Category Archives: Special Events

Special Events

It’s M.A.D. time again!

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Hey Library Foundation Members: we appreciate you, and Member Appreciation Days are just around the corner!

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 3 – 5, 2013, show your Library Foundation Membership card to receive 20% discounts at participating stores and free admission at the following Southern California museums and institutions:

  • Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
  • Craft and Folk Art Museum (Friday only)
  • Heritage Square Museum
  • Japanese American National Museum
  • The Library Store at Central Library (Friday and Saturday only)
  • The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
  • MOCA Grand Avenue
  • The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
  • MOCA Pacific Design Center
  • Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • Orange County Museum of Art
  • Pacific Asia Museum
  • Pasadena Museum of California Art
  • Pasadena Museum of History
  • The San Diego Museum of Art
  • Skirball Cultural Center

How-to-Book-Festival with Attica Locke

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Where else are you going to catch Margaret Atwood, Carol Burnett, Lemony Snicket, and Susan Feniger tag-teaming stages across a grassy college quad? The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is right around the corner, and to help guide your way through the largest public literary event in North America, we asked participating local author and Library Foundation Board Member Attica Locke for her tips on how-to-book-festival like a pro.

Attica Locke at ALOUD last year. Photo by Gary Leonard.

What sets apart the L.A. Times Festival of Books from other book fairs?

Locke: Besides Korean tacos and yoga pants, the L.A. Times Book Festival is the best thing ever to happen to L.A. It’s so incredibly comprehensive with an entire stage in Spanish, with music, cooking, and children’s events—it’s the most creative book festival around.

How have you participated with the festival over the years? And what are you doing there this year?

Locke: This is my fourth time being a panelist. I’m usually involved in the crime writing conversations, which draw very diverse crowds. This year, I’m on the “Crime Fiction: What We Can’t Tell You,” panel on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. But it always turns into a family event for me, so my husband and daughter come and we go around and explore.

What panels, readings, or events are you especially looking forward to this year?

Locke: On Saturday, I’m really looking forward to the Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen event. I’ve heard Lemony Snicket speak before and I’ve never heard an artist quite like him—he’s so entertaining. I want to pop in to the YA stage because as an author I’m interested in writing Young Adult fiction, and some of the greatest Young Adult fiction writers in the country will all be in L.A. on the YA stage. I want to hit the fiction panel on the “Social Novel” with Rachel Kushner, Jonathan Lethem, and Marisa Silver in conversation with David Ulin, the L.A. Times’ book editor—that’s going to be insane! I’m also curious about the “Hollywood Tales” history panel.

On Sunday, I’m amazed the day starts with the U.S.C. Trojan marching band, so I want get there early for that. Jamaica Kincaid in conversation with L.A. writer Hector Tobar sounds amazing, who is an incredible writer in his own right and he’s talking to one of the world’s most provocative writers—this will be a great featured event. Finally, the “Guns in America” panel is such a timely topic and I’m a big fan of Erwin Chemerinsky, who is an interesting thinker and a dean at the U.C.I. law school.

You’re an expert at this festival… Any tips for attendees?

Locke: Finding an out-of-the-way bathroom—away from the crowds is key. Also, to avoid lines, I think there’s some convenient stores around the U.S.C. campus that sell sandwiches for an easy lunch. Take public transportation—there’s no reason not to take the train to U.S.C. Also, if you plan to buy a lot of books like me, then bring one of those wheely things people take to Farmers Markets so you don’t break your back carrying around your load of books.

The days are jam-packed with events, but what about the evenings? What do the writers do after they leave the U.S.C. campus?

Locke: The L.A. Times Book Prize ceremony on Friday night is a big deal. But people are still talking about last year’s Book Drop Bash! I made so many connections with new people at the Young Literati’s Bash last year, and I’m a co-host of the event this year, which is at the downtown Central Library on Saturday night. It’s so fitting for everyone to gather there to continue the celebrations.

