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February 17, 2017October 6, 2023

AWP 2017: Books, Literaoke, chocolate & Cake Time

AWP 2017 was my favorite AWP conference ever — partly because I got to see the first copies of Cake Time, my first book! And it came with chocolate!

AWP, if you’re not familiar with the acronym, stands for Association of Writers & Writing Programs — a professional organization for writers with a focus on college and university writing programs. Each year, AWP has an annual conference that brings many thousands of people together, and this year that happened last week at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC.

The AWP conference can be an overwhelming four days — but I love going every year. It’s a chance to get great deals on small press books and literary journals, hear from writers whose work I’ve admired from afar, learn about writerly concerns at the many panels, and reconnect with writer friends who are usually scattered all over the country.

In fact I ran into writers before I even got on the plane! I got to LAX early Wednesday morning last week to find David Rocklin, host of Roar Shack, who immediately squished me out of my selfie. (Actually, I just misaimed the camera.) Then I boarded the plane to find out crime fiction writer Steph Cha and Carla Samath were sitting in my row!

The days of the conference went by in a blur. I went to a bunch of panels ranging from turning books into movies to supporting indie bookstores to considering the money-making side of writing. I wandered the gigantic bookfair, picking up way too many books (My luggage was twice as heavy on the way home; I was glad American Airlines made me check it at the gate because I’m not sure I could’ve lifted it into the overhead bin!). I went to friend’s book signings and saw friends at my own. To those who did, thanks for stopping for Cake Time!!

I caught up with friends I made at the Tin House Winter Writers Workshop. Great to see you Sara and Ananda!

On Thursday night, Cake Time‘s publisher Red Hen Press organized an offsite reading at Busboys & Poets. I got to read with many other writers to a full house —

Then on Friday night was Literaoke, organized by Kaya Press at Dupont Underground, a closed subway station. A dozen or so writers each belted out a song for a minute — then read for a few minutes.

I sang Nothing Compares 2 U — and a nice guy called Russ put a video of it on Instagram!

A post shared by Russ (@russdubb) on Feb 10, 2017 at 7:51pm PST

On Saturday the Red Hen booth sold out of Cake Time — Yay!

Because there’s always so much going on at AWP, there’s no way to do it all. There were political protests, a very popular event with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ta-Nehisi Coates, happy hours galore, and many, many other offsite readings and parties I missed.

I did get to see my college friend Anne though with her two mini Annes in tow — and to visit the National Gallery with Jen Walton, artist and a fellow Vermont Studio Center resident from earlier this year.

Now I’m back in L.A. with a gigantic stack of books to read. You’ll see them appear soon on my Instagram and monthly book reviews —

I’m already looking forward to the next AWP, and am working on my panel proposals. Who else is planning on going to Tampa in March 2018?

Photo of Red Hen Press reading by Tobi Harper; bottom photo by Jenny Walton; all other photos by Siel Ju

February 14, 2017October 6, 2023

Current Events Reading Group: Passionate discussions over complex books

If recent political developments have made you want to tackle deep, heavy books and engage in meaningful dialogue with other concerned citizens, come join Skylight Books’s Current Events Reading Group.

I made a new year’s resolution to be more politically engaged — which is why I decided to go to my first meeting of this book club last month. And I’m so glad I did! The conversation at this event was one of the most wide-ranging, passionate, and smart discussions I’d had about socio-political issues in a long time!
Continue reading “Current Events Reading Group: Passionate discussions over complex books”

January 26, 2017October 6, 2023

Library Girl: A Santa Monica reading series with sugar and soul

Feed your literary soul — and your sweet tooth too! One Sunday a month in Santa Monica, the Library Girl reading series treats you to cupcakes before entertaining you with a themed lineup of readers — all in the lovely, intimate Ruskin Group Theatre.

In fact, the first Library Girl event of the year earlier this month had not just cupcakes, but tacos and gorditas too. We all ate a full meal (there was a cash bar too) while mingling out front and in the lobby — then filled the little theater for the readings.

Who is the Library Girl? That would be Susan Hayden (below), who’s been organizing this series for half a decade now! Each month’s event has a theme, and January’s was Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine — the subtitle for the recently-published anthology, Los Angeles In The 1970s.

After an introduction by Susan — and a musical performance by her son, Mason Summit — a half dozen contributors read an eclectic mix of work from the anthology: Deanne Stillman’s hilarious musings on perfectly manicured gas station gardens, Jim Natal’s thought-provoking poetry, and much more.

The next Library Girl event, titled First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, will have a Valentine’s Day theme, featuring couples reading — and of course, sweet desserts. Go hear Jesse Welles Nathan and Stephen Nathan, Lin Benedek and Tom Benedek, Claire Holley and Chad Holley, Beth Ruscio and Leon Martell, Celeste Wesson and Robert Ward!

