actor, writer, and producer known for his distinctive voice and comedic roles, especially as Lampy in The Brave Little Toaster films, a recurring role on My Name Is Earl, and appearances in comedies like Back to School and Scary Movie 3. He also worked as a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly, contributing to pop culture and appearing on TV, and served as a staff writer for the series The Girls on the Bus.
Peter Hastings is an American writer, director, and producer of animated television. He is known for The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Animaniacs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinky and the Brain, and ABC’s One Saturday Morning block. He has won six Emmy awards and a Peabody award.
Brent Huff is an award-winning American actor, writer, and director known for roles in The Rookie (as Officer Smitty), Shameless, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold, plus directing documentaries like The Jackie Stiles Story and Chasing Beauty, starting his career as an 80s model and Mizzou athlete before moving to NYC to study acting.
Kay Donmyer is a visionary Creative Director, Music-forward Show Creator of Emmy-nominated works, Screenwriter and Executive based in Los Angeles. With a passion for bold storytelling and creative team leadership, Kay brings unique concepts to life across many platforms.
Note: Seats are first come, first serve.
Ticketed Event: Purchase at website.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://villagewell.com
Anansi Writers Workshop at The World Stage – In-Person Event
The Anansi Writers Workshop was founded in 1990 by Kamau Daáood, Akilah Oliver, Nafis Nabawi and Anthony Lyons. In 1993, Michael Datcher initiated the development of a three-part format for the workshop. Our tradition of a community workshop began in the late 1960s at the Watts Writers’ Workshop, where World Stage co-founder Kamau Daáood started his writing career. Hosted by Jessica Gallion aka “Yellawoman.”
- 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm — Formal workshop;
- 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm — Film Tribute to S. Pearl Sharp;
- 9:05 pm – 10:00 pm — Open mic.
Suggested: $10.00 Donation via PayPal: The World Stage Gallery.
NOTE: See site for further details and any change in the schedule. Contact on Instagram @ _yellawoman.
Where: The World Stage (use left rear entrance)
Date: Wednesday, the 14th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Story Salon at Art Parlor: TBA in Valley Village – In-Person & Virtual Hybrid Event (Check to Verify)
Los Angeles’s longest running storytelling venue is now a hybrid event!
An alternative to stand-up clubs + self-conscious performance spaces
Story Salon challenges you all to tell stories in 90 seconds! Can you do it? If you can, join us!
Tickets can be purchased early with the link in bio or at storysalon.com.
Theme: TBA.
Where: Art Parlor
Date: Wednesday the 14th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)
Address: 5302 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, CA 91607
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop with Martin Jago via Beyond Baroque – Online Event
The West Coast’s longest-running free poetry workshop is offered by Beyond Baroque on Zoom and welcomes new and seasoned poets to share their work and provide feedback. Please be prepared to share one poem. This workshop will be hosted via the Zoom video-conferencing platform. Please be prepared to share one poem.
Please spend some time before the workshop learning how to share documents via Zoom. It will keep the session moving if you’re able to make your poem viewable quickly and easily. An instructive video is available on the site.
The workshop can sometimes reach high levels of attendance, which means not everyone will get a chance to read every session.
Martin Jago is a British American poet based in Los Angeles. Author of Photofit (Pindrop Press, 2023) and a forthcoming chapbook, Black Plastic Blues (Finishing Line, 2026), his writing has appeared widely in literary magazines like Agenda, Acumen, The Moth, LIT Magazine, Presence, The Penn Review, The High Window, The Indianapolis Review, Tupelo Quarterly, and Sierra Nevada Review, among others. He holds a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford where he was an F.H. Pasby Prize finalist.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Wednesday, the 14th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wednesday-night-poetry-workshop-tickets-1980044568606
Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg and Guest Briana Muñoz at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event
Join host Ben Trigg and guest poet and author Briana Muñoz for a reading and open mic every Wednesday of the month.
Briana Muñoz is a poet from Southern California. She is the author of three books of poetry including Matriarchy: Sacred Poems (El Martillo Press). Her work has been published in the anthologies How to Reimagine America, Beat Not Beat, Somos Xicanas and several other publications. She currently lives in Southern California with her partner and child.
$5 cover fee, cash only
Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange
Date: Wednesday, the 14th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events
Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Come write with us!
Many people believe that a morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.
Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Book Club for Adults: Hamnet 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 Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Pick up a copy of the book at the information desk today! For adults.
Where: Chet Holfield Library, LACL
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 1060 S. Greenwood Ave., Montebello, CA 90640
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15283965
Poetry in the Afternoon & Open Mic: Alicia Viguer-Espert & Raffi Wartanian at Sparc Center Gallery, South Pasadena – In-Person Event
Poetry in the Afternoon host Aaron Hernandez welcomes featured poets Alicia Viguer-Espert and Raffi Wartanian.
Join us for this opportunity to listen and share poetry! Refreshments for the body and poetry for the soul.
Alicia Viguer-Espert is a Spanish-born, Los Angeles-based poet known for her chapbooks To Hold a Hummingbird and Out of the Blue Womb of the Sea, exploring themes of nature, identity, language, and home. A Pushcart nominee, she learned English as an adult and gained recognition in the L.A. poetry scene, being named a “Top 39 L.A. Poet” and a “Poet to Watch”. Her work appears in numerous national and international journals, focusing on connection to the natural world and cultural identity.
Raffi Joe Wartanian is a writer, musician, and educator. He is the grandson and great-grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, the son of Armenian parents from Lebanon, and, with his siblings, the first generation in his family to be born in the United States, in Baltimore. Raffi founded Letters for Peace in 2017, and currently serves on the advisory board of the International Armenian Literary Alliance.
Wartanian is the City of Glendale’s first Poet Laureate. The mission of the Glendale Poet Laureate program is to promote the art of poetry in Jewel City. Through community workshops, public readings, and other initiatives, the Poet Laureate utilizes the art of writing to serve as an ambassador to represent, engage, and nurture Glendale’s rich culture and diversity.