There’s More than One Night to Stay Home and Read a Book

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For 25 years strong, Angelenos have teamed up with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles to celebrate the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball and support the Los Angeles Public Library.  Thanks to 260 Library lovers, this year’s Ball brought in $54,000 – a 23% increase from last year’s proceeds!

Participants of the Ball experience the inherent pleasure of championing what the Library represents: free access to ideas and information, lifelong learning, and democracy at its finest – but in the comfort of their own homes with permission to retire early, put on jammies and curl up with a good book. Sounds like heaven, right?

Here’s just a few examples of how people observed this novel “non-event.”

Patton Oswalt had H. P. Lovecraft at his table and read Tenth of December by George Saunders.

Peg Yorkin celebrated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and read My Beloved World by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Mary Bergman-Rallis read Lamb by Christopher Moore.

Natalie Seaman read anything she could get her hands on.

Jane Lopatt read The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

Charity Tran enjoyed Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Rachel Small read Citizenville by Gavin Newsom and Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Andrew Bogen read The Observant Owl by Kālīprasanna Siṃha.

Miles Corwin read Defender of the Realm by William Manchester and Paul Reid.

Sharon Rising read Jack Kennedy by Chris Matthews.

Library Foundation staff participated in the Second Annual Dr. Seuss Read-a-thon in the Children’s Literature Department.

Although the Ball took place on March 1, no one turned into a pumpkin after the clock struck midnight. The spirit of the occasion is ongoing as Los Angeles Times journalist and award-winning author Hector Tobar writes, “Yes, every day is a ball, a journey or a miracle when you have a library card.” Every day is a good day to give back to the Library, and there’s no expiration on taking part in the Ball.

So, if you have plans to stay home with a book in hand and the Los Angeles Public Library in heart, make a reservation for the Ball any time by donating at www.lfla.org/stayhome. Share your festivities on Facebook and Twitter @LibraryFoundLA #LFLAStayHome.

Thank you to all who have stayed home over the years to support the Library!

Everyone’s Staying Home to Support the Los Angeles Public Library!

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The Stay Home and Read a Book Ball on Friday, March 1, 2013 is fast approaching, and in anticipation, Library lovers are eagerly sharing their support for knowledge, reading, and books.

Howard A. Rodman, Professor at the University of Southern California and Vice President of the Writers Guild of America West, writes:

“I grew up in an atheist household in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. My parents told me there was no religion. But they lied. When I’d visit my doctor, he’d ask not, what’s wrong, or even, how’s school. He’d say, ‘What have you read?’ When I’d ask my grandmother a question she’d say, ‘You have a question? Look it up in a book.’ Then she would whisper, ‘A library is a place with a lot of books.’

Where others would have a hearth or a breviary niche, we had The Wonder Book of Knowledge. All the world’s knowledge, and all the world’s wonder, in twelve volumes: A to BAL, BAL to BYZ, CAB to CLI, CLI to DEN, DEN to FIF, FIF to GRE, GRE to JES, JES to MIN, MIN to PEA, PEA to SAN, SAN to TID, and TIE to ZWY. When my parents would fight I’d hide under the piano, inhaling the faraway fragrant scent of the waxed wood sounding board, the raised lid become a giant sail, and I would stare at the Wonder Book of Knowledge, a cyclopedia of destinations – of places I would rather be. A-BAL, BAL-BYZ, sailing to Byzantium, CAB to CLI, CLI to DEN, ‘round the North Sea to Denmark, DEN-FIF, FIF to GRE, down the Aegean to Greece, GRE-JES, JES-MIN, aboard the U.S. Minnesota, MIN to PEA, PEA to SAN, San Francisco! Shore leave in North Beach!, SAN to TID, and TIE to ZWY. The island of Zwyzwyzwantia, where iridescent spider monkeys climb from volcanoes, where telekinetic pandas control the weather, and where perfumed pheasants roost all day in sun-dappled trees, singing to each other, and to us. And that – curled up under the piano, hiding from my parents, gazing out at a cut-rate encyclopedia, in the heart of godless Brooklyn – was how I became a writer. And I would venture that most every writer I know became a writer in similar fashion: staring at books, reading our way through the Universe. The Universe, as Borges says: which others call The Library.

