Here's a rundown of happenings around LA tonight: There's a screening of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away; LA-based writer Daniel Pyne reads from his latest book at Skylight Books; NerdMelt relives shameful music crushes; and REDCAT presents an evening of video art as part of Pacific Standard Time. Read on for all the details. more ›

Celebrate surviving your first month of 2012 by having a few laughs at The Moth's latest installment or the Silent Movie Theatre's dragalicious double bill. Feeling energetic? Head into DTLA for the grand opening of Bank Wednesdays, a night of fierce house music. For those of you who are seeking some self-help, The Actors' Gang is digging deep into the effects of childhood trauma. Or check out free literary readings at the Hammer. The choice is yours, and keep reading for the details. more ›

We found a number of events going on around town tonight, including Van Jones at the Hammer Museum; Shalom Auslander talks about his new book at the Skirball; Dog Haus Biergarten celebrates National Beer Can Day; and an installation of parking space art. Read on for all the details. more ›

We found a few events that might entice you to come out on a rainy Monday night. There's a new literary salon started by the folks behind the Esotouric bus tours; there's an ALOUD discussion on Mahler's life and works; It's a School Night at Bardot and a Pacific Standard Time performance/installation at the Annenberg Beach House more ›

Tonight's event lineup offers unique choices in film, books, comedy and theater. An Iranian film screens at the Aero Theatre as part of the Golden Globe® Foreign-Language Nominee Series, and Anne Brashier is bringing her game show performance to the Westside Comedy Theater. Greg Proops promises to make you laugh at Bar Lubitsch, and Ellis Avery will talk about her new read. Get up, get out and get entertained. more ›

After years of grilling some of the world’s biggest stars, Christopher Bollen has suddenly found himself in the interview hot seat: the author spoke with LAist about writing his first novel, the troubling state of the publishing industry, Occupy Wall St, and the kind of LA novel he would most like to read. more ›

Tuesday, award-winning author Rebecca Skloot will read from her New York Times best-selling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks at UCLA Live’s Royce Hall. The critically-acclaimed nonfiction book has been heralded for its intricate research and gripping story. more ›

Novelist Mark Z. Danielewski is frighteningly good at what he does. His books have imparted an international cult following for their courageous and mind-bending subjects, experimental typography, and innovative approaches to story-telling. more ›

While the change of seasons might not be as noticeable here as in other cities, Angelenos can still feel the onset of autumn. Whether it's the darker skies or the shorter days, fall has officially arrived—and with it, a surge in all things literary. Here's a roundup of local lit news and happenings because even in L.A., autumn is a great time to cozy up with a good book (we just don't need the extra down comforter, thanks). more ›

"Things got way too meta," Art Spiegelman says. The author sits at a table atop the Soho House, smoking a cigarette and awaiting his interview with Bookworm-host, Michael Silverblatt, for the 6th installment of KCRW's UpClose series. And he's not kidding. more ›

That's right: the days of dogging LA book culture might soon (finally!) be behind us thanks to The Los Angeles Review of Books, an ambitious new LA-based literature review journal that’s re-imagining the art of literary critique and propelling it into the 21st century. Digital, sprawling, and fearless, the LARB aims to reinvigorate book discourse by widening the margins of literary coverage and overthrowing the traditional book review format. more ›

Tonight at 8 pm, PEN Center USA and Dirty Laundry Lit present a free night of readings in the program Dirty Laundry: Secrets, Indulgences & Lies at The Mandrake. Featured readers include: Heidi Durrow, Natashia Deón, Eric Layer, Katherine DeBlassie, Willie Davis and Kaitlyn Greenidge. more ›

There is seriously something for everyone happening in LA today. There's an evening of performance and installation that explores secular magic; a free musical tribute to Quincy Jones, a party for print with the release of the latest Slake magazine; New Filmmakers LA's monthly screening series and the an exotica and hemp shows at the LA Convention Center. Read on for all the details. more ›

Michael Silverblatt is the iconic host of the Santa-Monica based radio program Bookworm; a nationally-syndicated show about literature and poetry that has featured some of the greatest writers of our time. LA's favorite literary pundit shared with us his love of literature, thoughts about the local LA literary community, and why he can hardly wait to meet author and poet Sapphire. more ›

The end of the Oprah Era means more than the loss of a national anticipation for 4:00 p.m., heart-wrenching exposés, couch-jumping shenanigans and free cars; it also marks the departure of one of the largest book clubs in history. Swaying millions of viewers to read the kinds of books that put Cliff’s Notes in business proves that there is power in community reading. more ›