Where: Sparc Center Gallery
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 1000 Freemont Ave., South Pasadena, CA
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Writing the Fires: a Poetry Workshop for Teens with Nancy Lynee Woo at Michelle Obama Library, Long Beach – In-Person Teen Event
Explore your experiences, feelings, thoughts and questions about wildfires, climate change, and our changing world in a supportive, creative space. No poetry experience needed! We’ll read example poems, discuss, write, and share using provided writing prompts.
All teen poems written here are eligible for publication in the future California Poets in the Schools anthology on LA wildfires. Workshop Leader: Nancy Lynée Woo, Poetry Mentor for the Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate program. For ages 13-18. Registration encouraged.
RSVP at website.
Where: Michelle Obama Library, Long Beach
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 5870 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805
Website: https://www.longbeach.gov/library/events/
Online Book Club: Florida via West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
The West LA Book Club meets on the third Thursday of each month. We alternate between fiction and nonfiction. Digital copies of selected titles are generally available on Libby or Hoopla three weeks prior to the discussion date.
January 16 – Florida by Laura Groff
RSVP:
For Zoom link, please contact Carrie at cdavies@lapl.org.
Where: West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/online-book-club
Adaptation Book Club: Pride and Prejudice at Cellar Door Bookstore, Riverside – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.
See site for details.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 156h
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Inlandia Workshop: JD Mathes & Writing the Personal Essay – Online Zoom Event
Join an Inlandia Writing Workshop with JD Mathes: Writing the Personal Essay.
Alternating Thursdays, 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, and 3/12/26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm PT, on ZOOM.
In this workshop, participants will explore moments from their lives and use research to uncover connections between themselves and the wider world – topics can include nature, science, travel, culture, history – to write personal essays that ring with humanity.
J.D. Mathes grew up a feral child in the deserts of the American Southwest who loved to read library books. He is the award winning author of five books: Ahead of the Flaming Front: A Life on Fire, winner of the North American Book Prize; Shipwrecks and Other Stories, an essay collection Fever and Guts: A Symphony; The Journal West: Poems; and the forthcoming Of Time and Punishment: A Memoir – the result of his PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship. He has published essays in journals such as The Sun, The Southern Review, War, Literature & the Arts, The Fourth Genre, and The Baltimore Review. Among things he’s done to support his writing, and two daughters have been a wildland firefighter on a helicopter-rappel crew and logistics at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica where he led the Southernmost Writers Workshop in the World. http://www.jdmathes.com
$50 EACH • 5 SESSIONS OVER 10 WEEKS • ENROLL TODAY!
Where: Inlandia Institute
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event
Website: https://docs.google.com/forms
Montana Branch Book Group: James at Montana Branch Library, SMPL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss James by Percival Everett.
This community-led, monthly book discussion group meets in person at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at the Montana Branch. This book group discusses a mix of fiction and nonfiction titles, often on topics chosen from current events.
Where: Montana Branch Library, SMPL
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 1704 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90403
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
Ticketed Event: Laura Dave, with Jennifer Garner. & The First Time I Saw Him at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Laurea Dave, in conversation with Jennifer Garner, to discuss The First Time I Saw Him.
This event is ticketed and will be held in the courtyard at DIESEL, A Bookstore in Brentwood.
PLEASE PURCHASE A TICKET (COPY OF THE BOOK) FOR STANDING ROOM ONLY.
How far would you go for a second chance?
Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them.
But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.
Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.
A gripping, rich, and deeply moving novel about the power of forgiveness, The First Time I Saw Him picks up right where the epilogue for the “genuinely moving” (The New York Times) The Last Thing He Told Me left off, giving readers the eagerly awaited and absolutely exhilarating sequel to Dave’s global blockbuster.
Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have sold more than six million copies and have been translated into forty languages. The Last Thing He Told Me was the Goodreads Mystery & Thriller of the Year for 2021 and is now a series on Apple TV+, co-created by Laura. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their son.
Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner has enjoyed a successful career at the top of her field in both film and television and has also taken on the role of philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore (in the Courtyard)
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Suite 33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://dieselbookstore.com
Terese Svoboda, with Jim Ruland, & Hitler and My Mother-in-Law at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Terese Svoboda, in conversation with Jim Ruland, will discuss Hitler and My Mother-in-Law.
Hitler and My Mother-in-Law is a riveting memoir that explores the intersection of truth—both familial and political—through the colorful and complex life of the author’s mother-in-law.
In a time like our own of intense propaganda and manipulation, the only WWII female correspondent who covered both theaters of war, Pat Hartwell identified Hitler from a pile of ashes for the US military, and the troops awarded her with a million-dollar painting from Hitler’s study. Really?
She was the only woman in the CBS news room, assistant to the head of the Office of War Information, VP of one of the largest public relations companies in the world, third in command of UNICEF where she convinced Matisse to provide artwork for free, editor of her own Arizona newspaper where she hustled naïve art on the side, and eventually head of the Hawai’ian arts council, a state of extremely complex political and social stakeholders, where she left a legacy of preventing art fraud. Her story is a fascinating journey through history, art, and deception.
The memoir delves into the art of invention and the shapeshifting of memory and truth, interwoven with humorous yet profound moments. It examines the comical Soviet efforts to conceal Hitler’s death, McCarthy’s investigations, and the author’s own struggle to compete with both her mother and her mother-in-law. Threaded throughout are insights into organizations that malign the word “mother” and, of course, plenty of mother-in-law jokes.
With meticulous research and a unique perspective, Hitler and My Mother-in-Law challenges the boundaries of narrative honesty, offering a powerful exploration of propaganda, identity, and the personal reckoning that defines the art of memoir. It’s a gripping mix of history, family, humor, and a biting reflection on the politics of truth—past and present.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
How to Perform Poetry at Underdog Books, Monrovia – In-Person Event
Poetry isn’t just meant to be read—it’s meant to be felt.
In this class, you’ll learn to bring your words to life with presence, power, and purpose. Whether you’re stepping onto a stage for the first time or looking to refine your delivery, this class guides you through the essentials of voice, movement, and emotional connection.
Through practical exercises, peer feedback, and performance techniques, you’ll gain the confidence to turn your poems into unforgettable experiences.
