We at the Library Foundation are getting excited about the upcoming Los Angeles Times Festival of Books! The Festival gives us a chance to hear from beloved authors, learn about new trends in publishing, listen to live music, sample a cooking demonstration or two, and catch up with old friends. Many past participants of the Foundation’s programs are on the roster, and as we look ahead at the Festival schedule, we’re reminded of some great conversations that have taken place at the Library. Here’s a sampling of a few favorite podcasts and videos from our archive to tide you over till the Festival hits later this month.
Recently, Joyce Carol Oates spoke about her love for libraries at The Council Literary Series to help raise funds for the Los Angeles Public Library. A few years back she also visited ALOUD for an eye-opening conversation with Michael Silverblatt (pictured above). Listen to the podcast here.
Two years ago Jamaica Kincaid paid a unique visit to ALOUD for a discussion on a work-in-progress about a family’s life in a small Vermont town. That novel, See, Now, Then, was just released, and she’ll be reading from the book at the Festival. Listen to her ALOUD podcast here.
Chef Ludo Lefebvre dished with Chef Roy Choi at ALOUD last fall about ephemeral L.A. dining. You can catch Ludo Lefebvre at the Festival, and Roy Choi will return to the Central Library this summer for the upcoming edition of This is Your Library.
Ludo Lefebvre and Roy Choi: Taking the Kitchen to the Street: Experiments in Flavor and Form from ALOUDla on Vimeo.
World-renowned journalist and memoirist Pico Iyer has stopped by ALOUD several times in recent years. Listen here to his 2008 ALOUD conversation about his three decades of encounters with the Dalai Lama. He’ll continue to explore expansive issues when he stops by the Festival for the “Culture of Culture” panel.
We hope to see you as well at the Festival. Stop by our Library Store on Wheels and say hello, or become a member of the Young Literati and join us at the Festival’s “go-to” after-party, the Book Drop BASH! at the Central Library.
Photo by Gary Leonard.