The 16th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books—the nation’s largest literary festival—takes over the University of Southern California campus this weekend bringing book enthusiasts together for discussion and celebration of the written word. (For the first time in 16 years, the festival will not be held on the UCLA campus; organizers cite the desire to grow the festival and provide a more public transportation friendly site.)
The free public event is expected to draw more than 100,000 people to USC for author events and readings, storytelling, poetry readings, cooking demonstrations, musical entertainment and hundreds of exhibitor booths from the literary world.
Several CalArtians will be amid the book fray this weekend, serving on panels or at their own readings:
- Bruce Bauman, senior editor of Black Clock magazine and a faculty member of CalArts’ MFA Writing Program, is a participant on The Vanguard: Literary Journals panel. He’s joined by Joe Donnelly and Laurie Ochoa of Slake magazine and Brigid Hughes, founder of A Public Space—an independent magazine of art and argument. The discussion will take place in the Annenberg Auditorium on Saturday at 1:30 pm.
- Poet/librettist and CalArts Critical Studies faculty member Douglas Kearney takes to the festival’s Poetry Stage at 12:30 pm on Sunday to perform selections from The Black Automaton and Other Works.
- At the same time on Sunday afternoon (12:30 pm), CalArts alumna Grace Krilanovich (Critical Studies MFA 05) serves as a panelist on Fiction Inside Out in Norris Hall. Moderated by Tod Goldberg, the panel includes authors Chris Adrian, Aimee Bender and Charles Yu.
- At 1:30 pm Sunday on the YA (Young Adult) stage, CalArts graduate Lauren Strasnick (Critical Studies MFA 05) joins panelists Ned Vizzini and Blake Nelson to discuss Hard Truths: Writing Addiction for Teens.
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
at the University of Southern California
Exposition Boulevard and S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
Saturday, April 30 from 10 am-6 pm
Sunday, May 1 from 10 am-5 pm
General attendance is free