RSVP by donation
Where: Underdog Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 312 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016
Website: https://www.underdogbookstore.org
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.
Get your tickets at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Thursday the 15th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
L.A. Book Launch: E by Noa Micaela Fields at Beyond Baroque – In-Person & Online Hybrid
Join us for a book signing and poetry reading celebrating E, the debut collection by Noa Micaela Fields. E—for the ebullience of encounter, the ecstasy of estrogen, and the eros in error. Influenced by Louis Zukofsky’s “A,” E vowelslides into new sonic and political territory.
E alchemizes glitch, noncompliance, and error into forms of protest and possibility. The collection explores how hormones reshape the body, how relationships evolve and implode over time, and how language itself can be remade through listening otherwise.
The evening will feature readings by Fields and special guests Raquel Gutiérrez, féi iká shumarí, and imogen smith.
Noa Micaela Fields is an echodeviant (trans poet with hearing aids) in search of the hypervivid in her one and only captionless life. Her debut poetry book E is now out from Nightboat Books. You can also find her writing in Anomaly, Antiphony, Poem of the Day, Sixty Inches From Center, Tripwire, and Zoeglossia, among other places. She is the public programs curator at the Poetry Foundation and poetry co-editor for Chrysalis, a trans youth literary magazine. Born in California, she lives in Chicago. www.doyounoapoet.com
féi iká shumarí (b.1993, Chihuahua, Mexico) (formerly known as féi hernandez) is a two spirit/trans woman, (un)documented writer, visual artist, and healer. She is a 2023 Lambda Literary fellow and 2022 Tin House Scholar. féi is the author of Hood Criatura (Sundress Publications, 2020), the forthcoming (Un)docu Mente (Noemi Press, 2026) and Chabóchi Doll (Abode Press, 2026). féi’s poetry/ prose is published in Los Angeles Review of Books, POETRY, Academy of American Poets, Hayden Ferry’s Review, Oxford Review of Books, TransLash Media, Somewhere we are Human( Harper Collins, 2022), Here to Stay (Harper Collins, 2024), Split This Rock, F News Magazine, and more. féi is descendent of the Pi’ma, Rarámuri, and Cora peoples. Candidate for SAIC MFAW, class 2026. For more of her projects, designs, services and products visit: feiikashumari.com.
imogen smith is a poet & performer living in Los Angeles. Their work has appeared in Baest, B L U SH, Folder, The Rumpus, The Poetry Project Newsletter, & Tagvverk (among others), as well as in We Want It All: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics. A 2021-22 Emerge Surface Be Fellow at The Poetry Project & MFA graduate from NYU, imogen’s debut collection, stemmy things, is available from Nightboat Books.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Raquel Gutiérrez is a critic, essayist, poet, performer, and educator. Gutiérrez’s first book Brown Neon (Coffee House Press) was named as one of the best books of 2022 by The New Yorker and listed in The Best Art Books of 2022 by Hyperallergic. Brown Neon was a 2023 Finalist for the Lambda Literary Prize for Best Lesbian Biography/Memoir, a 2023 Finalist for the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses’ Firework Award in Creative Nonfiction and Recipient of The Publishing Triangle Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction. They are a 2025 recipient of the United States Artist Fellowship and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Fellowship in Poetry. Their first poetry collection, “Southwest Reconstruction,” is out late Fall 2025 on Noemi Press. Gutiérrez has lived on unceded lands of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui people since 2016.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Thursday, the 15th
Time: 7:30 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice Beach, Los Angeles, CA 90291
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-book-launch-e-by-noa-micaela-fields-tickets-1977747537123
Lit Angels: Morning Writing with Francesca Lia Block at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Come write with us!
Many people believe that a morning writing practice is key to finding your voice, your story and, in this case, your community! At the Village Well!
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:30 AM come join acclaimed author and writing instructor Francesca Lia Block for a brief intro and 40 minutes of free writing on any topic without judgement. Afterwards, you will be able to share a bit about your process and ask Francesca questions about your writing.
Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, and from the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, and PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY. Currently she teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, Pocket MFA, and numerous workshops across the country. Francesca also edits LIT ANGELS, a literary journal available on Substack. Her latest novel is House of Hearts now out in paperback. https://www.francescaliablock.com/
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 9 am – 10 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Weekly 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
Date: Friday, the 16th
Time: 9:30 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/2026-01-16/weekly-pj-story-time
Book Club: Bright Young Women at La Mirada Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.
1978 Florida: In the middle of the night, a man breaks into a female student dormitory and kills several residents. He will be known as one of the most famous serial killers in the USA. The survivors will be forever changed by this night. For adults
Where: La Mirada Library, LACL
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 10:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Address: 13800 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, CA 90638
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15301005
Bilingual Storytime at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Bilingual Storytime! Exposing your children to multiple languages is highly beneficial for their learning and development, and what better way to do it than through this fun activity where we will read a wonderful story in both English and Spanish.
¡Hora de cuentos bilingüe! Exponer a tus hjijos a varios idiomas es de gran beneficio para su aprendizaje y desarrollo, y qué mejor que hacerlo en esta divertida actividad en donde leeremos un maravilloso cuento en inglés y en español.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Mystery Book Club: Vera Wang’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders at Cellar Door Bookstore, Riverside – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Vera Wang’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders (Vera Wang Novel #1) by Jesse Q. Sutano.
Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.
Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of…swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.
What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?
Jesse Q. Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Indonesia, Singapore, and Oxford, and considers all three places her home. She has a masters from Oxford University. When she is not writing, she is gaming with her husband or making a mess in the kitchen with her two daughters.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Friday the 166h
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
ILL Poetry and Art Anthology: Cosecha Reading Event & Celebration of Community Art & Poetry at The Untold Story Bookstore and Café, Anaheim – In-Person Event
Join us in Anaheim Friday, 01.16.26, @theuntoldstorybookstore_cafe, for a celebration and reading of the latest volume of the ILL Poetry Anthology, Vol. 3: Cosecha. We will be featuring some of the incredible poets published in this book sharing their work with the community:
Consuelo N/A
Maia Vik Villa is a two-spirit actor, poet, playwright, comedy writer, emerging filmmaker, occasional director, drag prince of madness (Vik Floyd), & lifelong metalhead most at home in East Los between taco trucks y boba tea.
