Los Angeles Literature Events: 03/28/22 – 04/03/22

NOTE: There Are Both Online and Virtual Events

Vroman’s Local Author Day, Kids Edition: Eshelle Williams & Brian Carmody at Vroman’s  Online Kids & YA Event

Dr. Eshele Williams is the author of But Mommy, Our Last Name Isn’t Foster, which explains the feelings behind the words that help children understand a unique way of being a family — a foster family. With warm words and poignant pictures, Dr. Williams uses her lived experience to shine a sensitive light on this unique way of being a family. 

Brian Carmody is the author of My Magic Summer; With the Moon Maidens. This story is set in summer of ’94, and Connor Whelan is excited to spend the last three months before his senior year with his uncle in Texas. Aware this trip is due to his mom’s cancer treatments, he still hopes this will be a season of magic

NOTE: See site for RSVP and event details.        

Where: Vroman’s Bookstore – Online Crowdcast Event

Date: Monday the 28th

Time: 6 pm

Address: Vroman’s Online (see site)

Website: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/vromans-live-presents-local-author-day-kids-edition  

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 03/28/22 – 04/03/22”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 03/14/22 – 03/20/22

Many Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

World Literature Book Club: Story Selections via Central Library, LAPL – Online Event

Join us for a spirited discussion of the world’s best short stories! All selections are from The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story (New York, 2021) ed. John Freeman. This month’s selections are:

March 14: The Hermit’s Story by Rick Bass (1998)

March 21: A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri (1998)

NOTE: See site for event details and Zoom link.        

Where: West Valley Regional Branch Library, LAPL – Online event

Date: Monday the 14th

Time: 10 am

Address: LAPL – Online Event

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/world-literature-book-club-28

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 03/14/22 – 03/20/22”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 02/14/22 – 02/20/22

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

45th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival via UC Riverside – Online Event

Join the 45th Annual UCR Writers Week Festival of Events: February 12 and 14-18, 2022. This series of events is online, free and open to the public, (captioned & ASL translated), and you may register at site link or on any session time listed there.

DAY 2 of 6, EVENTS:

Session 1: 3 pm PST:

Edgar Gomez is the author of High Risk Homosexual: A Memoir, which follows a touching and often hilarious spiral-like path to embracing his gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo. This is a crackling, witty and poignant debut.

Daniel Olivas is the author most recently of How to Date a Flying Mexican, New and Collected Stories (University of Nevada Press, 2022). He is the author of ten books and editor of two anthologies, as well as plays produced for the stage and readings by Playwrights’ Arena, Circle X Theatre Company, and The Road Theatre Company. He has written for many publications, including the New York Times, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, LARB, La Bloga, BOMB, and others

Steve Erickson is the author of ten novels, and has written two books about American politics and popular culture, Leap Year and American Nomad. He has also written for Esquire, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, Salon, and other publications and journals. He was editor and co-founder of Black Clock literary journal, and is now film/TV critic for Los Angeles magazine and a Distinguished Professor at UC Riverside.

Session 2: 5 pm PST:

Jamaica Heolimeleikatani Osorio is the author of Remembering Our Intimacies (University of Minnesota Press, 2021). She interlaces stories from her forebears with cultural artifacts from her own life to explore questions of cultural inheritance and the particular danger, as a Native woman, of relaxing into romantic love under colonial rule. Dr. Osorio is a Kanaka Maoli artist and scholar and an Assistant Professor of Indigenous and Native Hawaiian Politics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Elisa Washuta is the author most recently of White Magic (Tin House, 2022), long-listed for the PEN Open Book Award and the PEN/Jean Stein Award, a collection of intertwined essays about land, heartbreak, and colonization, about life without the escape hatch of intoxication, and about how she became a powerful witch. She interlaces stories from her forebears with cultural aspects of her own life to explore questions of cultural inheritance and the particular danger, as a Native woman, of relaxing into romantic love under colonial rule. She is a member of the Cowlitz Indian tribe and an assistant professor of creative writing at the Ohio State University.

Session 3: 6:30 pm PST

Anthony Cody is the author most recently of the 2021 American Book Award winning Borderland Apocrypha (Omnidawn, 2020). He has a lineage in both the Bracero Program and the Dust Bowl and his poetry has appeared widely. He has taught eco-poetry at Fresno State University, and read and led workshops across the country. He continues to run the Laureate Lab Studio with Juan Felipe Herrera at Fresno State, and serves as poetry editor for Noemi Press and a poetry editor for Omnidawn.

