The Council of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles cordially invites you to the 2025 Literary Feasts, the beloved biennial fundraiser that brings together 40 acclaimed writers at stunning homes for 40 intimate dinners on one spectacular evening—all to celebrate the Los Angeles Public Library.
Presented by The Council—a group of over 340 civic-minded community leaders who believe in the Library’s ability to transform lives—the Feasts are an extraordinarily unique opportunity. On one unforgettable evening, guests choose from 40 intimate dinners, each featuring a renowned writer and hosted in a beautiful private home across greater Los Angeles.
This year’s Feasts carry even deeper meaning. In the wake of the devastating wildfires that have touched so many neighborhoods—including the destruction of the Palisades Branch Library—our libraries remain more essential than ever, providing resources, safe spaces, and programs that strengthen our communities.
On the eve of the Feasts, a special Thank You Dinner for writers, hosts, and patrons will take place on Saturday, November 1, at the prestigious California Club, adjacent to the iconic Central Library.
We look forward to welcoming you to the table for stories, conversation, and community this fall as we raise crucial funds to power the promise of the Los Angeles Public Library.
Click on the headers below (or swipe left on mobile) to explore each section.
It is a privilege to serve as Chair of the 2025 Literary Feasts and to welcome you to one of Los Angeles’s most beloved and uniquely meaningful traditions in support of the Los Angeles Public Library.
Since their founding in 1997, the Literary Feasts have brought together celebrated writers, generous hosts, and dedicated Library supporters for an extraordinary evening of shared meals and rich conversation—all to champion the Library’s vital mission. On Sunday, November 2, forty acclaimed writers will be featured at forty intimate dinners hosted in stunning homes throughout Los Angeles. I invite you to participate in this highly anticipated evening, one that promises to be both joyful and deeply impactful.
Presented by The Council of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, the Literary Feasts are a labor of love. The Council is the Foundation’s premier fundraising group—over 340 civic-minded leaders who believe in the power of libraries to transform lives. Since its founding in 1994, The Council has raised over $35 million in support of the Central Library and its 72 branches, advancing programs that promote literacy, student achievement, workforce readiness, and lifelong learning.
Our libraries are more than buildings—they are trusted lifelines. In times of crisis, they provide safe spaces, vital information, and a sense of connection and community when it is needed most.
None of this would be possible without an incredible team. I extend my deepest thanks to our featured writers, who inspire us with their words; our gracious hosts, who open their homes with warmth and generosity; our Patrons and corporate sponsors, whose support makes everything we do possible; and the many individuals who bring this vision to life—the Literary Feasts Chairs, Vice Chairs, and Dinner Committee, our fellow Council members, and the outstanding Library Foundation staff. Their tireless efforts ensure that this event is as meaningful as it is memorable.
I hope you will join me on November 2. As you explore this invitation and discover our exceptional lineup of writers and dinners, I hope you’ll respond with generosity.
Thank you for helping us bring the Literary Feasts to life—and for your steadfast commitment to the Library and the communities it serves.
Most sincerely,
Chair, 2025 Literary Feasts
Rick Atkinson
Betsy Beers & Peter Nowalk
A. Scott Berg
Max Boot
James L. Brooks
Sharon Brous
Billy Childs
Melissa Clark
Michael Connelly
Robert Crais
Antonio Damasio
Lian Dolan
Maureen Dowd
Nikki Erlick
Chris Erskine
Lynell George
Steve Hilton
Annie Jacobsen
Dennis Lehane
Sarah Manguso
David Martin
Nicholas Meyer
Walter Mosley
Aisha Muharrar
Liza Mundy
Adam Nagourney
Jim Newton
Nayantara Roy
Richard Russo
Kevin Sack
George Saunders
Gary Shteyngart
Mike Stoller
Kenneth Turan
Scott Turow
Nicola Twilley
D.J. Waldie
Bob Abernethy
Christine Adams & James Asperger
Meena & Liaquat Ahamed
Anna Belden, D’Lynda Kaplan & Leana Greene
Suzanne Joskow Blumer & Henderson Blumer
Nandini & Deepak Chopra
Dan Clivner
Julie Corman
Ann & Dick Costello
Jessica & James Dabney
Clare De Briere
Claudia & Benjamin Deutsch
Karin & Jonathan Fielding
Eric & Shayna George
John Goldwyn & Jeff Klein
Marcy Gross
Susan Harris & Hayward Kaiser
Sabine Jaccaud & Pedro Catarino
Mary Ann Hunt Jacobsen & Eric Jacobsen
Terri & Jerry Kohl
Ariella Lehrer & Brenda Levin
Beth & Leslie Michelson
Dee Dee Myers & Todd Purdum
Marylouise Oates & Robert Shrum
Geoff Palmer
Whitney & Alex Phillips
Lynda & Stewart Resnick
Elizabeth Gregory Riordan & The Riordan Foundation
Melissa Rivers & Laura Brau
Jaye & John Rogovin
Eden & Steven Romick
Frances & Loren Rothschild
Paula & Allan Rudnick
Marna & Rockwell Schnabel
Donna Schweers & Tom Geiser
Harumi Torii & Riho Kim
Elinor & Rubin Turner
Martha & John Welborne
Marisa Antonini Foundation
Judith & Steve Krantz Foundation
Ann & Dick Costello
Koni & Geoff Rich
William S. Anderson
Lynn Booth & Kent Kresa
Patricia Brown
Ric & Suzanne Kayne
Debra Albin-Riley
Kelly Anderson
Betsy & Harold Applebaum
Judy & Thomas Beckmen
Johnny Carson Foundation
Alison & Richard Crowell
Mary & Daniel James
Monique & Jonathan Kagan
Judith Selbst Kamins & Kenneth Kamins
Sandra Kulli & Dan Flaherty
The Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation
