Writing Meet-Up at Sherman Oaks Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month? Working on your poetry? Just want to get out of the house, do some writing, and meet other writers? Having trouble finding the motivation to focus on your writing all alone? Join the writing meet-up! Most of the hour will be spent working on individual writing projects, with a bit of time reserved at the end for optional sharing and chit-chat.
No session the week of Thanksgiving.
Where: Sherman Oaks Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Address: 14245 Moorpark St., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/writing-meet
Evening Book Club: The Briar Club 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
November’s Selection: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
In this gripping women’s fiction novel, everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, an all-female boardinghouse where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship. Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own.
Where: Manhattan Beach Library, LACL
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 1320 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/events?n=30&r=range&start=2026-11-09
Queer & Ally Book Club at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event
Join us every second Monday for conversation, reflection, and community centered around books by Queer authors and LGBTQIAA+ themes.
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2026-11-09/queer-ally-book-club
Mystery Book Club: The Girl From Devil’s Lake at Lake Los Angeles Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join our book club as we discuss a different mystery book each month. This month’s selection is The Girl From Devil’s Lake by J.A. Jance. The book is available at the circulation desk for checkout. For adults.
Where: Lake Los Angeles Library, LACL
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 6 pm – 6 pm
Address: 16921 East Avenue O #A., Palmdale, CA 93591
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17419198
YA For Adults Book Club: City of Saints and Thieves at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson.
In this “nail-biting murder mystery” (Seventeen) set in Kenya, a teenage refugee is sent on a journey of bitter revenge after her mother is killed by her untouchable wealthy employers.
In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn’t exist.
Tina and her mother first arrived in Kenya as refugees from Congo desperately searching for a better life. Trading the peril of their besieged village for the busy metropolis of Sangui, they can barely believe their luck when Tina’s mother finds work as a maid for the Greyhills, one of the city’s most illustrious families. But there’s a dark secret lurking behind the family’s immense fortune, and when Tina discovers her mother shot dead in Mr. Greyhill’s private study, she knows he pulled the trigger.
Natalie C. Anderson is an American writer and international development professional living in Geneva, Switzerland. She has spent the last decade working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations on refugee relief and development, mainly in Africa. She was selected as the 2014–2015 Associates of the Boston Public Library Children’s Writer-in-Residence, where she wrote her debut novel, City of Saints & Thieves.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 6675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92506
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-11-09/ya-adults-book-club-city-saints-and-thieves
Robertson Readers Book Club: Disappearing Earth at Robertson Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event:
Join us every month for an engaging book discussion! New members are always welcome. If you would like to find out about this month’s book selection or need more information, please email us at rbrtsn@lapl.org. Books will be available for checkout at the Circulation Desk and during the meeting.
Nov. 9: Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
Where: Robertson Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 1719 S, Robertson Blvd,, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/robertson-readers-book-club-0
Four Writers on Desire: Tomas Moniz, with Lisa Locascio Nighthawk, Ruth Madievsky, & Max Delsohn & The King of Aloe Vera at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a reading and conversation all about literary desire!
In celebration of Tomas Moniz’s new novel, The King of Aloe Vera, four novelists will share work and discuss desire and legacy and friendship.
Tomas Moniz is a Latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway and the LAMBDA. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award. His new novel, The King of Aloe Vera, was published in September 2026 from Algonquin Books. He teaches at Berkeley City College, the Antioch MFA program and St. Mary’s College. He has stuff on the internet but loves penpals: PO Box 3555, Berkeley CA 94703. He promises to write back.
Lisa Locascio Nighthawk is the chair of the Antioch MFA in Creative Writing and the executive director of the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference. Her novel Open Me was published by Grove Atlantic in 2018. She writes a newsletter called Not Knowing How.
Ruth Madievsky is the author of the national bestselling novel, All-Night Pharmacy, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction. Her writing appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Cut, GQ, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a clinical pharmacist.
Max Delsohn is the author of Crawl (Graywolf Press, 2025), a short story collection about trans men living in 2010s Seattle. Crawl was named a best book of the year by Vulture, Them, Electric Literature, Debutiful, and Chicago Review of Books, as well as a November Indie Next List pick. His short fiction and essays have appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, VICE, Joyland, The Rumpus, Triangle House, Lit Hub, and Nat. Brut, among other places. He received his MFA degree from Syracuse University and now lives in Los Angeles.
Order the book and RSVP for the event by clicking link at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Los Feliz Writers: Shut Up and Write in Los Feliz at Sidewalk Grill – In-Person Event
Looking for some dedicated writing time? Come by our weekly neighborhood meetups:
Mondays @ 6:45 pm – 8 pm at Sidewalk Grill (NEW)
Wednesdays @ 6:45 – 8 pm at Bar Alcove & Bakery
All writers and all experience levels are welcome!
We’re starting a Shut Up and Write event on Mondays too, thanks to @jack_andcat.
Hosted by @literarypixie!
RSVP at link in bio.
Where: Sidewalk Grill
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 6:45 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1727 N. Vermont Ave. #102, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: Instagram Page
ALOUD Reading Series of LFLA: Elizabeth Alexander, with Jacqueline Stewart, & Signals Across Vast Differences at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Renowned poet, scholar, cultural advocate, and Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander will be joined by film scholar, archivist, and Turner Classic Movies host Jacqueline Stewart for a conversation about Alexander’s moving new collection of essays and stories, Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Tales. Alexander’s work combines profound cultural insight with deep emotional empathy and understanding.
In this new collection, Alexander offers profound and galvanizing lessons from culture and life for moving through challenging times. Through close readings of beloved poets and writers—including Muriel Rukeyser, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, June Jordan, and others—she reflects on how words and values can sustain and inspire us, interweaving her own voice with works by some of our great visual artists. The collection offers hope and a deeper understanding of the moment we live in and our enduring connection to one another.
RSVP
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Mark Taper Auditorium
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St,. Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: Eventbrite Page
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!
Where: Back to the Grind, Riverside
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 3575 University Ave. Riverside, CA 9250
Website: Facebook Page
Ticketed Event: Jane Wiedlin, & TMI: Memoirs of a Go-Go at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Join us for a book signing event by Jane Wiedlin for her book TMI: Memoirs of a Go-Go.
An intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpse into life as the rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the all-female, multi-platinum-selling band the Go-Go’s—both onstage and off.
The Go-Go’s were the first all-woman rock group to hit number one on the Billboard charts while playing their own instruments and performing original songs. As guitarist and lyricist, Jane Wiedlin helped define that revolution. In her memoir, she shares the raw, unvarnished journey of an artist who overcame it all.
From the early L.A. punk scene, Jane’s song “Our Lips Are Sealed” catapulted the band to fame. The Go-Go’s hit dizzying heights, only to splinter apart in a whirlwind of touring, tension, and chaos rivaling any band of the era. Yet Jane’s story goes far beyond the stage.
TMI is a vivid account of rock excess and Hollywood drama. Jane opens up about childhood tragedy, mental health struggles, shattered relationships, and her own relentless reinvention. She tells how she taught herself music from scratch, worked as a “slave” in a world-famous BDSM dungeon, and became the world’s first atheist minister. Through it all, Jane Wiedlin’s story is as candid, defiant, and unforgettable as the music that defined a generation.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-11-09/jane-wiedlin-ticketed
Ticketed Event: Ken Grossinger, with Jane Fonda, & Signs TMI: Memoirs of a Go-Go at The Last Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us for an evening of art, activism, and organizing—featuring Jane Fonda in conversation with Ken Grossinger, author of Art Works: How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together.
Drawing on Jane’s extraordinary career in film and activism and Ken’s work as a strategist in social movements, they’ll explore how artists can confront authoritarianism and promote democracy.
Light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Priority seating for book tickets. No Large Bags allowed.
When artists and organizers combine forces, new forms of political mobilization follow—which shape lasting social change. And yet few people appreciate how much deliberate strategy often propels this vital social change work. Behind the scenes, artists, organizers, political activists, and philanthropists have worked together to hone powerful strategies for achieving the world we want and the world we need.
In Art Works, noted movement leader Ken Grossinger chronicles these efforts for the first time, distilling lessons and insights from grassroots leaders and luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Courtland Cox, Jackson Browne, Shepard Fairey, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Alexander, Bill McKibben, JR, Jose Antonio Vargas, and more.
Drawing from historical and present-day examples—including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, the Hip Hop Caucus, the Legacy Museum, and the Art for Justice Fund—Grossinger offers a rich tapestry of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists and of these political times.
Where: The Last Bookstore
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Website: Eventbrite Page
Caleb Nichols, with Misha Crafts, Dare Williams, and Eduardo Martinez-Leyva, & Lithic: A Hyperballad at Skylight – In-Person Event7
Caleb Nichols, in conversation with Misha Crafts, Dare Williams, and Eduardo Martinez-Leyva, will discuss Lithic: A Hyperballad.
Lithic: A Hyperballad (2026, Harbor Editions Laureate Prize Winner) brings together a sequence of poems and a lyric essay that traverses memory, gender, landscape, and language—excavating a self-shaped by place, queerness, ecological disquiet, and artistic lineage. As a work of queer ecopoetics rooted in both lyric and experimental inquiry, Lithic interrogates language, and nature, and digs deep to excavate meaning. The result echoes what Timothy Morton calls a ‘hyperobject’ a concept rooted in the singer Björk’s 1990’s smash hit ‘Hyperballad’: an object, like a relationship, so large that it is perhaps impossible to really comprehend via the standard set of human senses.
The collection was born on the liminal shores of North Wales and the Central Coast of California—two marginal landscapes threaded through by rivers both visible and buried. Throughout the manuscript, Cymraeg (Welsh) language and etymology resonate against Californian punk, eco-trauma, and the plastic shimmer of contemporary collapse. The collection seems to ask: what if the poem is not the artifact but the excavation itself? That is to say, what if the ‘I’ of the poem is actually a process, and not a subjectivity?
Alongside the book, Nichols is releasing a spoken word collection called Stone Age Is Now: Poems From Lithic, on US label Royal Oakie. Across twelve tracks Nichols interpolates poems from Lithic: A Hyperballad with tracks from Stone Age Is Back, bringing new depth to his indie-rock and alt-folk compositions. A meditation on grief, but not in the ways you’d expect, the album explores what it means to be living and dying right now, in this moment of extraordinary change. With a robust history of live musical performances spanning album releases in the 2020’s with iconic US label Kill Rock Stars, and back to the 00’s when Nichols was a member of celebrated neo-folk band Port O’Brien, this fusion of poetry and music feels like a natural culmination of Nichols creative output.
Caleb Nichols is the first queer poet laureate of San Luis Obispo County California. Their poems have appeared in the New England Review, Poetry Wales, and many other places on both sides of the Atlantic. Caleb is the author of Lithic: A Hyperballad, winner of the 2024 Harbor Editions Laureate Prize and the editor of You & i Are Earth: Poems of the Queer Pastoral, published by 14 Poems (forthcoming in 2027). Caleb holds a PhD from Bangor University in North Wales, teaches at Cal Poly State University, and splits time between San Luis Obispo and Glasgow. More at https://calebnicholis.gay.
Misha Crafts is a poet and essayist living in Los Angeles. Her poems have appeared in Baest Journal, Jewish Currents, and Hearsay. Her prose has appeared in The San Francisco Review of Whatever, Tripwire, and Hypocrite Reader. Her first chapbook titled Beef Cherries was published by Almanac Press in 2024. She is working on the follow up titled Tongue Scraper.
Dare Williams is a Queer HIV-positive poet, facilitator and literary worker rooted in Southern California. A 2019 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, he has received support and fellowships for his work from Brooklyn Poets, Breadloaf, Tin House, and Vermont Studio Center. He has been awarded a California Arts Council Performance Grant, a Peter Taylor Teaching Fellowship from The Kenyon Writers Workshop and a Peter Bullough Foundation Fellowship. His work has been featured in Kenyon Review, Foglifter, Poetry Northwest, and Poem-a-Day by the Academy of American Poets. He is an associate poetry editor at Hooligan Magazine and received his MFA from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.
Eduardo Martínez-Leyva was born in El Paso, TX, to Mexican immigrants. He is the author of Cowboy Park, which was published by the University of Wisconsin Press and was the winner of the 2024 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry, an award for Best First Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters, a Lambda Literary Award, and the 2026 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. His work appears in Narrative Magazine, The Slowdown, Best New Poets, Poetry Magazine, the Boston Review, and elsewhere. He has received fellowships from CantoMundo, The Frost Place, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and Lambda Literary. He teaches and resides in Los Angeles, California.
Where: Skylight
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Monday Night Fiction Workshop with Raquel Baker at 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 9th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Zoom Online Event (see site)
Website: Beyond Baroque Event Page
Live Talks LA Presents: Robert Greene, with Scott Barry Kaufman, & Sublime at Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre, New Roads School – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Robert Greene, in conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman, will discuss Sublime.
We struggle today to find more meaning in our lives, and to experience the world in ways that go beyond the virtual. The Sublime connects us to the immense forces in the universe, to the inner worlds of other people, and even to other species, lifting us out of ourselves and giving us the dimensions and depths we yearn for in our lives.
Robert Greene is a trusted guide for millions of readers, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, social strategies, and mastery. Now he offers a roadmap to the Sublime, showing us how to liberate ourselves from the constraints of contemporary life.
Greene draws from science, mythology, history, the arts, nature, and more to teach us how to find the Sublime.
The Law of the Sublime opens us to a fuller, more intense relationship to life. Alongside awe-inspiring stories of sublime experiences, including death-defying encounters, astounding discoveries, and radical transformations of consciousness, Greene offers us exercises and meditations to connect with the Sublime that is all around us. This is another masterwork from Robert Greene that is an essential text for anyone in search of life’s deeper meaning.
RSVP: Tickets & Info.
Where: Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre, New Roads School
Date: Monday the 9th
Time: 8 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 3131 Olympic Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404
Website: LiveTalks Page
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.
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 10th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Virtual Book Club: Crux by Gabriel Tallent via Virtual Program, LACL – Online Event
Join us on Zoom in November as we discuss Crux by Gabriel Tallent. We meet weekly on Tuesdays from 11 am – 12 pm. Contact Marta Wiggins at mwiggins@library.lacounty.gov for your invitation to join the discussion. For Adults.
We read 1/4 of the book each week. Below is the breakdown for the weekly discussion:
November 3: Part 1 – The Princess – Pages 3 – 71
November 10: Part 2 – Intersection – Pages 75 – 161
November 17: Part 3 – Isolation – Pages 165 – 273
November 24: Parts 4 & 5 – Wonderland & Exposure – Pages 277 to the end of the book
Where: Virtual Program, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17419178
Author Talk: A City on Mars with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith via Virtual Program, LACL – Online Event
Join us for an out-of-this-world virtual conversation with New York Times bestselling authors Kelly & Zach Weinersmith as they dive into their book, A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no doomscrolling—beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Critically acclaimed, bestselling authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren’t so sure it’s a good idea.
In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won’t create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you’ve ever wondered about, and many you’ve never considered:
Can you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon’s Peaks of Eternal Light—and what happens if you’re left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what’s the legal status of space cannibalism?
With deep expertise, a winning sense of humor, and art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the Weinersmiths investigate perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself—whether and how to become multiplanetary.