Tickets are $10 — all of which is donated to Ruskin Group Theater. I recommend buying them in advance through the Ruskin’s website, because the event can sell out.

Library Girl. Second Sunday of every month, 7 pm – 10 pm. Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Ave., Santa Monica.

Earlier: 12 literary reading series in Los Angeles

January 20, 2017October 6, 2023

Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: The Valley

I like to write at home in the mornings, but find I get more done in the afternoons if I’m close to espresso machines. This is true despite the fact that after noon, I drink only decaf. Basically, it’s the smell of caffeine that keeps me productive —

Picky writers can’t just go to any coffee shop though. We need good working spaces with comfy chairs and tables. We need decent wifi and electric outlets for our laptops. We (or at least I) need good reading light. And we like to be able to hang for a few hours without feeling like we’re overstaying our welcome.

Which is to say — I’m really putting together this best coffee shops list for me. I often find myself stuck in a part of town I don’t know very well — usually before or after some event — because I don’t want to drive home until after rush hour ends. Now (or more accurately, soon, when I finish this 5-part guide covering most L.A. neighborhoods), whatever area of Los Angeles I happen to be in, I know where I can stop to read or get some writing done while I wait for traffic to clear.

More:
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Central LA
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Westside
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Northeast LA

Burbank: Romancing the Bean

This coffee shop has a lovely, light-filled interior with lots of tables for two as well as a bigger communal table that invites friendly conversations with fellow coffee drinkers. The coffee’s organic, the staff very friendly, the slices of cake gigantic.

Do arrive with your laptop fully charged, because while the wifi is strong the outlets are not plentiful. In addition to coffee, tea, and pastries, Romancing the Bean offers a local, organic sandwiches-and-salads menu. I recommend the cold nicoise salad!

North Hollywood: TeaPop

Tea lovers will especially like this place, which offers a whole bunch of different loose leaf teas as well as tea lattes and milk teas (as far as I can tell, the milk teas are basically tea lattes on ice). If you’re as picky about your lattes as I am though, you might want to ask some questions before you order. I asked for the Soy Matcha — a matcha-soy milk-honey combo — sans the honey, only to discover that their matcha itself was super-sweetened.

The staff here is also sweet though — and made me a Buck Roo instead. Enjoy the little piece of fake lawn on each of the wooden communal tables, the sunlight streaming in from the windows, and the spacious outside courtyard. Don’t miss the mural on the north wall, with its many crazy tea pots! Thanks to Rachael Warecki for introducing me to this place.

Sherman Oaks: M Street Coffee

This coffee shop is one of those places that gives you a unique wifi code when you make a purchase; the code’s good for two hours. Despite that time limit, M Street is a nice writing spot that packs a lot of people into its smallish space! Last time I stopped by, all the tables were taken — but I found a friendly latte drinker willing to share hers. We balanced our laptops and lattes precariously on the tiny table — and luckily nothing spilled —

A couple things to keep in mind: M Street closes rather early — at 6 pm on weekdays. And about the picture above: I found out the hard way that they can’t do latte art for tea lattes! If you want a heart on your drink, get a real latte — They’re yummier too. Thanks to Zach Behrens for introducing me to this place.

Earlier:
* 7 Best public libraries in Los Angeles for writers
* 3 Los Angeles writing meetups where you can write in company

January 5, 2017October 6, 2023

7 Best public libraries in Los Angeles for writers

I want a lot from my library. A good library for writers, in my view, should have comfortable chairs and desks, wifi and outlets, a decent selection of books, relatively easy parking, and a generally pleasant atmosphere to hang out in for a few hours. A bookstore and coffee shop are, of course, nice bonuses.

If you’re looking for a quieter — and free-er — space than your local coffee shop to finally finish writing that novel of yours in the new year, here are seven lovely libraries to check out. These places are your tax dollars at work. Enjoy them!

West Hollywood Library. 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. West Hollywood.

This library is the only one I know of that has a designated Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Area, complete with a row of bookshelves dedicated to LGBT issues! This area is the best place in this library, since it’s a sunny spot surrounded by windows with great tables and chairs and lamps and outlets.

The modern building is decorated with contemporary art and hosts everything from writing workshops to a women’s book club (earlier: 6 Book Clubs in Los Angeles). Stop by the Friends of the Library Bookstore, career development center, or across the parking lot, Longshot Coffee. Since this is a L.A. county library, you’ll need a county library card to access the wifi. There’s three hours free parking with validation.

Central Library. 630 W. 5th St. Los Angeles.

If you’re looking for a specific book, this is the library where you have the biggest chance of finding it. Central Library is the largest public research library west of the Mississippi, with eight levels of books arranged by subject matter!

This library boasts gorgeous architecture with a rotunda and atrium, beautiful public arts projects, and an art gallery. Take it all in via a guided tour! Come on a day when there’s an Aloud Lecture Series event (earlier: 12 literary reading series in Los Angeles) and kill two birds with one stone.