And so as a writer and, most proudly, as a reader: it’s truly gratifying to bring attention to the libraries’ essential role in the creative life of our community.

(With a h/t to Tom McGuane for the idea of a piano lid as ship’s sail, to John August for the weather-controlling pandas, to Thomas Pynchon for the iridescent spider monkeys…)”

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New York Times bestselling author Anne Lamott‘s plans for March 1, 2013:

“I have gotten both dogs whipped up in anticipation of the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball. Heaven: we’ll share the couch, and some cheese, but we’ll each have our own book, as neither of them reads English very well.”

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Los Angeles-based author and journalist Hector Tobar‘s call for action:

“Down at the bottom of Bunker Hill, there’s a big building with a pyramid on top. It’s filled with thousands of magical devices, each the shape of a box. I go there, pick one up and take it home. I open it. Suddenly there are ancient Romans in my living room, a Spanish knight in my kitchen, a boy and a runaway slave on a raft floating down the hallway. Yes, every day is a ball, a journey or a miracle when you have a library card. Let’s celebrate the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball together.”

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Author Terry Tempest Williams shares her thoughts on the Ball:

“I open the door, walk outside and turn another page.”

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Los Angeles’ first Poet Laureate Eloise Klein Healy describes her clothing for the occasion:

“My usual reading attire at home is a comfortable outfit of plaid flannel shirt and pajama bottoms of a different plaid.  Since the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball is a formal affair, I plan to up the ante and read my book while clad in at least three plaids.”

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There’s still time to RSVP!  Also, make sure to let us know how you’re celebrating by emailing Erin Sapinoso at erinsapinoso@lfla.org, tweeting us at @LibraryFoundLA with the hashtag #LFLAStayHome, and leaving comments on our Facebook page.

Bookmark This! #7

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Friday, March 1, 2013 marks the 25th Edition of the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball!  Support the Los Angeles Public Library by picking up a book wherever you might be and whenever you feel like doing so.  Make reservations to the most popular “non-event” of the year by donating at www.lfla.org/stayhome and share how you’re celebrating on Twitter (@LibraryFoundLA #LFLAStayHome) and Facebook (Library Foundation of Los Angeles).

If you’re still figuring out what to read in honor of this special occasion, this month’s issue of Bookmark This! gives suggestions of books that range in topics from arts and walks in Los Angeles to a New England family’s story; and a woman’s experience living through Argentina’s Dirty War to a chronicle of a post-apocalyptic future.

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John Szabo is the City Librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library.  He moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles last summer, has jumped out of an airplane and has twice competed in the national adult spelling bee.

John recommends Rebels in Paradise: The Los Angeles Art Scene and the 1960s by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp.

“As a newcomer to this amazing city (and someone who can’t get enough of all things L.A.), this book and the stories it tells of the Los Angeles arts landscape of the 60s just seems to perfectly exemplify this City as a place of opportunity and where great ideas find fertile soil and are made even better.  I loved reading about the Ferus Gallery, the important role L.A. played in the conceptual and pop art movements, and the vibrant and experimental nature of visual arts in the city.  Reading this book made me love L.A. even more!”

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Ken Brecher is President of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, celebrating his three year anniversary this February.  He studied anthropology at Oxford University, has lectured and published widely, and has the more extensive and interesting collection of socks of anyone at the Central Library.

Ken recommends See Now Then by Jamaica Kincaid.