Carlos Ornelas is a poet, performer, mental health advocate, and the author of the collection Villains Vernacular.
Lara Foy is an actor, singer and writer who loves to travel and swim in the sea! She has been an Indigenous rights and women’s rights advocate across the country for 25 years.
James Hull is founder and CEO of Narrative First.
Angelica M. Yanez holds a PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego, a B.A. in Chicano Studies and minor in Women Studies from UC Santa Barbara. She is the editor of United States History from a Chicano Perspective.
Hope Cerna is a San Fernando Valley native. An alumni of Cal State Northridge and the poetry program Community Literature Initiative. Writing since childhood she hopes to create a space for readers to breathe, relax and dream in her writing. Her work has been published in anthologies Poems in Praise of Libraries edited by Hiram Charles Sims, Artistry of Southern California: Art Poetry edited by Don Campbell and Haiku Crush 2024 Best Haikus anthology. Other pieces can be found in online literary magazines like The Clayjar Review. When she is not writing she can be found rolling dough and frosting cakes. Cerna is the author of A Sentimental Garden (Daxson Publishing, 2025).
Julian Angel Ibanez N/A
Peter Lechguga is a Chicano wordsmith, teaching artist, musician, PlantBasedgod, and Karaoke King born and raised in Southern California. As director of the non-profit, LionLike Creative Education, he teaches future generations the power of poetry, while creating a safe space for them to express themselves, find their own voice, and become published authors. He is the co-founder and editor of the new literary zine, ILL Poetry Anthology. He is the author of the collection Myth Opportunities (Daxson Publishing, 2025).
Where: The Untold Story Bookstore and Café
Date: Friday the 166h
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 301 N. Anaheim Blvd., Suite d, Anaheim, CA 92805
Website: https://www.instagram.com/
An Evening of Poetry at Heavy Manners Library – In-Person Event
Join us for an evening of poetry featuring writers: Mara Rothbard, Janira Hernandez, Erin Taylor, Jaklin Romine, Lillian Doyel, Molly Lambert, Paru Francis, Raven, and Andra Knox.
This reading will also include a fundraiser with tons of prizes to benefit Heavy Manners Library!
RSVP: Pay What You Want Donation
Where: Heavy Manners Library
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1200 N. Alvarado St. Unit D, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://heavymannerslibrary.com/events/an-evening-of-poetry-1-16
Book Event: Kosoko Jackson, with Dahlia De La Vega & The Macabre at Reparations Club – In-Person Event
Join us for a discussion of The Macabre with author Kosoko Jackson, in conversation with Dahlia De La Vega.
A picture is worth a thousand nightmares.
Art has always been an escape for struggling painter Lewis Dixon. But other than his mom, who has recently passed away, no one has ever praised his work. If he is being honest, there’s really no one in his life. So, he is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. This is his chance to show the world what he’s capable of…he just has no idea that he might also be saving the world at the same time.
As Lewis soon learns, he has not been invited to participate in a curated show, but rather a test: to see if the fugue-like exhilaration he experiences when painting is actually magic, a power that allows him to enter nine very special paintings—paintings made by his great-grandfather. Spread across the globe, these paintings have unbelievable eldritch abilities…and not necessarily beneficial ones. In terms of power, these are the most valuable works of art in the world, and there are those out there who would do anything to possess just one.
And Lewis, upon passing the test, has been asked to destroy them all.
Partnered with an alluring agent in museum’s employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must travel to Japan, Australia, Nigeria—and the past—plunging himself into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and cursed objects to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own—or to free the world from those who would misuse the power of the paintings. In doing so, he will need to discover if he has what it takes to truly be an artist, the confidence to finally open himself up to someone who could give his lonely life meaning, and the strength to enter and navigate a reality where magic is everywhere.
Kosoko Jackson is the Lambda Literary Award–winning author of the queer rom-com I’m So Not Over You and the USA Today bestseller The Forest Demands Its Due. He is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire’s MFA in Creative Writing, and a professor at Seton Hill University, teaching MFA students creative writing. He is also an MFA Film Candidate at Stony Brook University, where he is studying production in hopes of championing more diverse films in Hollywood. When not writing, he can be found playing Magic The Gathering, writing screenplays, lamenting over his MFA assignments he’s sure he’s screwing up, or trying to make a dent in his TBW—To Be Watched List. He lives in New Jersey with his golden retriever, Artemis.
Dahlia De La Vega is the LA-based content creator and interviewer behind ofpagesandprint on social media. She created ofpagesandprint to support fantasy, romance, horror, 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: Reparations Club
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 3054 South Victoria Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website: https://rep.club/collections/events
At Skylight: Tayyba Kanwal, with Sonali Kolhatkar, & Talking With Boys at Skylight – In-Person Event
Tayyba Kanwal, in conversationwith Sonali Kolhatkar, will discuss Talking With Boys.
In a collection of linked tales filled with irony, humor, and magic, Talking with Boys introduces an unforgettable cast of characters in the Pakistani diaspora in Houston navigating crises of their own making and beyond their control.
Via generations and geographies, the stories expand from Houston into tales from the characters’ pasts in Dubai and Lahore. A community of Pakistani immigrants distract ICE with unlikely bait. A housekeeper in a Dubai mansion plots to liberate her fellow indentured workers. In Lahore, an empty nester finds herself bound by more than a jinxed bracelet. Throughout, Tayyba Kanwal’s remarkable characters navigate economic upheavals, political turmoil, and personal betrayals to pursue love, plot for survival, and play subtle power games to triumph against patriarchal forces of all genders.
Tayyba Kanwal is a Pakistani American writer, and editor and author of the short story collection, Talking with Boys (Black Lawrence Press, 2026) She serves as Senior Editor at Conjunctions., and as Literary Director at the literary arts nonprofit, Inprint, in Houston. Her work appears in journals such as Witness Magazine, Meridian and Gulf Coast Journal, and has won awards including the Black Lawrence Press Immigrant Writing Prize and the Inprint Donald Barthelme Prize in Fiction. She holds an MFA from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program and an MS in Mathematics from the University of Oregon.