Register today to be a part of the discussion!
Where: Virtual Program, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: Online Event (see site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17689739
Mysterious Book Club: Lisa See & Daughters of the Sun and Moon via Palisades Branch Library, LAPL – in-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us for our monthly Mysterious Book Club, whose selections range from modern thrillers to Golden Age detective fiction to books from other genres that feature mysterious elements. The book club is a long-term mainstay of the Palisades Branch, and after moving to its temporary location of West LA, it has returned to 861 Alma Real Drive!
Our selection for Nov. 10 is Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See, and our meeting will include a virtual guest appearance by the author!
To join the group’s mailing list and to get information about the current month’s selection, please email the librarian at jake.folsom@lapl.org. A virtual option is also available upon request.
Where: Palisades Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Address: 861 Alma Real Dr., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/mysterious-book-club-0
Poetry Open Mic via Westwood Branch Library, LAPL – Online Event
Share a poem you wrote or a poem you love. You are also welcome to just listen and enjoy.
To receive a Zoom link, contact wwood@lapl.org
Where: Westwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/poetry-open-mic
Book Discussion for Adults: Colored Television at Sorensen Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Colored Television by Danzy Senna. Copies available at the library. For adults
“A brilliant dark comedy about second acts, creative appropriation, and the racial identity-industrial complex Jane has high hopes her life is about to turn around.” – from the Publisher.
While Jane initially planned to spend the summer house-sitting with her family in Los Angeles working on her novel, she found herself writing for a new biracial comedy show. Just as she thought everything was going well, it all takes a turn for the worse.
Where: Sorensen Library, LACL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17353729
World Cultures Reading Circle: Call Me Cassandra at Westchester – Loyola Village Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join the World Cultures Reading Circle in the Community Room to discuss Call Me Cassandra by Marcial Gala. New members welcome.
Where: Westchester – Loyola Village Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/world-cultures-reading-circle-book-discussion-7
Silver Lake Book Club: Moriarty at Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join the Silver Lake Book Club, held monthly on the 2nd Tuesday, to discuss books and enjoy light refreshments. New members are always welcome. Books are available at the reference desk.
November’s selection: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz.
Where: Silver Lake Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 2411 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/silver-lake-book-club-5
Luna Open Mic & Featured Poets with LA Poet Society at Moonstone & Mist Bookshop – In-Person Event
Join us every 2nd Tuesday of the month for Luna Open Mic at Moonstone & Mist in Redondo Beach.
Hosted by Egyptian Princess8 and featuring:
Lupe Montiel is a community leader, writer, filmmaker, and former music industry executive who currently resides in LA County’s South Bay and is working with Girls in Focus, a women-led production company that strives to provide educational mentorship opportunities to young female filmmakers.
Elena Secota is the host of the 3rd Fridays Reading Series at Rapp Saloon in Santa Monica.
Michael C. Ford has been publishing since 1970 and has created many poems, albums and creative works, including the poetry collection titled Women Under the Influence in 2016.
Katherine Hoffer N/A
Christopher Lee N/A
Jayson Pida N/A
Where: Moonstone & Mist Bookshop, Acai & Blendzup Coffee Bar
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 1913 Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Website: Instagram Page
Contemplative Book Club: Thomas Merton at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Do you feel drawn to a slower and more contemplative life? Do you find yourself enamored by the common thread within the peace of different religious and wisdom traditions? In the contemplative book club, we will read and explore contemplative spiritual texts within different traditions, including those by Merton, Rumi, Chodron, and more. We will discuss the text of the month and then practice a short contemplation. All religions, backgrounds, and spiritualities are welcome.
For our first meeting on November 10th, we’ll be taking a look at Thomas Merton by James Finley. Hope to see you there!
Former Village Well book seller and current comedian Jared Kassebaum dwells deeply on really two things: standup comedy and contemplative spirituality. He is excited to explore communally the latter in the context of one of his old places of employment. For full transparency to the group: Jared grew up within the Christian tradition and has explored spirituality with that as his home base. But he is committed to making sure the book club is safe and reflective to many traditions.
Order the book and RSVP for the event by clicking link at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Activism Book Club: The Prison Industry at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for the newest addition to the Village Well Book Club family, the Activism Book Club!
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.
Our selection for October is The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits by Biana Tylek and Worth Rises.
A meticulous exposé of who profits from incarceration, culminating in a compelling case for abolition.
Based on years of research by the criminal justice organization Worth Rises—best known for campaigns that have revolutionized prison telecom and made prison and jail communication free in cities and states around the country—The Prison Industry maps the range of ways in which private corporations, often with their government partners, make money off incarceration. It further details the gross extraction of wealth from incarcerated people and their families, who have been brutalized by overpolicing, mass incarceration, and mass surveillance.
Chapters on labor, telecom, healthcare, community corrections, and more explore the origin story of privatization for each sector and how much money is in it for the corporations involved. Stretching far beyond private prisons to look at all the sectors that benefit from incarceration, the authors illuminate the methods used to extract resources from public coffers and communities, which corporations are most active and how they partner with governments, and the harms these profit-based approaches to justice cause people, families, and communities.
Order the book and RSVP for the event by clicking link at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Malibu Library Speaker Series: Elizabeth George & A Slowly Dying Cause at Malibu City Hall with LACL – In-Person Event
Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of over 20 psychological suspense novels. Her latest book is A Slowly Dying Cause For adults.
The Malibu Library Speaker Series presents bestselling author Elizabeth George on Tuesday, November 10, 2027, at 7 pm at Malibu City Hall.
Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of over 20 psychological suspense novels, three young adult novels, one book of nonfiction, and two short story collections. Her bestsellers include A Banquet of Consequences, This Body of Death, Just One Evil, and Believing the Lie. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha Awards, as well as several other prestigious prizes. Her latest book is A Slowly Dying Cause.
George’s 20 British crime novels feature Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his unconventional partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Her crime novels have been translated into 30 languages and featured on television by the BBC. “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries” aired on BBC One from 2001 to 2008 and is available to stream on BritBox. It comprises six series and 24 episodes.
Malibu Village Books will sell A Slowly Dying Cause at the event, as well as other works.
This event takes place at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu.
RSVPs are required. RSVP online or call Malibu Library at 310.456.6438.
Where: Malibu City Hall
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, CA 90265
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17594389
Illeana Douglas, & Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM’s The Women at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Illeana Douglas discuss and sign Jungle Red!: The Making of MGM’s The Women.
The year 1939 produced such outstanding film classics as Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights. No less critically acclaimed that year was The Women. A largely forgotten masterpiece , The Women is a glamorous but stinging satire about women forced by society to be defined by men. Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women restores this classic to its rightful place in Hollywood history, and its lasting legacy as a template for later female-driven projects like Sex and The City, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Illeana Douglas has starred in films like Cape Fear, To Die For, Grace of My Heart, and Ghost World, as well as TV shows Goliath, Entourage, and Six Feet Under. She’s done memorable interviews and introductions for Turner Classic Movies, Criterion, Kino Lorber, and Trailers From Hell. She’s the author of I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies, and Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-11-10/illeana-douglas
Jeffrey I. Cole, with Rica Rodman, & Disrupters at the Gate at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Jeffrey I. Cole, in conversation with Rica Rodman, to discuss Disrupters at the Gate.
Disruption comes without warning, and by the time most of us notice it, it’s too late. Join us for an evening with Jeffrey I. Cole, who wrote Disrupters at the Gate: When Visionaries, Trailblazers, and Two Guys in a Garage Turn the World Upside Down with Harlan J. Lebo. Rica Rodman, executive director of the Wasserman Foundation, will be the
evening’s interlocutor.
Cole is the founding director of the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg, and Lebo is the Center’s senior fellow and historian. Their book traces the “master” disruptions that changed how we live and work, and the waves of change each one set off: container ships, the internet, smartphones, COVID-19, weight-loss drugs, and next, artificial intelligence, driverless cars, and robots and chatbots in our daily lives. It’s full of stories, from the unlikely success of two guys in a garage to the dramatic fall of companies that once seemed untouchable. The authors draw on decades of research and their work advising companies and governments to show that big organizations usually fail because they’re busy protecting the businesses they already have, not because they can’t see the change coming. They also lay out a checklist and battle plan for treating disruption as an opportunity.
Rica Rodman has been executive director of the Wasserman Foundation since 2010. She earlier spent four years in the Clinton White House Office of Media Affairs, where she produced the President’s weekly radio address. She later managed government relations for the Walt Disney Company and ran Norman Lear’s family foundation. She serves on the boards of the UCLA Foundation, the Center for the Digital Future, and Global Reach. She was also on the teams that worked to secure the release of Brittney Griner and Ksenia Karelina.
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2026-11-10/disrupters-gate-jeffrey-i-cole-conversation-rica-rodman
Adult Book Group: Amity by Nathan Harris at Once Upon a Time – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us to discuss Amity: A Novel by Nathan Harris.
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!
Books are available in print, and when possible as an e-book and a digital audiobook.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Sweetness of Water comes a gripping story about a brother and sister, emancipated from slavery but still searching for true freedom, and their odyssey across the deserts of Mexico to escape a former master still intent on their bondage.
New Orleans, 1866. The Civil War might be over, but formerly enslaved Coleman and June have yet to find the freedom they’ve been promised. Two years ago, the siblings were separated when their old master, Mr. Harper, took June away to Mexico, where he hoped to escape the new reality of the postbellum South. Coleman stayed behind in Louisiana to serve the Harper family, clinging to the hope that one day June would return.
When an unexpected letter from Mr. Harper arrives, summoning Coleman to Mexico, Coleman thinks that finally his prayers have been answered. What Coleman cannot know is the tangled truth of June’s tribulations under Mr. Harper out on the frontier. And when disaster strikes Coleman’s journey, he is forced on the run with Mr. Harper’s daughter, Florence. Together, they venture into the Mexican desert to find June, all the while evading two crooked brothers who’ll stop at nothing to capture Coleman and Florence and collect the money they’re owed. As Coleman and June separately navigate a perilous, parched landscape, the siblings learn quickly that freedom isn’t always given—sometimes, it must be taken by force.
Email Jessica@onceupona.com to Request Zoom Meeting Invite
Where: Once Upon a Time
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: Once Upon a Time Event Page
WORDS: Wax Poetic with Us: at Ravens Gallery LA – In-Person Event
Be in community with us. Enjoy some fire poetry & storytelling at RAVEN’S Gallery (@ravensgalleryla)–a community-focused space showcasing marginalized artists.
Our featured artists:
Christian Perfas aka Soul Stuf (@soulstuf) is a second generation Filipino-American spoken word poet who speaks on the Song, Truth Universal, and Flow of his own wandering spirit. Originally trained in the art of hip-hop and improv, Christian has learned from legendary spaces such as The Spoken Literature Art Movement at Art-Share LA, The Upright Citizens Brigade on Sunset, and Richard Horvitz’s 5 Steps To Success in North Hollywood. His first book of poetry is Play (World Stage Press, 2022).
Benin Lemus (@beninlemus_poet) was was born in La Mesa, California, raised in Portland, Oregon and currently live in South Los Angeles. She attended Bennett College, an HBCU, and has dedicated her professional life to inspiring people to be their most creative and authentic selves through reading, writing and dialogue. Her poetry collection is Dreaming in Mourning (World Stage Press).
J. Saravia (@tzapotl.lit) is a Two Spirit poet, thespian, and bruja. Her debut poetry collection is Euthanasia (Daxson Publishing, 2025). When she is not writing, she is also organizing and attending Two Spirit powwows and ceremonies, spending time with friends and family, and learning German and Nahuatl.
More to come on each of these artists!
Meet your hosts:
Erica Blumfield (@ericablumfield) is a writer, educator, mental health advocate, and Echo Park resident of more than 20 years. She was named a DeGroot Foundation Writer of Note and is a former Lighthouse Writers Workshop New Voices Fellow.
Jasmine Vallejo-Love (@cafecitowithjas) is a reformed HR executive, poet, and writer who splits her time between her home in Los Angeles and the South Bronx, where she was raised. She writes about her queer, disabled, Afro-Latinx experience as a Xennial growing up in NYC, her ancestors, her chosen familia, mental illness, domestic violence, addiction, and her triumphs in corporate America. She tries to find the lesson and the joy in dark moments, and experiences life’s nuances daily with her husband, Toby, and their dog, Friday.
COME WAX POETIC WITH US!!!!
Where: Ravens Gallery LA
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 1545 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: Instagram Page
Christy Scott Cashman, with Jane Seymour, & What Happened in Beulah at Skylight – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Christy Scott Cashman, in conversation with Jane Seymour, discuss What Happened in Beulah: A Novel.
A teenage girl uncovers the dark secrets of her Smoky Mountain town while searching for a missing classmate in this gripping coming-of-age mystery perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Beulah has always seemed steady—rooted in tradition, shaped by generations, and slow to change. But in 1986, the ground has shifted, and no one feels that more than fifteen-year-old Barrett Childress Owens. Between her parents’ unraveling marriage and a school full of kids she can’t connect with, she feels invisible in her own hometown.
When Lacy Gunderson, the captivating new girl everyone is curious about, suddenly vanishes, the town’s calm surface fractures. Search parties comb the woods. A police investigation begins. Rumors multiply. Families close ranks. And Barrett begins to sense how much the adults around her choose not to say. As Beulah clings to its usual rituals—including the annual Miss Kudzu pageant, which has shaped local girlhood for decades—Barrett is forced to navigate a community where loss lingers in the air and secrets are carefully kept. Her journey through the uncertainty reshapes her understanding of friendships, family, and the complex place she calls home.
A rich coming-of-age story with a pulse of mystery and a budding romance, What Happened in Beulah explores the fault lines of a small town and the courage it takes to face the truths people would rather bury.
Christy Scott Cashman is a bestselling, award-winning author, actress, and producer. Raised in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains, she draws inspiration from the places, people, and experiences that have shaped her life and storytelling. She is the author of The Truth About Horses and three children’s books, and the founder of YouthINK. An active member of the literary community, Christy serves on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library. She divides her time between New York City, Martha’s Vineyard, and Pennsylvania, where she enjoys life with her family, two dogs, and four horses.
Where: Skylight
Date: Tuesday the 10th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://skylightbooks.com/event/2026-11-10/christy-scott-cashman-w-jane-seymour-what-happened-beulah
Virtual Cobalt Series & Open Mic: Rick Lupert & Guest Audrey Shipp, plus Open Reading – Online Zoom Event
Cobalt Poets Reading & Open Mic and host Rick Lupert will welcome guest Audrey Shipp, plus an Open Reading online.
Audrey Shipp is a Founding Editor of Decolonial Passage Literary Magazine. She writes creative nonfiction and book criticism. Her memoir, When I Was a Bilingual Writer Birthed by Black L.A., will be published by Unsolicited Press in 2027. She is the author of the poetry collection Poetry, Poesía, Poésie in AfroDiaspora. Her writing has been published in various literary journals. Find her at https://audreyshipp.net.
Where: Cobalt Poets – Online Zoom Event
Date: Tuesday, the 10th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: Cobalt Event Page
Stolen Moments Music & Mike Sonksen at Melody Lounge – Chinatown – In-Person Event
STOMO presents live jazz and special guest Mike “the Poet” Sonksen + DJ Hymnal.