Merle Mullin
Kevin Philip & Joshua Miller
The Muriel Pollia Foundation
Celia S. Ramos & Richard Slechta
David & Susan Rosenblum
Maxine and Gene Rosenfeld
Steinlauf-Schriger Foundation
Eileen Shields
Maggy & Jack* Simon
Kim & David Sonnenblick
Quinn Stills
Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Susan Zolla
Laura & Kenneth Adler
Diana & Tad Allan
Laura & Harvey Alpert
Susan Alschuler
Bob & Melissa Alvarado
Carl T. Anderson
Anissa & Paul John Balson III
Deborah & Spike Booth
Kacey Bonner
Nicole Neeman Brady & T.J. Brady
Bonnie Brae
Susan Brauneiss & Marc Gamsin
Benjamin & Irma Breslauer
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Joan Burns
Kim & Ginger Caldwell
Charlotte Chamberlain
Terri & Timothy Childs
Carla J. Christofferson
Peggy Jo & Jim Clark
Tobey Cotsen
Carolbeth Cozen
Dudley & Anne Crawford DeZonia
Ames Cushing
The Dartmouth Team
Emeline Davis
Nancy & Donald deBrier
Sunita Deshmukh
Linda L. Duttenhaver
Patty Elias & Michael Rosenfeld
Jennifer & Bill Fain
Lisa Field
Nancy & Gary Freedman
Suzanne Gilbert
Betty Goodwin & Keith Klevan
Alison & Jerry Greenberg
Maxine & Eric Greenspan
Tricia & Dick Grey
Nancy & Michael Harahan
Libby & Dan Harrison
Karen Heilman & Cary Thompson
Candice & Michael Herman
Lynn Heymont
Joan Hotchkis*
Tobi Inlender
Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda & Lamar Sepulveda
Ela & Nikhil Jhaveri
Anne & Franklin Johnson
Beth & Kenneth Karmin
Nancy Koven
Sandy Krause & William Fitzgerald
Hollis Leech & Christopher Saigal
Michael K. Lindsey & Wendy Carson
Dr. Glen March
Barbara & Joel S. Marcus
Pamela Mischel
Joanne & Joel Mogy
Molly Munger & Stephen English
Judy Munzig
Nancy & Larry Pasquali
Diane & David Paul
Cheryl Petersen & Roger Lustberg
Alison & Daniel Petrocelli
Celeste Pinto McLain & Thomas McLain
Arnold Porath
Joyce Rey
Lisa Richardson
Judy & Rick Richman
Ricki & Marvin Ring
Sharon Rising
Mary Anne Roberto & Manuel Monterrubio
Kate Roberts & Martha E. Flores
Robert Ronus
Lois Rosen
Tawny & Jerry Sanders
Sherie & Alan Schneider
Laura Seigle
Rachel & Trevor Small
Jennifer Steele
Joni & Shelly Steier
Amanda & Nick Stonnington
John Tellem
Allison Thomas
Mary Beth & Hardy Thomas
Leslie Vermut & Thomas Weinberger
Sheila & Wally Weisman
Janis Wetsman
Lynn Williams & Michael Croft
Donna & Martin Wolff
*deceased
Mary Anne Roberto
Chair
Betsy Applebaum
Vice Chair and Patron Chair
Beth Michelson
Council President
Nancy Koven
Council Chair
Ela Jhaveri
Council Vice Chair
Judy Beckmen
Patron Vice Chair
Kelly Anderson
Writer Chair
Diana Allan
Writer Vice Chair
Patty Elias
Host Chair
Elizabeth Toms
Host Vice Chair
Ames Cushing
Member at Large
Laura Adler
Anissa & Paul J. Balson
Lynn Booth
Joan Burns
Terri B. Childs
Anne Crawford DeZonia
Alison Greenberg
Tricia & Dick Grey
Lynn Heymont
Katie Holthouse
Adrienne Horwitch
Joan Hotchkis
Anne Johnson
Currie Keller
Sally Kiernan
Janna Kohl
Nancy Koven
Sandy Krause & Bill Fitzgerald
Sandra Kulli
Judy Lee
Barbara Marcus
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Pamela Mischel
Ellen Olivier
Sandy Post
Joyce Rey
Lisa Richardson
Ricki Ring
Nancy Rosenbloom
Marna Schnabel
Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda
Ann Snyder
Gail Spindler
Jennifer A. Steele
John Tellem
Mary Beth Thomas
Elinor Turner
Janis Wetsman
Donna Wolff
Josephine M. Adair
Deborah U. Adamson
Laura Adler
Mariana Aguilar
Liaquat Ahamed
Meena Ahamed
Diana G. Allan
Harvey Alpert
Laura Alpert
Sophie Alpert
Lynne Alschuler
Susan Alschuler
Brenda A. Anderson
Brooke Anderson
Carl T. Anderson
Kelly C. Anderson
Martine Anderson
Neville Anderson
Judith Angerman
Wallis Annenberg
Zen T. Annino
Marisa Antonini
Elizabeth P. Applebaum
Harold E. Applebaum
Carrie Arce
Sari E. Aronowitz
Chitra Arora
Debbie Axel
Charmaine Bailey
Joanne Baizer
Bonnie Baker
Anissa B. Balson
James Bancroft
Judith A. Barlow
Deborah W. Barry
Patricia E. Bauer
Maralee Beck
Judith Beckmen
Joanna Beinfeld
Paula Bennett
Diane Bishop
Debra G. Bishton
Susan Bjurman
Stephanie Blackmore Vahn
Jacqueline Blatt
Marjorie D. Blatt
Justine Bloomingdale
Paulette Blumenthal
Marnie Bodek
Tracey Boldemann-Tatkin
Michelle Bolton
Lynn A. Booth
Susan Brauneiss
Edythe L. Broad
Seeley Brooks
Ellen Buchanan
Joan Burns
Laurie Burrows Grad
Marcia Caden
Linda H. Camras
Darcy A. Carroll
Jacqueline Caster
Terri Childs
Patricia K. Choate
Nandini Chopra
Maria L. Citron
Pamela T. Clyne
Patricia Cohen
Laurie A. Content
Julie Corman
Ann Costello
Anne Crawford DeZonia
Alison B. Crowell
Ames C. Cushing
Judi Davidson
Celia Davidson Farkas
Nancy deBrier
Denise M. Decker
Julia DeMuth
Suhasini Deshmukh
Sunita Deshmukh
Diane Deshong
Claudia Deutsch
Alexis Deutsch-Adler
Laurel Donohugh Burks
Diana P. Doyle
Ruth Dunn
Kathleen Dwyer
Rosa K. Easton
Kathleen Eckert
Donna Econn
Louise Edgerton
Nikila R. Ellis
Louise Epstein
Janet Esposito
Jacqueline M. Fabe
Jennifer N. Fain
Elisabeth Familian
Judy C. Felsenthal
Karin B. Fielding
Susan J. Finkelman
Constance Fishbach
Hillary Fogarty
Amy R. Forbes
Christopher S. Forman
Jennifer Freed
Sharon Gam
Susan Ganz
Brooke L. Garlock
Constance Gavin
Cindy Gelber
Suzanne Gilbert
Vicki Gold
Betty Goldstein
Rikki Gordon
Helen Gordon Lowy
Amy Gorton
Sherry Grant
Alison Greenberg
Lenore S. Greenberg
Patricia D. Grey
Lawrence Grosberg
Maureen Grosberg
Laura Gross Weiss
Karen Growdon
Nancy W. Gubin
Michele Hall
Dean Hansell
Nancy M. Harahan
Dale Harbour-Day
Susan L. Harris
Elizabeth Harrison
Kathleen K. Hart
Carol Hattler
Karen Heilman
Gail Heltzer
Lynn Heymont
Carolyn Hiller
Valerie F. Hoffman
Roslyn Holt Swartz
Katie Holthouse
Reenita Hora
Gunilla Horacek
Daryn M. Horton
Adrienne Horwitch
Daniel P. Horwitz
Joan H. Hotchkis
Susan J. Hull
Eileen C. Hutto
Tobi A. Inlender
