Tag: los angeles

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Renew Juicery: Best juice shop for chilling out

When the weather gets warm, I start drinking less latte and more juice. And I’ve found a new favorite green juice for spring: Balanced at Renew Juicery.

This cold-pressed drink’s a blend of pineapple, cilantro, cucumber, parsley, chlorophyll, lemon, and ashwagandha. I love that it’s not too sugary but still has a taste of tropical sweet —

Plus the Culver City’s spot’s a nice place for writers — a sunny vibe with free wifi and friendly people. There are some raw vegan meals and snacks for sale too, if you get hungry.

And if you really need to cool off, you can try cryotherapy! At the back of the store is a cryo machine that for a few minutes will surround you in -250 degree air, chilled by liquid nitrogen. This practice is said to have a range of benefits, from easing chronic pain to weight loss.

I met some women who swear by cryo — so I tried it once. It was really cold! Afterwards, I didn’t really feel any different; I hear you need to do it a few times to really experience the benefits, but the first experience was so chilling I’m not sure I have the courage to try it again.

So for now I’ll be sticking to the juice! It’s a great way to chill out at the end of the week — especially since Renew Juicery has a happy hour deal on Fridays from 2 pm – 6 pm, where you can get 15% off all juices and mylks.

Renew Juicery. 12460 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. 310.439.0593.

Earlier: Juice Served Here: Best juice shop for writers in Los Angeles

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Young Literati: Party with book lovers, support libraries

Shepard Fairey DJs, Andrew Bird whistles and sings and plays the violin, Chelsea Handler mocks Trump by reading a damning excerpt of his book. Before and after those performances, you get to mingle with fellow book lovers over gourmet hors d’oeuvres next to an open bar. If that sounds like a fun night to you, make sure you go to the next Young Literati event!

The Young Literati Ninth Annual Toast happened on Saturday at NeueHouse Hollywood — and along with the celebrities mentioned above, featured a handful of short comic readers: Retta (Parks and Recreation) read hilarious questions people have asked librarians, Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat) a bloody story about a girl delivering a calf.

Kumail Nanjiani’s (Silicon Valley) reading was my favorite; he took us through a Choose Your Own Adventure book — a philosophical one with thought-provoking and super abrupt multiple endings —

Young Literati is basically a membership program for people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, benefiting the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. If you join, you get to benefit the Foundation — and to go to cool exclusive literary events like the Toast.

The Tenth Annual Toast won’t be happening until next year, obviously, but you can join Young Literati anytime. Besides discounted tickets to Toast and other Foundation events, you’ll be invited to attend Young Literati ALOUD receptions — which offer drinks, appetizers, and conversation post ALOUD events.

Membership options run from $125 for those in their 20s to $2500 for the well-heeled. The more you give, the more perks you receive. Enjoy —

Earlier: 7 Best public libraries in Los Angeles for writers

Photos by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

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Melrose Station: Best speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase

If you’ve ever looked at your bookcase on a Friday afternoon — and wished the shelves were lined with booze instead of books — I’ve got a bar for you.

Melrose Station, a newish speakeasy in the Fairfax area, is a craft cocktail bar and tapas restaurant hidden behind a bookcase. To get there, you’ll first need to go to Glass Hookah Lounge, where a host will let you in the velvet rope, escort you to the back of the smoky room, then pull open a bookcase and tell you to go through the door at 11 o’clock.

That door opens up to Melrose Station, a classy train station-themed place with a glittery bar, telephone booths, and a handful of tables. It’s not a huge space, so I’m guessing the place gets loud and crowded late night, but when I met friends here for happy hour at 7:30 pm, it made for a great place to chat and catch up.

The craft cocktails are gorgeous — the garnishes include whole red chiles, berry medleys speared with toothpicks and dusted with powdered sugar, and pretty blue flames. But I focused on the food! My favorite dish was the New Zealand lamb lollipops, with citrus zest, dill, garlic, basil, shallot, and red wine vinegar.

The yellowfin tuna sashimi — with slivers of jalapeno, cucumber, and ginger, plus yuzu and sesame — was the prettiest dish.


Next time, I’d like to try the tuna ceviche. There were glutenier, dairy-er options too that I didn’t try but my happy hour raved about. The cheesy spinach artichoke dip and flatbreads were especially popular.

What books were on the shelves, you ask? I forgot to look. I didn’t do any reading there. But Check the titles for me if you decide to go! And dress nicely — no shorts or flip flops allowed —

Melrose Station. 7384 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles. 7pm until late daily.

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Pasadena Festival of Women Authors to star Yaa Gyasi, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 4/8

Along with like half the people I follow on Instagram, I recently read Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and enjoyed the expansive sweep and ambition of the novel. Then I logged onto Facebook — to find out Yaa is coming to town!

Yaa is one of the headliners of the Pasadena Festival of Women Authors, happening April 8 at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel. Joining her will be Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest, an entertaining book I carried around last year — with nails painted to match.

Which is to say — The festival sounds like a pretty exciting event. Other keynoters are Amy Stewart (Lady Cop Makes Trouble) and Vendela Vida (The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty). Then three more women authors will give concurrent breakout sessions: Rufi Thorpe (Dear Fang, With Love), Elizabeth McKenzie (The Portable Veblen), and Jung Yun (Shelter). There will be morning coffee and pastries as well as a midday lunch, plus book sales and signings throughout.