Where: Melody Lounge – Chinatown
Date: Tuesday, the 10th
Time: 9 pm – 11 pm
Address: 939 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Website: Instagram Page
Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic: Every Tuesday at Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center – In-Person Event
The nation’s largest weekly spoken word Open Mic event is 28 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.
**Slam competition preceded by LA Rams Pre-show pep rally.
$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. See website link for details.
Where: The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center
Date: Tuesday, the 10th
Time: 9 pm – 11 pm
Address: 4305 Degnan Blvd. #101, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: Instagram Page
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.
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 11th
Time: 9 am – 10 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Author Talk: Paul Vigna & The Almightier via Virtual Program, LACL – Online Event
Join us for an eye-opening conversation with veteran journalist Paul Vigna as we examine his provocative book, The Almightier in which he explores the question: how did money go from a tool of commerce into the dominant faith of modern society?
In The Almightier: How Money Became God, Greed Became Virtue, and Debt Became Sin, Vigna takes readers on a sweeping historical journey from Renaissance Florence to today’s global financial markets, revealing how wealth accumulation evolved from a moral failing into an unspoken civic virtue. He uncovers the forgotten history of money, tracing the uneasy and often accidental alliance between wealth and religion as it developed from ancient city-states to today’s secular world, where religious devotion has receded and greed has stepped in to fill the void.
Through engaging anecdotes, original research, and fresh perspectives on the causes of the many challenges we face today, Vigna makes a compelling argument that money has no power apart from the power we give it.
Whether you are interested in economic history, personal finance, or the hidden cultural forces shaping modern life, this talk is sure to pique your interest.
Register today to learn more about how devotion to money has replaced religion as the foundation of our society.
Where: Virtual Program, LACL
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: Online Event
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17689755
Community Autism Services and Vroman’s Bookstore present a Special Storytime at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Join us for a special storytime on November 11th at 11am! We will be reading We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio and getting creative with a colorful art activity inspired by the book. We’ll explore kindness, celebrate our differences, and discover what makes everyone a wonder! Sensory friendly toys and resources will be available for free to all families in attendance.
Community Autism Services provides individualized ABA therapy and psychological evaluations for children with autism and developmental delays, helping each child build meaningful skills and confidence in a supportive environment. Through center-based programs, in-home services, and family partnerships, their team is dedicated to helping children learn, grow, and thrive.
RSVP
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 11 am – 11:45 am
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
2nd & 3rd Grade Book Club at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Kids Event
2ND & 3RD GRADE BOOK CLUB: Meets monthly, generally on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 pm.
We read new releases of early grade fiction. Book selection is done by voting at each meeting for the following month’s meeting.
Facilitated by Whitney Howard. Please RSVP to whitney@starlandalchemy.com.
Where: pages: a bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2026-11-11/2nd-3rd-grade-book-club
Teen Time: Billy Ray & Hunger Games at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Set against a backdrop of crafts and snacks, Teen Time is Village Well’s newest and coolest book club! If you are 14-18 and love reading, join us the second Thursday of each month.
For our November meeting we will be welcoming Hunger Games screenwriter and YA author Billy Ray for a discussion on adaptations and the process of taking the page through to the screen.
Before the meeting, please reread/rewatch the original Hunger Games and grab a copy of Billy’s new book Burn the Water, a dystopian reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.
Looking forward to chatting all things Hunger Games and adaptations with you on Wednesday November 11th at 4:30 pm in the studio room!
Pre-order books below, and RSVP for the event by clicking link at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Meet T.Z. Layton: Doubles and The Academy at Moonstone & Mist Bookshop – In-Person Event
Join Moonstone & Mist Bookshop to welcome T.Z. Layton, New York Times bestselling author of Doubles and The Academy series.
For admission to the reading and Q&A, be one of the first 20 customers to purchase a copy of Doubles at Moonstone & Mist Bookshop starting October 31 at 9am. Each purchase earns a ticket for two to attend the reading and Q&A.
5 pm: Reading of Doubles followed by a Q&A with T.Z. Layton.
6 pm: Signing of Doubles and The Academy. All are welcome!
Where: Moonstone & Mist
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 1913 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Website: Instagram Page
ILL Writing Workshops at El Puestecito – In-Person Event
Join us for FREE Ill Writing Workshops, led by local poets Tim Lewis and Peter Lechuga on alternating Wednesdays, and held at El Puestecito form 5:30 pm – 7 pm.
Bring your writing or come get inspired! All experience levels welcome.
Where: El Puestecito
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 5:30 pm – 7 pm
Address: 1034 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona, CA 91766
Website: Instagram Page
Books & Beverages: An Autumn Members Event at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a member event!
At Books & Beverages, sit back and get amazing book recommendations from Village Well staff members and special guests Kristen L Berry and Anneliese Judge!
We’ll be pairing book recommendations with our drink menu. Plus, discover beer and mocktails from around Culver City that will go best with your next summer read! A ticket guarantees you a taste of every drink we have to offer.
Kristen L. Berry is a writer and communications executive. Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Kristen graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature. She has provided PR and communications expertise to leading consumer brands for nearly twenty years, all while writing in her spare time. When she isn’t reading or writing, Kristen can be found lifting heavy at the gym, hiking in Malibu, eating her way through Los Angeles with her partner, or shouting at the latest Formula 1 race. Her books include We Don’t Talk About Carol and Better Than You Know Yourself.
Anneliese Judge is an actress, passionate book lover, and founder of who to judge?, a media company and book club designed to spotlight stories and foster community. She is best known for her role as ‘Annie Sullivan’ in the Netflix Original Series Sweet Magnolias, and is set to star in an upcoming movie for Lifetime, yet to be announced.
Pre-order books below, and RSVP for the event by clicking link at website!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Shut Up & Write! with Los Feliz Writers at Alcove Café & Bakery – In-Person Event
Looking for some dedicated writing time? Come by our weekly neighborhood meetups:
Mondays @ 6:45 pm – 8 pm at Sidewalk Grill (NEW)
Wednesdays @ 6:45 pm – 8 pm at Bar Alcove & Bakery
All writers and all experience levels are welcome!
We’re starting a Shut Up and Write event on Mondays too, thanks to @jack_andcat.
Hosted by @literarypixie!
RSVP at link in bio.
Where: Bar Alcove & Bakery
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 6:45 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1929 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: Instagram Page
Ticketed: Largo Presents: In Conversation with Murray Hill & Kathleen Hanna: Showbiz! at Book Soup Off-site at Largo – In-Person Event
Join NYC showbiz legend Murray Hill for a very special celebration of his new memoir, Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man, in conversation with punk rock icon, author, and longtime friend Kathleen Hanna. Expect a hilarious, candid, and completely unpredictable conversation about showbiz, survival, friendship, feminism, reinvention, and making it through. Come for the books, stay for the stories, and witness two originals who’ve spent their lives doing things their own way. Showbiz!
Following the conversation, Murray and Kathleen will take questions from the audience, then Murray will personally sign copies of Showbiz! for everyone who buys a book. Legendary LA independent bookstore BOOK SOUP will be on hand selling Murray’s memoir as well as the paperback edition of Kathleen’s bestselling memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk.
Murray Hill is a one-man entertainment machine: comedian, host, actor, writer, producer, and walking time capsule of classic showbiz charm. Television audiences know him as the lovable Fred Rococo on HBO’s award-winning Somebody Somewhere, and from his appearances on Life & Beth (Hulu), Drag Me To Dinner (Hulu), Elsbeth (CBS), Welcome to Flatch (FOX), and King of Drag (Revry). NBC News selected him as one of modern history’s 30 most iconic and influential drag performers, and New York magazine included him in the Fifty Most Iconic Gender Benders of All Time list.
Kathleen Hanna is a pioneering musician, writer, artist, and feminist activist whose fearless voice helped ignite the Riot Grrrl movement and reshape punk rock. As the frontwoman of the influential bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and later The Julie Ruin, Hanna has spent more than three decades challenging sexism, championing self-expression, and inspiring generations of artists and activists. In 2024, Hanna published her acclaimed memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, which became an instant New York Times bestseller and chronicles her life, music, activism, and the experiences that shaped her revolutionary creative voice.
RVSP
Where: Largo at the Coronet
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-11-11/largo-murray-hill-kathleen-hanna-showbiz
Romance Book Club: A.C. Robinson & Hardly Strangers at Good Girl Books – In-Person Event
We are so excited for our first romance book club! The author, @ac__robinson will be joining us for a Q&A 🥳
AND @dermalogica is bringing some goodies! Attendees will receive an exclusive Clear Start goodie bag, plus the chance to test their luck with a fun spin-the-wheel activity and enter a special Clear Start raffle for an exciting prize!
Get ready for a night of books, romance, and clear skin 🤩
Where: Good Girls Books
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 12444 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066
Website: Instagram Page
Don Pageler & Tales of Betrayal at Page Against the Machine – In-Person Event
Don Pageler, USS Liberty Survivor, will present and discuss Tales of Betrayal, in remembrance of Veterans/Armistice Day
In collaboration with the Long Beach chapters of Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speaks Out, Page Against The Machine is pleased to host a discussion with U.S. veterans to commemorate Armistice Day on Wednesday, November 11th at 7 pm.
Armistice Day is commemorated every November 11th to mark the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. The day officially became known as Veterans Day in the United States in 1954, thus changing both the name and focus of the original holiday.
While Veterans Day patriotically purports to honor the women and men who have served and sacrificed in the name of America’s freedom and liberty, the US government has a sad and storied history of repaying that service with dishonorable and neglectful treatment.
The featured speaker will be 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗪. “𝗗𝗼𝗻” 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿 who served in the U.S. Navy as a Crypto-Technician 2nd Class and who witnessed and survived the 1967 Israeli military attack on the USS Liberty during the Six-Day War. The attack killed 34 crew members, wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.
Other veterans will also be on hand to share their 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗹, more relevant than ever as America’s military forces are once again being deployed both at home and abroad under murky legal circumstances.
The event is free and open to the public, no tickets or reservations required.
Where: Page Against the Machine
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 2714 0814E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: Facebook Page
Nonfiction Book Club at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Event
Meets monthly, generally on the Fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. We read nonfiction. Book selection is conducted via email prior to each meeting so that the following month’s book will be available at the preceding month’s meeting.
Participants will discuss California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California by Miriam Pawel.
Facilitated by Mark Polak.
Pulitzer Prize winner Miriam Pawel’s epic history of one of the world’s elite public universities, its sweeping social impact, and hopeful lessons about endurance in troubled times.
Distinguished by its founding mission as an engine of upward mobility, the University of California-a constitutionally independent public trust-is a great American experiment that has persevered through fraught battles over access, funding, and leadership.
The University has been at the nexus of nearly every public policy debate and social movement since the Civil War, from women’s rights to student protests, from academic freedom to affirmative action, shaping policies that reverberate throughout the United States.
California Dreams narrates UC’s rise and resilience through the lens of those whose lives it has transformed-in particular, five pioneering graduates whose diverse paths underscore why the University remains, in the words of Berkeley graduate Joan Didion, “California’s best idea of itself.”
At a time of staggering inequality and uncertainty, as higher education faces unprecedented threats, that role has never been more crucial. Drawing on extensive research in ten archives and dozens of interviews, California Dreams weaves together the linked history of the school and state in all its drama, significance, and humanity; the result is a magisterial narrative of both a remarkable public institution of higher education, and also California itself.
Miriam Pawel is the author of The Browns of California, winner of the California Book Award Gold Medal; The Crusades of Cesar Chavez, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; and The Union of Their Dreams. A Pulitzer Prize–winning editor and reporter, she spent twenty-five years at Newsday and the Los Angeles Times. For this book, she was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar Fellowship and was named a fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. She lives in Southern California.
Where: pages: a bookstore
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2026-11-11/nonfiction-book-club
Obi Kauffamn, with Josh Jackson, & California Inside Out at Skylight – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Obi Kauffamn, in conversation with Josh Jackson, discuss California Inside Out.
From the acclaimed author of The California Field Atlas and The State of Fire, a mind-expanding manifesto on belonging to the land called California.
For more than 250 years, the story of California has been told through conquest, self-reinvention, novelty, and riches. Beneath that mythology lies another reality: the erasure of Native histories, the exploitation of natural systems, and a deepening separation between people and place. As climate breakdown intensifies and natural disasters escalate, bestselling author Obi Kaufmann challenges us to see the Golden State anew—not as a commodity or fantasy, but as a living, interconnected world.
With wonder and urgency, California Inside Out reflects on the boundless intricacies of the world that surrounds, prompting bold, imaginative questions: What words might connect us more deeply with the places where we live? What if a watershed can think? What if a forest has a mind of its own? Across five chapters full of wisdom and heart, Kaufmann shares poignant personal stories and ecological insights from five decades of life in California. Illustrated throughout with his signature watercolor artwork drawn from across Kaufmann’s celebrated career, this naturalist’s treatise is a call for awe and action.
Obi Kaufmann is an artist, conservationist, and the bestselling and award-winning author of The California Field Atlas series. Kaufmann is a former board member of the California Wilderness Coalition and winner of the 2019 Mark Dubois River Protection Award. Notable recent illustration projects include a 2022 residency with the National Wildlife Federation as the illustrator for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing and a 2025 writing and painting residency for the National Gallery of Art in Yosemite. In 2026 he will participate in an authors’ residency in Stockholm with the Swedish Institute. His most recent book is California Inside Out: Mapping an Ecology of Mind (2026). When he is not backpacking, the painter-poet can be found at home in the East Bay, posting trail paintings @coyotethunder on Instagram.
Joshua Jackson is a writer and photographer whose work explores the overlooked public lands of the American West. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, High Country News, SFGATE, and Adventure Journal, among others. He has also been a featured guest on numerous podcasts exploring nature, science, and conservation. His first book, The Enduring Wild: A Journey into California’s Public Lands (Heyday, 2025), a winner of the Golden Poppy Award, is both a love letter to these landscapes and a meditation on belonging and reciprocity.
RSVP
Where: Skylight
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://skylightbooks.com/event/2026-11-11/obi-kaufmann-w-josh-jackson-california-inside-out
Saira Mohamed, with Ted Braun, & What a Country Owes Its Soldiers at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Saira Mohamed, in conversation with Ted Braun, discuss What a Country Owes Its Soldiers.
A clarion call to recognize soldiers’ rights, arguing that volunteering to fight and die for one’s country does not mean consenting to exploitation in the process.
American leaders endlessly profess their admiration for military service members. But these effusive declarations hardly comport with reality. Soldiers receive shoddy equipment and inadequate medical care; they are ordered to commit crimes and deployed to illegal wars. Such treatment is rarely recognized for what it is: a violation of the duty owed to soldiers by their government. When American service members are injured or killed during training, for example, they and their families are barred from suing the military for negligence or malfeasance. And when the torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib came to light, the subsequent proceedings focused just on low-ranking perpetrators. The psychological harm done to the soldiers themselves by commanders who ordered them to commit torture in the first place went unacknowledged.
Examining statutes, treaties, court cases, and congressional hearings, Saira Mohamed shows how the law encourages the treatment of soldiers as mere instruments, to be used and abused however the government wishes. She also unearths overlooked laws that point in the other direction, suggesting the possibility of robust protections for service members. Paradoxically, these get ignored in part because of the popular adulation of the military—the vision of service members as heroes who selflessly endure unlimited sacrifice. The all-volunteer nature of the force also promotes the misguided notion that soldiers have willingly accepted whatever mistreatment they might experience.