Sandra M. Irwin
Freya Ivener
Marsha Jacks
Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda
Diane Jenkins
Janice A. Jerde
Hope G. Jessup
Ela N. Jhaveri
Anne E. Johnson
Audrey G. Johnson
Heather Jones
Monique Kagan
Diane Kanner
Patricia B. Kao
Andrea R. Kaplan
Nancy Katz
Rachel Katz
Suzanne Kayne
Michael B. Keegan
McCurrah H. Keller
Deborah Kelman
Susan E. Kendall
Sally A. Kiernan
Cathy King
Betty Klevan
Janna Kohl
Louise Korshak
Patricia M. Kouba
Nancy Koven
Susan Kranwinkle
Patricia Kraus
Sandra Krause
Sandra Kulli
Laura N. La Shelle
Erin LaCombe
Jacqueline L. Landry
Julia Lang
Janet M. Laver
Constance Lawton
Andrea Layne
Judy K. Lee
Hollis Leech
Ariella J. Lehrer
Lynda Levin
Marilyn Levin
Ellyn Levine
Janine B. Lichstein
Elizabeth H. Lowe
Michèle d. Lynch
Jamie Madden
Norma Maloney
Shari Malyn
Carol A. Mancino
Barbara Marcus
Pam Markovitz
Preethi Marla
Katherine A. Marsano Bryan
Jane Matz
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Lynn B. McCarthy
Kathleen L. McCarthy Kostlan
Linda S. Meadows
Susan C. Meals
Susan D. Meltzer
Kathleen Merrill
Elizabeth Michelson
Pamela Mischel
Judy Mistry
Joanne Mogy
Pamela O. Mohn
Susan F. Moley
Zelana Montminy
Suzanne Muchnic
Merle Mullin
Judith G. Munzig
Sydney Nichols
Renae Niles
Christine Nixon
Suzanne Norton
Christine Marie Ofiesh
Janice Olds
Ellen Olivier
Susan J. Ollweiler
Michele Paley
Cathryn C. Palmieri
Nancy Pasquali
Elizabeth Patterson
Sharon Pearline
Agnes Peters
Sandra K. Peters
Cheryl Petersen
Alison Petrocelli
Gloria Pink
Celeste Pinto McLain
Nina Pircher
Heather Polk
Anne H. Pomeroy
Jennifer Pomeroy
Sandra K. Post
Tamara R. Powers
Margaret Preissman
Gabrielle Raumberger
Patricia Rauth
Leslie Reid
Kathleen E. Reiss
Joyce Rey
Carrie Richman
Judith R. Richman
Ricki C. Ring
Sharon L. Rising
Carolyn Robb
Mary Anne Roberto
Julie Robinson
Victoria B. Rogers
Alicia Rose
Lois Rosen
Beth Rosenbloom
Nancy Rosenbloom
Maxine Rosenfeld
Patty Rosenfeld
Gayle Rosenthal
Laura P. Rosenwald
Carol Ross
Georgina Rothenberg
Lindsey M. Rottenberg
Kerstin G. Royce
Francoise Rozzell
Paula Rudnick
Nicole W. Ruskey
Margaret E. Saferstein
Desiree Samuels
Tawny Sanders
Kirsten Sarkisian
Dusanka Schmidt
Marna Schnabel
Sherie Schneider
Marcia Schulman
Suzanne Schweitzer
Marcia L. Scully
Ann H. Sebastian
Eugenia A. Selmont
Joan Selwyn
Shirley Shapiro
Debra Shaw
Claire W. Shea
Judy Sher
Heather O. Shuemaker
Maggy Simon
Rosa K. Sinnott
Eric Small
Rachel Small
Joni J. Smith
Linda J. Smith
Pamela J. Smith
Ann Snyder
Ruth Lynn Sobel
Dolores Soffer
Victoria Sofro
Kim Sonnenblick
Gail K. Spindler
Michael S. Spindler
Daisy Spurgin
Gail L. Sroloff
Marilyn N. Stambler
Jennifer A. Steele
Carol Stein
Catherine A. Stone
Amanda Stonnington
Nancy K. Strick
I. H. Sutnick
Janey Sweet
Stan Tatkin
John Tellem
Mary Beth Thomas
Katherine M. Thompson
Barbera Thornhill
Christine Thorpe
Elizabeth Toms
Harumi Torii
Elinor Turner
Kathleen J. Tuttle
Gretchen Valentine
Andrea L. Van de Kamp
Robin Venturelli
Leslie Vermut
Susan Walerstein
Janice B. Wallace
Julie Waxman
Meryl Wecksler
Maxine Weinstock
Sheila Weisman
Martha Welborne
Janis Wetsman
Susan Wharton
Marianne White
Barbara Whittenburg
Jennifer T. Wieland
Roberta Wieman
Alyce Williamson
Karen B. Winnick
Annette Wolas
Donna Wolff
Susan B. Zimmerman
Ruth K. Ziony
Rosaline L. Zukerman
Debra Albin-Riley
Chair
Partner, ArentFox Schiff LLP
The Hon. Dean Hansell
Vice-Chair
Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court
David Rosenblum
Treasurer
Vice Chair of Board, Hanmi Financial Corporation
Celia S. Ramos
Secretary
Advisor and Former Managing Director and Practice Leader, Accenture
Max Anderson
Chair, Young Literati
Betsy Applebaum
Council Representative
Nicole Neeman Brady
Partner
TPG
Helen Bremer
Tax Partner
Ernst and Young LLP
Brendon Cassidy
CTO and Chief Scientist
Super Hi-Fi
Andrew Chick
President and CEO
Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company
Jennifer Chu
Tax Partner
Deloitte
Carolbeth Cozen
Founder and Principal
Cozen Architecture
Nancy deBrier
Philanthropist
Sunita Deshmukh
Director, Privacy and Data Protection
Netflix
Sandy Dunleavy
Regional President, SoCal BMO
Erin Edwards
VP of Marketing
CW Network
Amanda Fairey
Co-Owner
Studio Number One and Obey Giant Art, Inc.
Tom Geiser
Senior Advisor
TPG Capital
Thomas Heck
Partner
KPMG, LLP
Michael T.M. Jones
President
Central National-Gottesman Inc.
Judith Selbst Kamins
Philanthropist
Patricia Kao
Board, Friends of the Chinatown Library
Chief People Officer, Art Blocks
Michael B. Keegan
Vice President
The Muriel Pollia Foundation
Sandra Kulli
President
Kulli Marketing
Erin LaCombe
President and Founder
CV Strategies
Courtney Lilly
Executive Producer/Showrunner
Michael Lindsey
Partner
Steinbrecher and Span LLP
Kevin McKeon
Director
Netflix
Alex Menenberg
Partner
HKA Global, LLC
Beth Michelson
President
The Council
Kevin Philip
Partner, Bel Air Investment Advisors
Lisa Richardson
Principal
Rise Communications
Katherine Roberts
Partner
Sidley Austin LLP
The Hon. Laura Seigle
Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court
Nyanza Shaw
Founder and Principal Attorney
Shaw Esquire
Rachel Small
Michael Speaker
Executive Vice President
City National Bank
Betsy Wanner
Philanthropist
Nona Farahnik Yadegar
Director, Product Strategy and Operations
SNAP
Craig Burger (Investment)
Bích Ngọc Cao (Governance)
Susan Yun Lee (Investment)
James Manifold (Investment)
Stacy Lieberman
President and CEO
John F. Szabo
City Librarian
Lodwrick M. Cook
John F. Cooke
Jefferey P. Brown
Carla Christofferson
Vanessa C.L. Chang
John F. Cooke
R. Thomas Decker
Thomas Miller
Gwen Miller
Barry A. Sanders
Thank you for your interest in Literary Feasts! Registration for this year’s event is now closed.