I’d never heard of this festival before, but apparently it was started back in 2009 by a couple Pasadena residents. Last year, it featured Pasadena’s own Victoria Patterson among its six authors. This year, with seven women, the event’s bigger than ever.

And it seems to be popular too. The event, capped at 540 attendees, is sold out! The waitlist is open though, along with a note that many waitlisters in the past have been able to attend.

I would join the list to see Yaa, except I’ll be out of town on book tour. Are you going to be there? Let me know what Yaa’s like in person! Tickets cost $95 each.

Pasadena Festival of Women Authors. Sat., April 8, 8 am – 2:30 pm. Pasadena Hilton Hotel, 168 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA. $95.

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Come celebrate Cake Time in April: LA, Oakland, Portland, Seattle

Friends — My debut novel-in-stories, Cake Time, is almost here!

April 6, 2017, is the official publication date — and I hope you’ll celebrate with me at one or many of the cakey events next month, the biggest of which is the Los Angeles launch event:

Siel Ju reads from her novel-in-stories CAKE TIME
with special guests
Janice Lee, Victoria Patterson, and Jim Ruland
Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles
FREE!
(Facebook event page)

It’ll be really cake time because there’ll be cupcakes, and wine, and other fantastic writers who’ll be reading short pieces about Los Angeles. Please come — whether you plan to get Cake Time from Skylight Books or have already preordered it elsewhere or plan to borrow it from the library or win it on Goodreads — and say hello and eat sweet things.

I really, really hope to see you there!

I’m also coming to Oakland / San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle — All events are FREE; most will have cake!

Oakland / San Francisco
Siel Ju reads from CAKE TIME with fellow Red Hen Press authors Andrew Lam and Brynn Saito
Friday, April 7, 2017 at 7 pm
DIESEL, A Bookstore in Oakland, 5433 College Avenue, Oakland
(Facebook event page)

Portland
Siel Ju in conversation with Kevin Sampsell
Monday, April 10, 2017 at 7:30 pm
Powell’s on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland
(Facebook event page)

Bellingham, Wash.
Siel Ju reads from Cake Time with Kelly Magee
Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at 7 pm
Village Books, 1200 11th St., Bellingham, Wash.

Seattle
Siel Ju: Cake Time with Corinne Manning and Tara Atkinson
Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 7 pm
Hugo House, 1021 Columbia St., Seattle

____

After that I’ll be back in SoCal, and there’ll be more readings in the Los Angeles area:

Red Hen Press event featuring Elizabeth Powell, Siel Ju, Angela Palm, and Lynnell Edwards
Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 3 pm
Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

Writes of Spring Festival
April 19-20, 2017, time TBA
Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier, Calif.

Why There Are Words Los Angeles
Thursday, April 20, 2017, 7pm
Location TBD, Los Angeles.

Cake Time: A Reading at SMC Spring Literary Series
Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Santa Monica College, HSS 165, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg event at The Window @A.G. Geiger
Sunday, April 30, 2017, 4 pm
A.G.Geiger Fine Art Books, 502 Chung King Ct., Los Angeles
_____

And don’t forget I’ll be doing a pre-publication reading at the Angels Flight • literary west Salon with Siel Ju & Lilliam Rivera on Sunday, March 26, 2017, 4 pm – 6 pm at Clifton’s Republic, 648 S Broadway, Los Angeles!

In June, I’ll be hitting the east coast. If you’re in NYC, put June 8 in your calendar! I’ll be reading with fellow Red Hen Press authors at Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton St., Brooklyn, on Thu, June 8, 2017, 7:30 pm. More about that and other east coast readings closer to date —

Hope to see you in April!

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Angels Flight • literary west Salon: Cocktails, cafeteria food, and literary conversation

Get your favorite cafeteria food and drink your fancy cocktails too — while enjoying literary conversations. Come to the next Angels Flight • literary west Salon — where I’ll be chatting with fellow author Lilliam Rivera!

But first about the salon: Put together by local literary journal Angels Flight • literary west, these monthly events happen at Clifton’s Republic in the second-floor Ballroom — a lovely historic space with idiosyncratic decor, including a lion that looks over the proceedings! Each event brings together a pair of featured writers who read a bit and discuss their work in conversation. Below are Matthew Specktor and Tyler Malone who talked at the February event.

Matthew Specktor and Tyler Malone at Angels Flight Literary West salon

Afterwards, a handful of writers recently published in the journal give lively readings. Then, attendees mingle, eat, and drink — since after all, Clifton’s has a cafeteria and a handful of bars with fancy cocktails.

In case you’re not familiar with Angels Flight • literary west, this online zine seeks specifically to “explore uncharted stories of Los Angeles and beyond,” with a new issue coming out every six months.

Want to read at a future salon? Submit your work to the journal for consideration! Want to attend future salons? Follow AFLW’s Facebook page to find out about the events.


And please do come to the next event: Angels Flight • literary west Salon With Lilliam Rivera & Siel Ju. Themed “The Good, the Bad & the In-Between: Choices & Redemption,” the event will feature me and Lilliam in conversation, reading and discussing our new books — my Cake Time and her YA novel The Education of Margot Sanchez.

There’ll also be readings by Patrick O’Neil, CLS Ferguson, Chris Daley Tod Goldberg, and Stephanie Zhong.

I’ll have early copies of Cake Time for sale and hope to see you there —
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Earlier: 12 Literary journals for Los Angeles writers

Top photo by Grant Palmer