2008 Featured Guests
Featured Authors at the 7th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair
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Louis AlfaroLuis works in plays, poetry, short stories, performance and journalism. A Chicano, born and raised in downtown Los Angeles, he is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and a resident artist at the Mark Taper Forum, where he co-directs the Latino Theatre Initiative. He has toured his work in the United States, England, and Mexico. Panel: A Stranger Among Us: Stories of Cross Cultural Collision & Connection |
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Maryum “May May” Ali“MayMay” has dabbled in acting, comedy, writing, and even hiphop. She is the oldest of Muhammad Ali’s nine children, and her new book is an illustrated children’s book tribute to her father’s amazing life journey. Panel: Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books |
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Carol AltConstantly in search of new frontiers, Carol Alt is the ultimate chameleon. Since her days as the world’s most renowned supermodel, Carol Alt has gone on to be author, actress and entrepreneur. With a new series of books coming in 2008, Carol just keeps working and silencing the critics who insist: Supermodels are just beautiful, not smart. Panel: This Year’s Model: Carol Alt in Conversation with Laurie Pike |
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Gustavo ArrellanoGustavo Arellano is a staff writer with OC Weekly, a contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Op/Ed pages, and frequent guest on Public Radio International’s Weekend America. He writes “¡Ask a Mexican!,” a nationally syndicated column in which he answers any and all questions about America’s spiciest and largest minority. Panel: Political Satire |
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Ed Begley Jr.Actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. is known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle. He has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. His new book “Living Like Ed” is a look at the day-to-day realities of “living green.” Ed received six Emmy nominations for his role in the long-running TV series, “St. Elsewhere,” and his feature film credits include “A Mighty Wind” and “Batman Forever.” Panel: Sustainable LA |
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Ray BradburyRay Bradbury has published more than 600 short stories over a period of sixty years. He has written short stories, novels, screenplays, plays, and poetry. However, he has never confined his vision to the purely literary; he has been nominated for an Academy Award, won an Emmy Award, and adapted many stories for the Ray Bradbury Theater. Panel: In Conversation with Ray Bradbury |
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Gabrielle CalvocoressiPoet Gabrielle Calvocoressi grew up in central Connecticut, and her poems have been featured in “The New England Review”,” Ninth Letter”, and “The Paris Review”. A recipient of the Rona Jaffe Award for Emerging Women Writers, Gabrielle has been both a Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University. Panel: The Poetry Salon |
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Cristina GarciaCristina Garcia was born in Havana and grew up in New York City. Her first novel, “Dreaming in Cuban,” received critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Ms. Garcia has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, and the recipient of a Whiting Writer’s Award. Panel: Global Connections: Exploring the World of FictionStage: Fiction PavilionTime: 2:00-2:55pm |
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David GerroldDavid Gerrold started his career by submitting an unsolicited story outline for the series ‘Star Trek.’ He wrote ‘The Trouble with Tribbles,’ one of the most popular episodes of the original series. After his Trek success, Gerrold continued writing television scripts and science fiction novels. He has won Nebula and Hugo Awards. Panel: Star Trek the Manga Uchu |
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Beckian Fritz GoldbergThe author of six volumes of poetry, Beckian has been awarded the Theodore Roethke Poetry Prize, The Gettysburg Review Annual Poetry Award, a University of Akron Press Poetry Prize, a Field Poetry Prize, and a Pushcart Prize. She currently teaches at Arizona State University. Panel: The Poetry Salon |
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Heather GrahamNew York Times bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels, many of which have been featured by the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She is very proud to be a Killerette in the Killer Thriller Band, along with many fellow novelists she greatly admires. Panel: Crossing Over: Vampires, Werewolves, and more in the Detective Novel |
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Denise HamiltonDenise Hamilton writes the nationally best-selling Eve Diamond crime novels, featuring a reporter who solves murders in contemporary multicultural Los Angeles. A Los Angeles native herself, Hamilton is also a Fulbright Scholar who lived and taught in former Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War, before she became a novelist. Panel: Getting Serious About Crime: Crime Writers With Something to Say |
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Brian Herbert & Kevin J. AndersonBrian Herbert has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards. Kevin J. Anderson has also been nominated for the Nebula Award, as well as the Bram Stoker Award, and the SFX Reader’s Choice Award. The dynamic duo have just completed “Paul of Dune”, a direct sequel to the original “Dune” by Frank Herbert. Panel: Political Climates, Economic Uncertainty, Religious Controversy & the Science Fiction Writer |
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Eloise Klein HealyEloise is the author of six books of poetry, including “Artemis in Echo Park”, which was nominated for the Lambda Book Award and released as a spoken-word recording. Healy is the co-founder of ECO-ARTS, an ecotourism/arts venture, and her imprint with Red Hen Press, Arktoi Books, specializes in publishing the work of lesbian authors. Panel: Literati Cocktail |
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Stephen HunterStephen Hunter won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for his work as film critic at The Washington Post. He is the author of the bestselling novels Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, and the New York Times bestsellers Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs. Panel: High Octane Thrillers: How Authors & Screenwriters Fuel the Genre |