“I was enthralled by the new novel by Jamaica Kincaid, See Now Then and knew from the first page that I was in the presence of not only a daring but truly original writer. When I finished this short but unforgettable novel, I was aware of something else. The reading of this story of a family’s deeply personal history and eventual dissolution put me in mind of the tribal myths that I had studied and written about as a cultural anthropologist.

A collection of myths from the tribes of the central Amazon forest in Brazil which I edited (Xingu: The Indians, Their Myths, Farrar Straus), is an expression of the profound understanding that indigenous storytellers have of the human condition. Kincaid’s latest novel, her first in ten years (she is best known for her much-praised early novels Annie John and A Small Place) calls out to be read aloud. She uses repetition to build a rhythm of revelations, subtle but very powerful. The book describes the end of a marriage and the inner thoughts of a wife and two children trying to make sense of parents whose unhappiness obstructs and destroys the world as they knew and understood it.

Kincaid participated in the Library Foundation’s ALOUD authors series in 2011. At that time she generously read a section from the manuscript of See Now Then but commented that she was not interested in having the audience’s reaction. We can now understand that it is profoundly personal and revelatory. As readers, we are the beneficiaries of her courage and great talent.”

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Jacqueline Welsh is a Resident of the Innovation Leadership Program.  She is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona’s School of Information Resources & Library Science, loves road trips and can make newspaper hats in seconds flat.

Jacquie recommends Perla by Carolina De Robertis.

“Generally, novels with ‘coming of age’ as a descriptor or in the subject heading leave me a bit wary that I may be embarking upon pages of ‘angsty’ narrative. But, in De Robertis’ Perla, it is quite the opposite. Perla, the daughter of an Argentinian naval officer, often struggled with her family’s role in the country’s recent and bloody past. However, the appearance of a stranger forces her to examine her life’s origin and events through a much more haunting context, and presents an outcome that could fundamentally change who she is or may become. De Robertis tells the story of Perla’s life and that of her guest with prose that is both haunting and beautiful. And, perhaps more importantly, the book brings a voice to the mainstream for the ‘desaparecidos’, and those who remained, in more recent Latin American narratives and history.”

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Mary Abler is also a Resident of the Innovation Leadership Program.  Besides libraries, she is interested in baking, cooking with fresh, local ingredients, crafting and exploring Los Angeles, on foot and by bike.

Mary recommends Stairway Walks in Los Angeles by Adah Bakalinsky.

“Being a recent transplant to Los Angeles from San Francisco, I was apprehensive about moving to a city with such a ‘car-centric’ reputation. Fortunately, my aunt and uncle, longtime residents of Silver Lake, let me borrow their copy of Stairway Walks in Los Angeles, a book that proves that at least some people walk in L.A. I have tried both of the Silver Lake walks and I found the guides in the book to be easy to follow and full of interesting historic tidbits. Rather than simply mapping out the walks for us, Bakalinsky and Gordon draw our attention to interesting sights along the way and how these stairways fit in with the fabric of life in Los Angeles, both now and back when they were first built. This book will help new residents to explore the hidden aspects of L.A. and longtime Angelenos to rediscover the neighborhoods they call home.”

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John Martin is an intern with the Library Foundation.  Originally from Encinitas, he is currently a sophomore at the University of Southern California studying Theatre and Philosophy, Politics, and Law.  He drinks a lot of coffee and likes to write plays.

John recommends A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

“I’ve read A Canticle for Leibowitz twice now, and I know that I will read it a third time. It’s three separate stories, each taking place at different stages of rebuilding civilization after a nuclear war. The three anecdotes, different in their time, share a common place: a catholic monastery. Running throughout the novel is a river of social critique, rendered all the more powerful for being in the fantastical light of re-civilizing a radioactive planet. Leaving aside the plot, the characters are interesting and always morally struggling with something.”

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Check out these or another of the more than six million books that are available through the Los Angele Public Library and celebrate the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball with us this Friday.

Happy reading and stay tuned for the next issue of Bookmark This!