If you’d still like to support the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, your contribution is deeply appreciated. Proceeds from the Literary Feasts benefit the Los Angeles Public Library, helping to enrich the lives of every Angeleno through transformative programs that nurture literacy, inspire imagination, and promote lifelong learning.
Please contact literaryfeasts@lfla.org for more information.
Purchase a ticket or join us as a Patron and make a meaningful impact. Explore our ticket and Patron levels to the right—each comes with its own set of benefits and access to this unforgettable evening.
Dinner selections are now open—secure your spot today!
Please note that we are unable to accept sponsorship donations through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). Per IRS regulations, DAF grants cannot provide a direct benefit to the donor, including sponsorship benefits such as event tickets or other promotional recognition. To comply with these guidelines, we kindly ask that sponsorship contributions be made via personal, corporate, or other funds rather than through a DAF.
Donating appreciated stock, mutual funds, or bonds is a tax-efficient way to become a Literary Feasts sponsor. To initiate a gift, please contact The Council Office at 213.228.7506 or email literaryfeasts@lfla.org. Our team will provide you with the necessary securities transfer information to share with your brokerage firm.
If you’re unable to attend but still wish to support the Library, you can contribute here.
If you have any questions about how to support our event, please contact The Council Office at (213) 228-7506 or email literaryfeasts@lfla.org.
Proceeds from the Literary Feasts will benefit the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA) in support of the Los Angeles Public Library’s work to enrich the lives of every Angeleno. The Library offers transformative programs that nurture literacy, inspire imagination, and promote lifelong learning. From Read Baby Read for infants to Teens Leading Change for young learners, the Library fosters curiosity and growth. For adults, programs like Career Online High School and Cybernauts provide vital support for education, digital skills, and career advancement. Read more about the programs that LFLA funds here.
In partnership with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, The Council supports the Los Angeles Public Library by facilitating special programs and fundraising events. Members of The Council serve as ambassadors of the Foundation and the Library and strive to increase public awareness of programs and services available at the Richard J. Riordan Central Library and all 72 branch libraries. Since 1994, The Council has been responsible for raising more than $35 million to fund programs and services for the Los Angeles Public Library.
Your ranked dinner preferences
Review dinners and decide on your top choices. You’ll be assigned to one dinner based on availability and your ticket level.
Guest information
If you’re registering guests, please have their full names and email addresses ready.
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Have your credit card on hand to complete your purchase.
Important: Please select a different dinner for each of your ranked choices. If you choose the same dinner multiple times and space is not available, we won’t be able to seat you at a dinner. In that case, your ticket will be processed as a donation, and you will not be assigned to a Feasts dinner.
Reservations are limited and will be filled based on ticket or sponsorship level and the date payment is received.
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As the 250th anniversary of our independence approaches, what better time to steep yourself in the lessons of our history? And who better to have as your guide than two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Rick Atkinson and the second volume of his landmark American Revolution trilogy, The Fate of the Day? “When the country today seems hopelessly gridlocked by political strife and division, it’s hard not to feel stirred by this story and think there’s still hope for our beleaguered democracy,” says The New York Times. This feast will be served in a warm and inviting Mediterranean home and hosted by two award-winning authors themselves! Pull up a chair and let this literary general show how historical moments of courage and consequence still resonate today. Along with delicious food and wine, this evening will pair nicely with the new, six-part Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution, premiering November 16 on PBS.
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Lights! Camera! Conversation! Join us for an unforgettable evening with two of the powerhouses behind some of television’s most compelling dramas. As key creative forces behind the Shondaland empire—home to shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Bridgerton and How to Get Away with Murder—Betsy Beers and Pete Nowalk know exactly what it takes to bring page-turning stories to life on screen. They’ll share candid, behind-the-scenes insights into how compelling books are transformed into unforgettable television, revealing what surprises even the creators, and how a writer’s inspiration becomes a national sensation. Expect inside scoop, and the kind of witty, high-energy conversation that only Shondaland principals can deliver. A historic Hollywood Regency home formerly owned by Walter and Peggy Grauman and surrounded by pine trees, hillside paths, and dramatic ocean views will be the setting for a delicious dinner, over which Beers and Nowalk will pull back the curtain on the characters, chaos, and creative magic that have shaped their remarkable careers.
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Join us for an evening with Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer A. Scott Berg, one of the most distinguished chroniclers of American lives. Known for his deeply researched, elegantly crafted portraits of towering figures—from Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, Lindbergh, and Wilson to Goldwyn and Kate Remembered—Berg brings a novelist’s eye and a historian’s rigor to the art of biography. His work doesn’t just recount lives; it reveals the emotional and cultural forces that shaped them and, through them, the nation. Hosted by the grandson of one of Berg’s subjects—a Hollywood success in his own right, and the hotelier-restaurateur behind the Sunset Tower Hotel, San Vicente Bungalows, and San Vicente Santa Monica—this evening unites author and hosts, who are themselves good friends, in a true Literary Feast pairing. Set in a 1937 home inspired by a 19th-century French manor and recently spotlighted in Architectural Digest after a five-year renovation, this promises to be a night to remember.
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Join us for a compelling evening with historian, foreign policy expert, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Max Boot as he shares insights from his award-winning new biography Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legend, hailed as one of The New York Times’ Best Books of 2024. Known for his incisive political commentary and bestselling works on American power, Boot turns his sharp analytical lens to the 40th president, offering a nuanced portrait that goes beyond the familiar mythology. Drawing from newly released documents and personal letters, Boot explores Reagan’s evolution from Hollywood actor to union leader, Cold Warrior to conservative icon, and grapples with the contradictions and convictions that shaped his presidency. This is Reagan as you’ve never seen him before: complex, charismatic, and central to the making of modern America. Revisit the past and look to the future over a delicious meal in a modern home with an impressive contemporary art collection, seamlessly integrated into the design to create a gallery-like ambience.
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With a singular gift for blending humor and heartbreak, James L. Brooks has shaped the emotional landscape of film and television like few others. A master of the heartfelt—and often hilarious—human moment, Brooks has given us iconic works like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, As Good as It Gets, and The Simpsons. Writing and directing with a journalist’s ear and a playwright’s heart, Brooks crafts characters that linger long after the credits roll. Pull up a chair in this sophisticated, art-filled home in a private, gated enclave for a very special evening with this legendary filmmaker, just a few weeks prior to the opening of his newest film, Ella McCay. Over an exceptional meal and fine wine, Brooks will reflect on a lifetime of storytelling—how he finds the humor in heartbreak, the beauty in dysfunction, and why the best stories still make us feel the most.
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Few spiritual leaders combine poetic ritual, prophetic urgency, and social justice like Rabbi Sharon Brous. As founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, she’s been transforming Jewish life in Los Angeles and beyond since 2004, weaving ancient liturgy with activism that pulses through every service. Her recent national bestseller, The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and the World, draws on Jewish wisdom to heal personal and collective fractures—a message shared with over 1.5 million viewers in her 2016 TED Talk. Brous has offered prayers at presidential inaugurations, the 2024 DNC, and a White House Seder. On this evening, her insight will be shared around the table in a historic Craftsman home, tucked at the end of a quiet Los Feliz cul de sac and surrounded by some of the most flavorful heirloom avocado and orange trees in the city. Join us for an intimate night of food, conversation, and the radical, restorative power of connection.
