We've picked a book for our Book Club!

http://www.meetup.com/West-LA-and-South-Bay-Writers-Book-Club>
We've picked a book for our new Writing Craft Book Club!

Finding your Writer's Voice by Thaisa Frank, Dorothy Wall

If you are not local or can't make our meetings, feel free to read along with us and discuss it online on our Meetup group page.

LA Times Festival of Books

Very cute that they'd use Madeline in the LA Times Festival of Books video ad.

The Pale King: Monologues from the unfinished novel by David Foster Wallace

This just in from Skylight Books:

PEN Center USA presents: THE PALE KING: Monologues from the unfinished novel by David Foster Wallace 

Rosemarie DeWitt joins Henry Rollins, Josh Radnor and Nick Offerman in the event cast. Los Angeles Times book critic, David L. Ulin, will host.

Beverly Hills, CA: PEN Center USA will present THE PALE KING: MONOLOGUES FROM THE UNFINISHED NOVEL BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on April 28, 2011. Doors will open at 7 PM with a cocktail reception in the theatre’s rotunda. The event follows the April 15 release of The Pale King (Little, Brown and Company), which follows the lives of the agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois. The Pale King, as well as Wallace’s backlist titles, will be available for purchase before and after the performance, courtesy of Skylight Books.

PEN Center USA is proud to make a follow-up cast announcement, adding Rosemarie DeWitt (Cinderella Man, Rachel Getting Married) and René Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) to the line-up, which includes Henry Rollins (Black Flag, Lost Highway, Get In The Van), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Adam Scott (Step Brothers, The Aviator), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Sin City), Michelle Azar (Monk, ER), Brian Elerding (Mad Men), Rob Delaney (Nature Of The Beast), and Casey Wilson (SNL). Bonnie Nadell (Literary Agent) and Bruce Cohen (Producer, American Beauty, Milk) are co-curating the literary material for the evening.

Charlie Stratton (Naked Angels, New York Stage and Film, Wilton Project) will direct the performance. The event will be hosted by Los Angeles Times book critic, David L. Ulin.

David Foster Wallace was born in Ithaca, New York, in 1962 and raised in Illinois. He received
Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy and English from Amherst College and wrote what would become his first novel, The Broom of the System, as his senior English thesis. He received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona in 1987 and briefly pursued graduate work in Philosophy at Harvard University. His second novel, Infinite Jest, was published in 1996. Wallace taught Creative Writing at Emerson College, Illinois State University and Pomona College, and published the story collections Girl with Curious Hair, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Oblivion, and the essay collections A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again and Consider the Lobster. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, a Lannan Literary Award and a Whiting Writers’ Award, and was appointed to the Usage Panel for the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. He died in 2008, leaving behind unpublished work of which The Pale King is a part.

To purchase tickets for THE PALE KING: MONOLOGUES FROM THE UNFINISHED NOVEL BY DAVID FOSTER WALLACE, please contact the Saban Theatre Box Office, Tuesday through Friday, 12 PM – 5 PM. The Saban Theatre Box Office is located at: 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Phone: 323-655-0111. You may also purchase tickets for the event online at
www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are: $65 (includes admission, preferred seating and a copy of The Pale King) and $25 (includes admission).

For more information on this event, please contact Michelle Meyering, Director of Programs and
Events, at PEN Center USA: michelle@penusa.org.

Other books by David Foster Wallace:

An Evening with Sandra Cisneros at Live Talks LA

Live Talks LA presents author Sandra Cisneros in conversation with Cheech Marin.

Sandra Cisneros is the founder of the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation, the Elvira Cisneros Award and the Macondo Foundation, all of which work on behalf of creative writers. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a MacArthur.

Her writings include novels: The House on Mango Street and Caramelo; short stories: Woman Hollering Creek; and poetry collections: My Wicked Wicked Ways and Loose Woman. She is currently at work on several writing projects including Writing in My Pajamas, essays; Infinito, stories; Have You Seen Marie?, an illustrated book for adults; and a children’s book, Bravo, Bruno. She served as Grand Marshall at the 2010 Poteet, Texas Strawberry Festival. She makes her home in San Antonio, Texas, where she is writer in residence at Our Lady of the Lake University. Visit her website: www.sandracisneros.com

Net proceeds from this event will benefit the Macondo Foundation. The Macondo Foundation works with dedicated and compassionate writers who view their work and talents as part of a larger task of community-building and non-violent social change.