I find the Central Library more a great place to roam around than a place for sitting down to write, though if there’s a good undiscovered nook for doing just that, do let me know and I’ll give it a try next time. Parking is $1 for the first hour — but can quickly go up to the $35 max rate — so know the rates and don’t forget to get your ticket validated.

Santa Monica Main Library. 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica.

This two-floor library is a clean and modern sunlit space with lots of magazines, study rooms, a friends of the library bookstore, somewhat spotty city wifi, and a significant homeless population dozing in the comfier couches.

My favorite part of this library is the outdoor courtyard, with its garden and Bookmark Cafe. On a mild sunny day, which is most days, you’ll feel like you’re writing in paradise. Paradise with lattes.

One odd quirk of this place is that the bathrooms don’t have paper towels — for environmental and financial reasons, according to the signs. Instead there are hand dryers — the really old, ineffective kind that don’t actually dry your hands. Underground parking is free for the first 30 minutes, after which the cost slowly climbs to $10. There are bike racks aplenty!

Beverly Hills Public Library. 444 N. Rexford Dr. Beverly Hills.

This is where I studied back when I was in high school! It’s a quiet, well-maintained place with great city wifi and lots of comfortable working areas. On the first floor, there’s a friends of the library bookstore, and next to it, Kelly’s Coffee & Fudge Factory.

The second floor has more study areas, lots of books — and green shopping baskets, the easier to haul your book picks around in! A city lot offers two hours free parking.

Los Feliz Branch Library. 1874 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles.

This library offers the perfect creative distraction: a community puzzle on a big central table where you can stop by to put in a few pieces during your writing breaks.

This simple library has both a children and teen section, both a Spanish and Armenian bookcase in the stack, and an inviting feel. Also, as writer friend Tony DuShane put it on Facebook, “They have a cool little area outside to hang out and the aesthetic is cool.” A small parking lot always seems to have spaces.

Pasadena Central Library. 285 E. Walnut St. Pasadena.

I rarely make it to Pasadena, but the city’s main library is beautiful enough that it makes me want to return just to visit it. The big place has four levels — three of them book stacks, the main level a series of gorgeous rooms perfect for studying, working and loafing.

The quietest — and coolest — spot is the Centennial Room, where archival materials related to Pasadena history are kept in a temperature-controlled space. A coffee shop called Espress Yourself is in the open courtyard, and near it is a rather crammed bookstore. Enjoy three hours of free parking in the lot.

Culver City Julian Dixon Library. 4975 Overland Ave., Culver City.

Though the other libraries on this list are in the center of bustling areas full of lunch spots and shops and theaters and other distractions, the Culver City library is in a bit of a dead zone and doesn’t even have a coffee shop — which could be a plus if your aim is to stay focused on writing.

This L.A. County library still has a lot to offer — and is probably the cutest library on this list. Little plants on study desks! Cute seats with pillows that say “I love this place”! There’s even a weekly knitting club — materials provided!

And the library makes giving easy: At the edge of the spacious parking lot, a donation box for the Friends of the Library bookstore sits right next to the book returns box.
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All that said, the library I visit most often is West Los Angeles Library, simply because I can walk there from my place. It’s not a particularly pleasant place to work though; I’m only there a few minutes at a time, returning books and picking up holds. Still, I have a lot of love for it — It’s great to be able to get most any book I want delivered here for free —

Are there other libraries you know of that should be added to this list?

Photo of Central Library by Sheila Thompson

November 11, 2016October 5, 2023

Best place for oysters after shopping at Alias Books: Plan Check

Oysters on the half shell at Plan Check Los Angeles Sawtelle

Savvy shoppers for pre-loved books know that Alias Books on Sawtelle is a great spot to browse for unexpected finds. Post-spree, I recommend walking a block south to Plan Check. There, you can take a load off and enjoy oysters al fresco.

I like to get three oysters on the half shell — with yuzukosho cocktail sauce. They go nicely with Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels! Totally unrelated, I discovered via Google this Ferrante Night Fever with Free Oysters event that happened in Richmond, Virginia. Should someone in L.A. want to organize a similar fun event and invite me, Plan Check would be a good place to plan it!

With four locations around L.A., Plan Check’s probably best known for its PCB (Plan Check Burger) topped with something they call “ketchup leather.” The burger isn’t bad, but after oysters I usually go for more seafood. Try the spicy tuna salad — yellow frisee, black radish, and avocado topped with nori and sriracha vinaigrette (I asked for the item without the usual puffed rice).

The Sawtelle location can get crowded at dinner and weekends. But on weekday afternoons, it’s lazy enough that you can hang out a while browsing your bookstore finds.

Plan Check. 4 locations. Sawtelle: 1800 Sawtelle Blvd. Fairfax District: 351 N. Fairfax Ave. Downtown: 1111 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica: 1401 Ocean Ave.