An unconventional twenty-something Valley girl with bicoastal tendencies, Lindsey is a writer whose inner peace comes from an unlimited supply of Post-It notes. Her free time is spent losing self in down comforters, cups of chai, and photography books of London circa 1952.
This week in the literary world revolves quite simply around the bare essentials - opportunities for personal verbal expression, used book sales, and hearing the colorful experiences of recognized talent. We’ve also included directions to a coffeehouse-type establishment in the Valley, in effort to assist you in the ongoing search of somewhere else to read at your leisure, outside of the painfully obvious and over-populated.
- Open Mic | Thursday, September 18, 2008 | 8:00 pm | Tribal Cafe - Map | Poetry, spoken word, and a bevy of beverages - consider it all a less expensive brand of group therapy. For more info, call (213) 483-4458, or email info@tribalcafe.com.
[Read more →]
Tags: Literature · Upcoming events
-
U·to·pi·a: any visionary system of political or social perfection.
- ni·hil·ism: total and absolute destructiveness, esp. toward the world at large and including oneself [...].
Gotcha. Considering we were to be in the company of active members of a Utopian Nihilist movement, I figured it best to come armed with sufficient vocabulary. In celebration of the release of poet Milo Martin’s book, “Poems for the Utopian Nihilist”, an eclectic group of writers representing a vast expanse of the literary world took to the floor of Skylight Books, bringing equal parts light and darkness to all in attendance.
Martin opened up the evening with “Velocity” - the first poem in his collection - showcasing talent in molding strange beauty from figurative gutter debris, and therefore laying a suitable foundation for the readings to follow. Unfortunately, Chris Tannahill was unable to show, so at his suggestion Martin read his “Zero Gravity Fire, or the Slaughterhouse Waltz”, referred to as “the finest death poem of the 21st century”. Short story writer Mary Otis read a story from the opening pages of “Yes Yes Cherries” entitled “Unstruck”, a childhood interpretation of the adult world in which regret is referred to as “the useless emotion”, and where “‘fix me’ always led to marriage”.
[Read more →]
Tags: Arts and Lit · Literature · Reviews
With the aim of a more efficient transportation system in the city, changes have been taking place at a relatively fast pace with welcome adjustment. Never in my life would I have dreamed that there would be a 14-mile expressway running from one end of the San Fernando Valley to North Hollywood, and an underground railway from NOHO to Downtown - but I and others have seen the day and have embraced it, kinks and all. Needless to say, commuters in LA wonder where their tax dollars are going every year, but the appearance of buses and trains every 15 to 30 minutes or so has proved prompt and sufficient in answer fo pedestrians, cyclists, and part-time drivers.
In collective realization that population rates aren’t getting any lower and traffic congestion isn’t getting any better, the Metro Board of Directors revisited the issue of furthering progress by introducing projected benefits of Measure R:
[Read more →]
Tags: News · Transportation
Following the Pet Shop Boys, contemporaries with Daft Punk, and setting the stage for Gnarls Barkley, The Chemical Brothers have secured a place for themselves in the power of two. “Brotherhood”, their latest compilation release, spans thirteen years of contribution towards the experimental psychadelic electronic scene.
As an admitted first-time listener, I found the material rich and suited in its styling, that if presented in any other format or genre would be easily picked apart for trying too hard. The benefit of electronic/dance music is that if it sounds and feels good, it’s all good - and with the added component of high experimentation, it bears license to blow the listener away at whim.
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · bands
This week in the literary world revolves around the idea of exposure. Plenty of opportunities are available for you to be exposed to others’ experiences - in the form of a memoir composed around rebellion and lust, stirring public performances by established talent, and a few bound thoughts and ideas in the form of books. But also, we’ve an open poetry/prose/spoken word reading, so as not to leave you pent-up and wanting for release.
- Signing and Tasting | Thursday, September 11, 2008 | 7:30 pm | Village Books - Map | Nancy Mehagian signs and discusses Siren’s Feast: An Edible Odyssey. Described as “part memoir, part cookbook, large part raucous adventure”, it’s bound to include the very best parts this life has to offer, but I’m definitely curious to know how much raucous adventure one can get. To order a copy, click here or pick one up in-store. For more info, call (310) 454-4063.
[Read more →]
Tags: Literature · Upcoming events
I personally have found great use in Metro Lines Orange and Red - central to frequent hang-outs, theaters, higher education, and all things daily - but in an attempt to see what more Los Angeles has to offer I’ve decided to tackle the other lines one by one: first off, the Gold Line. In all things purposeful, I figured it’s not a bad idea to see what lies between Union Station and the foothills of Sierra Madre, but I must admit that it was my friend Duane who unknowingly set me out on the hunt. One Saturday afternoon he came home from Chinatown with boxes of lemon biscuits, moon-pie-esque desserts, and gummie candies, and while I haven’t yet found out where he discovered those treasures, I will soon enough. I did however find an awesome Mongolian barbecue place, which I will mention (with directions) towards the end.
[Read more →]
Tags: Restaurants · Transportation
It’s an interesting experience, attempting to grow up individual in Los Angeles. In making a style or a name of your own, it’s next to impossible to avoid someone mentioning your lack of originality. Music is not exempt from such scrutiny, and usually is of the “cookie-cutter” description - i.e. barely audible distinctions between Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco; *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys; Cake and Flobots. Competition for more widespread play seems to churn out more of the same and in bulk, but it’s still cookie-cutter-ed; it all goes down the same. The shrewd consumer will notice that if they ate one sugar cookie and then another, each with a different-colored frosting, they were actually eating the exact same baked good - and that (gasp!) blue frosting is not a different flavor than red.