What a Country Owes Its Soldiers shows how laws and mindsets can change, enabling genuine respect for soldiers’ humanity. Acknowledging their rights can transform our understanding of those who fight America’s wars, and of American warmaking itself.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-11-11/saira-mohamed
Anansi Writers Workshop + V. Kali 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.”
V. Kali is a prominent Los Angeles-based poet, writer, and a foundational figure at the historic Anansi Writer’s Workshop at The World Stage. She is the author of HYMN (World Stage Press), a poetry collection exploring lyrical meditations on life, love, and breath.
- 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm — Formal workshop;
- 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm — V. Kali 75th Solar Return + Hymn;
- 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 11th
Time: 7:30 pm – 10 pm
Address: 4321 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website: Instagram Page
Story Salon LA at Art Parlor, Valley Village – In-Person & Virtual Hybrid Event
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: Grab and Go Freestyle.
Where: Art Parlor
Date: Wednesday the 11th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors at 7 pm)
Address: 5302 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, CA 91607
Website: Instagram Page
Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop with Rooja Mohassessy 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.
Rooja Mohassessy is an Iranian-born poet and educator. Her debut poetry collection, When Your Sky Runs Into Mine, is an Elixir Press Award winner. Her poems and prose appear in Narrative Magazine, Nimrod, Southern Humanities Review, The Rumpus, and The Adroit Journal. Her work is anthologized in Colossus: Body and California Fire & Water: A Climate Crisis Anthology. Poetry media and podcasts that feature Rooja include NPR, The Hive Poetry Collective, and The Slowdown. She is a MacDowell Fellow and serves as a poetry editor for CALYX Journal. Rooja holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Pacific University.
NOTE: See site for further details, tickets, and information.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Wednesday, the 11th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: Online event (see site)
Website: Beyond Baroque Event Page
Poetry Reading & Open Mic by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry with Ben Trigg & Guest James Hamilton at The Ugly Mug – In-Person Event
Ben Trigg welcomes featured guest poet James Hamilton to present his work, plus an Open Mic.
James Hamilton is known for comet-like energy during live performances. He features across the US and abroad, where he might pause his set to interact with the audience. His delivery is noted as authentic and enlivening.
Hamilton has been described as having a jazz dialect, often using irreverent phrasing to capture the erratic timing and tangential flavor of his thoughts. His style relies on palpable performance passion and word manipulation to create a fresh, unaffected sound.
7X Author of original poetry collections
1x Curator-Made in USA: An Anthology of Resistance
2025 NSWA Finalist-Performer and Entertainer of the Year
2026 WAMI Finalist-Spoken Word Album of the Year (The See Word Sessions)
2026 NSWA Nominee-Performer and Entertainer of the Year
2026 NSWA Nominee-Album of the Year-The See Word Sessions
Catch his radio show VERSEd at 7am TU or 6 pm SAT or YouTube @jameshamiltonpoet and download his recent single #goddamnride on any audio platform.
$5 cover fee, cash only
Where: The Ugly Mug, Orange
Date: Wednesday, the 4th
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Address: 261 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Website: Facebook Page
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.
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 12th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Mystery Book Club: The Murder at the Vicarage at Culver City Julian Dixon Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join us for a lively discussion of The Murder at the Vicarage by Agathe Christie. Books are available for check-out at the library. For adults.
Summary provided by the publisher:
“Outsiders might view St. Mary Mead as a sleepy little English village, but elderly Jane Marple sees it differently. A keen observer privy to all the local gossip, Miss Marple knows that beneath that peaceful exterior is a hotbed of intrigue, guilt, and deception.
Landowner and churchwarden Colonel Lucius Protheroe stirs up a fuss wherever he goes, so it’s no surprise that everyone-even the vicar-wishes the insufferable man was dead. It does, however, shock the vicar to find Protheroe’s bloody and lifeless in his study. While the police are baffled by the crime, Miss Marple has a suspect in mind. But first she must decipher the clues that will bring the killer to justice.”
Where: Culver City Julian Dixon Library, LACL
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 4975 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA 90230
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17419129
Special Author Event: Lara Scott & Main Street Mistletoe at pages: a bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to meet Lara Scott, co-author of Main Street and Mistletoe, on Thursday, November 12th at 5:30 pm. Mixing and mingling will happen from 5:30 to 6:00, with the author speaking beginning their presentation at 6:00.
Main Street and Mistletoe is one long-lost letter, one wild day downtown, and one chance to change everything.
Filled with warmth, humor, and holiday charm, Main Street and Mistletoe celebrates second chances, the magic of rediscovering love, and the wonder of finding yourself again—one festive beverage at a time.
Lara Scott loves twinkle lights and Christmas cheer, but prefers hers with palm trees and 75 degrees. A popular on-air radio host in Los Angeles since 2000, she has become a familiar voice across Southern California. Main Street and Mistletoe is her first novel with Cori Linder, written as a love letter to Los Angeles after the 2025 wildfires. When she’s not on the air or ferociously tapping away on her laptop, Lara can usually be found drinking coffee and exploring LA with her family.
Where: pages: a bookstore
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 5:30 pm – 7 pm
Address: 904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Website: https://pagesabookstore.com/event/2026-11-12/special-author-event-lara-scott
Feminist Book Club: Wax Child at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us online for the Feminist Book Club to discuss Wax Child by Olga Ravn.
An astounding, haunting tale of accused witches—a book of sorcery itself—from the celebrated author of The Employees and My Work: now in paperback.
In seventeenth-century Denmark, Christenze Kruckow, an unmarried noblewoman, is accused of witchcraft. She and several other women are rumored to be possessed by the Devil, who comes to them as a tall headless man and gives them dark powers: they steal happiness, perform unchristian acts, and cause pestilence or even death. The women are all in danger of the stake.
Narrated by a wax doll created by Kruckow, the novel is an unsettling horror story about brutality, friendship, power, nature, and witchcraft, set in the fragile communities of premodern Europe. Based on a series of real witchcraft trials that took place in northern Jutland, The Wax Child is layered with rich atmospheric details and quotes from original sources, such as letters, magic spells, court documents, and Scandinavian grimoires.
Olga Ravn (born 1986) is a Danish novelist and poet. In collaboration with Danish publisher Gyldendal she edited a selection of Tove Ditlevsen’s texts and books that relaunched Ditlevsen’s readership worldwide. Her novel The Employees was on the shortlist for the Booker Prize in 2021, and The Wax Child was on the longlist for the Booker International Prize and the shortlist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Translation in 2026.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 6675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92506
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-11-12/feminist-book-club-wax-child
Wendelin Van Deraanen & Ghosted at Vroman’s – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Wendelin Van Deraanen to present and discuss Ghosted.
Can a girl and a ghost get their happily ever after? Find out in this sweet new teen romance from the award-winning author of Flipped.
Gemma and Jimmy have known each other practically all of Gemma’s life, but it isn’t until she starts high school that she notices that eternally-fifteen-year-old Jimmy is…well…dreamy! He’s kinder and funnier than the other boys her age, and she feels like her best self when she’s with him.
Meanwhile, Jimmy is shocked to realize that Gemma is growing up. Soon enough she’ll overtake him in age, and then one day, she’ll lose interest in him entirely. He knows it’s selfish to want her to stay close forever, but he can’t help it.
The problem is…their romance is doomed to fail. Jimmy is a ghost. No one except Gemma can see him, and he can’t leave the graveyard where he lives. How could they ever have a shot at love?
Set in a cozy small town and told in dual POV, this page-turning romance from the bestselling author of Flipped has all the high-stakes emotion and grandeur of a great first love story. Readers will be rooting for Gemma and Jimmy to make it, despite every obstacle thrown their way.
Wendelin Van Draanen is the award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty novels for kids and teens. Her books include Flipped, which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ and became a Warner Brothers feature film, the Edgar Award-winning Sammy Keyes mystery series, and The Running Dream, which won ALA’s Schneider Family Book award. A high school teacher for fifteen years, Wendelin is now a full-time writer who enjoys staying active in the school author-visit space.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-11-12/wendelin-van-draanen
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, with Ellen Byron, & Walking on White at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
From acclaimed author and forensic specialist Jennifer Graeser Dornbush comes a chilling new Coroner’s Daughter mystery sure to keep readers at the edge of their seats: Walking On White. The coroner’s daughter is back when a ferocious snowstorm buries Freeport, Michigan—and with it, a deadly secret.
When the frozen body of high school senior Ethan Quon is found wedged deep in a snowbank, medical examiner Dr. Emily Hartford is called in to determine how—and why—he died. What should be a routine case quickly turns thorny. The evidence is inconclusive, the timeline fractured, and the town’s citizens close ranks.
As Emily digs deeper, she uncovers a tangle of lies, betrayals, and half truths that ignite outrage among Freeport’s residents. Tensions explode when local teenagers begin receiving chilling text messages—apparently sent by Ethan himself. A dead boy is speaking, and the town is listening in horror.
As the investigation intensifies, Emily’s personal life begins to unravel. Her closest friend is leaving town. Her half-sister, Anna, newly divorced, may take her children and move out of the Hartford home. And Emily is forced to rule on the death of a violent criminal killed during a struggle with Nick Larsen—the man she loves—which could determine the future of not only his career but his life with Emily. Racing against time to uncover the truth before anyone else dies, Emily exposes long-buried family secrets, a dangerous teenage conspiracy, and disturbing sexual transgressions. In a town where lies spread faster than the storm, truth comes at a devastating cost. Emily must not only solve a murder but confront the truths she’s been avoiding about herself and the life she’s willing to fight for.
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush works as a screenwriter, author, speaker, and forensic specialist. She has developed film and TV projects, is the author of numerous books, and frequently speaks around the world on crime fiction and forensics. She and her family divide their time between Upper Michigan and Arizona. She is at work on her next novel in the Coroner Daughter’s series and several standalone novels.
Former sitcom writer-producer Ellen Byron is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at http://www.ellenbyron.com/.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., #33., Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2026-11-12/jennifer-graeser-dornbush-walking-white
ALOUD Reading Series of LFLA: A Century of Humanity: Jazz in Los Angeles at Central Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Explore a century of an American art form that continues to shape our world. Jazz is more than music—it is a living record and an ongoing…
Curated by NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke and Natasha Agrama.
Featuring:
Dr. Samuel Lamontagne is a writer, scholar, and professor at the University of California, Riverside. His work explores Black music as a form of knowledge production and a central site of Black intellectual, cultural, and political life. Grounded in sustained engagement with musicians, archives, and community-based cultural institutions, his research and collaborative projects center histories of freedom, resistance, and imagination in the African diaspora. His recent projects include Leave It for the Children (Angel City Press, 2026), co-edited with Darol Olu Kae, which explores the sixty-five years of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, the community-based ensemble founded in Los Angeles by Horace Tapscott.
Performances by:
Brandon Coleman is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, producer, vocalist, musical director, and vocoder artist whose innovative approach to harmony, synthesis, and sound has established him as one of the most distinctive creative voices to emerge from Los Angeles.
MARLONIUS is a bassist and composure who doesn’t use AI to make his music.
Emilio Modeste is a young, New York-based tenor saxophonist and composer. He is currently lead saxophonist in the bands of Stanley Clarke N 4EVER and Cindy Blackman Santana. Modeste has shared the bandstand with world-renowned musicians including: Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Buster Williams, Patrice Rushen, Lenny White, Gary Bartz, Steve Turre, Christian McBride, Rene McLean, Antoine Roney, Donald Harrison, and many more. He spent his early musical years as saxophonist in the Wallace Roney Quintet.
Born in Virginia, Modeste started very early on the violin, moving to the piano and drums quickly, until he picked up the saxophone at the age of eight and never looked back.
Patrice Quinn is the lead singer and lyricist for world renowned jazz band Kamasi Washington & The West Coast Get Down. An artist, storyteller and teacher through performance, writing, directing, producing, video & music editing and visual art & design.
Shakoor Hakeem is a Philadelphia percussionist whose playing draws on Afro-Cuban roots and the rhythmic folklore of the African diaspora, shaped as much by mysticism and ceremony as by jazz improvisation. He leads Aùra, a trio with drummer Ben Singer and pianist and flutist Elijah Thomas that folds dance and African diaspora folklore into Black American music, and which he brought to WRTI’s studio in 2023. Since 2025 he has played in FÖR, a group formed with Swedish saxophonist Isak Ingvarsson that sets Swedish folk traditions against Afro-diasporic rhythm.
Co-presented with KJazz 88.1.
An explorative reminiscence of the music that has continuously shaped culture, fueling the leading edge of creation over the past century. Jazz is an undefinable term—a living record, an ongoing inquiry into the essence of movement, and a true American art form.
Through composition, poetry, live performance, and storytelling, we will immerse ourselves in this history, discovering the ways that Jazz has touched Los Angeles and how, in turn, our great city has made its contribution to its ever evolving language. Together, we will reflect on Jazz as a mirror of the human experience: resilient and true, holding the burning questions that create our vision for the future.
RSVP
Where: Central Library, LAPL, Mark Taper Auditorium
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 630 W. 5th St,. Los Angeles, CA 90071
Website: Eventbrite Page
Lisa M. Stulberg, with David Monahan, & How to Win a Culture War: LGBTQ+ Social Change Through Pop Culture at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Lisa M. Stulberg, in conversation with David Monahan, will discuss How to Win a Culture War: LGBTQ+ Social Change Through Pop Culture.
How elite athletes and entertainment industry movers and shakers work to win the culture war for LGBTQ+ social justice.
The unquestionable runaway television hit of late 2025 was Crave/HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry, a show that tells the love story of two queer ice hockey players. This show—and the wider social context around it—would have been unthinkable without the courageous writing, art, and advocacy of previous generations of LGBTQ+ people and their allies in the entertainment industry. In How to Win a Culture War, sociologist Lisa M. Stulberg argues that, despite substantial barriers, past and current creatives and athletes are changing American culture through their contributions to arts, sports, and politics.
Stulberg conducted in-depth interviews with 170 culture workers—including television, film, and theater actors and creators; musicians; elite athletes; and activists over the span of 14 years. These include stars such as Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack, Orange Is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria, Olympic diver Greg Louganis, and several former NFL players, as well as the TV and movie writers, producers, and directors behind some of pop culture’s boldest moves. These culture makers take six primary steps toward LGBTQ+ social change: they become visible, use available platforms, change their workplaces, overachieve, become normal, and stay queer. In this work, they are opening up the culture, changing hearts and minds, and building community, even amid a fresh round of ruthless political attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
Providing rich behind-the-scenes insight and cultural material, Stulberg outlines an urgently needed playbook for how to win a culture war.
Lisa M. Stulberg is associate professor of sociology of education at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and an affiliated faculty member in the department of sociology. She is the author of LGBTQ Social Movements.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-11-12/lisa-m-stulberg-david-monahan
Gregory Orfalea, with Gary Paul Nabhan, & Wonder + Shame Book Launch at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event
Chevalier’s Book welcomes Los Angeles native Gregory Orfalea for a conversation about his new novel, Wonder + Shame. He will be joined by agricultural ecologist, ethnobotanist, and essayist Gary Paul Nabhan. This event is free.