Sonali Kolhatkar is an award winning multimedia journalist and host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a TV/radio program that airs on community radio stations all over the nation and on Free Speech TV as well as podcast platforms. She is the author of several nonfiction books including 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). She is a monthly columnist at Independent Media Institute, OtherWords, and Truthout. Her first novel, Queen of Aarohi will be published in 2027 by Red Hen Press. Find out more about her work at risingupwithsonali.com and sonalikolhatkar.com.
Where: Skylight
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-tayyba-kanwal-presents-talking-boys-w-sonali-kolhatkar
Triptych: Reading Series by Shy Watson at Stories Books & Café – In-Person Event
Triptych is a reading series hosted by Shy Watson.
Solar Saar N/A
Emma Specter (she/they) is a journalist and author who lives in Los Angeles and is originally from New York. Emma is currently the Culture Writer at Vogue, where she covers film, TV, books, politics, news and (almost) anything queer. She has previously worked at GARAGE and LAist and has freelanced for outlets including The Hairpin, Bon Appetit, them, the Hollywood Reporter and more. Her first book, More Please: On Food, Fat, Bingeing, Longing and the Lust for ‘Enough’, is out now from HarperCollins. In their spare time, Emma trawls estate sales for vintage purses, walks her small dog around the reservoir, and bakes a lot of bagels.
Summer Farah is a Palestinian American writer, editor, and zine-maker from California. The author of I could die today and live again, she is a member of the Radius of Arab American Writers and the National Book Critics Circle.
Where: Stories Books & Café
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1716 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: https://storiesla.com/events
Open Mic Night Featuring J. Saravia at Underdog Books, Monrovia – In-Person Event
Underdog hosts an Open Mic Night at Underdog Bookstore on the third Friday of every month to showcase and celebrate the creative talents of our local community, including poetry, music, and more!
This month features J. Saravia (she/ her/ ella) a Two-Spirit Xicana y Latina multimedia artist that writes about and is a student of spirituality, nature and death. She is a proud daughter of a single immigrant mother who initially sparked her love of writing and all things whimsical. When she is not writing, she is busy daydreaming, spending time with loved ones and organizing for her community. She has recently released her first solo poetry collection Euthanasia through Daxson Publishing.
While walk-in sign-ups are welcome on the night, if you’d like to be listed as a featured performer and guarantee your spot, you can apply at website.
Suggested donation $5-20 or donate a gently used book by an LGBTQIA+, BIPOC or Disabled author.
Where: Underdog Bookstore
Date: Friday the 16th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 312 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016
Website: https://www.underdogbookstore.org
We Were the Scenery + NEWWAVE: Film Screening and Poetry by Cathy Linh Che at Beyond Baroque – In-Person & Online Hybrid
Join us for a captivating evening of poetry and film at Beyond Baroque featuring Cathy Linh Che.
Join us for an evening of books and film, featuring Cathy Linh Che’s poetry book Becoming Ghost, a finalist for the National Book Award, and the short documentary film We Were the Scenery, winner of the Sundance Jury Prize for Nonfiction Short Film, shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards, and Elizabeth Ai’s book New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora and feature length documentary, New Wave.
Becoming Ghost uses persona, speculation, and the golden shovel form as a means of moving Vietnamese voices from the periphery to the center. The speaker’s disownment raises questions about the challenges of using parents as poetic subjects, telling familial stories to a broader public, and the meaning of forgiveness.
We Were the Scenery was filmed on location in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Long Beach, CA. The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025.
New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora celebrates the rebellion, reinvention, and rebirth of joy in this young generation in cultural limbo. Featuring essays from prominent Vietnamese scholars, critics, and stars, New Wave explores how music, fashion, and rebellion can be a force for healing. New Wave is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s.
New Wave, the documentary, includes mile-high hair. Synthesized music. Underground parties. Elizabeth Ai was on a mission to excavate an untold story of rebellious punks in the chaotic world of 80s Vietnamese new wave until she rediscovered a hidden past.
Cathy Linh Che is a writer and multidisciplinary artist. She is the author of Becoming Ghost (Washington Square Press, 2025), a Finalist for the National Book Award, Split (Alice James Books) and co-author of the children’s book An Asian American A to Z: a Children’s Guide to Our History (Haymarket Books). Her video installation Appocalips is an Open Call commission with The Shed NY, and her film We Were the Scenery won the Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction at the Sundance Film Festival. She teaches as Core Faculty in Poetry at the low residency MFA program in Creative Writing at Antioch University in Los Angeles and works as Executive Director at Kundiman. She lives in New York City.
Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese Vietnamese American award-winning filmmaker, storyteller, and author. Her debut feature documentary, NEW WAVE, premiered in competition at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, earning a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director and critical acclaim from The New York Times, Vogue, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle. She is the author of New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora and an Emmy winner and nominee for her branded content with ESPN and National Geographic. She created the original pilot for VICE/Munchies’ Bong Appétit, which was picked up for series. Her producing credits include Dirty Hands, Saigon Electric, Ba, and A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem. An alum of Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, and Firelight Media, Ai’s work has been supported by the Center for Asian American Media, Cinereach, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Friday, the 16th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice Beach, Los Angeles, CA 90291
SWAAM Spoken Word Art & Music Event at Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center – In-Person Event
SWAAM Spoken Word Art & Music is offered every 1st & 3rd Friday of the month and hosted by Loranzo Frank.
Featured guests: TBA
Tickets at Eventbrite.
NOTE: See site for details.
Where: Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center
Date: Friday, the 16th
Time: 8 pm – 12 am
Address: 4305 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: https://www.depoet.info/swaam
Third Fridays Rapp Saloon Reading Series & Open Mic with host Elena Secota at Rapp Saloon, Santa Monica – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Third Fridays at Rapp Saloon: Open Mic & Featured Readers, will be this week, and is one of the events offered every Friday of the month.
