Katherine Manderfield

Want to fall in love with this city? Begin with the books that are set here.

Want to fall in love with this city? Begin with the books that are set here.

Todd Zuniga is a bit of a literary fetishist. Not only because he wears three-piece-suits, tosses out literary titles like people reference street names, and is as frequent a face at literary events as black-rimmed reading glasses and cheap red wine, but because Zuniga’s life literally resembles that of a 20th century nouveau roman protagonist.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Halloween night marked author Mark Z. Danielewski’s live telling of his novella The Fifty Year Sword at REDCAT, and it turned out to be an excellent evolution from the author’s 2010 performance. Thanks to John Zalewski and the Harry Partch ensemble’s flawless score, Christine Marie’s larger-than-life shadows, and the dizzying, yet enchanting succession of five well-rehearsed threads of dialogue, Mark Z. Danielewski’s highly conceptual live performance of T50YS was a true sensorial feast.