The City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts program (www.weho.org/arts) presents WeHo Reads, a series at the West Hollywood Library relating to literature and reading. Individual WeHo Reads programs are co-sponsored or co-presented by the West Hollywood Library, the Friends of the West Hollywood Library, and Book Soup. This is an archive of our 2017 events.

  

 For a look at past events please visit:WeHo Reads 2016, WeHo Reads 2015, 2014 WeHo Reads NOIR,  WeHo Reads 2013

Please follow us @WeHoReads and @WeHoArts

 

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Past 2017 Events:

 

 

November 14, 2017, 7:00PM to 9:00PM:

WeHo Reads: Chris Kraus (I Love Dick, After Kathy Acker) and Kim Dower (West Hollywood City Poet Laureate)

625 N. San Vicente Blvd, 90069 (West Hollywood City Council Chambers) 

Join the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Reads program for an in-conversation event with Chris Kraus, acclaimed author of the best-selling novel, I Love Dick, and the intense, riveting biography, After Kathy Acker. Kraus joins West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Kim Dower, author of three collections of poetry, to discuss the influence poetry has had on her work, and how love, longing, and obsession continue to ignite her themes and interests. A peek-into-the-heart-view of being a writer and a part of a writing community, this lively, intimate, and candid conversation will fascinate readers and writers alike.  Bring your most gut-wrenching questions! The event will be followed by a book signing with books available for purchase onsite by Book Soup. Free admission, RSVP at: https://wehoreads-chriskraus.eventbrite.com 

 

 October 6, 2017, 7:00PM to 8:30PM

6th Anniversary of the Library Celebration and Heidi Duckler Dance Performance

625 N. San Vicente Blvd, 90069 (West Hollywood Library)

The City of West Hollywood's WeHo Arts program, the West Hollywood Library, the Friends of the West Hollywood Library, and Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre celebrate the 6th anniversary of the opening of the West Hollywood Library with a free dress-performance of "Back in Circulation," a site specific dance focusing on the vast windows of the library as symbolic thresholds for sharing information, as well as containers of public space. There will be light refreshments provided by the Friends of the West Hollywood Library. Admission is free but RSVPs are requested either on Facebook at http://bit.ly/WeHoReads6thAnniv or  Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weho-reads-6th-anniversary-of-the-library-celebration-tickets-37744448662. Comments from the Mayor will take place at 7:30pm. 

 

 

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 October 10, 2017, 7:00PM to 8:30PM:

WeHo Reads: Armistead Maupin

625 N. San Vicente Blvd, 90069 (West Hollywood City Council Chambers)

 

The City of West Hollywood's WeHo Reads program and Book Soup present Armistead Maupin discussing and signing Logical Family: A Memoir

In this long-awaited memoir, the beloved author of the bestselling Tales of the City series chronicles his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San Francisco, and his evolution from curious youth to ground-breaking writer and gay rights pioneer.  This is a ticketed event ($29.00 + tax, which includes one copy of Logical Family). Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/armistead-maupin-discusses-and-signs-logical-family-a-memoir-tickets-37767190684.

 

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 6pm

Lambda Lit Fellows Reading

Free Admission. More info and to RSVP: www.lambdaliterary.org

 

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  The First Annual LA Get Down Festival
A Celebration of Hip Hop and Spoken Word sponsored by the City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts
April 18-30, 2017
For more info click here.

 

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WeHo Reads: Rock 'N' Roll Billboards on The Sunset Strip
 4/26/2017, 7:30 pm to 8:15 pm
625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, 90069 (West Hollywood City Council Chambers)
Free! To RSVP: http://bit.ly/SunsetStripBillboards

Revisit a time when hand-painted temporary billboards on the Sunset Strip depicted the world's greatest Classic Rock Stars. Photographer Robert Landau will present a slideshow of historic billboard images, along with colorful stories about their history and the counterculture era, all based from his book 'Rock 'N' Roll Billboards on the Sunset Strip (Angel City Press) To RSVP: http://bit.ly/SunsetStripBillboards or contact Mike Che at mche@weho.org

 

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Lambda Lit Finalists Reading as part of One City One Pride

Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 7pm

More info at www.weho.org/pride

 

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 It's Never Too Late to Try Something New: Late Life Reinventions, Reflections, and (No) Regrets!
Friday, May 26, 2017 at 7:00PM
City Council Chambers
625 N. San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Free admission, free parking, and free refreshments!

Annabelle Gurwitch, author of "Wherever you Go, There They Are", Meredith Maran, author of "The New Old Me: My Late Life Reinvention", and  Lisa Napoli, author of "Ray and Joan, share true tales, wise words, and life lessons at this WeHo Reads event! To RSVP go to https://its-never-too-late.eventbrite.com
or, contact Corey Roskin at croskin@weho.org or (323) 848-6403

 

 

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 March 6-12
Lambda LitFest Los Angeles

The first annual Lambda LitFest Los Angeles is a celebration of contemporary voices honoring and expanding on the rich, diverse tradition of LGBTQ writers and readers in the Southland. While there are several events happening all across the Los Angeles area, below are some events in and close to West Hollywood:

 

Lambda LitFest: An Evening with Bryan Fuller
3/8/2017, 7 pm to 8:30 pm
625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, 90069 (West Hollywood City Council Chambers)
Free! RSVP at: bit.ly/LambdaLitBryanFuller

Bryan Fuller has had a meteoric career in television as one of the most successful openly gay TV writers and producers.  As a writer, Fuller’s work has been featured on shows including Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Other notable works include the hit and critically acclaimed shows Hannibal, Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Alonso Duralde is an author, film critic and Senior Programmer for Outfest.  Dave White, his husband, is also and film critic. They co-host the hilarious and popular TV and film podcast, Linoleum Knife. This program, as well as all other Lambda LitFest programs across LA County, is free to attend. More info at www.lambdalitfest.org. TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT, VISIT: bit.ly/LambdaLitBryanFuller

Lambda LitFest: Gay Theatre, Its History and Its Future
3/9/2017, 7 pm to 8 pm
625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, 90069 (West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room)
Free!