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Billy Childs is a Los Angeles–born musical storyteller whose artistry blurs the boundaries between jazz, classical, and contemporary forms with an elegance that feels both effortless and deeply intentional. A piano prodigy by age six, he studied composition at USC and soon found himself playing alongside trumpet great Freddie Hubbard. From there, Childs forged his own path as a visionary composer, arranger, and bandleader—crafting a body of work that defies genre and elevates musical storytelling to a rarefied level. With 17 Grammy nominations and six wins to his name, his career is a testament to both technical mastery and emotional depth. Join us for an extraordinary evening with this musical genius at a historic Mediterranean estate, where cobblestone paths wind through lush gardens and a finely tuned Steinway awaits. This storied home has welcomed authors, Oscar winners, and U.S. presidents in the past. Now, it opens its doors for you, and a night of unforgettable music, conversation—and a gourmet dinner prepared by famed chef Neal Fraser.
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Chin-chin! Bon appétit! The New York Times food columnist, bestselling cookbook author, and James Beard Award winner Melissa Clark knows what you should cook—and exactly how to make it better! For more than two decades, her beloved column “A Good Appetite” has guided home cooks with accessible, inventive recipes and more than a dash of wit. With 40 cookbooks and counting to her name, Clark brings deep knowledge and a warm, storytelling voice to everything she serves. She’s also a frequent guest on NPR’s The Splendid Table, where she’s been known to wax poetic about the finer points of salt, among other things. Whether she’s diving into global flavors or coaxing brilliance out of weeknight meals, Clark always brings good taste. This special evening of conversation, delicious food, and great wine will unfold in a bright, airy home where every detail is as thoughtfully composed as Clark’s cooking. Come hungry for flavor, for stories, and for the kind of night that leaves you reaching for seconds.
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Curious about the mind behind one of crime fiction’s most prolific and enduring voices? Meet Michael Connelly, the literary powerhouse whose razor-sharp prose and deep-rooted Los Angeles sensibility have reshaped American crime fiction. Inspired by Raymond Chandler and shaped by years as a crime reporter, Connelly turned his journalism instincts into a bestselling literary career with prose grounded in real people, real places, and an unwavering respect for truth. This fall, he returns with The Proving Ground, the highly anticipated eighth novel in the Lincoln Lawyer series. Earlier in 2025, he released Nightshade, a summer thriller that introduced Detective Donnie Stilwell, set against the windswept backdrop of Catalina Island. Beyond the page, Connelly brings his fictional world to life as executive producer of the hit television adaptations Bosch, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Ballard. Join us for dinner in a canyon view home filled with contemporary art with a true master of narrative, for a conversation worth savoring.
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For fans of detective fiction, Robert Crais needs no introduction. This Emmy-nominated former Hollywood (Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice) screenwriter-turned-novelist is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose thrillers have been published in 62 countries. A native of Louisiana, he is best known for his beloved series featuring the wisecracking private investigator Elvis Cole and Cole’s stone-faced partner Joe Pike—now spanning 20 novels, including the latest, The Big Empty. Named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, Crais weaves relentless suspense, heart, and humor into each story. If you have an appetite for detective fiction with bite, brains, and a beating heart, then an evening with Robert Crais is not to be missed. Be prepared to feast on a gourmet dinner surrounded by your hosts’ impressive collection of rare manuscripts and first and early editions of 18th, 19th, and 20th century literature. Come for the mystery, stay for the meal, and leave with a story you’ll be dying to tell!
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Neuroscientist, philosopher, and masterful explainer of the mind’s mysteries, Antonio Damasio has spent decades illuminating how feelings, consciousness, and the body are inseparably entwined. His groundbreaking books reveal how emotions shape our decisions, our selves, and even the societies we build. “We are not thinking machines that feel,” he writes, “we are feeling machines that think.” In Feeling and Knowing: Making Minds Conscious, Damasio distills a lifetime of research into a clear, elegant exploration of how consciousness emerges from the dance between feeling and knowing, body and mind. Come share a table with this thoughtful, brilliant guide into what makes us human, and explore the surprising ways your heartbeat and your thoughts are forever linked. A modern home perched in the Hollywood Hills, surrounded by pines and offering sweeping city views, sets the stage for an evening of profound insight. This is your chance to explore not just the brain, but the very pulse of life, with reflections that will stay with you long after the table is cleared.
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Craving a night of big laughs and even bigger stories in a legendary oceanfront estate? Pull up a chair, Lian Dolan is saving you a seat! Set against the glamorous backdrop of the Thalberg Estate, once home to Hollywood power couple Irving Thalberg and Norma Shearer, Dolan brings her trademark spark and storytelling magic to the table. Whether through her bestselling novels or her beloved podcast, Satellite Sisters, she captures the messy, funny, heartfelt moments that define modern life. Her sharp, relatable heroines tackle love, loss, and reinvention with both wit and wisdom. A columnist, mother, and one of five real-life sisters, Dolan draws on a deep well of experience and never runs out of material. If you are looking for laughter, literary insight, and a few behind-the-scenes tales from her time writing for O, The Oprah Magazine, in an historic, beachfront setting, this is the dinner for you. The candor, comedy, and conversation will linger long after dessert is served!
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Few writers can skewer power with elegance quite like Maureen Dowd. A Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for The New York Times, Dowd has spent decades turning political commentary into high art—mixing wit, irreverence, and a novelist’s sense of character to reveal the absurdities of Washington, Hollywood, and beyond. In her latest book, Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion, and Tech, Dowd shifts her gimlet eye from politicians to pop culture icons, offering razor-sharp portraits of everyone from Barbra Streisand to Elon Musk. With her signature cocktail of satire and substance, she shows us that the line between politics and celebrity has never been blurrier or more ripe for dissection. Join us in a lovely French Beaux-Arts home, built in 1927 to resemble a hôtel particulier, for an evening with one of journalism’s most distinctive voices, as she unpacks fame, power, fashion, and the strange theater of American public life.
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Would you want to know the length of your life? Would you choose to sleep through the anguish of grief and wake up “cured”? Come spend an evening with Nikki Erlick, a Harvard-trained writer, globe-trotting journalist, and the imaginative mind behind The Measure, her bestselling debut novel that took readers by storm and became a TODAY Show’s Read with Jenna Book Club pick. Erlick’s work explores the deepest questions of fate, choice, and the human condition. Her eagerly awaited second novel, The Poppy Fields, continues in that rich tradition, delving into themes of grief, healing, and the quiet resilience that carries us through life’s hardest moments. Expect an evening of thought-provoking, heart-opening conversation with a storyteller whose speculative lens and philosophical depth bring meaning to every exchange. This special gathering takes place in an elegant, traditional-style home in Santa Monica’s Gillette Regent neighborhood—an ideal setting for a dinner filled with ideas that will ignite conversation and linger long after the night ends.