First Friday: Cynthia Alessandra Briano
Second Friday: Russell Greene
Third Friday: Elena Secota
Fourth Friday: Jim Bolt
Fifth Friday: James Evert Jones
This is a hybrid event, live in-person while offering a Zoom option for our performers and guests.
Our featured guest poets and artists this month TBA.
NOTE: See site or flyer for details.
Where: Rapp Saloon at HISUA
Date: Friday, the 16th
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Address: 1436 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://www.facebook.com/RappSaloonReading
Graphic Novel Book Club: Making Nonfiction Comics via Bel Canto Books, Long Beach – Online Zoom Event
Participants will discuss Making Nonfiction Comics by Eleri Harris and Sarah Mirk
This book is a practical guide for creating nonfiction comics, blending journalism with visual storytelling through prose, infographics, and interviews with creators like Thi Bui and Nate Powell. It serves as a field guide to graphic journalism, covering skills, ethics, and standards for visual storytelling, making it a valuable resource for both aspiring and experienced artists and writers.
Where: Bel Canto Books, Retro Row
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)
Website: https://belcantobooks.net/events
Poetry Writing Studio with Malibu Poet Laureate Charlotte Ward at Malibu Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join Malibu Poet Laureate Charlotte Ward for a generative poetry writing studio where we will cycle with each other’s energies, discuss poems to stimulate our imaginations & write original poems from prompts or personal impetus. For adults.
We’ll explore, express, and celebrate all forms of energy.
This studio environment provided by the City of Malibu is designed for everyone, regardless of experience. Come prepared with pen, notepad, and fervor.
Where: Malibu Library, LACL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Address: 23519 West Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/14692354
Book Club: Beautiful Ugly at Gardena Mayme Dear Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Read the book for January, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. For adults.
A Year after his wife Abby mysteriously disappeared, author Grady Green, still consumed by grief, retreats to a remote Scottish island only to encounter a woman who looks exactly like the wife he lost.
Where: Gardena Mayme Dear Library, LACL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am
Address: 1731 W. Gardena Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15019408
Notable Fiction Book Club: The Great Gatsby at Santa Monica Library, SMPL – Online Event
This community-led, monthly book discussion group typically meets virtually at 11 a.m. on the third Saturday of the month. This book group discusses prize-winning fiction titles. To register, email library@santamonica.gov.
The titles include:
January 2026: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Where: Santa Monica Library, SMPL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am
Address: Online event
Website: https://www.santamonica.gov/events
Storytime: Santat’s Super Sidekicks Series Saturday at Once Upon a Time, Montrose – In-Person Kids Event
Author, Caldecott Medalist, National Book Award winner, and New York Times bestselling creator Dan Santat returns to his superhero graphic novel series with Sidekicks: Thick as Thieves. For the event, Dan will do a short presentation, a live drawing, and then be available to sign books. Best for ages 7+.
If you can’t make it to the event, you can order signed books in advance at website.
Dan Santat is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, which won the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal in 2015. He is also the creator of the acclaimed graphic novel The Aquanaut, and his graphic memoir, A First Time for Everything, was the 2023 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature. His art is featured in numerous children’s books, including Dav Pilkey’s Ricky Ricotta series as well as picture books by Henry Winkler and Jake Gyllenhaal. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and pets. Visit him online at dansantatbooks.com.
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event
Kids Storytime: Darrell Spencer and Olivia Mansoorian & Fundraiser for elemental music at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Kids Event
Join author Darrell Spencer and aspiring 15 year old author Olivia Mansoorian for a storytime and book signing in the Village Well Kids Section. All proceeds from book sales will benefit Elemental Music, a non-profit that offers after-school music ensembles in Santa Monica and surrounding westside areas for elementary, middle, and high school students. Elemental music programs foster a love for music, giving students the chance to make music with friends and create community!
Elemental Music will offer a demo of Elemental’s Early Childhood Music classes with ECM teacher, Sherry. Come enjoy a moon-themed sing-along.
Reserve your spot on EVENTBRITE!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://shop.villagewell.com
Storytime: Ann Whitford Paul & If Animals Said I Love You, Mama at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event
Author Ann Whitford Paul adds another story to this bestselling picture book series.
What if animals did what YOU do?
If animals said, “I love you, Mama,” Wombat would work long and hard on his Thank-You-for-Being-My-Mama card. Kookaburra would busily bake Mama’s beloved beetle-bug cake. Wallaby and Mama would go for a walk, speaking of love in their hisssss-hiss talk. Each animal would show Mama love in their own special way.
Featuring playful rhymes and adorable art, the story highlights the joys of the mother-child relationship through an imaginative lens.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 11 am
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-01-17/ann-whitford-paul
Book Chat and Q&A: Huascar Robles & Demenios at Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Celebrate the launch of Demonios, with Puerto Rican author Huáscar Robles.
Demonios narrates the story of 13-year-old Eyerí who “battles” a demon of homosexuality after his formerly-socialist parents join a mega church in Puerto Rico. With humor, Robles takes readers through the perils of conversion therapy and cult rituals to the rhythm of the Caribbean in the politically-charged and pop-culture infused 1980s.
Where: Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 12 pm – 2 pm
Address: 1623 Ivar Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/demonios-book-chat-and-qa-author-hu%C3%A1scar-robles
Book Talk and Q&A: Claire Hoffman & Aimee Semple McPherson at Edendale Branch Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join the Echo Park Historical Society for a presentation by author Claire Hoffman about her book Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson—a new biography of the pioneering evangelist who rose to stardom in Los Angeles in the 1920s and founded the still-active Foursquare Church headquartered at the Angelus Temple, an Echo Park landmark just a block from the library.
Famed for her religious mission, Aimee Semple McPherson was equally notorious for the bizarre story of her disappearance and reappearance in 1926. On a spring day, Aimee Semple McPherson, then one of the biggest media personalities in Southern California, seemingly wandered into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. Weeks later, she reappeared in the desert, claiming to have been kidnapped. The story of what followed—sex scandals, religious persecution, legal shenanigans, the seemingly unshakable faith of thousands of followers, and the race by the media to cover it all—runs through the heart of this book.