For tickets and more information: An Evening with Sandra Cisneros

Author Thaisa Frank at Vromans Bookstore Tonight

The author of our current writing book club selection will be at Vromans Bookstore tonight! Go meet and support her! Thank her for providing us with our discussion points for our upcoming book club meeting.

Thaisa Frank discusses and signs Heidegger's Glasses

Location: Vroman's Bookstore

695 E. Colorado Blvd

City: Pasadena,

Province:California

Postal Code: 91101

April 12th, 2011, 7:00 pm

During the end of World War II, The Third Reich's obsession with the occult has led to an underground compound of translators responsible for answering letters written to those eventually killed in the concentration camps. Into this covert compound comes a letter written by eminent philosopher Martin Heidegger to his optometrist, a man now lost in the dying thralls of Auschwitz. How will the scribes answer this letter? Part love story, part thriller, part meditation on how the dead are remembered and history is presented, this novel evocatively illustrates the Holocaust from an entirely new vantage point. Heidegger's Glasses was sold to ten foreign countries before publication and got a starred review in Publisher's weekly.

Heidegger's Glasses is a tour de force whose imagery haunts the reader long after the final page is turned...

.Jim Moret,

-The Huffington Post

This is stunning work, full of mysetry and strange tenderness. Thaisa Frank has written one of the most compelling stories of the Nazi regime since D.M. Thomas's Pictures at an Exhibition. It is a book that will haunt you.

-Dan Chaon, author of Await Your Reply

Thaisa Frank works "by a tantalizing sense of indirection...."

-The New York Times

Ten Elements of the Intellectual Thriller

Here's a fabulous list that describes the ten important elements of writing an intellectual thriller.

Why Los Angeles is the Best Place in the World for Writers

Where else can you find something this unique?

On Saturday, March 26, 2011, Heritage Square Museum’s annual Vintage Fashion Show and Tea will take a bold step forward, presenting “Fashions from Literature”.

Beginning at 11:00 a.m., see what Elizabeth Bennett, Dorian Gray, Scarlet O’Hara, Jane Eyre, Daisy Buchanan and other favorite literary heroes and heroines would have worn in their respective eras. Learn why only in the imagination of the printed word could there be such a thing as a bodice ripper! Excerpts from some of the most famous works ever written will come to life as historically accurate recreations of the costumes of the period are displayed before you.

With the museum’s historic Longfellow-Hastings Octagon House as the backdrop for the show, models will promenade in men’s and women’s vintage or period accurate reproduction clothing based on historical patterns from the 15th Century through the 1940s – all with a literary twist. After the show, visitors may also sample items commonly enjoyed at an afternoon tea, view a vintage clothing display inside the Hale House, shop in our Museum Store or Vendor Market, and much more. The annual fashion show is sponsored by Costumer’s Guild West, Folkwear, the Perfume Station (Alhambra) and Councilman Ed Reyes, District 1.

As the Vintage Fashion Show and Tea often sells out, reservations are required. Call (323) 225-2700 ext. 223 to secure your seats, as no tickets will be sold at the door. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children 6 to 12. Heritage Square Museum members receive a 25% discount on the ticket price. As this is a special event, no regular tours of the museum’s historic structures will be given on the day of the fashion show.

PITCHAPALOOZA: Presented by The Book Doctors at Vromans

Hey there writers - saw this and thought you might be interested, in case you were wondering what kind of writing-related thing you could do tonight:

The Book Doctors (a.k.a. Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry), authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, are presenting Pitchapalooza at Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena on Monday, November 15th at 7PM.

It's the American Idol for books - only without Simon. Writers get a shot to pitch to a panel of publishing experts. But they only get one minute. Afterwards, the judges critique everything from idea to style to potential in the marketplace and much, much more. It's educational and entertaining. The winner gets a free consultation and a chance to jump start their book career. Arielle and David have taught everywhere from Stanford to the Miami Book Festival to the world famous Strand Bookstore. They have helped dozens and dozens of talented writers become published authors.

The Vroman's bookstore is located at 695 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA.

Come see Writer Monkeys Again this Saturday!

LAwritersgroup.com and van Straaten Entertainment, inc. present:

WRITER MONKEYS! - A literary improv show.

Time:
Saturday, October 23rd · 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:
bang. studio
457 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA

A new theater experiment where writers create new pieces based on your suggestions, then read them -- live on stage!