Author Aimee Bender is a literary iconoclast. The Los Angeles Times lauded, “she is Hemingway, on an acid trip.” Her knack for magical realism and her admiration of the fairy tale have inspired a generation of young writers bent on the surreal, citing dog-eared copies of Bender’s iconic collection Willful Creatures as influence. I met with Bender at USC to talk about Los Angeles’ less-known lit scene, feminizing fairy tales, and the splendor of LA’s sunlight. more ›

Tomorrow, the annual LA Times Festival of Books—a weekend-long celebration of literature and a fifteen-year old Los Angeles tradition—officially begins. With new features like the free Target bus, Korean Taekwondo performances, and the LATFOB phone app, there’s a lot more you’ll want to check out at this year’s festival. Here’s the rundown on how to get there and what to expect: more ›

Let hyperboles of excitement fly: the greatest annual book festival in the country is only a week away. Our beloved Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is set to take over USC’s campus next Saturday, where some of the greatest names in the book world will congregate for LA’s most literary weekend of the year. more ›

This Saturday, the LA Chapter of the Woman's National Book Association is hosting Bookwoman Day, an all-day writing conference at the Marina del Rey Hotel. The event will provide a meeting ground for local publishers, literary agents, and book gurus to discuss various ways on "How to Get Published in 2011." more ›

It’s been more than 50 years since West Side Story made its 1957 Broadway debut. With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins, the stage and movie versions have become an integral part of American culture. A revival opens at the Pantages Theatre tonight at 8 pm that promises to stick true to the Broadway version. Runs through Jan. 2. Tickets: $25 - $90. more ›

REDCAT hosts a screening tonight at 8:30 pm for Thom Andersen’s film Get Out of the Car, an homage to Los Angeles where Andersen is “...recording the city’s most evanescent signs, memorializing some of its vanished monuments and musical history.” The film responds to his award-winning documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself. Tickets: $9, $7 for students and $5 for CalArts faculty, staff and students. more ›

The American Voices series welcomes authors Dennis Lehane and Tom Franklin, who’ll be in a conversation moderated by Carolyn Kellogg of the LA Times. 7:30 pm. They’ll be discussing their books Moonlight Mile and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, respectively. Admission: $20 without the book; $32 admission with a copy of Moonlight Mile; $30 admission with a copy of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter; and $50 admission with a copy of both books. Got all that? more ›

You know that throwing away batteries, old computers and cell phones is bad for the environment, so take your old electronics, junk and sporting goods to LA Live as part of America Recycles Day. LA Live is holding a public recycling collection of light bulbs, batteries and E-Waste (electronic items of all kind) with collections until 7:30 pm and an educational fair between 3-7 pm. Donations can be dropped off curbside at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE. Enter Chick Hearn Court from Figueroa and 11th Streets only. more ›

Part verbal Fight Club and Def Poetry Jam, Literary Death Match pits writers against each other to be judged by a panel and the audience. The event comes to LA’s the Mountain Bar in Chinatown tomorrow with readings commencing at 9:15 sharp. Tickets: $10 at the door. more ›

Tonight at 7:30 pm, selected finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards will read from their nominated work at Skylight Books. The "Lammy" is the most prestigious and competitive literary award offered specifically to LGBT authors. Tonight's readers are James Morrison, Stacie Cassarino, Kathleen Bradean, Dexter Flowers, Ariel Schrag and Dayle A. Dermatis. More info. more ›

The Annenberg Beach House Artist-in-Residence Holly Rothschild is holding a site-specific dance workshop tonight at 6:30 pm. She’ll guide participants in an exploration of site, movement and process during the free, two-hour workshop. Come early for a docent-led tour of the Beach House (formerly Marion Davies estate). more ›

According to Canteen publisher Stephen Pierson: “The idea is twofold: (1) to make literary readings more entertaining, and (2) to encourage a culture of writing where, for an evening, the reader/aspiring-writer can compete on an even level with an established author.” more ›

Matthew Sweet and Bangles vocalist Susanna Hoffs head to the GRAMMY Museum tonight to unveil their newest project “Under The Covers Vol. 2,” as part of the Museum’s program “The Drop.”; The duo will take part in an onstage interview, participate in an audience Q&A and perform selections from their new CD. The new release features 16 of their favorite tunes from the 1970s. The event begins at 8 pm, and tickets are $14.95. more ›

For those of us who would prefer to have cheap drinks at a happier hour than early evening, The Mint has the answer: Midnight Happy Hour. Finlandia drinks are only a $1. more ›