McPherson was a sophisticated marketer who used spectacle, storytelling, and the newest technology to bring God’s message to the masses. Her innovations brought Pentecostalism into the mainstream, paved the way for televangelists, and shaped the future of American Christianity. But after her disappearance, people asked: Was McPherson everybody’s saintly sister, or a con-artist sinner? Told with the flavor of the period’s noir mysteries, Sister, Sinner takes us on a riveting journey into the rise of popular religion in America, exploring the hidden life of one of its most intriguing practitioners.
Claire Hoffman has written for the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and the New Yorker, and is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of California, Riverside. Her first book was Greetings from Utopia Park: Surviving a Transcendent Childhood, a memoir based on her experiences growing up in the Transcendental Meditation movement in Fairfield, Iowa.
Stories Books will have copies available to be purchased and signed by the author.
Where: Edendale Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 1 pm
Address: 2011 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Pura Madre Poetry Workshop Series: Anna Rosa Azul at Riverside Library– In-Person Event
In collaboration with Inlandia Institute, Alma Rosa Azul will lead a poetry series with “all the mamas” at the Riverside Library, January 10 – February 14, 2026.
Sign up in my link or at Tinyurl.com/puramadre! DM if you have more questions friends!
Participants’ work will be included in the Pura Madre Anthology.
FREE. Beginners are welcome!
Free childcare
Where: Riverside Library
Date: Saturday the 17th (2nd meeting in series)
Time: 1 pm – 3 pm
Address: 3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Sisters in Crime Los Angeles: How the Story Picks the Writer at Agoura Hills Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us as we welcome Sisters in Crime Los Angeles President, Nancy Cole Silverman, as she leads a discussion on how the story picks the writer, followed by a Q&A with the audience. For ages 18 and up.
Copies of the author’s books are available to check-out through the library.
Attendance is limited, and advance registration is required. Please register every individual in your party. This will be used to save your spots in the program. We cannot guarantee availability for any unregistered attendees.
Where: Agoura Hills Library, LACL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 1 pm – 2 pm
Address: 29901 Ladyface Ct., Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/15481518
Author Talk: Jake & Laurette McCook & The Cliffs of Schizophrenia at Van Nuys Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join authors Jake and Laurette McCook, of The Cliffs of Schizophrenia to hear all about their book.
The Cliffs of Schizophrenia: A poignant mother and son perspective on Jake’s journey with Schizophrenia. Written in a journal-style format, this book offers comfort and insight to those navigating this brain disease, whether as individuals with the disease or as loving caregivers. It is an indispensable bedside companion, reminding you that you are not alone.
Authors Jake and Laurette McCook will read excerpts from and discuss their book The Cliffs of Schizophrenia: A Mother and Son Perspective, which paints a vivid portrait of the modern challenges surrounding mental health.
Where: Van Nuys Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 6250 Sylmar Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401
Website: https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/author-talk-jake-laurette-mccook-cliffs-schizophrenia
Saturday Afternoon Poetry: Mary Langer Thompson & TBA – Online Zoom Event
Hosted by DKC, this event features Mary Langer Thompson & TBA + Poets published in Four Feathers Press online edition: WHIRL.
Mary Langer Thompson is an award-winning poet, writer, and public school principal from California. She has authored several works, including children’s books like The Gull Who Thought He Was Dull, and is known for her contributions to poetry and writing workshops
Don Kingfisher Campbell hosts and curates these events.
Where: Online Zoom Event
Date: Saturday, the 17th
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: Online Zoom Event (see site)
Website: https://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Paula Lafferty, with Dahlia De La Vega, & The Once and Future Queen: Deluxe Limited Edition (The Lives of Guinevere) at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event
Author Paula Lafferty, in conversation with Dahlia De La Vega, will discuss The Once and Future Queen: Deluxe Limited Edition (The Lives of Guinevere).
Outlander-meets-The Princess Bride plus Camelot in a fresh, big-hearted, feminist, timeslip adventure reimagining the epic saga of King Arthur, as told from the perspective of his spunky and surprising queen, Vera – complete with time travel and good running shoes!
***DELUXE LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER with stenciled edges, a beautiful foil-stamped hardcover, exclusive interior design with full-color illustrated endpapers*** Only while supplies last.
Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend…
22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.
After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-01-17/paula-lafferty
Local History Talk: From Parthenia to Donmetz: The Stories Behind the Valley’s Street Names With Mark Tapio Kines at Granda Hills Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Learn about how we got the street names we have in the San Fernando Valley from the creator of laststreetnames.com Mark Tapio Kines.
Where: Granada Hills Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 3:30 pm
Address: 10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club: Buried Deep and Other Stories at Cellar Door Bookstore, Riverside – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik.
Locus Award Finalist • A thrilling collection of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set.
From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik’s most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:
• A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.
• The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon’s egg and bonds with the hatchling.
• A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.
• A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.
• The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik’s upcoming epic fantasy series—a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.
Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.
Naomi Novik has written the Scholomance trilogy, the novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and the Temeraire series. She is a founder of the Archive of Our Own. Her upcoming project is called Folly.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Saturday the 176h
Time: 5 pm – 7 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Book Launch: Idris Robinson & The Revolt Eclipses Whatever the World Has to Offer at Poetic Research Bureau – In-Person Event
The Poetic Research Bureau host Idris Robinson in conversation with Jason Smith, introduced by Semiotext(e).
Idris Robinson is a philosopher and writer from the New York hinterlands. For over a decade, he has written extensively on crisis, revolt, and political violence. He is currently an assistant professor of philosophy at Texas State University.
Robinson’s new book, The Revolt Eclipses Whatever the World Has to Offer, is a series of reflections surveying the events of an ailing country traversed by civil war on multiple fronts.
What is it to be Black in America? It is to be constantly given unsolicited advice on how to run your life by people of all stripes, cultures, races, and opinions, so that the message is, by its very design, inconsistent with itself. However, there is one common feature that unites them all, besides their arrogant insistence to respond to what no one has asked of them: you can be sure that not one of these philistines has read—let alone understood—a single line of Plato. It is with this guiding insight that the author seeks to think his own material existence and resolves that philosophy must implicate itself in the utter demise of the alienated and oppressive wasteland in which he has been thrown.