At 60, disillusioned Syrian American Frank Matter travels into Syria at the height of its civil war to rescue his deaf cousin, Dayzi, a master seamstress he loved when they were young. He carries her through danger and suffering to a vast refugee camp at Urfa in eastern Turkey. There, surrounded by Syrian orphans, some running wild and some barely clinging to life, he takes on another quixotic mission: teaching them American baseball. A novel of war, faith, sacrifice, and baseball, Wonder + Shame asks what we truly owe one another.
National Book Award winner Alice McDermott calls it heartfelt, at times harrowing, and “a wholly original account of Syria’s tragic history.” Michael Murphy, director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, praises its warmth and wit and its original premise.
Gregory Orfalea was born and raised in Los Angeles and is the author or editor of 11 books. His biography of Junípero Serra, the Franciscan founder of California, Journey to the Sun, was published by Scribner. His memoir collection, Angeleno Days, won the Arab American Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN USA Prize for Creative Nonfiction, and his short fiction is collected in The Man Who Guarded the Bomb. His essays have appeared in The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Commonweal, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. He has taught literature and writing at the Claremont Colleges, Georgetown University, and Westmont College. He lives in Santa Barbara, where he swims in the annual Reef and Run deep-sea swims.
Gary Paul Nabhan is an agricultural ecologist, ethnobotanist, essayist, and Ecumenical Franciscan brother, and a pioneer of the local food and heirloom seed-saving movements. The grandson of Lebanese and Syrian refugees, he is the author of 32 books on nature, food, and science. His honors include a MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship, a James Beard Award, the John Burroughs Medal for natural history writing, and a Lannan Literary Award. He co-founded the seed conservation nonprofit Native Seeds/SEARCH and holds the Kellogg Endowed Chair in Southwestern Borderlands Food and Water Security at the University of Arizona. His recent books include Water in the Desert from Milkweed Editions, which topped NPR’s best books of the summer; Sonoran Desert Bestiary, with artist Robert Long; and Against the American Grain: A Borderlands History of Resistance, which profiles the activists, artists, and spiritual leaders from the Southwest borderlands who reshaped American culture. He lives near Patagonia, Arizona.
Where: Chevalier’s
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2026-11-12/gregory-orfalea-author-wonder-shame
Paperback Book Launch: Jennifer Croft, with Courtney Stephens, & Homesick: A Memoir at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Jennifer Croft, in conversation with Courtney Stephens, will present and discuss Homesick: A Memoir.
The coming of age story of an award-winning translator, Homesick is about learning to love language in its many forms, healing through words and the promises and perils of empathy and sisterhood.
Sisters Amy and Zoe grow up in Oklahoma where they are homeschooled for an unexpected reason: Zoe suffers from debilitating and mysterious seizures, spending her childhood in hospitals as she undergoes surgeries. Meanwhile, Amy flourishes intellectually, showing an innate ability to glean a world beyond the troubles in her home life, exploring that world through languages first. Amy’s first love appears in the form of her Russian tutor Sasha, but when she enters university at the age of 15 her life changes drastically and with tragic results.
Jennifer Croft won a Guggenheim Fellowship for her novel The Extinction of Irena Rey, the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing for her memoir, Homesick, and the International Booker Prize for her translation of Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights. She is also the translator of Federico Falco’s A Perfect Cemetery, Romina Paula’s August, Pedro Mairal’s The Woman from Uruguay, and Olga Tokarczuk’s The Books of Jacob. She has received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. She lives in Tulsa.
Courtney Stephens is the director of four feature films: The American Sector, Terra Femme, Invention, and, most recently, John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office. Her work has shown in cinemas and festivals across the world, and she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo, and other honors. She co-curates the Los Angeles microcinema, Veggie Cloud.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Trenches Full of Poets Reading Series & Open Mic: Peter Lechuga, liz gonzalez & Sammy Herrera at Page Against the Machine – In-Person Event
In the season of gathering and gratitude, the 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 resumes in full fall force on 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵! The event will feature in-store readings from a diverse trio of SoCal poets, 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗮, 𝗹𝗶𝘇 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮́𝗹𝗲𝘇, and 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗺𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗮, followed by an open mic opportunity.
Peter Lechuga (he/him) is an incendiary wordsmith, community organizer, PlantBasedgod, and Karaoke King who speaks stories of the Xicano experience which touch on topics of love, grief, and resistance. He is a founder and editor of the literary journal, the ILL Poetry and Art Anthology, and editor of the International Latino Book Award winning anthology, Together We Rise: Voices from the Front Lines of Freedom 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴. His work has been nominated for various awards, has been shared at college campuses, conferences, libraries, museums, city halls, and has been published in numerous literary journals, anthologies, and zines. He is the author of the poetry collection, Myth Opportunities, and co-author of the collab chapbook, Billionaires for Breakfast. When not molotoving the mic, he can be found hiking in the mountains, spitting freestyles.
𝗹𝗶𝘇 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮́𝗹𝗲𝘇 (she/her/ella) is a Chicana poet and creative nonfiction writer living in Long Beach. She is a 2023 California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellow and the author of the multi-genre book Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds: Poems y Cuentos New and Selected (Los Nietos Press). Her writing recently appeared in the exhibit San Bernardino Photography Now: I’m Grateful Thorns Have Roses and in Transformation: A Woman Who Submit Anthology, HTI Open Plaza, Air/Light, and Poets & Writers Magazine.
With roots from the small city of La Puente hidden somewhere in the San Gabriel Valley, Sammy Herrera (she/her/ella) is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken word artist, and zine queen. She has found her way back into poetry after a long hiatus, fully immersing herself in the community through open mics, workshops, and poetry slams. She writes on topics such as feminism, racism, working with children, mental health, love, and heartbreak. More often a lover than a fighter, but she’ll tackle heavy topics with grit and grace through poetry and performances. You can find samples of her work, upcoming events, shows, and digital zines on her website prettypetitepoems.com
Taking its name from a Clash lyric, Trenches Full of Poets is a monthly poetry series created, curated, and hosted by Los Angeles-based poets and editors, Nikolai Garcia and Mauricio Andres Moreno with the goal of supporting a diverse array of published SoCal authors and the local independent bookstores that carry their works.
The event takes place on the second Thursday of every month and is always free and open to the public, no tickets or reservations required!
Where: Page Against the Machine
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 2714 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: Facebook Page
Domenic Priore and Brian Chidester & Pop Surf Culture at Skylight – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Domenic Priore and Brian Chidester discuss Pop Surf Culture.
The definitive guide to the infiltration of underground surf culture into 20th century popular entertainment and a coffee table history of the music, art, design, film, and fashion from the Bohemian Surf Boom.
From the original beachcomber personalities like the Waikiki Beach boys of the early 20th century, to the postwar rise of southern California as a creative epicenter for music, art, and film, Pop Surf Culture traces the roots of the surf boom from its earliest days as an insular, regional Hawaiian subculture, to its proliferation nationwide in mainstream teen fads and entertainment. Criss-crossing through the 1950s Beat Generation, 1960s counterculture, 1970s punk rock, the book illustrates why surf culture is a vital art movement of the 20th century.
Pop Surf Culture covers the highs and lows of surf’s mainstreaming, including the popular “beach” movies of the 1950s and ’60s which featured such stars as Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon and the music of Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, Brian Wilson, the Pyramids, Gary Usher, James Brown, and Little Stevie Wonder. 1960s art figures Michael Dormer and Rick Griffin—as well as the surf magazines which promoted their art—are featured alongside the progenitors of “surf music,” from the little known (the Centurions) to the wildly popular (the Beach Boys). From Duke Kahanamoku, the Gas House, Gidget, surfing on television, the bohemian surf aesthetic, surf music hot spots, and Mickey “Da Cat” Dora, the entire spectrum of pop surf culture is covered within these colorfully illustrated pages.
Domenic Priore is a writer and producer specializing in pop culture, sociology, and music. He is the author of Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Last Stand in Hollywood, Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’ Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier (with Christopher Merritt), Shag: The Collected Works, Beatsville (with Martin Macintosh), and Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson’s Lost Masterpiece. Domenic wrote the liner notes, sourced photographs, and helped sequence the music for The Beach Boys: Smile Sessions box set (Capitol Records), which won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. He also did the booklet for The Decline of Western Civilization Collection four-DVD box set and was the primary writer of the AMC documentaries Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years 1955-1970 (narrated by Ringo Starr) and Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (narrated by David Bowie). His bylines have appeared in Billboard, Sports Illustrated, Surfer and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Induction Dinner program. He lives in Los Angeles.
Brian Chidester is an art historian, author, documentarian, and journalist. Exhibitions he has curated include: One Day You’ll See: A History of Afrofuturism and Charles A.A. Dellschau and the Mythology of Flight. He is a contributor of articles and reviews for The American Prospect, The Atlantic, L.A. Weekly, Paste, and The Village Voice, and is the author of Pop Surf Culture: Music, Design, Film, and Fashion from the Bohemian Surf Era (Santa Monica Press). Chidester has also been a writer/researcher/producer of documentaries for the BBC, PBS, and Showtime, and is the director of the feature-length film As the Wind: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbez. He lives in New York City.
RSVP
Where: Skylight
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7 pm – 8 pm
Address: 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://skylightbooks.com/event/2026-11-12/domenic-priore-and-brian-chidester-pop-surf-culture
Nostrils and Mouths: Renee Petropoulos & Lorraine Wild at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center– In-Person & Online Hybrid YouTube Event
Join us for the launch of Nostrils and Mouths, a collaborative art book between Renée Petropoulos and Victor Albarricin Llanos. By isolating mouths and nostrils from historical paintings and contemporary portraits, the visual art of the book explores the expressive possibilities of human countenance. By removing these features from their original contexts, she invites viewers to consider expressions without knowing whether they convey prayer, screaming, lamentation, or something else entirely. Petropoulos will be in conversation with Graphic Designer and multi-media artist, Lorraine Wild.
RSVP: ticketed
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: Beyond Baroque Event Page
Live Talks LA Presents: Kenneth Chenault, with Earvin Magic Johnson, & Equal to the Task at Bezdek Center for the Performing Arts, Crossroads School – In-Person & Online Hybrid Event
Join us to hear Kenneth Chenault, in conversation with Earvin Magic Johnson, discuss Equal to the Task.
Ken Chenault has lived his life at the confluence of the historical forces that have shaped modern America, keenly aware of both the burdens of its past and the dynamic potential of its future. Born in 1951, when segregation was still inscribed in the laws of the land, he ascended to the peak of corporate America over the course of the next fifty years. In his thoughtful and wide-ranging memoir, Chenault reflects on his personal journey, the mentors who shaped him, and his lifelong quest to realize his own potential and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Equal to the Task is a classic American story for our times.
After joining American Express, Chenault steadily worked his way up to the very top. He led the company for almost two decades, driving market-leading innovations, before stepping down and making another surprising life choice. Eschewing the more traditional roles for former CEOs, he joined a dynamic venture capital firm, seeking to help build enduring companies that leverage technology for both profit and purpose. Over the past years, he has continued to be a steady voice of moral clarity in the public and private sectors.
RSVP: Ticketed
Where: Bezdek Center for the Performing Arts, Crossroads School
Date: Thursday the 12th
Time: 8 pm
Address: 1736 22nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Website: LiveTalks Page
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.
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 13th
Time: 9 am – 10 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
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 13th
Time: 9:30 am
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: Once Upon a Time Event Page
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 13th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Writing Gets Lonely at Heavy Manners Library – In-Person Event
No frills, No prompts, Just write!
Join host Katja Bartholmess for an open writing studio at Heavy Manners Library! No frills, no prompts, just write!
Manuscripts, Screenplays, Articles…whatever you’re working on, let’s do it in each other’s company!
Katja Bartholmess is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her (as yet unpublished) debut novel Former Hopeful was shortlisted for the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award 2025 and nominated for the 2026 James Kirkwood Prize. A graduate of the UCLA Masterclass in Novel Writing and current student at Granta’s Literary Novel Workshop, she has published journalistic and literary work in English and German, most recently in The Journal of the Westbrae Literary Group and Lit Angels. She hosts Writing Gets Lonely, a local writers’ community, and is never far from a hiking trail, gallery or concert venue.
Afternoon Writing Session
Drop in and stay a while!
Where: Heavy Manners Library
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 1 pm – 3 pm
Address: 2115 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Website: Eventbrite Page
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Fan Hour at Book Soup – In-Person Event
Help us celebrate the film release of Sunrise on the Reaping with a special fan event in partnership with Lionsgate! We’ll have special prizes and treats for all of the Hunger Games fans in your family.
This is a fan event, the author of the book will not be present.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping will revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
#1 USA Today Bestseller • #1 New York Times Bestseller • #1 Indie Bestseller • #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller • A New York Times Editors’ Choice
“A propulsive, brutal Hunger Games prequel is here. And it’s great.” The New York Times
When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight…and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
This edition has cover art from the feature film.
Suzanne Collins is the internationally bestselling author of the Hunger Games series, which includes the novels The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Sunrise on the Reaping. Together, the books have sold over 100 million copies and were the basis for five popular films. Her other books include the acclaimed Underland Chronicles series, which begins with Gregor the Overlander, and the picture book Year of the Jungle, illustrated by James Proimos. To date, her books have been published in fifty-five languages around the world.
Where: Book Soup
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://booksoup.com/event/2026-11-13/sunrise-reaping-fan-hour
Book Launch: Justine Norton-Kertson, with Pedro Iniguez, & Gutterspace at Underdog Bookstore – In-Person Event
Justine Norton-Kertson, in conversation with Bram Stoker Award winning horror author, Pedro Iniguez. Justine will also read from and sign copies of their new horror novella, Gutterspace.
A washed-up artist in Portland, Oregon faces off against a monster that stalks its prey from between the panels of an old, forgotten comic book.
Where: Underdog Bookstore
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 312 South Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016
Website: https://www.underdogbookstore.org/events/book-launch-gutterspace
Jordan Howlett & Come Here and Cook at Diesel, A Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome Jordan Howlett to discuss Come Here and Cook.
A recipe-focused memoir through food from the enigmatic social media star, Jordan Howlett
Come here. For the first time ever, social media’s ‘man in the mirror’ Jordan Howlett reveals the method and the magic behind his rise to fame and the secret recipes that have captivated a nation and left fans begging for more of this elusive figure.
From growing up as a quiet kid in Oceanside, California to becoming ‘Gen-Z’s Robinhood’ and rubbing elbows with Kevin Hart, Halle Berry, Method Man, Donald Glover, and others, take a look inside Jordan’s life as he shares his story and the recipes that have shaped his life.
Jordan Howlett (@jordan_the_stallion8) is a globally recognized content creator and celebrity with a staggering fan base of over 33 million across platforms. Jordan’s grounded nature and genuine authenticity resonate deeply with his audience, fostering a robust and loyal community. His wisdom, often perceived as beyond his years, makes his content engaging and relatable, establishing a strong connection with his fans. His talents have been recognized on platforms such as the Today Show and The New York Times, among many others.
