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July 14, 2004

REPORT: LIT @ LACMA

We're in the grips of a particularly potent hangover this morning but we'd feel remiss in our role as L.A. Litblogger if we didn't take a few moments to recap last night's terrific LIT mixer at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

An overflow crowd of well over 100 spilled out of Pentimento Cafe's outdoor seating area and into the museum plaza, chatting, drinking and meeting the evening's guests of honor - Leelila Strogov, editor of Swink Magazine; and the contributors and editors of the new anthology My California: Journeys by Great Writers. The evening was such a success that the crowd had to be chased away by museum security at the 9:30 closing time. Check out the jump for some more details:

* We finally got to meet Kevin Roderick, host of the excellent blog LA Observed and Donna Wares, who hosts CaliforniaAuthors, another TEV favorite.

* David Kipen and I talked for a while about the Crouch/Peck misadventures, Birnbaum's James Wood Q&A, and his own upcoming schedule, which includes a Thursday night reading with Hector Tobar at Tía Chucha’s Café Cultural. (12737 Glenoaks Blvd., No. 22, Sylmar; Thurs., July 15, 7:30 p.m. - When we whined about the haul out to Sylmar, David suggested that was an unseemly stance for an "LA" litblogger. And he's right.) David and his wife Veronique de Turenne have both contributed essays to My California, and they're worth checking out not least for these typically amusing husband/wife juxtapositions:

From David's essay: "But candy-apple red pickups are good for certain things that bookmobiles are not. Helping friends move. Getting pulled over for no good reason. Feeling more rugged than you are. And, it almost goes without saying, locating the exact geometric center of Los Angeles County."

From Veronique's essay: "We left Malibu in a brand new rental car, which is my call because the charms of David's cherished red pickup, while fine for hauling the dog or a load of firewood, exist mostly in his own mind."

We also talked about David's KCRW show Overbooked, which airs Tuesdays at 4:44 p.m.

* We spent a long time chatting with Thomas Steinbeck, son of John, and contributor to the new anthology. We actually worked with Thomas about 10 years ago at a miserable little film production company ("a fantasy of a company," as Tom accurately described it) for a pair of fledgling producers, one of whom was a bullshitter, the other certifiable. We shared an office suite with a has-been actor's agent and what was then the L.A. outpost of Miramax Pictures. We reminisced for quite some time and discussed the possibility of a Q&A here at TEV.

* We also helped FOTEV Jim Ruland promote his forthcoming reading, Vermin on the Mount, scheduled for August 15 in Chinatown. Jim's pulled together a great schedule of readers, including Joe Meno, Josh Bearman and Andrea Seigel. (Call 213-625-7500 for details; we'll be pushing this one more as it gets nearer.)

There was a Mediabistro photographer who promised to send along some of the photos taken, so once they arrive, we'll update accordingly. Of the debauchery that followed, we're sworn to secrecy but can divulge that the evening culminated with getting our car locked into a West Hollywood parking structure and taking a taxi home. We think.

Special thanks and congratulations to fellow James Wood fan Darcy Cosper for the terrific job pulling this event together. The L.A. scene is better off for her return.

Posted by TEV at 11:42 AM |

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» Weekend blog shorts from L.A. Observed
The Juxtaposition is less a blog than a showcase of occasional essays by the two local writers who share the space. In La Ciudad, Scott O'Malley muses on the specialness of L.A. and missing his friend Zak. There is no... [Read More]

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