Carribean Fragoza is a passionate writer, journalist, and artist from South El Monte, and is the author most recently of the collection Eat the Mouth that Feeds You (City Lights), and is also co-editor of East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte. She is also founder and co-director of the South El Monte Art Posse (SEMAP), a multi-disciplinary arts collective.  

Sesschu Foster taught composition and literature in East L.A. for over 20 years, and also taught at the University of Iowa, CalArts and UC Santa Cruz. His most recent books are City of the Future, poetry; World Ball Notebook, poetry; and Atomik Aztex, a novel. His has won numerous literary awards, including the Paterson Poetry Prize for City Terrace Field Manual. He is based in Alhambra, CA.

NOTE: See site for event link and details. 

Where: UC Riverside Writers Week – Online Event

Date: Monday the 14th

Time: 3 pm – 8 pm (Day 2 of 6)

Address: UC Riverside – Online (see site)

Website: https://writersweek.ucr.edu/schedule22

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 02/14/22 – 02/20/22”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 01/31/22 – 02/06/22

Wajahat Ali & Guests & Go Back to Where You Came From via Skylight Bookstore & Writers Bloc – Online Event

Wajahat Ali will present and discuss his book, Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, with his special guests:

Maz Jobrani is a comedian/actor/author and is noted for his book I’m Not a Terrorist But I’ve Played One on TV.

Rabia Chaudry is an attorney, advocate, and author of The New York Times bestseller Adnan’s Story, about the wrongful conviction of Adnan Sayed.

Tonya Mosley, moderator, is an NPR journalist.

“Go back to where you came from, you terrorist!”

This is just one of the many warm, lovely, and helpful tips that Wajahat Ali and other children of immigrants receive on a daily basis. Go back where, exactly? Fremont, California, where he grew up, but is now an unaffordable place to live? Or Pakistan, the country his parents left behind a half-century ago?

Growing up living the suburban American dream, young Wajahat devoured comic books (devoid of brown superheroes) and fielded well-intentioned advice from uncles and aunties. (“Become a doctor!”) He had turmeric stains under his fingernails, was accident-prone, suffered from OCD, and wore Husky pants, but he was as American as his neighbors, with roots all over the world. Then, while Ali was studying at University of California, Berkeley, 9/11 happened. Muslims replaced communists as America’s enemy #1, and he became an accidental spokesman and ambassador of all ordinary, unthreatening things Muslim-y.

Now a middle-aged dad, Ali has become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America. In Go Back to Where You Came From, he tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy, and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration, and pop culture. In this refreshingly bold, hopeful, and uproarious memoir, Ali offers indispensable lessons for cultivating a more compassionate, inclusive, and delicious America.

Expect a lively discussion of racism, xenophobia, white supremacy, and good food.

NOTE: See Site for RSVP, book purchase, and event details.         

Where: Skylight Bookstore & Writers Bloc – Online Event

Date: Monday the 31st

Time: 6 pm

Address: Skylight – Online Event (see site)

Website: https://www.skylightbooks.com/event/skylight-books-and-writers-bloc-present-go-back-where-you-came-evening-wajahat-ali-and-others or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/go-back-to-where-you-came-from-an-evening-with-wajahat-ali-and-others-tickets-22559844000  

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 01/31/22 – 02/06/22”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/29/21 – 12/05/21

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Quantum Book Club & Laura Dean via The Book Jewel – In-person YA Event

Please join Quantum Book Club to discuss our November selection, the graphic novel Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamki & Rosemary Verero-O’Connell.

This is a sweet, spirited tale of young love that asks us to consider what happens when we ditch the toxic relationships we crave to embrace the healthy ones we need. This graphic novel won several awards for excellence.

NOTE: See site for book purchase & event details.         

Where: The Book Jewel – In-person Event

Date: Monday the 29th

Time: 6 pm – 7 pm

Address: 6259 W. 87th St., Los Angeles, CA 90045

Website: https://www.thebookjewel.com/events or https://www.facebook.com/BookJewelBookstore/photos/595324735216001

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/29/21 – 12/05/21”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/22/21 – 11/28/21

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Book Club Bonanza: Indigenous Voices via LAPL Teen Event – Online Event

Join Los Angeles Public Library for a Teen Book Club Bonanza reading and discussion of two indigenous voices and their books:

The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills, is a tale of lives that may be haunted by grieving. Shelley has inherited her family’s ability to catch ghosts in her hair and help them along, both animals and people. But what happens if we can’t have what we want – our loved one to stay?

A Girl Called Echo: Volume 1, by Katherine Vermette, features compelling illustrations and a female main character who is caught in the foster care system. She discovers her Metis heritage first-hand, while slipping back and forth through time.