This week's lineup of writers:
*J. Keith van Straaten (www.jkeith.net)
Plus two more writers TBA!

Does this mean you will be watching people write? Yes!

However, while they are doing so, you will be entertained by a different live musician each week.

This week: singer/songwriter TBA!

Come feel the literary thunder!

Ticket Price: $10

Created by J. Keith van Straaten and Nicole Criona

Come see Writer Monkeys this Saturday!

LAwritersgroup.com and van Straaten Entertainment, inc. present:

WRITER MONKEYS! - A literary improv show.

Time:
Saturday, October 16 · 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Location:
bang. studio
457 N. Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA

A new theater experiment where writers create new pieces based on your suggestions, then read them -- live on stage!

This week's lineup of writers:
*J. Keith van Straaten (www.jkeith.net)
*Nicole Criona (www.lawritersgroup.com)
*Bart Gold (www.bartgold.com)
*Christian Elder (christianelder.yolasite.com)

Does this mean you will be watching people write? Yes!

However, while they are doing so, you will be entertained by a different live musician each week.

This week: singer/songwriter Jason Luckett (http://www.jasonluckett.com/).

Come feel the literary thunder!

Ticket Price: $10

Created by J. Keith van Straaten and Nicole Criona

Literary Stuff To Do in LA

New American Writing: Caryl Phillips

wed sep 29, 7:00PM | HAMMER readings

Caryl Phillips was born in St. Kitts, West Indies, and raised in England. His novel Dancing in the Dark won the 2006 PEN/ Beyond Margins Award, and an earlier novel, A Distant Shore, won the 2004 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His other awards include the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. His most recent book is In the Falling Snow. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and currently lives in New York.

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Stanley F. Chyet Poetry Reading

PETER COLE—THE DREAM OF THE POEM: HEBREW POETRY FROM MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN SPAIN

Sunday, October 17, 2:00 p.m.

$5 General; Free to Skirball Members

Advance reservations recommended: Available on site at the Skirball, online at www.skirball.org, or by phone at (877) SCC-4TIX or (877) 722-4849

Hear prize-winning translator and poet Peter Cole as he reads from and discusses his acclaimed anthology, The Dream of the Poem, which won the National Jewish Book Award and the American Publisher Association’s award for the Book of the Year for 2007. Rich with humor and grace, Cole’s work recreates the world of medieval Spain, where Jewish artistic and intellectual communities flourished under Islamic rule. A book signing follows the program.

“[This] astonishing achievement is fully revealed for the first time in English.... [Peter Cole’s] versions are masterly.” —Eric Ormsby, The New York Times Book Review

-----------------

slake magazine

WED OCT 27, 7:00PM | HAMMER READINGS

SLAKE LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE

Moments of surprise, whimsy and unconventional truth burst from the pages of Slake: Los Angeles… the worldviews reach outside traditional journalism. —Los Angeles Times

Slake: Los Angeles is a new LA-centric quarterly that examines all things curious, fictional, poetic, political, and philosophical. Edited by former LA Weekly editors Laurie Ochoa and Joe Donnelly, Slake features work by local writers, artists, and photographers. The evening will celebrate Slake’s second issue with readings by House of Leaves authorMark Z. Danielewski, writer/comedian/actress Lauren Weedman (Date Night, Hung, The Daily Show), Ochoa,Donnelly, and other contributors to the publication. Organized by Benjamin Weissman.

ALL HAMMER PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE FREE. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Hammer members receive priority seating, subject to availability. Reservations not accepted, RSVPs not required.

Parking is available under the museum for $3 after 6:00pm.

File Under: Things to do for Writers in Los Angeles

Saturday, July 17, 2010   
Open Mic Poetry Nite in Chinatown, Los Angeles, Art District   
http://lilibernard.com/Pages/Gigs/PoetryNiteJuly2010.html

Poetry/the Spoken Word   
"OPEN MIC POETRY NITE bringing the spoken word to the Chinatown Art District
FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL
No Entry Fee for Poets

Saturday, July 17, 2010, 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

LILI BERNARD ART STUDIO
935 Chung King Road, Chinatown
Los Angeles, CA 90012
323-936-3607
www.LiliBernard.com

For a map, click here: http://lilibernard.com/Pages/StudioShowroom.html

Featured Poet: WILLIAM JACKSON III

Also Featuring live musical entertainment by RICHARD OMURA with CHARLIE BRAGG on guitar and vocals

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Sign in for Poets. First Come First Serve. Poets, plan on a five minute presentation, but feel free to bring ten minutes of material, in case time permits. Advisory: children may be present.