Where: Diesel, A Bookstore
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 225 26th St., #33, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Website: https://dieselbookstore.com/event/2026-11-13/jordan-howlett-come-here-and-cook
Justin Remer, with Garon Cockrell, & Weird Al Yankovic’s Yankovic in 3-D (33 1/3) (Signed Pre-Order) at Skylight – In-Person Event
Join us to hear Justin Remer, in conversation with Garon Cockrell, to discuss Weird Al Yankovic’s Yankovic in 3-D (33 1/3) (Signed Pre-Order).
In 1984, “Weird Al” Yankovic released his second album, “Weird Al” Yankovic In 3-D, with a food-focused parody of Michael Jackson’s iconic “Beat It” as its centerpiece. At the time, it seemed inevitable he would be known forever as “The ‘Eat It’ Guy.” However, Yankovic has defied the odds, lasting in show business for over 40 years.
Writer and musician Justin Remer explores how the success of “Eat It” and “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D, changed the face of comedy music through its meticulously crafted, radio-ready parodies and pop-culture-savvy music videos. Remer looks at Weird Al’s influences, analyzes each song on the In 3-D album, and revisits Weird Al’s early AL-TV specials on MTV.
Justin Remer is a writer, filmmaker, musician, and podcaster based in Los Angeles. He has produced over 50 music videos for artists in the New York antifolk scene, and started an independent record label, Weemayk Music. Justin’s music has appeared in a Troma film and in the CBS drama The Good Fight. He is a host on the Skylight Books podcast.
Where: Skylight
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 1818 N, Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Website: https://skylightbooks.com/event/2026-11-13/justin-remer-w-garon-cockrell-weird-al-yankovic-3-d-33-13
Open Mic Night at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
This all-inclusive event will create space for local artists of any medium to share their talents with the community. Come hang out, as an audience member, or a performer, and meet some talented locals! Sign-ups for performers are at the door, day of, 30 minutes prior to the event. Sets are limited to 5 minutes. All performances must be family friendly. We will provide two microphones and two mic stands. Please bring any other equipment you will need. This event is free, no registration is required!
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
SIGHT + SOUND + SOUL: Moving Image Arts Event at Pacific Opera Project (POP HQ) – In-Person Event
An experimental evening of live poetry, music, and visuals, bringing poets, a DJ, and a VJ together in spontaneous creative collaboration.
Three poets. One DJ. One VJ. No script for what happens next.
An improvisational jazz style performance of poetry and live-mixed/manipulated music and video.
Moving Image Arts presents SIGHT + SOUND + SOUL: Vol. 1, a live multimedia experiment where spoken word, sound, and visuals collide, converse, and transform in real time.
Three poets, a DJ, and a VJ take the stage together, riffing off one another in a free-flowing exchange of language, rhythm, and imagery. The spontaneity of performance and the possibilities of contemporary visual technology, the artists create an experience that’s part poetry reading, part audiovisual performance, and entirely unpredictable.
No two moments will unfold quite the same way. That’s the point.
The evening begins at 7:00 pm with a pre-show reception featuring beer + wine bar (purchase proceeds benefit the org + artists), conversation, and a video and music installation. The reception is followed by our main event, a collaborative multimedia performance between our featured poets, DJ, and VJ, then open mic poetry, and a live DJ + VJ set will close out the evening. Come early to mingle before the main performance begins at 8:00 pm. Info to sign up for the open mic to come.
Poetry:
Alejandra Roggero, inaugural Poet Laureate of Whittier and founder of Poetry for the Masses.
Donato Martinez, poet, educator, and author of Touch the Sky and Ten Toes in the Earth.
Carlos Ornelas, poet, educator, and author of Ketchup: Soap de Gato and Villain’s Vernacular.
Music:
Miles French, EAR Events | DJ
Visuals:
Taylor Betancourt, Alt Tab Visuals, VJ
Beer and wine available for purchase. Doors at 7 pm. Guests may begin lining up as early as 6:15 pm. Early arrival is strongly encouraged.
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE:
6:15 pm – Guests may begin lining up
7:00 pm – Doors open + pre-show reception begins:
beer + wine bar, conversation, video + music installation
8:00 pm – Live multimedia improvisation performance with featured poets, DJ, + VJ
9:30 pm – Poetry open mic
10:00 pm – DJ/VJ | music + video set
11:00 pm – Event ends
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Moving Image Arts, an LA nonprofit running workshops, screenings, talks, and exhibitions focused on visual storytelling and bringing new tools and methods of expression into conversation with traditional film history, culture, and craft.
In partnership with Pacific Opera Project, EAR Events, and Poetry for the Masses.
Where: Pacific Opera Project (POP HQ)
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 7 pm – 11 pm
Address: 125 S. Avenue 57, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Website: Eventbrite Page
Paul Cummins at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center– In-Person & Online Hybrid YouTube Event
Join us to welcome Paul F. Cummins for a reading in celebration of Precious Few: Poems–Mostly from 2026. The author of three volumes of poetry and the autobiography, Confessions of a Headmaster (Red Hen Press), Paul will be reading new and selected work in The Wanda Coleman Theater. After the readings, join us for a reception with light refreshments and book signings by the author.
RSVP: ticketed
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Friday the 13th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Address: 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Website: Beyond Baroque Event Page
Next Chapter 2026: Writers Summit & Book Fair at West Hollywood Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Next Chapter 2026: Writers Summit & Book Fair offers a full day of literary events titled Celebrating the Art of the Story.
Join LA County Library and the City of West Hollywood for the Next Chapter Writers’ Summit & Book Fair, a free daylong celebration of books, storytelling, and belonging. Whether you’re a devoted reader, aspiring writer, or an industry professional, the Next Chapter Writers’ Summit & Book Fair brings together narratives from across Los Angeles County and beyond for an inspiring day of author talks, panel discussions, consultations, and community connection.
Register now for discussions with literary agents, editor roundtables, tips from publishing professionals, and author events. See website for complete schedule.
Where: West Hollywood Library, LACL. West Hollywood Aquatic Center & West Hollywood Park
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Address: 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Website: https://lacountylibrary.org/nextchapter/
OC Book Fair 2026 at Old Town Tustin – In-Person Event
An independent book fair centered in the heart of Old Town Tustin.
Come explore a world of independent booksellers, publishers and bookish vendors. Featuring author talks & book signings, activities for kids of all ages, panel discussions, and community roundtables. Browse through booths featuring different genres in literature, find unique gifts for your bookworm bestie and treat yourself to something wonderful while supporting local, independently owned businesses!
The OC Book Fair is a literary extravaganza bringing you talented local writers alongside internationally acclaimed authors for an unforgettable celebration of the written word. Centered in the heart of Old Town Tustin, this event will combine the collective forces of indie bookstores across Southern California, offering unique finds sure to suit every reader’s taste. Additionally, small, and large publishers from around the country will be showcasing their catalogues and augmenting the public’s awareness of the vital work they do in supporting new generations of American writers. Panels, readings, book signings, and workshops, are just some of the exciting.
FREE: See Complete Schedule including all panels, stages & participants, plus local presses and poet laureates, at website link!
Where: Old Town Tustin, On El Camino Real between Main Street and Second Street
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Address: Old Town Tustin, On El Camino Real between Main Street and Second Street
Website: https://www.theocbookfair.org/
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.
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: Saturday the 14th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Storytime with Dara Henry at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a joyful celebration of stories with author Dara Henry! Kids will enjoy a fun read-aloud of Mazel Tov, Baby and Hanukkah Pajamakkas—stories that celebrate joy and togetherness.
Dara Henry is a former elementary school teacher. She is the author of picture book Hanukkah Pajamakkahs about the Jewish holiday tradition of wearing pajamas, and the board book Mazel Tov, Baby! Dara currently lives in California with her husband, three children, and a cat.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 10 am – 11 am
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Book Club for Adults: There There at Hacienda Heights Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join our monthly book club for an engaging discussion of our latest selection, There There by Tommy Orange.
New members are always welcome. Copies of the Book Club books will be available for pick-up at the Ask Us Desk one month prior to the book club meeting date.
Please be aware that refreshments will be served at this program. A list of ingredients will be available.
Where: Hacienda Heights Library, LACL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Address: 16010 La Monde St., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/16309220
Librarian Choice Book Club: The Berry Pickers at Lake View Terrace Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Looking to discover something new? Join our monthly book club where the librarian picks the book and every month brings a different reading adventure. Upcoming Book Choices include:
11/14/2026: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters.
Where: Lake View Terrace Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 12002 Osborne St., Los Angeles, CA 91342
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/librarian-choice-book-club
Storytime + Movement with Tutu School Culver City at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss On Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight.
Tutu School Culver City is a children’s dance school focused on imaginative, story-based movement, and we also host a ballet inspired book club for our young dancers. Their teachers will read a book from their Ballet Book Club, followed by a gentle, imaginative movement activity for the children.
RSVP
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Next Chapter Book Fair Event: Write It With Your Whole Chest: Roxane Gay with Dr. Skye Patrick at West Hollywood Park Stage, with LACL – In-Person Event
Join acclaimed author Roxane Gay, in conversation with LA County librarian and director Dr, Skye Patrick, to discuss the power of storytelling.
Roxane Gay is an award-winning author, editor, professor, and cultural critic. The New York Times bestselling author has written six critically acclaimed books, including the instant classic Bad Feminist (2014), the memoir Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017), which The New York Times hailed as “luminous…intellectually rigorous and deeply moving,” and the essay collection Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business (2024), which Booklist called “a must-read for not only fans of Gay’s work, but for everyone interested in reading intellectual, accessible, and important takes on timely topics.”
Roxane has also authored two short story collections, Difficult Women (2017) and Ayiti (2018), the novel An Untamed State (2014), and edited multiple acclaimed and best-selling anthologies including The Portable Feminist Reader for Penguin Classics (2025), Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture (2019), and The Selected Works of Audre Lorde (2020). Roxane was the first Black woman to lead a Marvel title, writing the comic series World of Wakanda.
A Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, Roxane is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, where she wrote the Work Friend column. Her work can also be found in The Guardian, Virginia Quarterly Review, Harper’s Bazaar, McSweeney’s, and many other publications. She holds an endowed professorship at Rutgers University and has also taught at Purdue and Yale. She is currently at work on film and television projects, and runs her own publishing imprint, Roxane Gay Books.
RSVP to register at website.
Where: West Hollywood Park Stage
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Signing from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm.
Address: Splendid West Hollywood Loft Off-site parking, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (see map at site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17539395
Next Chapter Book Fair Event: Exploring the Art of Storytelling with: Gabrielle civil, Jazz Smollet & Alice Wynne at West Hollywood Park Stage, with LACL – In-Person Event
From cookbooks to archives, zines to poetry, join us to explore how the written form can be an outlet for your interests and passions.
This panel will take place on the West Hollywood Park Stage.
Join acclaimed authors:
Gabrielle Civil is a black feminist performance artist, poet, and writer, originally from Detroit, MI. She has published five performance memoirs, most recently the déjà vu (2022) and In & Out of Place (2024), both available in the LA County Library. Her writing has also appeared in New Daughters of Africa, Kitchen Table Translation, Poetry Goes to the Movies, and A Mouth Holds Many Things. A member of the 3rd Thing Publishing Collective, she was creative lead for Experiments in Joy: A Workbook and its Spanish translation, Experimentos En Alegría: Un Libro De Ejercicios. Co-editor of the forthcoming Migrating Pedagogies anthology, she teaches in community and at the California Institute of the Arts. The aim of her work is to open up space.
Jazz Smollett is a multi-hyphenate producer, published author, television personality, lifestyle expert, and entrepreneur. She serves as Executive Producer and co-host of CLEO TV’s hit series Living By Design. With over 15 years of industry experience across television, film, and digital media, Jazz has established herself as a trusted voice in food, home, wellness, and intentional living. A versatile storyteller with a keen eye for compelling narrative structure, her producing and showrunning credits span unscripted television, high-profile award shows, documentary specials, and major studio feature film content. She is also the author of the celebrated cookbook The Family Table: Recipes and Moments From a Nomadic Life, which explores the power of food, family heritage, culture, and connection through thoughtful entertaining and shared meals. Driven by a passion for sensory experiences and elevated daily living, Jazz expanded her footprint in the lifestyle space as the founder of Dreaming of Juniper, a California-crafted luxury wellness and home fragrance brand rooted in elevated, nature-inspired daily rituals. Designed to inspire joy and nourish the mind, body, and spirit, the collection features premium hand-poured candles and body-care items crafted with natural essences and botanicals, with additional items coming soon to celebrate meaningful moments around culinary experiences.
Alice Wynne is a writer and zine librarian from San Gabriel Valley. Her zines include “Face Value: Understanding and Combating Face-ism” and “Dena Dishes: Sandwiches of the Pasadena, CA Area.” She is the host of Looseleaf Hour, a monthly music and culture show on Los Angeles’ KCHUNG Radio, as well as Alice’s Los Angeles Checklist, a podcast about Los Angeles history and media. Find her work online at subconsciouspoetry.wordpress.com and on Instagram @saltychipspress.
Sheila James Kuehl is a pioneering public servant, Harvard Law graduate, and former child actress whose career spans entertainment, academia, activism, and government. She made history as the first openly gay or lesbian person elected to the California State Legislature, where she served for 14 years, including a stint as the first woman to serve as Speaker pro Tem of the Assembly, before going on to serve as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Before entering politics, she was widely recognized for her portrayal of Zelda Gilroy, the iconic, brilliantly strategic girl on the popular Dobie Gillis television series, as well as for her earlier work playing Jackie Erwin on Trouble With Father, one of the earliest filmed TV series. In her memoir, And Then What Happened?: My Life From Zelda to Politics, Kuehl chronicles the pivots that defined her extraordinary life. When suspicion about her sexual orientation ended her acting career, she turned to her other passion: education and justice. She served as an Associate Dean of Students at UCLA during a period of turbulent revolution, anti-war activism, and the growth of feminism. A combination of magic and intention, as she describes it, led her to Harvard Law School, where she prepared for the battles ahead as a feminist and gay rights activist, law professor, and eventually a groundbreaking legislator. Her story is one of reinvention, resilience, and purpose. Now retired from public office, Kuehl lives in Santa Monica, California.
RSVP to register at website.
Where: West Hollywood Park Stage
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm; book signings 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Address: Splendid West Hollywood Loft Off-site parking, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (see map at site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17539800
OC Book Fair 2026: Cellar Door Events at Old Town Tustin – In-Person Event
The OC Book Fair is a literary extravaganza bringing you talented local writers alongside internationally acclaimed authors for an unforgettable celebration of the written word. Centered in the heart of Old Town Tustin, this event will combine the collective forces of indie bookstores across Southern California, offering unique finds sure to suit every reader’s taste. Additionally, small, and large publishers from around the country will be showcasing their catalogues and augmenting the public’s awareness of the vital work they do in supporting new generations of American writers. Panels, readings, book signings, and workshops, are just some of the exciting participatory activities slated for the day, as well as a program of festivities and live readings throughout the event.
Cellar Door Bookstore will have a booth where you can buy books from us! AND Linda will lead a panel featuring Shane Hawk, editor of the wildly popular indigenous horror anthologies Never Whistle at Night and Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night, Part II. He’ll be chatting with author of The Flayed Man, Chloe Lauter, Joseph Fink, author of The Nudge, and Brian Asman, author of #VanDeath!! We were so grateful to have Shane Hawk at Cellar Door a few years back when Never Whistle at Night came out, and we can’t wait to see him again at the OC Book Fair! Don’t miss it!