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Beth LapidesBeth created the Un-Cabaret, the legendary live show that led the ‘alternative comedy’ revolution. Her haiku collection “Did I Wake You?” is a humorous self-help and anti-self-help book, all rolled into one little whimsical-and slightly hostile-package. Panel: Un-Cabaret Performance |
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Sandra Tsing LohSandra is a writer/performer whose solo shows include “Mother on Fire” and “Sugar Plum Fairy.” She has been a regular commentator on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and on Ira Glass’ “This American Life.” Currently, KPCC (89.3 FM in Los Angeles) broadcasts her daily segment The Loh Down on Science and her weekly segment The Loh Life. American Public Media’s “Marketplace” broadcasts her monthy segment The Loh Down. Sandra is the author of several books, and has received a Pushcart Prize. Panel: Burning Moms in Conversation |
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Steve LopezSteve Lopez is a columnist for the LA Times. His work has won numerous national journalism awards for column writing and magazine reporting. Lopez is the author of several novels. His latest book, The Soloist: A Lost Dream, is about his friendship with a downtown Los Angeles musician. The Soloist has been made into a film to be released in theatres in November, 2008, starring Robert Downey Jr. Panel: Coming to a Theater Near You: The Road from Book/Screenplay to Film |
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Larry NivenLarry Niven is a worldwide bestselling author who has published over 60 books. He is best known for the legendary Ringworld series. A multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula awards, Niven was once named by Arthur.C.Clarke as his favourite author. His rigorous scientific consistency has earned a reputation as the premier modern author of “hard” SF. Niven resides in Chatsworth, California with his wife Marilyn, a cat, and some fish. Panel: Political Climates, Economic Uncertainty, Religious Controversy & the Science Fiction Writer |
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Gary PhillipsBiography TBA Panel: The Noir of Politics –Lust. Greed. Arrogance. Power. |
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Robert ScheerRobert Scheer has built a reputation for strong social and political writing over his 30 years as a journalist. He can be heard on the radio program “Left, Right and Center” on KCRW. His newest book is “Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I and Clinton–and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush.” Panel: The Noir of Politics |
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Ariel SchragAriel Schrag’s illustrations, comics, and original art have appeared in museums and galleries across the world. Her graphic novel, “Potential,” which was nominated for an Eisner Award, is being developed into a motion picture. She is the subject of a short documentary film which was the winner of the 2004 NewFest Audience Award. Panel: The Rise of LGBT Graphic Novels |
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David L. UlinLos Angeles Book Review critic David L. Ulin may be the only writer in the world who didn’t move to L.A. to get into the movies. He’s lived here for five years and hasn’t written one script. Or even seriously thought about it. Not that David has anything against movies. It’s just that his interests turn more towards books. Reading them, writing about them. And writing them. Panel: Changing Face of Book Culture in Los Angeles |
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James Van PraaghJames Van Praagh’s public popularity began during his appearances on the NBC talk show “The Other Side.” His unique paranormal experiences have led to his authoring several best-selling books, creating meditation programs, teaching mediumship classes, conducting seminars and producing several successful television projects. Panel: James Van Praagh in Conversation |
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Victor VillasenorBorn in the barrio of Carlsbad, California in 1940, Victor Villaseñor was raised on a ranch four miles north in Oceanside. Villaseñor became interested in writing at 20, and his work has been compared by the Los Angeles Times to the best of Steinbeck. His novels include the trilogy Wild Steps Of Heaven, Rain of Gold, and Thirteen Senses, Jury: The People vs Juan Corona, Macho! Burro Genius, the first book of the second trilogy, is a national bestseller, and was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Panel: Divine Inspiration: The Spiritual Roots of Memoir Writing |
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Robert Wagner“RJ” is a well-known star of over fifty films whose fascinating career is one few can rival. He is most recently known for his role as Number Two in ‘Austin Powers’. Wagner shares his epic life in a new memoir, chronicling his long movie and television career, his struggles, his achievements, and his loves. Panel: In Conversation with Robert Wagner |
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Amy WallaceAmy Wallace is the daughter of best-selling novelist Irving Wallace and coauthored several of the Wallace family’s nonfiction collaborations, including The Book of Lists, “the original, benchmark compendium of facts weirder than fiction, intriguing information, and must-talk-about trivia” that has sold over eight million copies worldwide and spawned many imitators. Amy is also the author of several well-received novels. Panel: The Book of Lists: Horror |
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Kim Wayans & Kevin KnottsKim Wayans and Kevin Knotts are actors, comedians and writers (also wife and husband). Kim starred on the groundbreaking comedy series, In Living Color. Kim and Kevin were inspired to write the Amy Hodgepodge series by their beautiful nieces and nephews—many of whom are mixed race children—and by the fact that when you look around the world today, it’s more of a hodgepodge than ever. Panel: Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books |
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Lisa YeeLisa Yee is the author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, winner of the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Lisa’s novel, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time won the Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book of the Year award, and was named an American Library Association Notable Book. Lisa was also named the 2007 Thurber House Children’s Author-in-Residence. Panel: Tough Issues, Light Touches: Writing for Teens Without Turning Them Off |
Additional Guests by Genre
CATEGORY: ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITY AUTHORS/ACTORS
Carol Alt - Since her days as the world’s most renowned Supermodel, Carol Alt has gone on to be author, actress and entrepreneur.