 On March 9, come to a lively discussion on the roots of LGBTQ theater and its impact on our culture. This is an opportunity to gain a perspective on our cultural history with some the people who helped create it, along with thoughts about its direction from those working today. Coordinated by Victor Bumbalo with Michael Kearns, Robert Patrick, Tom Jacobson, Mary Casey, Odalys Nanin, and Donald Jolly.This program, as well as all other Lambda LitFest programs across LA County, is free to attend. More info at www.lambdalitfest.org.

Lambda LitFest Saturday
3/11/2017, 11 am to 9 pm
4800 Hollywood Boulevard, 90027 (Barnsdall Art Park)
Free!
 On March 11, attend a full day of free programming in Barnsdall Art Park featuring such writers as: Cheryl Klein, Luis Alfaro, Zachary Drucker, Sarah Schulman, Justin Torres, Rebecca Walker, Noel Alumit, Lucy Bledsoe, MariNaomi, Michael Nava, Our Lady J, Peter Paige, Alex Espinoza, Ryka Aoki, Bernard Cooper, D’Lo, Wendy C. Ortiz, Claudia Rodríguez, and Terry Wolverton. The closing event is curated by UnCabaret's Beth Lapides and features Julie Goldman, Marga Gomez, Ian Harvie, Alec Mapa and Justin Sayre. More info at www.lambdalitfest.org.

Lambda LitFest: Literary Drag Race - All Stars Pop Up
3/12/2017, 12 pm to 1 pm
692 N. Robertson Boulevard, 90069 (The Abbey (Cabana Bar))
Free!

Loosely modeled around RuPaul’s Drag Race, this event features the host, Victor Yates, and three pit crew members reading new work that they have written or pages from banned books. The banned books will be on loan from the West Hollywood Library. Christopher Rivas, winner of The Moth storyteller competition, will coach the performers on how to best deliver their lines. This program, as well as all other Lambda LitFest programs across LA County, is free to attend. More info at www.lambdalitfest.org.

Lambda LitFest: No Cure for Madness - Queer Male Poets on Death, God, and Desire
3/12/2017, 4 pm to 4:30 pm
8818 Sunset Boulevard, 90069 (Book Soup)
Free!

The title of this event on March 12, comes from the genderqueer prophet Teiresias who said in The Bacchae, “There is no cure for madness when the cure itself is mad.”  We present a poetry reading by three queer men of color whose work transgresses mainstream and heteronormative norms of both body and spirit. Kazim Ali, Blas Falconer, Miguel Murphy. This program, as well as all other Lambda LitFest programs across LA County, is free to attend. More info at www.lambdalitfest.org.

 For more info on the Lambda LitFest, including free events outside of West Hollywood, visit www.lambdalitfest.org.

 

  
 

WeHo Arts: As Far As The Eye Can See - Sunset Strip Through The Eyes of Poets
4/6/2017, 7 pm to 8:00 pm
625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, 90069 (West Hollywood Library, Upper Level)
Free! To RSVP: http://bit.ly/April6SunsetPoets

Join us for a reading of both original work and work by poets who captured a time we hold dear. Celebrate National Poetry Month and experience a rainbow of colors, emotions, and memories, through words that are certain to evoke your own electric visions!  Organized by Kim Dower, West Hollywood City Poet Laureate and the City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts. To RSVP: http://bit.ly/April6SunsetPoets

Awaken Your Poet Within!
 Monday, April 17, 2017, 2:00-4:00pm
Plummer Park Community Center - Room 5
7377 Santa Monica Blvd.
Free!

Join us for a FREE writing workshop for seniors with Kim Dower, West Hollywood City Poet. You have a story. Come tell it! Enjoy a fun and informative poetry workshop offering an intimate writing experience filled with exercises, ideas, fever writing to prompts, dreams and memories. Come awaken your poet within and leave with the tools and creative excitement to continue writing! No experience necessary!

 

 

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Friday, February 11, 2017, 7:00pm

"David Francis in conversation with Mary Rakow discussing Wedding Bush Road"

With a keen eye for the rugged and beautiful Australian landscape, infused with aboriginal history, and set against the workings of a rural horse farm, Wedding Bush Road is a stunning novel about the choices we make, the regrets that linger, and the unquestionable, inevitable pull of home. This event is free to attend. Please RSVP with this link.

 

Friday, February 24, 2017, 7pm

'We Rise! We Write! We Arrive!'

In recognition and celebration of Black History Month, WeHo Reads presents a panel of outstanding women discussing their works of fiction and the stories that have inspired and influenced them. A book signing and sales will be provided by Book Soup after the panel. Sponsored by the West Hollywood Library and City of West Hollywood through WeHo Reads, WeHo Arts, and it’s Women’s Advisory Board. This event is free to attend. Please RSVP at this link.

Moderator:

Lisa Teasley (Moderator) - http://www.lisateasley.com/contact2.html

Panelists:

Natashia Deón - http://www.natashiadeon.com/about

Tananarive Due - http://www.tananarivedue.com/about.htm
Rachel M. Harper - http://rachelmharper.com/

*Attica Locke - http://www.atticalocke.com/about/