-   Posted by Erin Sapinoso

Stay Up With This Is Your Library

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On Saturday, March 2, the doors of the downtown Central Library will stay open later than usual for the seventh installment of “This is Your Library,” the Library Foundation’s series of live late-night-style talk shows. The upcoming episode will feature punk legend Exene Cervenka; actor, writer and producer Mike White of HBO’s Enlightened; author and Los Angeles Times journalist Héctor Tobar; and City Librarian John Szabo, all in conversation with host Justin Veach, the Foundation’s Director of New Initiatives. What might they be discussing? Here’s a quick rundown of some of the guests’ work to get you ready for your library after-hours. Purchase tickets for the event, which will also include music by dublab djs, food by Mas Malo, a post-show concert featuring the psychedelic sounds of Feeding People, and more.

Exene Cervenka is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and activist. Together with John Doe and guitarist Billy Zoom, they formed the seminal Los Angeles punk band X. Exene has covered a lot of artistic territory over the years: publishing poetry, prose, and art books; exhibiting her collages in museums and galleries; recording and touring with her other bands. Watch a performance below.



Mike White is an award-winning writer, director, actor and producer. His writing credits range from the indie black comedies Chuck and Buck, The Good Girl, and Year of the Dog to main-stream comedy hits School of Rock and Nacho Libre. His TV credits include the short-lived but critically praised Freaks and Geeks and Pasadena. He also twice competed in the Emmy-winning television show The Amazing Race with his father, Mel. The second season of White’s Golden Globe-winning HBO television series Enlightened premiered this January, starring Laura Dern and White (also the series co-creator). Listen to White talk to Terry Gross on Fresh Air about Enlightened here and flashback to the hilarious trailer of Chuck and Buck below.

Héctor Tobar has worked as a journalist for the Los Angeles Times for nearly twenty years. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of the 1992 riots, and then served as the national Latino Affairs correspondent, the Buenos Aires bureau chief, and the Mexico City bureau chief. Héctor currently serves as a book critic for the paper, is the author of three books, including most recently, The Barbarian Nurseries. Listen to his interview with Michael Silverblatt of Bookworm here and his interview with Karen Grigsby Bates of NPR’s Morning Edition here. And of course, get lost in the history of Los Angeles as you browse his many columns for the Los Angeles Times.

John F. Szabo is the City Librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, which serves over four million people—the largest population of any library in the United States—through its Central Library, 72 neighborhood branches, and website at www.lapl.org. Szabo has more than 20 years of leadership experience in public libraries and is a champion for innovative library services that address critical community needs in areas including health disparities, workforce development, adult literacy, school readiness and emergent literacy for preschoolers.  Read the Los Angeles Times’ take on John Szabo’s appointment to City Librarian.

Feeding People, a band of teenagers making some of the heaviest psychedelic around, have just released their latest album Island Universe from Innovative Leisure. Watch their newest music video below.

Feeding People will be presented in collaboration with Spaceland Productions.

We hope you’ll stay up with us for This is Your Library!

Ardent Library Lovers

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In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Library lovers are sharing their passion for the Los Angeles Public Library!

Invitations to the 25th Edition of the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball dropped last week, and the eager replies for the popular “non-event” are flooding in! Here are just a few ways “attendees” are planning to celebrate:

Patton Oswalt wants to be seated with H. P. Lovecraft and plans to read Tenth of December by George Saunders.

Patricia Olson will dine with Charles Dickens and read Bleak House.

Laura Glass will revel with Margaret Mitchell but hasn’t yet decided which book to read.

There’s still time to join the festivities on Friday, March 1, 2013!  RSVP at www.lfla.org/stayhome and tell us how you’re celebrating on Twitter @LibraryFoundLA #LFLAStayHome and Facebook.

Sincerest thanks to the generous sponsors of this year’s Stay Home and Read a Book Ball!  With gifts from thoughtful individuals like you, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles can continue to support the Los Angeles Public Library’s crucial cultural and educational programs, including the award-winning [ALOUD] series.