Appearance: “This Year’s Model: Carol Alt in Conversation with Laurie Pike” at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 1pm
Adrienne Barbeau - A stage, screen, and TV star, as well as an LA Times Bestselling author who has just written her 1st vampire
novel. Appearance: “Author/Actress: Famous Females Tackle Fiction” panel at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 1:45pm
Ed Begley Jr. - Renowned actor and activist who is known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle. His new book is a look at the realities of “living green.” Appearance: “Sustainable L.A.” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 12pm
Evan Handler - An actor and critically acclaimed author of a memoir which chronicled his triumph over an “incurable” form of leukemia.
Appearance: “When the Camera Stops Rolling: Lives of the Celebrated in Public & Private” panel at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 12pm
Leslie Jordan - Winner of an Emmy Award, Leslie has written several award-winning plays, screenplays, and books about his colorful life. Appearance: “When the Camera Stops Rolling: Lives of the Celebrated in Public & Private” panel at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 12pm
Evan Kleinman - Evan Kleiman has been the host of Good Food on KCRW since 1998. A longtime restaurateur and owner of
Angeli Caffe on Melrose, she was the founder of Slow Food, Los Angeles and is an avid gardener.
Appearance: “Good Food Live” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 11am
Peter Lefcourt - Lefcourt has distinguished himself as a writer and producer of film and television. Among his credits are “Cagney and Lacey,” for which he won an Emmy Award. Lefcourt is the author of “The Deal,” one of the ten books that John Gotti reportedly ordered from jail, that was recently adapted into a movie — starring William H. Macy, Meg Ryan and L.L. Cool Jay – that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Fest. Appearance: “Coming to a Theater Near You: The Road from Book/Screenplay to Film” panel at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 3:45pm
Randy Oglesby – A prolific actor best known for his role as Degra on Star Trek: Enterprise. Appearance: Performing “Green Eggs & Ham” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 11:50am
Heather Thomas - A well-known actress, political activist and author whose debut novel has received widespread critical acclaim. Appearance: “Author/Actress: Famous Females Tackle Fiction” panel at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 1:45pm
Sandra Tsing Loh - Besides being an accomplished performer and author of several books, Sandra Tsing Loh has received a
Pushcart Prize. Appearance: “Burning Moms” panel at The Writer’s Pavilion at 4pm
James Van Praagh - Considered a pioneer of the mediumship movement, James has written award-winning spiritual meditation books. Appearance: “James Van Praagh in Conversation” at The Open Book Pavilion at 1:45pm
Robert Wagner - Well-known star of over fifty films whose fascinating career is one few can rival. “RJ” shares his epic life in a new Memoir. Appearance: “In Conversation with Robert Wagner” at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 3pm
Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts - Husband & wife actors, comedians and co-authors who were inspired to write by their beautiful mixed-race nieces and nephews. Appearance: “Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 12:10pm
Wil Wheaton - A writer, actor, and geek icon known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next
Generation, as Gordie LaChance in the film Stand By Me, and as prep-school rebel Joseph ‘Joey’ Trotta in Toy Soldiers. Appearance: “Star Trek the Manga” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 3:50pm
CATEGORY: POLITICS, CULTURE & NON-FICTION
Gustavo Arrellano - He writes a nationally syndicated column, “Ask a Mexican,” in which he answers questions about America’s
spiciest and largest minority. Appearance: “Political Satire” panel at the People. Places & Politics Pavilion at 2pm
Jonathan Gold - Pulitzer Prize winning food critic for the LA Weekly. Appearance: “Good Food Live” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 11am
Annabelle Gurwitch - An actress and writer who takes social issues and gives them her own brand of humor and perspective. Time Magazine cited her as the “person to know” for her work on The Fired book and documentary film. She is currently a contributing writer and commentator at NPR and columnist for The Nation Magazine where her targets are everything from politics to pop culture. Appearance: “Political Satire” panel at the People. Places & Politics Pavilion at 2pm
Kevin Roderick - The founder, publisher and editor of LA Observed. He is a respected journalist and radio commentator, the author of two books about Los Angeles, and a native Angeleno. He has been a Contributing Writer at Los Angeles magazine for several years, reporting mostly on politics and media. His most recent book,” Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles,” was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and end-of-year Favorite Book of the Times Book Review. Appearance: “The Noir of Politics—Lust. Greed. Arrogance. Power.” panel at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 12pm.
