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Young Literati Raise a Glass and Awareness for the Los Angeles Public Library

If the idea of roaming about a library after hours with a glass of champagne and a donut sounds like a dream, then the Young Literati’s Fifth Annual Toast may have been a dream come true. Last Saturday night, some of the most spirited supporters of the Library Foundation gathered at the Central Library to celebrate the Los Angeles Public Library, and to “bridge the divide” by raising funds for new technology in the branch libraries.

After kicking-off the party in the Rotunda, where there was not one, but two seesaws for partygoers to embrace the library as their playground, guests moved into the Getty Gallery for readings and performances by an all-star lineup. Rachel Small, chair of the Young Literati, welcomed guests into the sacred space of the library, along with Justin Veach, director of New Initiatives, who confessed he was an evangelist for the “holy library” or did he mean “wholly library,” the one place in our society that is free and open to all. New City Librarian John Szabo thanked supporters, and joked about the irreverent feeling of the night, but quickly noted that libraries are not just houses for print books, but are where our community comes together.

“I love the way molecules collide in a library,” said graffiti artist Shepard Fairey, who is an honorary chair of the Young Literati along with his wife Amanda, before reading from The Catcher in the Rye. The readers were asked to select a work that had special meaning to them, and Fairey prefaced his obvious connection to the outsider protagonist Holden Caulfield by describing how libraries influenced his philosophy of art making by giving him free access to art books growing up, a lifeline for a struggling artist. Later Moby shared a similar sentiment before he read from The Futurist Manifesto by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, a work he discovered in his high school library. The extremist manifesto shocked the young Moby, a great great great nephew of Herman Melville, and opened up a world of non-conventional thinking for the musician. Moby and Shepard Fairey, proud Los Angeles Public Library cardholders.

Artist/filmmaker/author Miranda July performed an exercise she usually reserves for private—to overcome a creative block she reads random words from the dictionary for insight. After hilariously self-diagnosing herself as “demonic,” she also performed the exercise on the energetic comedian Jack Black, whose suitable word choice was “throb.” Black later returned to the stage to read from a book by Jack Black, not himself, but an odd adventure story from the 20s, which in further coincidences included a reference to the library. At the end of the night, Black serenaded the late night crowd with a lullaby, bringing his wife Tanya Haden, a professional singer and cellist to the stage, sending off everyone on a literal high note.

Jack Black and Miranda July read their futures from the dictionary.

Interested in becoming a member of the Young Literati? Learn more.

All photos by Rick Mendoza.

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Stacy-Lieberman_headshot_President-and-CEO_LFLA

Stacy Lieberman

As President and CEO of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA), Stacy Lieberman is an innovative and inclusive leader whose career dwells at the intersection of arts and culture, lifelong learning, storytelling, and equitable access. Stacy guides the Foundation’s philanthropic and public-facing priorities to serve the Los Angeles Public Library, embracing the notion that libraries are beacons of democracy where everyone is welcome. She works intentionally with community leaders, donors, and internal and external strategic partners to raise awareness and resources for the Library and its life-changing initiatives.

With more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive, Stacy has left an indelible mark on iconic L.A. arts, non-profit, and educational institutions such as The Broad, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the Skirball Cultural Center. Building on an early career in book publishing, she has dedicated her professional life to sharing stories and broadening the reach of public institutions to welcome visitors and students of all ages and backgrounds to experience educational, arts, and cultural opportunities.