Leimert Park Book Fair

If you are in or near L.A. this weekend, check it out. Authors scheduled to appear include Ruth Forman, Imani Tolliver, Ishmael Reed, Attica Locke, Tananarive Due and many others.

The Dangerous Shirt + Book Fair

The Leimert Park Book Fair takes place this Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Leimert Park Village in south Los Angeles. The event will feature readings by noted authors including poet Al Young and speculative fiction writer Tananarive Due. There's a tribute to Octavia Butler scheduled and a sampling of food prepared by healthful cookbook author and chef Bryant Terry. For more information go here. (photo of drum circle at Leimert Park shown above).

And next Wednesday, June 10, in Tempe AZ, poet Alberto Rios will read at Changing Hands Bookstore. He'll be reading from his new poetry collection, The Dangerous Shirt (Copper Canyon Press 2009).

LAT Book Festival + Common writes children's books?

It's spring which means book festival time. I was looking at the list of authors for the LA Times Festival of Books which is April 25-26 at UCLA. There are hundreds of authors who will be there including:

Chris Abani
Mary Gaitskill
Aimee Bender
Kadir Nelson
Laila Lalami
Ron Carlson
Sesshu Foster

and Common.

Common Common?

Apparently he's interested in urban literacy and has started a children's book series. The first title, "Mirror in Me" was released in '08. He also has a foundation (Common Ground Foundation) that has created a website featuring a children's book club. Inkwell Bookstore Blog did a review of the website last month.

As my 98-year old grandmother likes to say, Well alright.