Book calendar events for the week of March 20, 2011

Words & Ideas

Compiled by Grace Krilanovich.

SUNDAY

826LA Adult Writing Seminar Series: TV Writing: A series of panel discussions featuring industry professionals will cover multiple aspects of writing for television. Panelists include John Enbom, Dan Harmon and Steven Levitan on March 20; Jane Espenson, Drew Z. Greenberg and Damon Lindelof on March 27. Meltdown Comics, 7522 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A. Today, next Sun. 7 p.m. $12-$15 per installment. (213) 413-3388. https://www.826la.org.

Meredith Baxter: The actress will present and sign her new book, “Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame and Floundering.” Diesel Bookstore, 225 26th St., L.A. 3 p.m. Free. (310) 576-9960.

Cara Black: The author of “Murder in Passy: An Aimee Leduc Investigation Set in Paris” will read and sign her new thriller. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Kim Dower, Amy Gerstler and Lisa McCool-Grime: The poets, whose collections include “Air Kissing on Mars,” “Dearest Creature” and “Splinter Generation,” respectively, will read their work. Tarzana Community & Cultural Center, 19130 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. 3 p.m. $6. https://www.thevcp.wordpress.com.

Featherless Reading Series: Authors Lisa Teasley, Peter Mehlman and Meghan Brown will read their work. Wordspace, 3191 Casitas Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. $5. (858) 531-1204.

Sammy Hagar: The rocker will present and sign his new book, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock.” Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

MONDAY

Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson: The authors of “The Winds of Dune” will read and sign their new novel, “Hellhole.” Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Cristina Nehring and Lisa Catherine Harper: The authors of “Vindication of Love: Reclaiming Romance for the Twenty-first Century” and “A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood” will read and sign their respective books. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Michael Ondaatje: The Booker Prize-winning author of “Anil’s Ghost” and “The English Patient” will present a lecture, “Life After Man: Art in the Age of the Post-Human.” Book signing will follow program. Bovard Auditorium at USC, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, L.A. 7 p.m. Free. https://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices.

TUESDAY

Art Collectives and the Current State of Literary Culture: Aloud at Central Library presents a reading and discussion featuring authors and artists Chuck Rosenthal, Alicia Partnoy, Ramon Garcia, Gronk and Gail Wronsky; moderated by Susan Salter Reynolds. Richard J. Riordan Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., L.A. 7 p.m. Free. (213) 228-7025. https://www.aloudla.org.

Mario T. Garcia & Sal Castro: The authors of “Blowout!: Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice” will present and sign their new book. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Chris Kraus: The author will discuss and sign her new book, “Where Art Belongs.” Cactus Lounge at The Standard Hollywood, 8300 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 8 p.m. Free. https://www.artillerymag.com/events/chris-kraus-reading.php.

Joe Matthews & Mark Paul: The authors of “California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It” will present and sign their new book. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

WEDNESDAY

Terri Cheney: The author of “The Dark Side of Innocence: Growing Up Bipolar” will discuss and sign her new book. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Mario T. Garcia & Sal Castro: The authors of “Blowout!: Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice” will discuss and sign their new book. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Paul Muldoon: The Irish poet will read and discuss his work, which includes the collections “Poems 1968-1998,” “Moy Sand and Gravel” and “Maggot.” Booksigning to follow. Doheny Memorial Library at USC, 3550 Trousdale Parkway, L.A. 4:30 p.m. Free. (213) 740-3726.

Gary Vaynerchuk: The author of “The Thank You Economy” will present and sign his new book. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

THURSDAY

David Brooks: Aloud at Central Library presents a discussion and signing with the New York Times columnist and author of, most recently, “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement.” Richard J. Riordan Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., L.A. 7 p.m. Free. Full; standby only. (213) 228-7025. https://www.aloudla.org.

James Brown and Victoria Patterson: The authors of “This River” and “This Vacant Paradise” will read and sign their respective new books. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Carlos Fuentes: Part II of host Michael Silverblatt’s interview with the author of “Destiny and Desire.” Bookworm, 89.9 KCRW-FM, 2:30 p.m. https://www.kcrw.com.

Dan Savage & Terry Miller: The editors of “It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living” will discuss and sign the new anthology. L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Place, L.A. 8 p.m. (310) 659-3110.

FRIDAY

Eleanor Brown: The author of “The Weird Sisters” will read and sign her new novel. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Dear John, I Love Jane Group Reading: The editors of “Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women,” Candace Walsh and Laura Andre, will be joined by various contributors to the new anthology for a discussion and signing. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Rainn Wilson, Devon Gundry, Golriz Lucina and Shabnam Mogharabi: The authors of “SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions” will discuss and sign their new book. Bovard Auditorium at USC, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (213) 740-6110.

SATURDAY

Grace Krilanovich and Jarret Middleton: The authors of “The Orange Eats Creeps” and “An Dantomine Eerly” will read and sign their respective titles. Stories, 1716 Sunset Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (213) 413-3733.

Bronwyn Mauldin: The author of “The Streetwise Cycle” will read and sign her new collection of stories. Echo Park Film Center, 1200 N. Alvarado St., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (213) 484-8846.

Daniel A. Olivas: The author of “The Book of Want” will read and sign his new novel. Libros Schmibros, 2000 E. 1st St., L.A. 6 p.m. Free. (323) 302-9408.