The Passing of Larry Colker
by Brian Dunlap
NOTE: Initially I didn’t post anything on Los Angeles Literature about Larry Colker’s passing last month from cancer because I never met him and I didn’t know him as a writer. However, seeing that Beyond Baroque is celebrating his life, the life of an L.A. poet and friend, on Saturday, and the fact that Los Angeles Literature is a news, history and information site covering the Los Angeles literary community, I feel obligated to post a brief article about him.
Los Angeles Literature Events 9/10/18 –9/16/18
Conchas y Café Adult Writing Class at Vernon-Washington Memorial Branch Library, LAPL
This writing program for adults, seniors, and Spanish speakers is a 10-week creative writing class offered by the nonprofit DSTL Arts and results in a quarterly anthology of the writing produced in this program. A public reading and release party celebrates the culmination of each 10-week series.
Where: Vernon – Leon H. Washington Jr. Memorial Branch Library
Date: Monday the 10th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 4504 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90011
Website: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/conchas-y-cafe-adult-writing-class
Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 9/10/18 –9/16/18”
Mary Torregossa Interview
by Brian Dunlap L.A. poet Mary Torregossa was featured recently on KPFK’s “Poets Cafe” to discuss her writing and her book My Zocalo Heart, published earlier this year by Finishing Line Press. These poems are about family photos, and the people next door and someone looking for work. Their basically about collecting everyday moments. Click below to listen. Continue reading Mary Torregossa Interview
Los Angeles Literature Events 9/03/18 –9/09/18
Happy Labor Day!
Mark Gunther & Without Jenny at Diesel Bookstore
Please join us to welcome Mark Gunther, who will discuss and sign his debut novel, Without Jenny.
Where: Diesel Bookstore, lower outdoor courtyard
Date: Tuesday the 4th
Time: 6:30 pm
Address: 225 26th St., Santa Monica, CA 90402
Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 9/03/18 –9/09/18”
Meet Eric Contreras of Alivio Open Mic in Bell
From: VoyageLA
Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Contreras.
Eric, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Alivio Open Mic was born from the void that existed here in Southeast Los Angeles. There was a lack of spaces that promoted artistic expression and voices here in our community. Each time I wanted to listen to spoken word, engage with artists, enjoy artwork, or share my poetry, I found myself leaving my community of Bell. After finding myself one too many times on the 5 freeway, the 710 freeway, the 10 freeway, and the 101 freeway, I began to think, “Why do I always have to extract myself from my community to enjoy art?” This thought fermented inside of my mind until I ended up doing something about it.
Continue reading “Meet Eric Contreras of Alivio Open Mic in Bell”
Louise Steinman And Maureen Moore Are No Longer With The ALOUD Reading Series At L.A. Public Library
From: Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles literary landscape shifted significantly this week with the departure of Louise Steinman from ALOUD, the reading series based at the downtown Central Library that she founded and ran for 25 years.
A representative of the Library Foundation confirmed the departure of Steinman and ALOUD associate director Maureen Moore, who was the driving force behind the rotunda exhibit “Visualizing Language” by Oaxacan artists that gained international attention.
Irene Monica Sanchez Wins Poetry Award
By Brian Dunlap
Los Ángeles poet Irene Monica Sanchez has won the 2018 Joe Hill Labor Poetry Award.
As stated on the Labor Heritage website the “Joe Hill Award honors leaders and artists who have contributed to the successful integration of arts and culture in the labor movement, given every year at the Great Labor Arts Exchange is awarded to persons based on their dedication, participation, and promotion of labor, labor arts, culture, organizing, and/or history.” Joe Hill Labor Poetry Award
Community News
Recent news in the literary community. Writers granted fellowships and winning awards. Continue reading Community News
Los Angeles Literature Events 8/27/18 –9/02/18
A Gathering of Tribes Poetry Reading at Chevalier’s Bookstore
Please join us for A Gathering of Tribes, presented by Brendan Constantine, the author most recently of Dementia My Darling, and featuring:
Derek D. Brown is an author, poet and venture expressionist, and a graduate of CLI’s author training program at USC. He is author of the collection, Articulate Scars.
Mike Sonksen, aka Mike the Poet, is a scholar, author and performance artist, acclaimed for his articles, essays and poems, and for mentoring teen writers. He is the author of Poetics of Location.
Ra Avis is sometimes-poet, a once-upon-a-time inmate, a reluctantly optimistic widow, and an exponential storyteller. She blogs regularly at Rarasaur.com, and is the author of Sack Nasty: Prison Poetry and Dinosaur-Hearted.
Where: Chevalier’s Bookstore
Date: Monday the 27th
Time: 7 pm
Address: 126 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Website: http://www.chevaliersbooks.com/gathering-of-tribes
Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events 8/27/18 –9/02/18”
Sarah Thursday Announces Her New Poetry Collection “Conversations with Gravel”
By Brian Dunlap
Long Beach Poet Sarah Thursday announced Sunday that her newest full-length collection of poems, Conversations with Gravel, will be released early in October. As she said on Facebook, “This collection was 5 years in the making based on love, heartbreak, and coping with loss.” Conversations with Gravel is Thursday’s second full-length collection of poetry, after All the Tiny Anchors, which was published in 2014.
Continue reading “Sarah Thursday Announces Her New Poetry Collection “Conversations with Gravel””
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