RSVP
Where: Poetic Research Bureau
Date: Saturday the 17th
Time: 6 pm
Address: 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Website: https://www.poeticresearch.com/events/idris-robinson
Obsidian Tongues Readings & Open Mic: Sofia Aguilar at Lopez Farms, Pomona – In-Person Event
Obsidian Tongues and host Ceasar K. Avelar are honored to feature such an incredible author and long-time Obsidian Tongues supporter.
Sofía Aguilar is a Chicana writer, editor, teaching artist, community organizer, and library professional based on the traditional homelands of the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash peoples (Los Angeles, California). Her work has appeared in the L.A. Times, Latino Book Review, and New Orleans Review, among other publications. She is the author of amor through Bottlecap Press and Queer Latine Heroes through Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Where: Lopez Urban Farm
Date: Saturday, the 17th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1034 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona, CA 91766
Websites: https://www.instagram.com
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 for Poetry on Demand 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 18th
Time: 10 am – 5 pm (market); 12 pm – 5 pm (poets on demand)
Address: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Long Beach Women’s Writing Club Meeting at Bel Canto Books, Retro Row, Long Beach – In-Person Event
Long Beach Women’s Writing Club is a women and queer writing group based in Long Beach providing a safe space to share works, ideas, and build friendships! Learn more by checking out their Instagram at @lbw.writingclub
DM @lbw.writingclub on Instagram to RSVP!
Where: Bel Canto Books, Retro Row
Date: Sunday the 18th
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm
Address: 2106 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90807
Website: https://belcantobooks.net/events
Brook W. Flagg & I Go There WithYou: The U2 Sites of Southern California, from Significant to Sacred at Book Soup – In-Person Event
U2 is a band from the north side of Dublin that became a global phenomenon—and while its four members have traveled the world over for almost fifty years, some of the most critical points on their journey have been in Southern California.
The Joshua Tree is the best-known example of U2’s artistic immersion in the Golden State, but the band began drawing inspiration from California’s landscape as early as 1981 during their first arrival in the U.S. for the Boy tour.
From deserts to beaches to urban streets, Southern California features dozens of sites that are both sacred and significant to U2 history. For the first time, these sites are documented and categorized in a single resource to inform and support the Southern California pilgrimages of U2 fans. I Go There With You provides the information U2 fans need before embarking on such a quest, whether individually or in groups. Each site has a story, and this book tells those stories—along with must-have details for trips that require extra planning and foresight.
In addition to essential information on each site’s place in U2 history, author Brook W. Flagg aims to inspire U2’s most devoted followers with anecdotes and scrapbooked images. Just as Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. traveled through Southern California along the road from innocence to experience, their fans can find catharsis and healing by going into the mystic portals of the past—places where, over the decades, U2 found pieces of what they were looking for.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Sunday the 18th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-01-18/brook-w-flagg
Bucket List Book Club: Wives and Daughters at Cellar Door Bookstore, Riverside – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
A story of romance, scandal and intrigue within the confines of a watchful, gossiping English village during the early nineteenth century.
When seventeen-year-old Molly Gibson’s widowed father remarries, her life is turned upside down by the arrival of her vain, manipulative stepfather. She also acquires an intriguing new stepsister, Cynthia, glamorous, sophisticated and irresistible to every man she meets. The two girls begin to confide in one another and Molly soon finds herself a go-between in Cynthia’s love affairs—but in doing so risks losing both her own reputation and the man she secretly loves. Set in English society before the 1832 Reform Bill, Elizabeth Gaskell’s last novel—considered to be her finest—demonstrates an intelligent and compassionate understanding of human relationships, and offers a witty, ironic critique of mid-Victorian society.
This text is based on the 1866 Cornhill Magazine version of the novel. It also includes notes on textual variants between this edition and the original manuscript, a note on the story’s ending and an introduction discussing the novel’s challenging investigation of themes of Englishness, Darwinism and masculine authority.
Elizabeth Gaskell was born in London in 1810 but spent most of her life in Cheshire, Stratford-upon-Avon. She married the Reverend William Gaskell and had four daughters by him. She worked among the poor, travelled frequently and wrote for Dickens’s magazine, Household Words. Elizabeth Gaskell was friends with Charlotte Bronte and consequently went on to write her biography.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 186h
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 473 E. Alessandro Blvd., Suite B, Riverside, CA 92508
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-01-18/bucket-list-book-club-wives-and-daughters
Chanel Miller, with Yulin Kuang, & The Moon Without Stars at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Chanel Miller, in conversation with Yulin Kuang, will discuss The Moon Without Stars.
What’s the deal with middle school, anyway? Newbery Honor-winning author and artist Chanel Miller explores the glorious mess that is middle school—and the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering.
At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she is: an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, somehow Luna is swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she’s going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for?
In a contemporary novel that feels like today’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Newbery Honor winner and bestselling author Chanel Miller explores what it means to lose and then find yourself again in the middle of middle school.
NOTE: We expect a large crowd for this event, please arrive early. Seating will be first come first served.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Sunday the 18th
Time: 3 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-01-18/chanel-miller
January 2026 Focus on Craft Book Club: Julia Song Is Undateable at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
January’s Focus on Craft Book Club meets on the third Sunday of the month and is led by developmental editor and teacher Jeanne De Vita. We focus on examining popular romance novels from a writer’s perspective.
Participants will discuss Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee.
Everyone is welcome.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Sunday the 18th
Time: 7:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 3806 Main St., Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://www.therippedbodice.com/events-and-tickets
PoetiK LA Reading Event: “Happy NOW Year” in Silver Lake – In-Person Event
PoetiK LA is an all skill level held in the community and donation proceeds support Alchemy outreach.
This is a monthly reading event and all themes are merely suggestions.
Poetik LA is an all skill level donation based event held for the community by our collective.
Please DM us at @poetikla if you’d like to sign up.
iamaustinalexander
Everyone is welcome.
$10 donation suggested.
Where: Poetik LA at Hyperion, Silver Lake
Date: Sunday the 18th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 2930 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake, CA 90027
Website: https://www.instagram.com
Los Angeles Literature 