Jason Toney

Kevin Smokler is a book man. He writes about contemporary literature all over the place and talks about it on NPR. He consults and lectures across the country about what we read and how and last year, when the NEA announced that reading was in decline, he got a little sad and then he got a little mad. He had run a very popular site about books and had created virtual book tours that...

New Yorkers might get the least out of working hard for the money but we're not doing much better. Salary.com says that Los Angeles is the 8th worst city for trying to keep your money in your bank account. The basic idea is that while our salaries are generally higher than most other cities in the nation our cost of living outpaces that by far. So, the question is, when we could easily pack...

It felt bizarre being in Cinespace watching a short film with several scenes set in the club and receiving email from the same venue reminding us that they are showing Spanglish this week as their Dinner & a Movie film. But we shouldn't be surprised, Another Part of Town is all about the random but familiar that is life in Hollywood. Four friends embark on Friday night escapades that have them in different parts...

We wish we had known about this last week. The Library Foundation of Los Angeles honored Harper Lee with the Literary Award at their awards dinner last Thursday and she actually showed up! The famously reclusive author was compelled by Gregory Peck's widow to attend the ceremony which also celebrated the tenth anniversary of The Gregory Peck Reading Series. The cost to attend the 10th annual awards ceremony, held at the City National Plaza...

Saving Face, a romantic comedy about a daughter struggling to understand her mother's heart is set to make its Los Angeles premiere this Friday and we've got a pair of tickets to give away to send you and a guest to a screening next week. The film is from Sony Pictures Classics and received critical acclaim from our Northern Cali friends and was the opening night film of this year's Los Angeles Asian Pacific...

There are lots of comings and goings on the radio this week as Steve Harvey's morning show on The Beat signed off on Friday and Suicide Girls Radio joined the Indie 103 lineup over the weekend. Harvey's popular show continued to do well in the mornings but was very expensive to produce and failed in its efforts at syndication. Former Laker and Best Damn Sports Show correspondent John Salley took over the slot for...

That's what the Discovery Channel is trying to figure out and they are coming to town this weekend to get your opinion. The Greatest American is a 7 hour series that will air on the channel this summer where we will all get the chance to vote for who is #1 based on a list of 100 candidates as compiled by suggestions from AOL members. Hmmm, that should be an interesting list. The Greatest...

Well, not quite, but she does plan on breaking bread with the Commander -in-Chief in June. The Porn Star turned recall candidate for Governor will join her boss, Michael Kulkis (of Kick Ass Pictures), at National Republican Congressional Committee events (NSFW) in Washington DC next month. Carey also announced her intention to run for Lt. Governor next year and hopes that hobnobbing with the Republican faithful will get her in good with Schwarzenegger. The...

While Huey spends this week trying to convince his granddad to stop wearing an earring, you can spend your Saturday with Aaron McGruder talking about the upcoming Boondocks animated series (heading to Adult Swim in the fall), his always controversial views on current events and what's really going on on the funny pages. Mr. McGruder will be at Every Picture Tells A Story in Santa Monica this Saturday at 2 PM to sign his...

West L.A. Online mentions an email circulating around town petitioning for people to complain about Silver Reign West LA being a "bad neighbor". West L.A. Online thinks it has less to do with Silver Reign's efforts in the neighborhood and more to do with someone's problem with adult entertainment in general but offers some tips for clubs to make a better impression in their communities. Z Bone site users have some recommendations for what...