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Poetry Open Mic

8:45 pm - 9:30 pm - Live music by RICHARD OMURA

POETS: please send an email to theartist@lilibernard.com, if you plan on presenting so that we can get an idea of the attendance.

If you would like to be considered as a featured poet or musician in upcoming Open Mic Poetry Nites, please indicate so in your email. Include an attachment of the material you would like to present as a featured guest.

ARTWORK by HUGH O'MARA, JIM STARKS, JR., STAN ROSENTHAL, KEVIN T. WILLIAMS, BOB BRIGHT, RUFUS SANDERS AND LILI BERNARD will be on exhibit in the HABLA Underground (the basement gallery of Lili Bernard Art Studio).                               

Writer's Faire '08 ~

If you enjoy being surrounded by hundreds of fellow-writers who are interested in learning more about perfecting their craft, this Sunday's free UCLA Extension Writer's Faire, an annual gathering of the writer's community, is just the thing for you! Featuring 24 mini-panels that will focus on every aspect of writing, from "Getting Started as a Writer" (at 11:00 AM) through "Living Your Live as a Writer" (at 3:00 PM), this festive occasion will give you the opportunity to explore many different realms of writing. Screenwriting, fiction writing, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, writing for the youth market, getting published, getting produced, getting started, getting into an MFA program, getting to the heart of a story – all will be explored at the Faire! Six panels will be run simultaneously in six different classrooms, so you are sure to find discussions that will interest you! Seating is first-come, first-served, so arrive early to get a prime spot. After the panels, you can talk with the instructors in the courtyard, get writing advice, and have them sign a favorite book (their publications will also be available). This is also a great opportunity to meet and network with other writers and make new friends!

Congratulations to Beyond Baroque

Los Angeles is known as an industry town. We are lucky that it is an industry filled with creative people, and we are fortunate to have so many talented and hyper-creative people in our midst, but many industry people have creative interests that extend beyond just movie making and there are also many creative people here who are not associated with the movie industry. Los Angeles poets, for example, are an unsung and undiscovered gem in this town. Poets rarely get the kind of press here (and perhaps everywhere) that they deserve. Because Los Angeles is an industry town, many of the artistic services and support around town are focused on movie making, so when a literary arts center such as Beyond Baroque exists, we must relish and preserve it.

LAwritersgroup.com congratulates Beyond Baroque on it's survival and lease extension, and we extend our literary hand in friendship and well wishes to this Los Angeles gem.

Write Spot

Forget the overpriced coffee and overly hip would-be writers hogging up all the good couches at the Insomnia Cafe.  We've all been there, we've all done that.  We all know that folks there spend more time acting like they're writing than actually writing.  Seriously.

If you're an eastsider, check out the Silverlake Coffee Company on Glendale.  With practical tables and chairs, convenient outlets, free wi-fi, real food, and some of the best coffee in town, it's a fantastic spot for getting out of the house and getting some writing done.  Filled with writers actually writing, the vibe is energizing, not pretentious.  And with new, longer hours, you may actually finish that draft.

Which you can celebrate with a drink at the Red Lion Beer Garden next door...

Groovy Writer Hangout: Cafe Muse in Los Angeles

Cafe Muse, a groovy cafe/coffeehouse in Hollywood, just wrote us to let us know about her newly opened we-heart-writers-and-artists cafe:

"I am writing because I wanted to let you know that we just opened a new writer-friendly cafe/coffeehouse in Hollywood. It's called Cafe MUSE, and it's located at 6547 Santa Monica Blvd, in the heart of Hollywood's Theater Row. I wanted to let you know that it's a great place for writers to work because we keep it very quiet, we have free Wi-Fi, and some electric outlets for patrons to use. We are an artist's cafe, being the Muse and all... and so I'd love it if you'd pass it on to your writers that we welcome them at the cafe!! We also have really great food (healthy, mostly veg) and really yummy organic coffees & teas. We always hope that all patrons will buy food and beverages, of course, so we can continue to keep our doors open, but we welcome the coffee-refillers, as well! It's a beautiful, serene, and comfortable environment, with a very creative vibe. There are a lot more details, as well as pictures and our menu, up on our website... www.CafeMuseLA.com."