While we're always excited about local happenings, we're especially pumped for three presentations this evening: Lizz Winstead promises a night of political satire at Trepany House, Garry Marshall will share his memoir at the Aero Theatre and Kate Payne, co-founder of the LA Food Swap, will teach Angelenos how to go green while they clean. more ›

Eight flexing females will arm wrestle to support local theaters, author Ben Fountain will discuss his war novel, the Million Dollar Theater will screen a double feature of the hunted and the hunter and Downtown Culver City celebrates Mother's Day. more ›

Wednesday night marked the 9th episode of Literary Death Match LA; a wonderfully difficult to define, category-defying variety show dedicated to witty one-liners, obscure literary trivia, and spectacular short fiction. more ›

The UCLA Game Art Festival entertains at the Hammer, "Some Like It Hot" screens at the Million Dollar, another Literary Death Match takes the ring at Busby's East and the cast of "Days of Our Lives" boasts their long-lasting success at the Paley. Read on for the details. more ›

Sunday afternoon marked the celebration of literary journal "Black Clock 15"—a robust, full-color issue devoted to all things cinema. The brainchild of novelist Steve Erickson, Black Clock is self-ascribed as “singular, idiosyncratic, and a little mysterious”—a mantra that precisely mirrors the tone of Sunday’s reading. more ›

We know it's a Monday, but jeez, our event agenda is bursting at the seams. Film buffs have a great assortment to choose from tonight, including Maureen Selwood's animation at REDCAT; the Hollywood doc The Table and the release of The Spirit of Apollo. Also, for the arts-minded, SCPR holds a discussion on the benefit of arts criticism and WeHo talks about the state of censorship in America. And there's more...Read on: more ›

Tonight in LA, the social mashup Slideluck Potshow, combines potluck dinners and slideshow entertainment with photos from local photographers; the Velaslavasay Panorama holds a Magic Lantern show; there's music by Bright Light Social Hour and Jazz at LACMA; poetry slams and late-night theate, too. Read on for all the details. more ›

The weatherman predicts rain for this evening, but don't let those pesky wet droplets come between you and the following local happenings: Ben Kweller plays the El Rey, four bands rock The Roxy for free, the Million Dollar Theater honors French filmmaker Marcel Camus, author A.J. Jacobs talks the healthiest man in the world, the Craft and Folk Art Museum wants to hang and Meredith from "The Office" clears her throat for a night of musical mashups. more ›

While we’ve talked at length about the unfair reputation our city still bears as a ‘literary lightweight,’ witnessing the LATFoB is seriously (and pardon the hyperbole) magnificent. Masses—literally—descended on USC’s campus for a weekend of thoughtful literary discourse, intellectual enlightenment, and book-minded pursuits. more ›

LAist's own Christine Ziemba captured a few highlights of the 17th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on video, including a reading by Michael Ian Black and an interview with John Cusack. more ›

TGIF! We found a few great events happening around town tonight. Check out: an evening of Silent Comedy Shorts at the Aero Theater; an evening of Dirty Songs; Seun Kuti in concert; Anna Deveare Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; and Literary Death Match in ATX. more ›

Let the onslaught of all things literary in Los Angeles begin. The Los Angeles Times Festival of books is descending on our city this weekend and it promises to pack a seriously bookish punch. From fiction and poetry, to cooking, to a children’s stage and more, the 2012 LATFOB is only a few days away—and we can hardly wait. To tide you over until the gates open, here’s a rundown of all you need to know for this year’s festivities. more ›

Literary evangelists of Los Angeles, let the countdown begin. April has officially arrived, which means our city’s most cherished annual literary extravaganza, The 17th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, is only a few weeks away (April 21-22, to be exact). more ›

Eighteen years after Kurt Cobain committed suicide in Seattle, former Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson is releasing Letters to Kurt, a 52-chapter collection of poetry and prose dedicated to the Nirvana frontman. Set to hit bookshelves on April 8, Letters to Kurt is a candid reflection of Erlandson’s time spent as friend/unofficial caregiver for Cobain during his rapid rise to grunge rock fame, tumultuous marriage to Hole’s Courtney Love, and untimely death in 1994. more ›

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 ›