Library Champions ($1,000+)
Beverly and Frank Arnstein
Edythe Broad
Suzanne and Rob Davidow
Wendy and Barry Meyer
Lyle and Lisi Poncher
Ronda Gomez-Quinones
David and Susan Rosenblum
Laura and Carlton Seaver
Shirley and Ralph Shapiro
Ruth Simon

Library Enthusiasts ($500-$999)
Elizabeth Helms Adams
Bridget Baker
Roz and Peter Bonerz
Ronda and Stanley Breitbard
Covington Capital Management
Howard J. Fulfrost
Nancy and Michael Harahan
Mrs. James Neville
Suzanne and Irwin Russell
Randi Malkin Steinberger and Harlan Steinberger
David and Deborah Trainer

Library Admirers ($250-$499)
Sara and Jim Adler
Carolyn Barelli
P.J. and Jim Clark
Shirley Lu and Norman Davidson
Linda G. Dorman
Maureen Frank
Dr. Philip Greider
Eric and Karen Herman
Linda and Jerry Janger
Barbara Meyer
Mildred H. Reid
Loretta Savery
Marion A. Scharffenberger
Natalie Seaman
Nadine B. Semer
Rebecca Shehee
Stephen and Mary Lou Taylor
Tom and Laney Techentin
John Howard Welborne

 

Will you be our Valentine?

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We adore Valentine’s Day here at The Library Store! Who can resist the color combo of red & pink (okay,  maybe a lot of people can….) and an overabundance of candy? Love is in the air, and we’ve stocked our card wall with a wide assortment of greetings sure to hit the bullseye of love!

Cards range from $2.95 – $6.00

Our Library Store On Wheels will be making a special pre-Valentine’s Day appearance at the Fig&7th shopping center in downtown LA on Wednesday 2/13 from 11:00am – 3:00pm! We’ll have cards and gifts galore! Hope to see you there!

 

Mark Salzman Invites You to Stay Home and Read a Book

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Mark Salzman, writer/performer extraordinaire and this year’s chair of the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball, invites you to take part in the most delightful non-event of the year. The official celebration takes place Friday, March 1, 2013 but you can revel all year long. Learn more here, and be sure to follow along and share your own festivities on Facebook and Twitter @LibraryFoundLA #LFLAStayHome.

Dear Reader:

It is my pleasure to invite you to participate in the 25th Annual Stay Home and Read a Book Ball, a delightful non-event that promotes the Los Angeles Public Library and what it means: free and open access to information, lifelong learning, and democracy. In case you aren’t familiar with it, here’s how it works: on the night of the ball, you stay home and read a book.

Whoever thought of this campaign is a genius. We Angelenos can support one of our most cherished public institutions – 73 libraries in all, serving our community since 1872 – without having to make even a single pass through the Urban Fundraising Event Landscape. Here’s how my “night at the ball” went last year: I moved straight from the dinner table to my bedroom with a glass of bourbon in one hand and a book in the other. I told my kids to supervise themselves for a change. They had to finish their homework, walk the dog, feed the fish, brush their teeth, put on their jammies, Skype with mommy who was on a job in China, and then get themselves to bed before nine. Having delivered those instructions and kissed everyone goodnight, I closed the bedroom door, enjoyed the bourbon, and then took a moment to offer my silent thanks to the Los Angeles Public Library for giving me an excuse to do this. Then I fell asleep.

(The book, I confess, was a prop. I can’t keep my eyes open past 8 anymore. Only young people and empty-nesters seem to have the stamina for it.)

The Stay Home and Read a Book Ball has been going strong for 25 years now, but we mustn’t become complacent. If we don’t continue to support it, then it’s back to auctions and ice sculptures for all of us. So be a good sport, help me help you stay out of traffic, and help the library help all of us stay out of darkness. Give generously.

Sincerely yours,
Mark Salzman