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Chris Erskine spent decades turning everyday moments into laugh-out-loud reflections and gentle revelations as a beloved Los Angeles Times columnist. His weekly suburban adventures and heartfelt family tales earned him a place at all of our kitchen tables. At this Feast, Chris will share his contribution to Perfect Eloquence: An Appreciation of Vin Scully, a new collection honoring the legendary Dodgers broadcaster. His essay offers an affectionate portrait of the most beloved voice in Los Angeles, blending his trademark humor with a deep appreciation for a storyteller who defined generations. Expect an evening of laughter, baseball lore, and heartfelt musings with this singular voice—recounting suburban anecdotes one moment, reflecting on Scully’s enduring legacy the next—and reminding us along the way that the best stories, whether told from a broadcast booth or a backyard, stay with us forever. Set in a warmly elegant traditional home with exceptional art and sweeping views, this feast promises to delight on every level. On a clear night, the panorama stretches all the way to Catalina!
“On Deck: A Vin Scully Book”
What the Bears Know: How I Found Truth and Magic in America’s Most Misunderstood Creatures – A Memoir by Animal Planet’s “The Bear Whisperer
“LA Times Today: Don’t fear the bears! Mammoth’s ‘bear whisperer’ will teach you how to coexist”
News Conference: The L.A. Times’ Chris Erskine’s Last Column
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Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) was one of the preeminent voices in speculative fiction in the late 20th century. She was also a MacArthur “Genius” who transformed the soil of her childhood in Pasadena into visionary, genre-defying novels. In A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler, veteran LA journalist and essayist Lynell George offers a luminous, deeply human portrait of Butler that reveals the quiet determination behind the powerful voice that interrogated race, power, and belonging in her timeless books. Butler’s themes of ecological fragility and human resilience have resonated increasingly with readers, and especially in light of the recent fires that swept through Los Angeles in early January. George shows us that Butler’s speculative worlds, where communities must adapt or perish, reflect our own current moment of environmental reckoning. Gather in a modern, midcentury home designed by Donald Wexler for a three-course dinner with international touches and surrounded by an extensive collection of paintings created by children around the world.
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Entrepreneur, political commentator, and now bestselling author, Steve Hilton offers a prescription for change in his new book Califailure: Reversing the Ruin of America’s Worst-Run State. A U.S. resident since 2012 and citizen since 2021, Hilton brings his Oxford University education and his experience as both a senior policy and strategy advisor to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and as a former Fox News host, to his vision for the future of the Golden State. What sets Hilton apart isn’t just his British accent or unorthodox media flair, it’s his optimism and outrage married to policy rigor. Hosting this memorable evening will be the former Ambassador to the European Union and his wife, who always bring their signature diplomatic flair to entertaining. Come hungry for thought-provoking conversation on the future of our city, state, and world, served alongside exquisite cuisine and world-class wine.
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One of the most fearless investigative journalists working today, Annie Jacobsen’s nonfiction reads like the most gripping thriller—except every word is true. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Jacobsen has spent years delving into classified programs, nuclear strategy, and intelligence operations, but her latest book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, may be her most chilling, informed, and essential yet. It’s a stark wake-up call—and a masterwork of narrative nonfiction from a writer who knows how to translate the unimaginable into something urgently real. Off the page, Annie brings warmth, clarity, and a fierce intellectual curiosity to every conversation. Dinner will be served on the heated patio of a serene midcentury home designed by Ivan Wells, surrounded by trickling waterfalls, colorful koi ponds, and influenced by Japanese aesthetics—an oasis featured in Architectural Digest, and a fitting setting to ask the question that drives all of Jacobsen’s work: “What if?”
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Join us for an unforgettable evening with the one-and-only Dennis Lehane whose creative work has captivated readers and viewers alike for years. Raised in an Irish storytelling family in a tough Boston neighborhood, Lehane’s 14 crime novels are known for their unforgettable characters and complex themes including racism, trauma, redemption, and the haunting weight of moral consequence. As The New York Times once observed, “his crime fiction, like Les Misérables, elevates misdeeds to the heights of human drama and art.” With a television writing resume that includes award-winning shows like The Wire and Black Bird, his stories resonate as both gritty page-turners and deeply human dramas. Lehane has long straddled the storytelling worlds of page and screen. Though he has hinted that his 2023 bestseller Small Mercies may be his final novel, he shows no signs of slowing down. Don’t miss this rare chance to spend an evening in a warm and welcoming Bel Air home and garden with one of crime fiction’s most compelling voices.
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With 10 books to her name, Sarah Manguso has established herself as a rare literary talent whose work defies easy categorization. A poet, essayist, and novelist, she writes with exquisite precision, uncovering the hidden truths in the spaces between memory, identity, and desire, often capturing what feels impossible to say. Whether crafting essays that probe the passage of time or novels that peel back the layers of human relationships, Manguso invites readers into an intimate conversation with themselves. Her most recent work, Questions Without Answers, continues this exploration with her signature depth and clarity. Upon the publication of Liars, her second novel, Publishers Weekly said, “The author is at the top of her game.” At this dinner, you’ll have the rare chance to engage with Manguso herself, hearing her discuss the craft behind her evocative storytelling and how she shapes the intimate worlds that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. It promises to be an evening of rich conversation, deep reflection, and creative insight with one of the most original voices writing today. Hosted in a modern Spanish-style home, the dinner offers warm, inviting interiors and a gracious sense of comfort—the perfect setting for connection and conversation.
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David C. Martin’s life work as a visionary architect has helped shape not only the skyline of Los Angeles, but the city’s spirit. As design principal of AC Martin from 1984 to 2016, David led the family firm with imaginative range. His new book, Legacy: David Martin at AC Martin, is more than a visual memoir—it’s a testament to the idea that design itself is a form of storytelling, revealing who we are, what we value, and how we live. Through watercolor sketches and unexpected creative journeys, Martin shares a career rooted in the belief that architecture is a profoundly human experience. A legacy architect deserves a legacy architectural setting, and that is exactly what this dinner will provide with both an author and host (Martha) who share the American Institute of Architects’ highest honor of Fellow, or FAIA. Gather in a 105-year-old Georgian Revival home, filled floor to ceiling with books, in historic Windsor Square for a meal created by longtime Patina Group chef, now executive chef at Wilshire Country Club, Mark Gold.
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Calling all Sherlockians! Bestselling author, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and celebrated director Nicholas Meyer has built a career by reimagining icons— breathing new life into Sherlock Holmes across seven inventive novels and boldly charting new territory for the Enterprise as the writer and director of several Star Trek movies. His stories are smart, suspenseful, and just a bit subversive, whether Holmes is confronting Sigmund Freud or Captain Kirk is grappling with the weight of mortality. Meyer’s latest novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing, delves into the shadowy world of art forgery and poses a provocative question: if you can’t tell the difference, what is the difference? That is the perfect question to contemplate as you enjoy a very real Rodin sculpture and collection of impressionist paintings in this lovely home as rich in history as Meyer’s imagination. Whether you’re a Holmes devotee or just a lover of smart suspense, this dinner promises devilishly good conversation and world class storytelling.
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Walter Mosley is one of the most prolific and essential voices in American literature. Described as a “master of craft and narrative” by the National Book Foundation when awarded the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Mosley is a writer who has spent decades expanding the boundaries of crime fiction while illuminating the complexities of race, justice, family, and forgiveness. With his latest novel, Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right, Mosely returns to private investigator Joe King Oliver, a character as principled as he is battle-scarred. As always, Mosley’s prose is taut, his dialogue razor-sharp, and his moral compass unflinching. Whether he’s writing about 1950s Watts or contemporary New York, Mosley is never just shaping a mystery—he’s telling America’s story. This will be an evening of sipping and sleuthing with a literary giant in a late Bauhaus home originally designed by J.R. Davidson and redesigned by Craig Hodgetts and Ming Fung.