The benefit to the indie music scene is that it won’t come to you from a standard box. More than likely you won’t ingest processed ingredients; you’ll get something homemade or sold in specialty stores. Perhaps it can be privately delivered. Hard work might warrant fancy limos or an entourage, but plenty of people get along fine without it. An indie band’s life span comes at the result of word of mouth and support by friends, family, and a real fan base, because it is founded on quality and is less likely to spoil quickly due to over-exposure.
[Read more →]
Tags: Local LA · bands
THEATER
- The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch | until Sunday, September 7, 2008 | $25.00 general; $18.00 student/senior | Fri., 8pm; Sat., 4 & 8pm; Sun., 4pm | Bootleg Theater - Map | The stage production of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s graphic novel - as performed by Rogue Artists Ensemble - has been extended until September 7th. Touching on issues of childhood innocence and the gravity of time and harsh reality, it is acted out in part with “amazing puppets, [...] works of art that could stand on their own in a gallery” (LA Times). A featured musician will be on hand this evening to enrich the experience with live music. Click for tickets, or call (800) 838-3006.
GREEK FESTIVAL
- LA Greek Fest | Friday, September 5 - Sunday, September 7, 2008 | Friday and Saturday until 11:00 pm, Sunday until 10:00 pm | $5.00 | Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral - Map | Greek festivals will always be a sort of Nirvana as far as I’m concerned - lots of good food, lots of people, lots of dancing to lots of good music - and it only gets better as the sun goes down. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will be guest hosts at the event - hmm, I wonder why? For more info, call (323) 737-2424.
[Read more →]
Tags: Local Happenings · Upcoming events
However slight the undertones, this week in the literary world rests on the notion of benefiting self by giving back to others. Do unto others; what goes around comes around; the George Bailey principle. However you choose to phrase it, what we do, give, or say doesn’t go unnoticed by the universe, even in seemingly minuscule instances. And in a society whose measure of value seems to be how well we function in its machine (and its machine only), that’s not too shabby a consolation.
- Used Book Sale | Thursday, September 4, 2008 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm | Chinatown Branch Library - Map | Offerings at sales largely consist of donated books, so if you’ve a few novels that you think might fare well in a new residence, it might be worth it to find out whether or not they can offered for others to rummage through. For more info, call (213) 620-0925.
[Read more →]
Tags: Literature · Upcoming events
I can remember the first time that I took the bus: I was 13 years old and had my first job in Encino. Because work was too far away in biking-distance and both my parents worked, the only option left was to take the bus. Shortly afterward, I discovered Weird Al’s “Another One Rides the Bus” and thought that no one could have summarized the experience more eloquently.
“Public wisdom” as of the last few years was that ‘only poor people take the bus’, that ‘nobody walks in LA’. I’ve never been an advocate for derogatory terms or assumptions of others myself; which is why I must admit to having slight joy in knowing that those with sharp suits or pearlized eyeshadow are regularly partaking of systems that weren’t available even five years ago. In a way, the brunt of the current economic crunch has eliminated the stigma of frequently utilizing public transit. Money is an issue for everyone.
[Read more →]
Tags: Local LA · Transportation
Los Angeles’ climate is such that it allows for barbecues, swimming and shorts and sandals year-round (except for winter mornings, and the two or so weeks in April when it rains). While we all know that summer doesn’t really end until the third week of September, this weekend signifies the end of summer break - meaning that many of us will have to deal with of a lot more traffic on Tuesday morning. So be sure to relax this weekend, feel the sand between your toes, and get out of the house and into the groove as we soon bid adieu to summertime.
MUSIC
- Monsters Are Waiting | Friday, August 29, 2008 | 6:00 pm | Free | Getty Museum - Map | For the benefit of you, plan on wandering the gardens surrounded by the day’s cooling temperatures while the rest of the population idles in traffic on the 405. By taking in the sounds of indie band Monsters Are Waiting (to be preceded by Justin Warfield and Adam 12 from She Wants Revenge), you will also be showing support for local bands and their ability to come up with original material. Win-win, indeed. Click here for a sample of their music.
[Read more →]
Tags: Local Happenings · Upcoming events
This week in the literary world is centered on reading - not that it has never been, but let’s be honest here: have you ever just wanted to sit down and read without being distracted by a well-intentioned last call when the library is closing for the day? Have you just wanted to be somewhere with your book, your editorial, your script or newspaper without interruption, outside of the bus station or your living room?
Last Friday afternoon I was in a spot. The afternoon was free for all sorts of tearing apart of a pristine copy of The Shining, but the thought that my choices for parking my caboose were in the form of a Starbucks or Coffee Bean brought me down. Nothing against either of the locales, but I’ve found that focus is much better attained outside the realm of the generic and pretentious.
So in addition to the familiar melting pot of literary choices for the week, every so often we’ll present to the a place for you to drop your tense shoulders and relax your furrowed brow when you’ve nothing else on your agenda but pages to burn through. [Read more →]
Tags: Literature · Upcoming events
