People gripe about the rain and its effects, especially on traffic. It's easy to forget that we're living desert-adjacent; being a part-time Hi-Desert dweller, I'm grateful for every inch of rain we get, especially after the devastating fires of 2006. Along with nourishing our parched land and turning that empty concrete wash into an actual "LA River", the rain brings an abundance of wildflowers, transforming the desert floor into a multicolored carpet for miles. Peak......

Since the recent opening of LACMA's Broad Contemporary (BCAM) a flurry of international eyes have been on Los Angeles, and an ensuing flurry of words have issued forth in review. It seems irresistible to review the Broad without also reviewing the city that houses it, which was precisely the tact taken by Chris Haslam in London's Sunday Times today. It takes Haslam seven paragraphs into his article to even mention the precise reason he......

And you thought the Burger King Chicken was crazy? Check out the Crazy Chickens this week at the Mayan / Photo by upslases via flickr. TALK Could you not get into Michael Pollan last night at the Central Library? No worries because American eating habits and food policy are a hot topic this week. Tonight, the Center for Healthy Communities presents “Hungry for Change: The Politics of Food with Marion Nestle.” The nutritionist, author......

It's been a FleetBank tradition since 1998, as mentioned by our sister site Bostonist, but Bank of America has brought its annual "Museums on Us" promotion to Cali for the first time. Throughout the month of May, you'll be able to get into many Southland museums for free by showing your B of A ATM, check, or credit card, or MBNA credit card. So for once, the card that typically drains your bank account......

Yesterday we asked. Today we answer. This statue can be found in the West Garden among an old wine vat, a grinding stone, two bells (cast in Spain and bearing the dates of 1686 and 1720) and the Archival Center for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the Mission San Fernando, Rey De Espana in Mission Hills, a neighborhood in The Valley. If you have not been, this is one of those times to......

Monday Barbara Hambly presents Patriot Hearts: A Novel of Founding Mothers 7pm @ Vroman’s Tess Gallagher reads from Dear Ghosts 7:30pm @ Geffen Playhouse Tuesday George Hass presents Forcing Nature: Trees in Los Angeles 7pm @ Book Soup Margaret MacMillan presents Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World 7pm @ Central Library T Cooper & Chris Abani present their latest books 7:30pm @ Skylight Books Caille Millner presents The Golden Road: Notes......

Instead of selling a large collection of rare Charles Bukowski manuscripts, originals, and books for about $1 million, the LA poet's widow has donated the works to the hoity-toity Huntington Library in San Marino. Linda Lee Bukowski told the LA Times that she thought her beer-drinking husband would have gotten a kick out of such a large chunk of his writing being housed in such a high-class joint. "It's going to be scandalous. This......

400,000 Official reports are saying 250,000 immigration rights marchers showed up at City Hall and 400,000 walked down Wilshire Boulevard in yesterday's Day Without An Immigrant. Mayor Villaraigosa made a post-Quizno's lunch appearance (good thing he didn't try to dine in Pasadena or at Panda Express at UCLA — closed due to staffing shortages). There's a sign that immigration has either become a real issue for Angelenos or it's jumped the shark: The LA......

Opening: Art Now Yeah, yeah. You can’t wait for Night Vision so you can be all hipster again like last summer. Until then, this Thursday is the start of MOCA Focus: Eric Wesley. Wesley “has become internationally known for his large-scale sculptural works that combine highly crafted objects with elements of performance and a wry, pranksterish social criticism.” At the Pacific Design Center. And while you wait for Klimt at LACMA, Contemporary Projects 10:......

Writer Michelle Huneven delves into all aspects of life in Southern California, from the material to the spiritual and everything in between. She is the author of two published works of fiction, Jamesland (2004) and Round Rock (1998), as well as many pieces of non-fiction journalism. She’s also familiar to readers as a former restaurant critic for the LA Weekly. 1. Age and Occupation: 51, Writer 2. How long have you lived in Los......

Like other Angelenos, LAist.com tries hard to separate the myth of "Hollywood" from the reality of Los Angeles and avoids the temptation to constantly reference the entertainment business. Yet, the "Industry" is one of Southern California's major economies and impacts our lives in myriad ways. For example, a conference on Saturday at the Huntington Library in San Marino focused on how the entertainment industry shaped (and continues to shape) our region's urban design. Planners,......

Today marks the centenary of Christopher Isherwood's birth. Isherwood, though born in England, spent almost his entire life in Santa Monica, where he died nearly twenty years ago. To celebrate his life, the Huntington Library has its Christopher Isherwood collection on display until October 3rd. "Born in England on August 26, 1904, Isherwood emigrated to the U.S. in 1939 and lived in Santa Monica until his death in 1986. He stands as one of......

The weekend overfloweth with all kinds of interesting events to keep our dear LAist readers busy. Continue reading below to get the skinny on hot spots for Saturday and Sunday. SATURDAY Summer is fruit season—this summer being an exceptional year for fruit trees—and The Huntington Library & Gardens in Pasadena is hosting a special gardening workshop this Saturday from 1:00–4:00 PM. "Tropical Fruit Trees" will teach gardeners at any level how to grow exotic......

It�s a well-known secret that major novelists actually reside in Southern California...even Los Angeles. This weekend some come out of hiding to visit with their fans. T. Coraghessan Boyle travels down from Santa Barbara to engage the latest editor of The Paris Review in conversation about the anthology, The Paris Review Book for Planes, Trains, Elevators & Waiting Rooms, at Skylight Books in Los Feliz on Saturday, July 31st at 5 pm. Skylight Books,......