LitFest Pasadena
After being rained out in March, LitFest Pasadena's inaugural festival has been rescheduled for Sat., May 12 at Pasadena's Central Park, 275 S. Raymond Ave. Admission is free.
Everything (and more!) that was planned for the rained-out event will be part of the May event: a celebratory day of readings and panel discussions featuring well-known local and California authors, hands-on activities for young people, good food, better books, and great fun, all aimed at promoting the literary arts.
Panel discussions will explore topics such as 21st Century Noir; The Rise of the Graphic& Novel; Local L. A. Publishers: Where New York Dominates, L.A. Innovates; The L.A. Canvas; and History, Fiction...Truth?
Confirmed authors include Pulitzer Prize-winners Jonathan Gold and Daniel Howe; novelists Janet Fitch, David Ebershoff, Lian Dolan and Altadena's Michelle Huneven; poet and Young Adult author Ron Koertge; scholar and Libros Schmibros founder David Kipen; and L.A. mystery writer Denise Hamilton. More than 40 publishers and vendors will have books by these and other authors available for sale at the event.
A children's area will feature Vroman's storyteller Mr. Steve, Brit-Lit Steampunk performed by actors from Foshay Learning Center, and a Quidditch demonstration!
Attendees can look forward to an irreverent and informative festival that incorporates theater, music, poetry, and more. Some of L.A.'s hottest gourmet food trucks, courtesy of Chefs Center, will be located along Raymond Avenue, and public parking is under the Gold Line Del Mar Station directly across the street from Central Park, comfortable green space between Raymond and Fair Oaks Avenues just south of the historic Castle Green.
LItFest at Altadena Ale & Wine House
You don't have to wait until LitFest Pasadena to enjoy spirited conversation with other like-minded literature lovers. Simply show up at the Altadena Ale & Wine House (Altadenablog sponsor) at 2329 Fair Oaks Ave. (http://www.altadenaalehouse.com/) on Tuesday, April 24 after 6 PM (if you’re 21 or older), and you'll be supporting the literary arts while having a great time.
A suggested contribution of $5 entitles you to a raffle ticket and the opportunity to win books—some signed by their authors—and an assortment of literary ephemera to be raffled off throughout the evening. Brief readings by LitFest co-founder Larry Wilson of the Pasadena Star News and Brendan Constantine, author of Calamity Joe (Red Hen Press) will begin at 7 PM, and other local luminaries may be inspired to put on surprise performances.
Thanks to Altadena Ale & Wine House proprietors Gail and Judah Casburn, a percentage of the proceeds from the evening's festivities will go to benefit LitFest Pasadena.
More information about the Altadena Ale & Wine House LitFestPasadena benefit on April 24—and LitFest Pasadena—is available at http://litfestpasadena.org/
UPDATE: Peggy Sue Davis at LitFest tells us: "There's an exciting addition to Tuesday's Altadena Ale & Wine House's poetry-reading benefit on behalf of LitFest Pasadena: Linda Dove, Altadena's own newly inaugurated poet laureate, will be reading her work. Also on the bill are LitFest co-founder Larry Wilson of the Pasadena Star News and Brendan Constantine, author of Calamity Joe. The event starts at 6 PM on Tuesday, April 24, and will include spirited conversation and book raffles throughout the evening. "
