LOS ANGELES— The Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA) announced the Fall 2026 season of ALOUD, its signature series of thought-provoking conversations mostly presented free of charge at Richard J. Riordan Central Library in downtown Los Angeles and other venues around the city. Bringing together acclaimed novelists, poets, historians, scholars, musicians, and cultural leaders, the season explores how stories endure and carry us forward—through fiction that imagines uncertain futures, memoirs that illuminate lived experience, and programs that examine how literature, music, architecture, and community preserve our shared stories.  

“Stories are among the few things that can outlast us—they preserve memory, challenge assumptions, and connect us across generations,” said Jessica Strand, senior director of programming and strategic engagement at LFLA. “We’re interested in what happens when stories move beyond the page—into music, performance, public history, and multi-voiced conversations. This season brings together remarkable artists and thinkers in ways that reflect the varied relevance of storytelling itself.” 

The season opens Sept. 16 with Booker Prize winner Marlon James discussing The Disappearers, his first novel since A Brief History of Seven Killings, with Darnell L. Moore, followed the next evening by bestselling novelist Emily St. John Mandel, who joins Rachel Khong to discuss Exit Party, her latest dystopian vision of an unsettlingly familiar near future. In October, bestselling author John Green returns with his first novel for adults, Hollywood, Ending!, while Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar discusses The Radiance, an expansive portrait of contemporary America. 

Several programs examine how personal stories illuminate larger social histories. Kimberlé Crenshaw discusses Backtalker, her memoir tracing the experiences that shaped her groundbreaking work on critical race theory, while acclaimed poet, playwright, and essayist Claudia Rankine presents Triage, her most personal and emotionally resonant work yet. And Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander joins film scholar and Turner Classic Movies host Jacqueline Stewart for a conversation about Signals Across Vast Distances: Essays and Tales, Alexander’s deeply personal new collection of meditations inspired by visionary poets and writers. 

The season also highlights the many ways communities preserve and reinterpret shared cultural stories. In partnership with the Library of America, historian Ted Widmer joins Héctor Tobar, Gary Tyler, and Youngmi Mayer for a conversation marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and exploring what the “pursuit of happiness” means today. Additional programs include those inspired by the centennial of Central Library, such as a collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservancy featuring Madeleine Brand, Susan Orlean, Adrian Scott Fine, and John Welborne; A Century of Humanity: Jazz in Los Angeles, featuring legendary bassist and composer Stanley Clarke.  Grammy Award-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, will discuss his memoir Countertenor, which traces the history of countertenors as a vocal specialty, as well as his personal history, accompanied by a live performance. 

The season culminates with ALOUD in Community: Encore—The LAPL Mixtape, On Wax, a celebration led by historian Tyree Boyd-Pates honoring Black musical traditions as living archives that continue to inspire and shape Los Angeles. 

Most ALOUD programs are free and take place at the Mark Taper Auditorium at Richard J. Riordan Central Library. Select events are ticketed and held at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre or the Saban Theatre. 

ALOUD is made possible thanks to support from: Judith and Steve Krantz Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Humanities Endowment Fund, Gregory Peck Literacy Endowment, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Sharon Oxborough Endowed Fund for ALOUD. 

Fall 2026 ALOUD Season at a Glance 

Sept. 16 – Marlon James in conversation with Darnell L. Moore
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Sept. 17 – Emily St. John Mandel in conversation with Rachel Khong*
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre 

Sept. 22 – The Living Declaration: Pursuing Happiness, Then and Now with Pico Iyer, Youngmi Mayer, Héctor Tobar, Gary Tyler, Ted Widmer
Co-presented with Library of America
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Oct. 13 – John Green in conversation with Julia Whelan*
Saban Theatre 

Oct. 19 – Kimberlé Crenshaw in conversation with Chandra Bhatnagar
Co-presented with ACLU of Southern California
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Oct. 22 – Ayad Akhtar*
Co-presented with Skylight Books
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre 

Oct. 28 – Built for the Future—Saved for the Next Century with the Los Angeles Conservancy
A Centennial Panel on the Central Library with Madeleine Brand, Susan Orlean, Adrian Scott Fine, and John WelborneMark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Nov. 5 – Claudia Rankine
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Nov. 9 – Elizabeth Alexander in conversation with Jacqueline Stewart
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Nov. 12 – A Century of Humanity: Jazz in Los Angeles
Curated by NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke and Natasha Agrama
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Nov. 19 – Anthony Roth Costanzo
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

Dec. 5 – ALOUD in Community: Encore—The LAPL Mixtape, On Wax with Tyree Boyd-Pates
Mark Taper Auditorium, Richard J. Riordan Central Library 

*Ticketed event 

For complete event information and registration, visit lfla.org/what-we-fund/engaging-the-imagination/aloud/. 

EDITORS NOTE: Press tickets and high-resolution images available upon request: thea@theapagecommunications.com or press@lfla.org