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Aisha Muharrar has long been a writer to watch—sharp, soulful, and irresistibly funny. Best known for her work on acclaimed shows like Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and Hacks, she brings depth and humor to characters who are as flawed as they are lovable. A Harvard grad and former vice president of the Harvard Lampoon, Muharrar’s style has been called “funny with heart,” and the success of her shows proves how much we crave that blend. Now, she steps into a new creative chapter with her debut novel, Loved One—as warm, witty, and perceptive as her screenwriting. This promises to be a special evening of jazz guitar, great food, and rich conversation in a flower-filled, century-old home at the base of Griffith Park. Chef Diego Argoti (most recently of Poltergeist) will be cooking and in a nod to Loved One’s theme of interconnectedness, the meal will feature wines made from co-planted or co-fermented fruits, all curated by local legend Lou Amdur of Lou Wine Shop. Come hear how a gifted screenwriter made the leap to novelist and what she discovered along the way.
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Liza Mundy has made a career out of telling the stories history nearly forgot—especially those of women whose intelligence, determination, and quiet heroism helped shape the modern world. In her latest book, The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA, Mundy turns her sharp investigative lens on the groundbreaking women who helped build the U.S. intelligence community from the shadows. Like her bestselling Code Girls, which brought WWII’s female codebreakers into the spotlight, The Sisterhood is a testament to the power and persistence of women navigating institutional bias, global espionage, and moral complexity to leave an indelible mark on American security and foreign policy. Join us for a memorable evening in an elegant home designed by renowned architect Richard Landry, where Liza Mundy will bring these hidden figures to light and shows how history changes when we change who gets to tell it.
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Join us for an unforgettable evening with acclaimed journalist and author Adam Nagourney whose reporting has shaped how we understand politics, power, and the press for nearly five decades. A longtime correspondent for The New York Times, Nagourney has covered everything from presidential campaigns to West Coast culture, all with a sharp eye and unwavering integrity. His latest book, The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism, offers a riveting insider’s look at the triumphs and upheavals that have defined one of the world’s most influential newsrooms. Over dinner in Los Angeles’ only Bauhaus building designed by Victor Gruen and with sweeping views across the city, Nagourney will share stories from inside the paper, and reflect on the evolving role of journalism in a world that needs it more than ever. Come for the conversation, stay for the candor, and leave with a deeper understanding of the headlines that shape our lives.
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Best known for his definitive biographies of political powerhouses like Earl Warren and Jerry Brown, Jim Newton now turns his lens to a different kind of legend: the Grateful Dead. In his new book, Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening, Newton explores how the Dead became not just a band, but a cultural force—capturing the spirit of rebellion, joy, and reinvention that defined a generation. A gracious 1910 estate designed by Fernand Parmentier—a pioneering figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and twice honored as the Pasadena Showcase House of Design—will provide the perfect setting for this unforgettable feast. Come break bread with this award-winning journalist and author as he takes us on a surprising journey through the psychedelic heart of American culture and reflects on how the Grateful Dead’s “long, strange trip” still speaks to the soul of a country forever in flux.
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Tolstoy famously said, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” and Nayantara Roy seems to know every one of those ways. This epic, multi-generational family saga, set in Kolkata, comes with family-sized portions of estrangement, inheritance drama, secrets and, of course, love. Prepare to be transported across continents and time to discover a host of family secrets that may just make your own family’s dramas seem … well, modest by comparison. Come explore what holds families together, what tears them apart, and what we carry with us, even when we leave. Tara Roy writes with the kind of elegance and insight that makes you want to lean in closer—and maybe call your mother. (She’s also a seasoned and successful television executive who knows what it takes to bring stories from the page into your living room.) This rare feast of a novel will be served up with an exquisite dinner to match in a sumptuous Italianate villa in Palos Verdes Estates, replete with beautiful art and stunning gardens.
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All the way from his home in Portland, Maine, comes one of America’s most beloved literary voices: Richard Russo. A brilliant novelist, screenwriter, and short story writer, Russo is known for his rich characters and pitch-perfect portrayals of small-town America. His work is inspired by his upbringing in upstate New York and his deep understanding of working-class lives. Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Empire Falls, Russo continues to shape the national literary conversation today. Just announced as the latest Oprah Book Club pick, Russo’s 2007 novel Bridge of Sighs is receiving renewed and well-deserved attention. In his newest work, the essay collection Life and Art, he turns the lens inward with poignant, often funny reflections on storytelling, family, and the pursuit of a meaningful creative life. Described by The New York Times as “sharp, tender, and extraordinarily intimate,” these essays remind us why Russo remains one of the most trusted narrators of the American experience. This special evening will take place in an art-filled home once owned by Gene Kelly. Dancing shoes optional, but good conversation is guaranteed.
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Kevin Sack has shared in three Pulitzer Prizes as a reporter for The New York Times and Los Angeles Times and now he returns to the Literary Feast for the third time with his most powerful work yet. In Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church, Sack delivers a deeply reported, emotionally resonant chronicle of one of the nation’s most storied Black churches and the community it anchors. While covering the 2015 mass shooting that claimed nine lives during a Bible study, Sack became captivated by the church’s extraordinary history – a legacy of faith, resistance, and resilience spanning centuries. Mother Emanuel illuminates not only a national tragedy but a profoundly American story of endurance and hope. Hosted by a couple who are no strangers to history or politics themselves, this promises to be an unforgettable evening of reflection and conversation with one of the country’s most accomplished journalists, set in a century-old Tudor Revival home with book-lined rooms and a flower-filled garden in leafy Windsor Square.
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It has been said that if you want to be a better writer yourself, or a better reader, or maybe even just a better person, you should read George Saunders. Imagine what having dinner with him could do for you? A MacArthur “Genius” and beloved teacher of storytelling, Saunders’ is known for his razor-sharp short stories, including his recent collection, Liberation Day. His Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo broke boundaries in both form and feeling, while A Swim in a Pond in the Rain offered a window into the mind of a writer who sees fiction as both art and ethical practice. If literature teaches us how to be more human, then few writers offer a better education than George Saunders, especially with a new novel coming in January 2026! A festive, autumn-themed feast in a charming, 1925 Spanish style home, featuring an impressive collection of early American art, will provide the setting for a discussion, led by book club facilitator extraordinaire Julie Robinson, that is sure to elevate, enliven, and inspire.
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Are you in the mood for humor and heart, perhaps with a splash of dry vermouth and a twist of lemon? Then dinner with Gary Shteyngart is your perfect cocktail. The Soviet-born American novelist has long delighted readers with his blistering humor, satirical takes on modern life, and surprisingly tender explorations of love, loss, and cultural identity. In addition to his six novels, an acclaimed memoir, and book blurbs that have earned him a cult following, Shteyngart is also a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, where his essay on the lost art of martini drinking became an instant classic—equal parts cultural critique and cocktail manifesto. His 2021 pandemic-era novel, Our Country Friends, was named one of the year’s best by The New York Times Book Review, and his latest, Vera, or Faith, showcases his singular blend of wit and emotional depth, yet again. Join us for a delicious dinner filled with laughter and insight—and very possibly a perfect martini—at an elegant Beverly Hills home designed by Arthur R. Kelly, the architect of the Playboy Mansion.