1:00 pm – Joseph Fink signing
2:00 pm – Panel with Shane Hawk, Chloe Lauter, Joseph Fink, and Brian Asman
3:00 pm – Shane Hawk and Chloe Lauter signing book
Where: Old Town Tustin, On El Camino Real between Main Street and Second Street
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 10 am – 5 pm Celebrate Cellar Door events at 1 pm – 4 pm.
Address: Old Town Tustin, On El Camino Real between Main Street and Second Street
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-11-14/oc-book-fair
Caffeinated Verse: Poetry Open Mic at Malibu Library, LACL – In-Person Event
Join Malibu Poet Laureate Charlotte Ward to hear readings of original pieces written by local poets and bring a poem of your own to read during the open mic. For adults.
This event is part of the City’s free poetry workshops in partnership with Malibu Library, the Malibu Poet Laureate Committee, the Malibu Arts Commission, and the Friends of the Malibu Library, offering community members engaging, educational opportunities to find expression through poetry with a renowned local poet.
Where: Malibu Library, LACL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 1:30 pm – 4 pm
Address: 23519 West Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17494443
Writing in Style: Workshop with Alejandra Roggero at Whittier Public Library – In-Person Teen Event
Join us for Writing in Style, an all levels poetry writing workshop with Alejandra Roggero, Poet Laureate of Whittier.
Where: Whittier Public Library
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 7344 Washington Ave., Whittier, CA 90602
Website: Instagram Page
Meet the Author, Wendelin Van Draanen & Ghosted at Diamond Bar Library, LACL – In-Person Teen Event
Join us for an afternoon with Wendelin Van Draanen, an international-award-winning, bestselling author of more than thirty novels including Flipped, which became a Rob Reiner directed Warner Brothers feature film. For ages 13+
Wendelin will share insights on the power of reading to connect people worldwide, personal stories from her writing journey, and a special look into her newest release, Ghosted.
Where: Diamond Bar Library, LACL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 21800 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17611126
Oscar Castillo, with Denise Lugo, at Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore –In-Person Event
Join us to meet with Chicano Photographer Oscar Castillo to discuss his work and the documentation of social, political, and cultural life of Mexican American communities in Los Angeles from the late 1960s to the present.
Discussion Moderated by Denise Lugo.
Where: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar, CA 91342
Website: Instagram Page
Next Chapter Book Fair Event: The Anatomy of a Phenomenon: Taylor Jenkins Reid with Dr. Skye Patrick at West Hollywood Park Stage, with LACL – In-Person Event
Join acclaimed author Taylor Jenkins Reid, in conversation with LA Country librarian and director Dr. Skye Patrick, for a discussion on her popular works and what makes a book pop.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is a New York Times-bestselling author, screenwriter, and Emmy-nominated producer. Her most recent novel ATMOSPHERE debuted at #1 on the New York Times best-sellers list. Her additional bestsellers include CARRIE SOTO IS BACK and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.
RSVP to register at website.
Where: West Hollywood Park Stage
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Signing from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.
Address: Splendid West Hollywood Loft Off-site parking, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (see map at site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17539623
November Book Discussion: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at North Hollywood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Join our monthly book discussion led by a different member of our staff and the book of their choice.
Check out One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and join the discussion. Randle P. McMurphy is sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he challenges the strict Nurse Ratched and her controlling rules. His rebellious spirit inspires the other patients to find courage and stand up for themselves. His friendship with Chief Bromden becomes especially meaningful as Bromden gains confidence. As McMurphy’s resistance grows, so does the conflict with Nurse Ratched, leading to a tragic ending.
Where: North Hollywood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 5211 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/november-book-discussion
Poesía del Valle/Poets of the Valley at Sun Valley Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
“Poesía del Valle” a group of local poets promoting bilingual, literary, recitation, and artistic arts. Our program includes poetry reading, singing and theatre. Also, an open mic will be available for the audience to share their talents.
Where: North Hollywood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 7935 Vineland Ave., Sun Valley, CA 91352
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/poesia-del-valle-poets-valley
YA Lit Book Club: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley at Chatworth Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Event
Adults and teens are invited to discuss Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley.
Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever keep her safe.
Copies available at the Reference Desk. E-books available via Libby.
Where: Chatsworth Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 4 pm
Address: 21052 Devonshire St., Sun Valley, CA 91352
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/ya-lit-book-club-discusses-sisters-wind-angeline-boulley
Zine Making Workshop For Teens at Brentwood Branch Library, LAPL – In-Person Teen Event
Zines are self-published works of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier. Zine topics can include poetry, photos, cartoons, fan fiction, bios, essays, politics, short stories, drawings, collage, paintings, recipes, interviews, “how-to” guides, etc. Participants are taken through a simple step-by-step, follow-along demonstration of making an 8-page booklet from a single sheet of standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper and are encouraged to begin creating their own zines. Ages 11-18.
Where: Brentwood Branch Library, LAPL
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: 11820 San Vicent Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Website: https://www.lapl.org/events/zine-making-workshop-teens
Saturday Afternoon Poetry: Deep Critique Workshop – Online Zoom Event
Deep Critique Workshop led by DKC (Submit up to 3 poems totaling no more than 150 lines including the subject of or at least mentioning food for Four Feathers Press online edition: FOOD by emailing donkingfishercampbell@gmail.com by 11:59 pm, November 20th).
All events are curated by Don Kingfisher Campbell.
Where: Saturday Afternoon Poetry, Online
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Address: Online SAP Zoom Event
Website: https://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com/
Next Chapter Book Fair Event: Shelf Awareness: Where Book Trends Are Headed: Olivie Blake, Tod Goldberg & Bridget Morrissey at West Hollywood Park Stage, with LACL – In-Person Event
What’s hot on your bookshelf right now? Join our panel of experts to explore the newest tropes and trends popping up on our shelves and TBR piles!
Olivie Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Girl Dinner, the short story collection Januaries, and her most recent novel, Dreamland. With Little Chmura, she is the co-creator of the graphic series Clara and the Devil. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult novels My Mechanical Romance and Twelfth Knight. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
Tod Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books, including Only Way Out, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the acclaimed Gangsterland quartet—Gangsterland, Gangster Nation, The Low Desert: Gangster Stories and Gangsters Don’t Die—which have been published in a dozen countries and have won or have been a finalist for the Hammett Prize, the Southwest Book of the Year, the Strand Critics Award, the Reading the West Award, the International Thriller of the Year and many more. His previous books include Living Dead Girl, also a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, The House of Secrets, which he wrote with Brad Meltzer, and the anthology Eight Very Bad Nights, a finalist for the Anthony Award. His short fiction appears widely and has twice been honored with selection in Best American Mystery & Suspense (2022 & 2025), while his nonfiction has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Alta, and USA Today, among countless others, and has been selected for Best American Essays, awarded five Nevada Press Association Awards, and received distinction from the American Society of Journalists & Authors. Tod is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside where he founded and directs the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. His next book, The Salton Sea, will be published by Counterpoint Press.
Bridget Morrissey lives in Los Angeles, California, but hails from Oak Forest, Illinois. When she’s not writing, she can be found cradling one of her cats like a baby or headlining concerts in her living room. She is the author of several novels for adults and teens, including That Summer Feeling, Everything She Does is Magic, and USA Today and indie bestseller This Will Be Fun, co-written with Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka under the pen name E.B. Asher.
RSVP to register at website.
Where: West Hollywood Park Stage
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm: Signing from 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm.
Address: Splendid West Hollywood Loft Off-site parking, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (see map at site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17539704
Next Chapter Book Fair Event: Fall Back in Love with Reading: Cindy Schweich Handler & Mary Williams at West Hollywood Park Stage, with LACL – In-Person Event
Remember when reading came easy and you could lose yourself in a book for hours? What happened? We’ll discuss starting new habits, eliminating distractions, and making reading your new old favorite thing to do.
Cindy Schweich Handler is a journalist and the author of A German Jew’s Triumph: Fritz Oppenheimer and the Denazification of Germany. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, AARP: The Magazine and Newsweek. She is a former writer for the USA Today Network and edited several of their local magazines.
Mary Williams is the general manager of Skylight Books, an independent bookstore that just celebrated 30 years in Los Feliz, and has a second location on the way in Eagle Rock. She also currently serves as the president of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance, a trade group for California indie bookstores. Previously at Skylight, Mary managed the events program, and before that she worked as a copy editor.
RSVP to register at website.
Where: West Hollywood Park Stage
Date: Saturday, the 14th
Time: 5 pm – 6 pm
Address: Splendid West Hollywood Loft Off-site parking, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (see map at site)
Website: https://visit.lacountylibrary.org/event/17539737
Poesia for the People Presents: Harvesting Peace in Times Of Rage at Stay Studio – In-Person Event
Join Poesía for the People for an evening of powerful spoken word and community connection at Harvesting Peace In times of Rage.
Stand with us as featured authors from the newly published collection, Anger is a Gift, speak light, cultivate hope, and harvest peace in community.
Poetry with Purpose:
Proceeds directly benefit the Farmworker Family Partnership Project, supporting essential aid and relief for farmworker families and Stay Arts, the nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding arts access, education, and representation across Southeast Los Angeles.
Come ready to listen, feel, and give back. Space is limited, reserve your spot today!
RSVP LINK IN BIO ✨️🎤📖📚🎉🔥
Poet and Artist line-up coming soon 📚🔥♥️
Where: Stay Studio
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Address: 11140 Downey Ave., Downey, CA 90241
Website: Instagram Page
Book Talk: Eileen Elizabeth, with Reza Aslan, & Carrying the Bones at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a conversation with Eileen Elizabeth, author of Carrying the Bones: Rituals for a Dying World, and acclaimed author and scholar Reza Aslan!
Blending memoir, cultural criticism, environmental writing, and spiritual inquiry, the book explores how ritual and creative practice can help us navigate grief, ecological change, and the search for meaning in an uncertain world. Eileen and Reza will discuss grief, transformation, the sacred dimensions of the natural world, and the role storytelling can play in helping us care for one another and the places we inhabit.
Carrying the Bones braids memoir, cultural criticism, and poetics to ask how we might mourn meaningfully in an era of environmental crisis and pandemic loss. Moving between the personal and the planetary, the book traverses landscapes from Appalachian forests and West Coast cemeteries to Arctic tundra and Sámi song traditions, drawing on ancient Greek lyric, Indigenous cosmologies, and contemporary ecological thought. Each of the four sections serves as a ritual space: an act of carrying the dead, tending their memories, and imagining futures beyond despair. Through fieldwork, historical research, and intimate narrative from a queer perspective, author Eileen Elizabeth explores how grief can be more than private sorrow—it can become an artistic, communal, and ecological practice.
The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
Eileen Elizabeth is a poet and essayist. She cofounded Boshemia magazine and has written for a variety of publications, including Los Angeles Review of Books, Joyland, Bellevue Literary Review, Appalachian Review, and Pangyrus.
Reza Aslan is an internationally acclaimed writer, producer, and scholar of religions. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Zealot, and editor of Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 6:30 pm – 8 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Earth, Magic, Home: An Evening of Poetry, Music & Dance at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center – In-Person & Online YouTube Hybrid Event
Bogumiła Delimata, Cristo Osorio & Cecilia Woloch will present an evening of poetry, imagery, music, & dance.
A journey beyond borders.
A homecoming.
Extraordinary Polish-Romani multidisciplinary artist born in Wrocław, Poland, Bogumiła Delimata’s artistry encompasses painting, acting, modeling, singing, Flamenco and Romani dance. Her long residency in Spain allowed her to deeply blend Spanish culture with Romani traditions, developing a unique stage approach that combines Andalusian flamenco, the Gypsy music of her Romani roots and avant-garde experimental theater from Poland’s finest classical contemporary institutions. The result is a distinctive artistic language that builds cultural bridges and celebrates universal diversity.
Born in Barcelona, Spain, Cristo Osorio is a multifaceted flamenco artist—singer, guitarist, composer, actor, and artistic director—whose work bridges pure tradition and innovative world music. His artistry is deeply rooted in his Spanish heritage and shaped by legendary Gypsy families. He has partnered with musicians in Europe, the USA, Canada and Central and South America, fusing flamenco with jazz, blues, Turkish, Hindustani, Romani. and Latin sounds. Characterized by an intense, emotional stage presence, Cristo Osorio transforms every performance into a boundary-transcending experience.
American poet, performer, teacher and traveler Cecilia Woloch is known for her lyrical poems of witness and exploration, her boundary-breaking performances, and her dedication to creative collaboration and community building. Born in Pittsburgh and raised there and in rural Kentucky, she’s the author of seven collections of poems, a novel-in-vignettes, and numerous essays and reviews. Her honors include fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, a Pushcart Prize and inclusion in the Best American Poetry Series. When she’s not on the road, she lives in Los Angeles.
Where: Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm)
Address: 681 Venice Blvd,, Venice, CA 90291
Website: Eventbrite Page
Tapestry Open Mic at Café con Libros Press – In-Person Event
Join us every 2nd Saturday for Tapestry Open Mic, during the Pomona Art Walk.
Host Consuelo the Poet welcomes featured guest Eick Alguinaldo.
Erick Aguinaldo is a spoken word poet, professor, a father, brother, fighter, and lover. He was born in LA and raised in the IE. He has some degrees from some fancy universities but has learned the most from his community. From the walls of formal education to the forced segregation of the streets, he draws strength from the resistant and resilient. For him San Bernardino is home. He embraces the good, the bad, and the ugly. He firmly believes true power is in the people.
Where: Café con Libros Press, Pomona
Date: Saturday the 14th
Time: 7:30 pm – 9 pm
Address: 280 W. 2nd St., Pomona, CA 91766
Website: Instagram Page
Fall Journaling Workshop: Sharna Fabiano & The Lotus Journal at Page Against the Machine – In-Person Event
Long Beach artist, writer, and mindfulness coach 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗼 hosts a free workshop that will guide you through a series of easy writing and drawing prompts to ease your way into the Fall season. Interpret these prompts in any way that makes sense to you. Examples will be given, and no experience is necessary. All materials are provided, the workshop is FREE, and all are welcome!
The workshop takes place inside Page Against the Machine on Sunday, November 15th and will begin promptly at 10 am. Sharna’s books, The Lotus Journal and Lead & Follow will be available for purchase along with her hand-painted blank journals and original artwork, all with discounted holiday pricing!
Sharna Fabiano is a choreographer by training and completed an MFA in Dance at UCLA in 2014. She is a certified yoga instructor and life coach and studied painting with Flora Bowley in Oregon. She is interested in the process of discovery and intuitive choice-making, and the connection between inner state and artistic craft. She has lived in Long Beach since 2016.
Where: Page Against the Machine
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 10 am
Address: 2714 E. 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
Website: Facebook Page
Typewriter Poets On Demand with L.A. Poet Society at Melrose Trading Post – In-Person Event
Poets with L.A. Poet Society participate in providing typewritten poetry on demand for customers each Sunday at Melrose Trading Post.
No cover. Donations appreciated.
Where: Melrose Trading Post
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 5 pm (specific times and stage may vary)
Address: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Website: Instagram Page
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.
