Love, Migration and Revolution
By Brian Dunlap
Friday September 28th at 826LA Mar Vista was electric. The room was packed, filled mostly with people of color and queer people of color. The metal chairs were set in rows facing the front where the writers were about to read. On the right side of the room was a small display of artwork from invited Eastside artist Freddy Negrete, who shared the table with pastries from Portos. Attendees continued to trickle in, conversations adding a welcomed excitement to the room. But when host Mixel Salinas stepped to the mic a focused quiet fell over the audience. 100 Thousand Poets for Change’s Love, Migration, and Revolution reading began.
On Sept. 20, I had the pleasure of interviewing Native American writer Tommy Orange on the stage for ALOUD, a lecture series at the Los Angeles Public Library, and I hope that the audience in attendance benefited from our exchange. Our banter was friendly, and there were a few chuckles during the evening so I know that we were, at the very least, entertaining. The book-signing line was lengthy and the brief interactions we had with the book buyers were generous and appreciative. After the last book was signed, Tommy and I embraced and said our goodbyes, promising to remain in touch. But despite how smoothly the entire evening went, something was not quite right. Perhaps it was the guns.
The Displaced Children of Displaced Children at UCLA
More than 800 authors, readers and other literary Angelenos have signed a petition sent to the board of directors of the Library Foundation, along with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, raising concerns about the future of its ALOUD reading series following the dismissal of ALOUD’s founder Louise Steinman and associate director Maureen Moore.
Courtenay Hameister & Okay Fine Whatever at Book Soup
Conchas y Café Adult Writing Class at Vernon-Washington Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
Mark Gunther & Without Jenny at Diesel Bookstore
A Gathering of Tribes Poetry Reading at Chevalier’s Bookstore 
Los Angeles Literature 