It’s a big week for book lovers and people who like to spend time in library basements looking at microfiche (virtually, of course, this year), with both the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar. Plus this week, there are a bunch of ways to engage with local activism and art.
Arts & Culture
If you’re feeling a little crazed about the looming 2020 election, join author David Leavitt virtually at Chevalier’s Books on Wednesday, October 21st at 5:00 p.m., as he discusses his new novel Shelter in Place, about the aftermath of the 2016 election: “a meditation on the unreliable appetites–for love, for power, for freedom–by which both our public and private lives are shaped.”
The Los Angeles Public Library has several virtual author talks on its calendar this week as well, including Jan Eliasberg on her novel Hannah’s War, about a “woman scientist involved in the Manhattan Project who is suspected of being a spy,” on Saturday, October 17th at 2:00 p.m through the Westwood Branch Public Library (for the Zoom link, email [email protected])…and Simon Goodman on his memoir The Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family’s Art Treasures Stolen by the Nazis, about “his personal journey and the discovery of the family’s remarkable history, through the Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Library on Monday, October 19th at 6:15pm. For the teens in your life, you can also check out the Central Library’s weekly TEENtastic Tuesdays series on Tuesday, October 20th at 4:00 p.m. with cartoonist and illustrator Jonathan Hill.
If those events haven’t satisfied your thirst for books, this weekend marks the start of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books! Starting on Sunday, October 18th, the festival will run for four weeks – online – and will “celebrate storytelling with author panels, readings, and other events.” Events will feature authors including Henry Winkler, Marlon James, Morgan Jerkins, Jasmine Guillory, and so many more – view the full schedule of events here and register here.
From Monday, October 19th through Saturday, October 31st, you can take part in Craft Contemporary‘s new fundraiser, POTLUCK, which celebrates 30+ clay artists in a two-week-long auction, and will “include virtual clay workshops, Instagram conversations with artists, virtual studio tours and featured ceramic pieces,” plus an online auction of all donated ceramic pieces, to support “the operations of Craft Contemporary including K-12 school programs, community craft forums, workshops, artist promotion and conversation facilitation around exhibitions.”
The Los Angeles based poetry collective Get Lit joins the Berggruen Institute and Second Home Hollywood, for another in their series of live events which “bring together the most inspiring and celebrated figures of our time to exchange and discuss groundbreaking cultural, social and political ideas” for Up Next: America’s Young Poets on Thursday, October 22nd at 11:00 a.m. Poets Violeta Tabilla-Esquivel, Nyarae Francis, and Salome Agbaroji who are all 14-16 years old, will perform and discuss the activist moment we’re in right now.
Community & History
The next event in The Ford’s digital event series is Living Resistance on Saturday, October 17th at 4:00 p.m., a festival which “explores holistic health in Los Angeles,” and invites audiences to “learn from the contemporary practitioners and activists who are making strides in the wellness of their communities.” Co-curated by Todo Verde founder Jocelyn Ramirez, Living Resistance begins with a tribute to George Floyd. Tune in at 3:30 PT on The Ford’s Instagram to see “Maria Isa’s bomba for George Floyd, who worked security at Minneapolis’ Conga Latin Bistro, the city’s longest-running Latinx nightclub.”
In addition to the Festival of Books, another long-running Los Angeles even that’s going digital this year is the 15th-annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on Saturday, October 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. “Engaging programs, online exhibits, and virtual exhibitor booths, are part of this archive celebration event – all in one day, all in one place.” This event is a must-see for any LA history nerd.
From LA’s storied history to its grim future, join the Natural History Museum’s Flames In Our Future: a discussion with Dr. Scott Stephens, Professor of Fire Science at UC Berkeley and Rebecca Miller, PhD Candidate in Environment and Resources at Stanford University about the growing severity of recent fires and the 2020 fire season named, “The Worst Fire Season Ever.” See the event link above for more information and registration.
Local Government
This week, the Mid City West Community Council holds its Homelessness, Refugees and Renters’ Rights Committee Monthly Meeting on Monday, October 19th at 6:00 p.m. and its Planning and Land Use Committee Meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:30 p.m.
The Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council’s Transportation Committee meets Monday, October 19th at 6:30 p.m., and Sustainability Committee on Wednesday, October 21st at 6:30pm.
And last but certainly not least, make sure you’ve got your plan to vote!
For more details about the LATFOB event, please read our blog
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2020 Goes Virtual!
Hope this will help. Thank you!