NOTE: See site to for details. Email teens@lapl.org from your school email address at least one hour before the program to request the link.

Where: Los Angeles Central Library, LAPL – Online Event

Date: Monday the 22nd

Time: 4:30 pm – 6 pm

Address: LAPL Online Event (see site)

Website: https://lapl.org/whats-on/events/book-club-bonanza-indigenous-voices

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/22/21 – 11/28/21”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/15/21 – 11/21/21

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Moira First Press Reading Series: Jose Hernandez Diaz & Open Micvia Woodbury University/ Microsoft Teams & In-Person – Hybrid Event

Join Woodbury University for the next Moira First Press Reading & Open Mic event, offered both virtually and in-person, to hear featured artist, Jose Hernandez Diaz.

Jose Hernandez Diaz is a 2017 NEA Fellow, and the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020). His work has been published or featured in The American Poetry Review, Boulevard, Crazyhorse, Georgia Review, Iowa Review, The Kenyon Review, The Los Angeles Times, LitHub, The Nation, Poetry, and in The Best American Nonrequired Reading. He has been a finalist for The Andres Montoya Prize, The Colorado Prize, The Akron Prize, and the National Poetry Series. Currently he is an Associate Editor a Frontier Poetry and a Guest Editor at Palette Poetry. He teaches creative writing online for Litro Magazine, Frontier Poetry, and other venues.

NOTE: See site to complete online RSVP form, to receive meeting link & details.

Where: Woodbury University – Hybrid Event

Date: Monday the 15th

Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Address: 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91510

Website: https://www.moriaonline.com/first-press-reading-series

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/15/21 – 11/21/21”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/08/21 – 11/14/21

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Gina Shock, with Belinda Carlisle & James Duke Mason, & Made in Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Gos via Book Soup – Online Event

Join us to hear Go-Gos drummer Gina Shock, in conversation with Belinda Carlisle & James Duke Mason, present and discuss her book, Made in Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Gos.

The Go-Gos were the first all-female rock band to write their own songs, play their own instruments, and reach the top of the Billboard charts with their #1 album, Beauty and the Beat. Made in Hollywood is drummer Gina Shock’s personal account of the band, which includes a treasure trove of photos and memorabilia collected bver her 40-year career.

NOTE: See site for details.         

Where: Book Soup – Online Event

Date: Monday the 8th

Time: 3 pm

Address: Book Soup – Online Event

Website: https://www.booksoup.com/event/gina-schock-conversation-belinda-carlisle-james-duke-mason-discusses-made-hollywood-all-access

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 11/08/21 – 11/14/21”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 08/16/21 – 08/22/21

Many/Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Jordan Ifueko & Redemptor Book Launch via Once Upon a Time Bookstore – In-Person/ Outside Event

Celebrate an In-Person book launch for Redemptor, by Jordan Ifueko, the sequel to the New York Times bestseller Raybearer.

In this story Empress Redemptor sits on Aristar’s throne, but must appease the sinister spirits of the dead. Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. She is determined to survive, but fears the pressure may consume her. Now she must decide to die for justice…or to live for it.

For health and safety reasons, this event will take place both inside and outside the store, per guidelines available at website.

NOTE: See Site for details and book purchase.

Where: Once Upon a Time Bookstore

Date: Monday the16th             

Time: 5 pm

Address: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, CA 91020

Website: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/event/redemptor

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 08/16/21 – 08/22/21”

Los Angeles Literature Events: 05/10/21 – 05/16/21

Most Events Are Online/Virtual DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

Raakhee Mirchandani & Holly Hataam: Hair Twins Storytime & Book Signing via Children’s Book World – Online Kids Event   

Author Raakhee Mirchandani and illustrator Holly Hatam, will read and discuss their new book, Hair Twins.

Hair Twins is the story of a Sikh father and daughter with a special bond. They proudly celebrate and share a family tradition concerning how they care for their hair and their choices of hairstyles they select from each morning. In this charming picture book we learn that the daughter’s favorite style is the tight bun on the top of her head, which is like the joora her father wears ev3ery day under his turban. They call this their hair twin look!

You may sign up as an individual or as a class or school to attend with a book pre-purchase.

NOTE: See site for details, and to register for this free event.     

Where: Children’s Book World – Online event

Date: Monday the 10th    

Time: 9:30 am 

Address: Online event

Website:  https://www.childrensbookworld.com/event/exclusive-hair-twins-storytime-and-book-signing

Continue reading “Los Angeles Literature Events: 05/10/21 – 05/16/21”