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: Sunday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Ann Whitford Paul & If Trucks Said I Love You at Vroman’s – In-Person Kids Event
New from the creators of the bestselling If Animals Kissed Good Night! With signature heart and warmth, this is an original twist on a vehicle story—a must-have for every truck-obsessed kiddo.
What if trucks said, “I love you”?
Dump Truck would lead her love down the road, and help him pick up a heavy load. Refrigerator Truck would give her young one a wrap to stop her shiv-shiver. Trash Truck would grind smashity-smash his daughter a breakfast of tasty trash. And when the day’s work was done, an ice cream truck would ring-a-ding-ding with a special treat!
Each truck would show love in their own special way.
Featuring playful rhymes, adorable art, and trucks GALORE, little ones will not be able to get enough of their favorite vehicles personified. A wonderful gift for baby showers, birthdays, and especially for kids who love cars and trucks!
More books from the hit If Animals Kissed Good Night series: If Animals Said I Love You, If Animals Celebrated Christmas, If Animals Went to School, If Animals Gave Thanks, If Animals Tried to Be Kind, If Animals Trick-or-Treated, If Animals Went to Work If Animals Celebrated Easter, and If Animals Loved Books.
Where: Vroman’s
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Address: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101
Website: https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-11-15/ann-whitford-paul
Writers Block Meet-Up with Poetry Peace at Toastique Hollywood – In-Person Event
Calling all writers and poets: join us for a Writers Block Weekly Writers 6255 Sunset Blvd., Suite 170, Los Angeles, CA 90028Meet-Up at Toastique Hollywood.
Where: Toastique Hollywood
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Address: 6255 Sunset Blvd., Suite 170, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Website: Instagram Page
Book Celebration: Hope Anita Smith & Kanoni’s Kwanza at Children’s Book World – In-Person Event
Join us at Children’s Book World for a special launch party for author Hope Anita Smith’s book, Kanoni’s Kwanza.
This festive picture book celebrating the culture, community, and family at the heart of Kwanzaa’s seven principles is written by two-time Coretta Scott King Award recipient, Hope Anita Smith. When Kanoni receives a kinara for Christmas, she begins to learn about Kwanzaa and prepare for her first celebration. That same night, her neighbor’s home catches fire and burns down. Emboldened by the holiday spirit of giving, Kanoni, with her big heart, pledges to do everything she can to help her friends through this difficult ordeal. Her first Kwanzaa is full of kindness and community—just the way Kwanzaa should be. Through lyrical poems full of holiday warmth, this heartfelt picture book follows Kanoni’s first Kwanzaa and highlights the many different ways to uplift its seven principles.
Hope Anita Smith received a Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor for Keeping the Night Watch and a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Author Award for The Way a Door Closes. She is a co-author of It Rained Warm Bread which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Middle-Grade Book in Verse of the Year and an ALA Notable Children’s Book. An accomplished cut-paper-collage artist, Hope wrote and illustrated My Daddy Rules the World, which was an NCTE Notable Children’s Book and a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year. Hope lives in Los Angeles, California where she spends her time as an in-school poet and professional storyteller.
Where: Children’s Book World
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Address: 10580 1/2 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064
OC Poet Laureate Office Hours at LibroMobile – In-Person Event
Calling all writers and poets: OC Poet Laureate, Gustavo Hernández, is hosting office hours!
Gustavo Hernández is the author of Bachelor (FlowerSong Press, 2025) and Flower Grand First (Moon Tide Press, 2021). He was born in Jalisco, Mexico and lives in Southern California.
RSVP
Where: LibroMobile
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 12 pm – 2 pm
Address: 1150 S. Bristol St., A3, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Website: https://www.libromobile.com/event-details/oc-poet-laureate-office-hours-1
Hermosa Y Libros & Corazon Launch Party at Burden of Proof – In-Person Event
Join our party to celebrate the launch of our brand-new magazine Corazón, which will officially take place on November 15, 2026! We’re so excited to collaborate with @burdenofproof for this exclusive, one-of-a-kind event at their bottle shop in South Pasadena, featuring panel discussions, Q+A, light bites, and more! 🥂🌟
Limited RSVPs and seating available. Secure your spot for $35, which includes one copy of the magazine and refreshments from Burden of Proof!
🔗 Link in bio to RSVP!
Free parking around the corner at Mission Meridian Garage.
Where: Burden of Proof
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 5 pm
Address: 1012 Mission St., South Pasadena, CA 91030
Website: Instagram Page
Not Your Parents Book Club: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions.
Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.
But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.
Margaret is funny and real. As you read her story, you’ll know why this book has been the favorite of millions of readers. It’s as if Margaret is talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.
Judy Blume, one of America’s most popular authors, is the recipient of the 2004 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of beloved books for young people, including Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (which celebrated fifty years in 2020), and novels for adult readers, including Wifey, Summer Sisters, and In the Unlikely Event. Her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. Visit Judy at JudyBlume.com or follow her on X at @JudyBlume.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 6675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92506
Trickster Tales Storytime with Aram Kim & Tokki’s Tricks at Once Upon a Time Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to welcome author-illustrator Aram Kim, who will share her Korean folktale retelling, Tokki’s Tricks. Aram will share her story, draw for the audience, and then be available to sign books. Best for ages 4+.
Meet Tokki. He’s a rabbit who lives in the forest. Tokki loves reading books and eating strawberries. And, more than anything, Tokki loves outrunning his foes.
Now, meet Jara. He’s a softshell turtle who resides underwater near the Sea Palace. Jara loves his plants and his routine. And, more than anything, Jara loves the Sea King who rules over the ocean.
When the Sea King falls ill from a mysterious disease and needs a rabbit’s liver to be cured, Jara and Tokki find themselves locked in a battle of wits both are determined to win. When it comes to this sneaky rabbit and sly turtle, it’s anyone’s guess who will end up outsmarting the other once and for all.
Aram Kim is an author illustrator whose books include Sunday Funday in Koreatown, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Let’s go to Taekwondo and No Kimchi for Me, both Junior Library Guild Selections and Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year; and Cat on the Bus. She was born in Ohio, raised in South Korea, and now lives in Queens, NY, happily surrounded by diverse food and culture.
Where: Once Upon a Time Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020
Website: Once Upon a Time Event Page
Middle Grade Book Club: The Fourteenth Goldfish at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Middle Grade Event
Join us for the newest Village Well book club, the Middle Grade Book Club! RSVP for your spot at website link!
What Is It:
Once a month, we’ll meet and explore some of the best middle-grade books out there. We’ll chat about the characters, themes, favorite scenes, and whatever else happens to interest us about the chosen title. There’s never pressure to participate in the discussion. All meetings conclude with either a writing activity or craft. We’d like you to read the book before the meeting, but if you didn’t get to finish, please still come by (although we’re gonna spoil the ending!).
Our selection for November for The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L Holm.
Our discuss leader is local author Heather Alexander, who has written more than 90 books for kids. Her nonfiction has been recognized as Amazon Best Book, National Science Teachers Association Best STEM Book, Parent’s Choice Award selections and the winner of the June Franklin Naylor Award. She was the editor of R.L. Stine’s mega-popular, bestselling Goosebumps and Fear Street series, among many, many others.
Believe in the possible…with this New York Times bestseller by three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm. A perfect read about a child’s relationship with her grandfather! Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer. Science can change the world…but can it go too far? Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough…he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this gawky teenager really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 2 pm – 3 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Bucket List Book Club: No Great Mischief at Cellar Door Bookstore – In-Person Event
Join us to discuss No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod.
Generations after their forebears went into exile, the MacDonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and cruelties of life. Alexander, orphaned as a child by a horrific tragedy, has nevertheless gained some success in the world. Even his older brother, Calum, a nearly destitute alcoholic living on Toronto’s skid row, has been scarred by another tragedy. But, like all his clansman, Alexander is sustained by a family history that seems to run through his veins. And through these lovingly recounted stories-wildly comic or heartbreakingly tragic-we discover the hope against hope upon which every family must sometimes rely.
Alistair MacLeod (1936—2014), raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, was an acclaimed Canadian novelist, short story writer, and academic.
Where: Cellar Door Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 14th
Time: 3 pm – 5 pm
Address: 6675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92506
Website: https://cellardoorbookstore.com/event/2026-11-15/bucket-list-book-club-no-great-mischief
Camille Hernandez & Motherlands at Sierra Madre Playhouse – In-Person Event
Join Anaheim Poet Laureate Camille Hernandez to experience her performance of her debut poetry collection, motherlands.
Camille Hernandez combines theater, dance, poetry, food, and heartfelt storytelling to take the audience on a powerful viewing journey. Don’t miss out—tickets to Motherlands, Sunday 11/15.
Where: Sierra Madre Playhouse
Date: Sunday the 14th
Time: 4 pm – 6 pm
Address: 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024
Website: Instagram Page
Bing Gordon and Chloe Gordon & Everybody Wins at Chevalier’s – In-Person Event
Chevalier’s Books welcomes Bing Gordon and Chloe Gordon to discuss Everybody Wins: What Games Teach Us About Making Products People Love. Journalist Nina Gregory will lead the conversation.
Video games are the biggest entertainment industry in the world, and they have a lot to teach the rest of us. Why do we return to certain games, apps and products again and again? Bing Gordon has spent 40 years answering that question. In Everybody Wins, he walks through the eight principles of his famous Gamification Checklist, including Wow Moments, Game Loops and Retention Hacking. Along the way, he shares candid behind-the-scenes stories from a remarkable career. It’s a rare business book that’s genuinely fun to read, for entrepreneurs, product designers and anyone who’s ever lost an afternoon to a great game.
Bing Gordon is the creative force behind many of EA’s most beloved games, including The Sims and FIFA Soccer. He went on to serve as chief product officer at Kleiner Perkins, consulted for Amazon, and has mentored dozens of gaming and social-tech startups. His influence can be seen in companies like Amazon Prime, Zynga and Spotify.
Chloe Gordon is an LA-based director, writer and documentarian who explores the intersections of technology, storytelling, and culture.
Nina Gregory is a longtime NPR arts editor who has overseen film coverage and edited stories on television, art, design, food and culture. Earlier in her career, she spent years writing about video games, music and pop culture. She is a graduate of UCLA and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a contributor to the Larchmont Buzz.
Where: Chevalier’s Bookstore
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 133 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: https://chevaliersbooks.com/event/2026-11-15/bing-gordon-and-chloe-gordon-authors-everybody-wins
Speech Bubble Book Club: Far Sector at North Figueroa Bookshop – In-Person Event
Participants will discuss Far Sector by NK Jemisin.
Where: North Figueroa Bookshop
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 6040 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90232
Book Talk: Luke Kennard & Black Bag at Village Well Books & Coffee – In-Person Event
Join us for a reading and conversation with Luke Kennard, author of the Booker shortlisted novel Black Bag! Luke will be joined by author Rasheed Newson.
An out-of-work actor accepts the role of a lifetime—sitting soundlessly in a lecture theater, zipped into a large leather bag—to aid a professor’s psychological experiment. What could possibly go wrong?
In Luke Kennard’s audacious new novel, a penniless actor picks up a job working for Dr. Blend, a university professor who is conducting a psychological experiment. Dr. Blend wants to know: how will his students react to someone zipped into an oversized bag, sitting at the back of the lecture hall over a series of Fall lectures?
The role, eagerly accepted, soon yields unexpected consequences, from a professor of post-humanism developing research questions of her own—in particular, can you love someone secreted away inside a black bag?—to the actor’s childhood friend forming a vision for monetizing this unique new situation. In the end, only Black Bag will be able to say what it all means.
A warped campus novel, an investigation into the crisis of masculinity, and an off-kilter love story, Black Bag is a firework of a novel: blazingly funny and profoundly humane.
Luke Kennard is an award-winning poet and novelist. His poetry collection, Cain, was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and described by Alan Hollinghurst as “the cleverest and funniest thing I’ve read this year,” and Notes on the Sonnets won the Forward prize for Best Poetry Collection in 2021. The Transition, his first novel, was BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. His most recent poetry collection, The Book of Jonah, was published by Picador in 2025 and Black Bag, his third novel, was published by John Murray and Zando in 2026 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He is a professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Birmingham.
Rasheed Newson is the author of the historical novels and national bestsellers There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood and My Government Means to Kill Me. There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood was a 2026 finalist for the Martin Cruz Smith Award from the California Independent Booksellers Alliance. Rasheed’s debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, was a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by the New York Times. Rasheed was a 2025-2026 Visiting Fellow at the American Library in Paris. He is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. He co-developed and was an executive producer of Bel-Air. He currently lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena.
Where: Village Well Books & Coffee
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Address: 9900 Culver Blvd. #1B, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: Event Page
Readings from Memory Rehearsal at Poetic Research Bureau – In-Person Event
The Poetic Research Bureau presents a night of utopian visions and modern poetry, as Eleni Sikelianos reads from her new book Memory Rehearsal, accompanied by renowned poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña. With short films by Courtney Stephens, followed by a Q&A with Kate Wolf.
A genre-busting encounter between a poet and her ancestral past documenting a startling intersection of queer history, ancient theater, utopian visions, and modern poetry.
In 1901, Eva Palmer abandoned her life as a privileged New York socialite, moving to Paris with her lover, the writer, and salonist, Natalie Barney. The two Americans became the center of a wild tangle of lesbian love affairs and backyard performances based in an intentional reimagining of Sappho’s work and life. This hotbed of early European modernism saw in the ancient past the possibility for sexual and artistic emancipation, especially for lesbian women.
A chance encounter led Eva to Greece, where she married Angelos Sikelianos, a visionary poet who would become a Greek national hero. Together, they decided to stage a revival of the ancient Delphic festivals, convinced that it would open a path to world peace. By the end of two festivals, their meticulous reproductions had managed to change the course of modern Greek cultural history, even as their marriage dissolved. Eva returned to the U.S. and spent the next decades of her life in debt, but she never stopped pursuing her vision, convinced of the revolution of consciousness these art festivals could bring about.
Celebrated American poet Eleni Sikelianos grew up knowing little of her illustrious ancestors, and it was not until the age of 20, on her first trip to Greece, that she encountered the breadth of their legacy. In Memory Rehearsal, Sikelianos unearths the story of her pioneering ancestor trying to make a place for herself, in a text that shifts between prose, poetry, imaginary performance texts, fiction, and nonfiction, with archival and family photographs.
This is the third book in a trilogy of hybrid memoirs in which Sikelianos reckons with a family shaped by mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. Grappling with knots of personal and broader histories, she performs a powerful act of recovery, re-situating herself by claiming her lineage.
Where: Poetic Research Bureau
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Address: 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
Website: https://www.poeticresearch.com/events/memory-rehearsal
Focus on Craft LA Book Club: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year at The Ripped Bodice – In-Person Event
Focus on Craft book club meets at 7:15 pm on the 3rd Sunday in the main store! It focuses on popular romance forma writer’s perspective.
Everyone is welcome. No membership is necessary, but RSVP is required.
Book for November: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year (A Kiss Merry Kill Novel #1) by Ally Carter.
Where: The Ripped Bodice
Date: Sunday the 15th
Time: 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm
Address: 3806 Main Street, Culver City, CA 90232
Website: https://therippedbodice.com/event/2026-11-15/focus-craft-book-club-november-2026
