The following is a list of Los Angeles Literature that was published in 2015 followed by a synopsis. These books allow the reader to see Los Angeles in new and important ways, through the perspectives of its diverse citizens who see the city through their beliefs, understandings of the world and opinions. Even if someone studies Los Angeles for their entire career, one won’t know everything about Los Angeles there is to know and learn how expansive the city truly is.

Continue reading “A List of Los Angeles Literature Published in 2015”

Santa Monica Main Library Book Group

This book group is for adults and seniors and features an eclectic selection of literary fiction and nonfiction. The reading selection for this month is “The Outliers,” by Malcolm Gladwell.

Where: Main Branch of SMPL, Multipurpose Room, 2^nd Floor

Date: Monday, the 21^st

Time: 7 pm – 830 pm

Address: 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

Website: http://calendar.smgov.net/library/eventsignup.asp?ID=17885

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 12/21/15 – 12/27/15”

By Jamal Carter

From: Cultural Weekly

Over the last decade, Mike Sonksen (Mike “The Poet”) has mentored emerging writers in a variety of locales from Cal State Los Angeles, Woodbury University, Southwest College, View Park Prep High School, St. Bernard High School, 826LA, Hillsides in Pasadena, with the Get Lit Players and also at the Stella Adler Theater. Mike’s new column, “Tomorrow’s Voices Today,” will feature essays, poems and short stories from some of his brightest students. Most of the selections will be current high school scribes, but a few will be from the college level as well.

The first student to be published is Jamal Carter. Mike’s former student from View Park Prep High School. Carter is now finishing his Bachelor’s Degree at Cal State LA and on his way into the Teaching Credential Program.

Continue reading “Mike Sonksen Presents: Tomorrow’s Voices Today”

By Olga García Echeverría

From: La Bloga

 

Hay lunas que se ocultan. Hay lunas llenas y brillantes. Hay lunas que se despedazan poco a poquito, broken moons that become slivers of silver or dangling half domes en el cielo. And then, there are the other moons–Las Lunas Locas, a womyn’s writing collective orbiting the literary mundo en Los Angeles. These Lunas are escritoras who gather weekly at Here & Now, an alternative and holistic healing art studio in El Sereno. These moon womyn have been meeting for the past year and they are branching out beyond writing and workshopping.

But who exactly are these escritoras lunáticas of the eastside and what are they so crazy about? The two founders and facilitators of Las Lunas Locas, Karineh Mahdessian and Sophia Rivera, are sharing with us a bit about their group and their creative mission and vision.

Continue reading “Las Lunas Locas”

Nic Kelman with “How to Pass as Human” at Book Soup

Join Nic Kelman as he discusses and signs “How to Pass as Human” which is an attempt on the part of the world’s first android to understand the irrational, unpredictable, eclectic creatures known as human beings. Written in the form of a field guide, complete with sketches, graphs, flowcharts, and other reference materials, Android Zero (aka “Zach”) has compiled a variety of useful information for future androids on how to pass undetected as human beings. Along the way, he also attempts to solve the mystery of his own creation with the help of Andrea, a human female who has taken an interest in him that may be more than friendly, and eventually leading him to “meet his maker” and discover the surprising purpose of his existence. (Dark Horse Books)

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday the 14^th

Time: 7 pm

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

Website: http://www.booksoup.com/event/nic-kelman-discusses-and-signs-how-pass-human

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 12/14/15 – 12/20/15”

David Gregory at Vroman’s

Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he discusses and signs “How’s Your Faith?: An Unlikely Spiritual Journey” and probes various religious traditions to answer life’s most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe?

While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush “How’s your faith?” David’s answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief–until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family.

David  approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and Presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile. (Simon and Schuster)

Where: Vroman’s Book Store

Date: Monday the 7^th

Time: 1 pm

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

Website: http://www.vroman’sbookstore.com/event/david-gregory-discusses-and-signs-hows-your-faith-unlikely-spiritual-journey

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 12/07/15 – 12/13/15”

Alex Palmer and “The Santa Claus Man” at Book Soup

Alex Palmer discusses and signs “The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York.”  The charismatic John Duval Gluck Jr. created the Santa Claus Association, the only group authorized to answer Santa’s mail. Gluck became a Jazz Age celebrity, rubbing shoulders with the era’s movie stars and politicians, and even planned to erect a vast Santa Claus monument in the center of Manhattan until Gotham s crusading charity commissioner discovered some dark secrets in Santa’s workshop. It’s also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa’s early beginnings in New York to the country’s first citywide Christmas tree and Macy s first grand holiday parade. The Santa Claus Man is a holiday tale with a dark underbelly, and an essential read for lovers of Christmas stories, true crime, and New York City history (Lyons Press)

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday, the 30^th

Time: 7 pm

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

Website: http://www.booksoup.com/event/alex-palmer-discusses-and-signs-santa-claus-man-rise-and-fall-jazz-age-con-man-and-invention 

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 11/30/15 – 12/6/15”

By Susan Straight

From: L.A. Times

Who told the story first? The story of Native Americans bringing food to the Pilgrims, who were hungry, weary, wary neighbors in Plymouth — roasted fowl, gourds, corn and fish?

The traditional Thanksgiving turkeys of my Southern California childhood, awkwardly big birds on my mother’s Formica counter, frightened my siblings and me. We were meant to pull out the frozen neck and guts and heart, to watch as women put stuffing into the most undignified cavities, and hours later to watch as men wielded huge shivering electric knives to slice off the legs.

Continue reading “A Southern California Thanksgiving”

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) at LAPL

Every Monday in November “Come Write In” to the meeting room and put the words inside your head to paper. Astound yourself by writing a novel in a month!

Adults, Seniors, Teens

Where: Vermont Square Branch Library

Date: Monday, the 23^rd

Time: 3 pm

Address: 1201 W. 48^th St., Los Angeles, CA 90037

Website:

Where: Book Soup

Date: Monday, the 16^th

Time: 7 pm

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

Website: http://www.lapl.org/branches/vermont-square

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literary Events 11/23/15 – 11/29/15”

The Last Bluebird

Michael Sedano

The invitation arrived to mixed emotions. Joy, at the prospect of a themed Bluebird reading, Cien minutos de recuerdos para Márquez / One hundred minutes of memories for Márquez. Desolation, realizing I’d not attended the majority of these memorable events and this one would be the last: Please join us for a 100-minute long reading of work inspired by Gabriel García Márquez, as told by 9 Los Ángeles storytellers, with short interludes accompanied by 1 Los Ángeles son jarocho.

As always, this final Bluebird Reading would happen at the cultural heartbeat of Northeast Los Angeles, Highland Park’s Avenue 50 Studio.

The Avenue 50 Studio art gallery and centro cultural is LA’s best-kept secret. It shouldn’t be, but it is, owing to the pernicious strategy of the Los Angeles Times to define art and culture as only those activities happening in locations west of downtown, except for finding the best tacos and tortas in town, inevitably on the eastside. Then there’s the Grey Lady.

Continue reading “Bluebird farewell. La Palabra in November. The Gluten-free Chicano’s Cocido. On-line Floricanto.”