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Not all great stories are written on the page. Some come to life in three minutes flat—through melody, rhythm, and soul. Mike Stoller is a master of that kind of storytelling. As half of the legendary Leiber & Stoller duo, he helped shape the soundtrack of our lives—crafting songs that make you laugh, cry, remember, and dance. From Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock to Stand By Me, Mike’s music has told the stories of generations. Join us for an unforgettable evening with one of America’s greatest songwriters. We’ll gather in a century-old Italianate home—filled with the sounds of music history, from vintage guitars to a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin. But the real magic will come from Mike himself. Come hear the stories behind the songs. Come sing along. Because some of the best books… don’t need pages.
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From the backlot to the big screen, the story of Hollywood begins here! Legendary film critic Kenneth Turan takes center stage for an evening of cinematic insight and storytelling, anchored by his latest book, Louis B. Mayer & Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation. A longtime voice at The Los Angeles Times who NPR once called “Hollywood’s most powerful film critic,” Turan brings his signature warmth, wit, and critical depth to this sweeping portrait of the two visionaries who transformed MGM into the most powerful studio of Hollywood’s golden age. With a keen eye for both character and drama, Turan explores how Mayer’s ambition and Thalberg’s artistry forged a legacy of unforgettable films and shaped the mythos of American moviemaking itself. Enjoy cocktails in an authentic basement “speakeasy,” built by silent film star and director Erich von Stroheim, before enjoying a delectable dinner in this classic Spanish style home where behind-the-scenes stories, thoughtful reflection, and a celebration of the enduring magic of the movies will all be on the menu.
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As John le Carré did for espionage fiction, Scott Turow elevated the legal thriller into a serious literary genre with Presumed Innocent in 1987. Now, more than three decades later, he returns to the scene with Presumed Guilty, an equally riveting sequel that picks up the story with new twists, deeper questions, and his trademark moral complexity. As a former federal prosecutor, Turow has brought unparalleled insight into the intersection of justice, power, and human frailty through his 13 bestselling novels. Over dinner, he’ll share stories from both the legal trenches and the writer’s desk, reflecting on why the courtroom remains one of literature’s most electrifying stages. Come hungry for conversation to this magnificent estate, originally owned by the founder of Beverly Hills and situated on four pristine manicured acres. This evening promises to be as thoughtful and layered as one of Turow’s own plots.
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Nicola Twilley has a gift for uncovering the hidden systems that shape our everyday lives and turning them into stories as fascinating as they are illuminating. As co-host of the award-winning podcast Gastropod and a longtime contributor to The New Yorker, she blends science, history, and narrative flair into work that makes the ordinary feel extraordinary. Her most recent book, Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, won the James Beard Award for Literary Writing, cementing her place as one of today’s most original food and culture voices. Twilley’s curiosity ranges widely—from food to infrastructure to the climate—and she brings readers and listeners along for the adventure with warmth, wit, and insight. This dinner is your chance to share the table with a writer whose stories are every bit as nourishing as the meal itself. Set in a Mediterranean-style home overlooking the Riviera Golf Course, the evening offers sweeping views, thematic cuisine, and a welcoming space where food, ideas, and conversation will flow as effortlessly as the ocean breeze.
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We love L.A.! And D.J. Waldie has long been one of Los Angeles’s most eloquent interpreters, an observer who sees not just the city’s sprawl, but its soul as well. When Joan Didion was sent by The New Yorker to write a piece on the area in 1993, who did she interview? A young D.J. Waldie! Now it’s your turn to learn how he sees the forces that have shaped Southern California’s unique landscape and identity. Expect a richly layered evening of personal storytelling that anchors the mythic sprawl of LA to its elemental roots. A classic 1939 Silver Lake Hills home, with a vista from Griffith Park to the Santa Monica Bay and recently renovated to welcome the outdoors into every room, is the perfect setting in which to contemplate the Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire (published by LAPL’s very own Angel City Press!) The youngest female master sommelier (at age 24!) and her partner, the Chef de Partie at Nashville’s famed Audrey Restaurant, will create a perfectly paired dinner from the very best seasonal offerings.
Thank you to our extraordinary Writers, Hosts, Patrons, and generous donors. Your creativity, hospitality, and support make Literary Feasts possible—and help advance the vital mission of the Los Angeles Public Library.
The Council is the Library Foundation’s premier fundraising group, supporting the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library and 72 branches. This group of ambassadors are steadfast champions of the Los Angeles Public Library’s impactful work.
The 2025 Literary Feasts Executive Committee is made up of volunteer leaders who serve as our most dedicated Library ambassadors. The committee includes Mary Anne Roberto (Chair), Betsy Applebaum (Vice Chair and Patron Chair), Beth Michelson (Council President), Nancy Koven (Council Chair), Ela Jhaveri (Council Vice Chair), Judy Beckmen (Patron Vice Chair), Kelly Anderson (Writer Chair), Diana Allan (Writer Vice Chair), Patty Elias (Host Chair), Elizabeth Toms (Host Vice Chair), and Ames Cushing (Member at Large).
Sunday, November 2, 2025.
Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the California Club.
To maximize your chance of being seated at a Feasts dinner, please select a different dinner for each of your ranked choices. If all of your choices are the same and that dinner is already full, we unfortunately won’t be able to seat you at a dinner. In that case, your ticket will be processed as a donation.
The Council is the Library Foundation’s premier fundraising group, supporting the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library and 72 branches. This group of ambassadors are steadfast champions of the Los Angeles Public Library’s impactful work.
The 2025 Literary Feasts Executive Committee is made up of volunteer leaders who serve as our most dedicated Library ambassadors. The committee includes Mary Anne Roberto (Chair), Betsy Applebaum (Vice Chair and Patron Chair), Beth Michelson (Council President), Nancy Koven (Council Chair), Ela Jhaveri (Council Vice Chair), Judy Beckmen (Patron Vice Chair), Kelly Anderson (Writer Chair), Diana Allan (Writer Vice Chair), Patty Elias (Host Chair), Elizabeth Toms (Host Vice Chair), and Ames Cushing (Member at Large).
Sunday, November 2, 2025.
Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the California Club.
Yes! It’s not too late to join as a Patron. Your support helps ensure you receive one of your top-choice dinners, and you’ll also be invited to the exclusive Thank You Dinner with patrons, sponsors, writers, and hosts on Saturday, November 1.
Simply click Register Now on the digital invitation to make your gift and reserve your place at the table.
To maximize your chance of being seated at a Feasts dinner, please select a different dinner for each of your ranked choices. If all of your choices are the same and that dinner is already full, we unfortunately won’t be able to seat you at a dinner. In that case, your ticket will be processed as a donation.
Review the available dinners and decide on your top choices. You’ll be assigned to one dinner based on availability and your ticket level.
If you are registering guests, please have their full names and email addresses ready.
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Important: Please select a different dinner for each of your ranked choices. If you choose the same dinner multiple times and space is not available, we won’t be able to seat you at a dinner. In that case, your ticket will be processed as a donation, and you will not be assigned to a Feasts dinner.
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.