Robert Scheer - Robert has a reputation for strong social and political writing, and can be heard on “Left, Right and Center” on KCRW. Appearance: “The Noir of Politics—Lust. Greed. Arrogance. Power.” panel at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 12pm
David Ulin - Long time Los Angeles Times Book Review critic and “the only writer in the world who didn’t move to L.A. to get into the movies.” Appearance: “The Changing Face of Book Culture in Los Angeles” panel at The Writer’s Pavilion at 3pm
Victor Villasenor - Villaseñor’s body of works include the trilogy Wild Steps Of Heaven, Rain of Gold, and Thirteen Senses, Jury: The People vs Juan Corona, Macho! Burro Genius, the first book of the second trilogy, is a national bestseller, and was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Appearance: “Divine Inspiration: The Spiritual Roots of Memoir Writing” panel at The Writer’s Pavilion at 1pm
CATEGORY: MEMOIR
Samantha Dunn - Author of Failing Paris (Toby Press), a finalist for the PEN West Fiction Award in 2000, and the memoir, No By Accident: Reconstructing a Careless Life, a BookSense 76 pick. Her most recent memoir, Faith in Carlos Gomez: A Memoir of Salsa, Sex and Salvation. Appearance: “Divine Inspiration: The Spiritual Roots of Memoir Writing” panel at The Writer’s Pavilion at 1pm
Also Appearing On: “Arf, Neigh, Howl: Animals in American Culture & Myth” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 3:30pm
Jay Kopelman - The co-author of, “From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava,” Jay deployed to Iraq in September, 2004 to train the Iraqi Special Forces. In October, he was assigned as the liaison officer to an Iraqi Army battalion, and in November they entered Fallujah to battle insurgents for control of the city. It was there that he met and adopted Lava, a five week old puppy abandoned during the days before the invasion.
Appearance: “Arf, Neigh, Howl: Animals in American Culture & Myth” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 3:30pm
Adam Nimoy - Son of Leonard Nimoy, Adam gave up law to direct television. He has recently written an anti-memoir about his unusual life. Appearance: “How I Got Over: Stories of Addiction, Recovery & Everything in Between” at The Open Book Pavilion at 2:30pm
Victor Villasenor - Villaseñor’s body of works include the trilogy Wild Steps Of Heaven, Rain of Gold, and Thirteen Senses, Jury: The People vs Juan Corona, Macho! Burro Genius, the first book of the second trilogy, is a national bestseller, and was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Appearance: “Divine Inspiration: The Spiritual Roots of Memoir Writing” panel at The Writer’s Pavilion at 1pm
Robert Wagner - “RJ” is a well-known star of over fifty filmsl. He is most recently known for his role as Number Two in ‘Austin
Powers’. Wagner shares his epic life in a new memoir, chronicling his long movie and television career, his struggles, his achievements, and his loves. Appearance: “In Conversation with Robert Wagner” at the That’s Entertainment Pavilion at 3pm
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT (FOCUS ON LA, LIVING SUSTAINABLY, & LA’s ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
Ed Begley Jr. - Actor and activist who is known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle. His new book is a look at the realities of “living green.” Appearance: “Sustainable L.A.” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 12pm
Thomas M. Kostigen - Thomas M. Kostigen is coauthor of New York Times bestseller The Green Book. He writes the “Ethics Monitor”
column for Dow Jones MarektWatch and is a longtime journalist. He has been writing about global warming, the environment, social issues and government policies for two decades. Appearance: “Sustainable L.A.” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 12pm
Anna Sklar - Anna Sklar has been a reporter for NPR’s All Things Considered, KCET-TV’s weekly news, and has contributed to the LA Times and The Nation among other publications. She contributes to the nationally syndicated radio program, Earth News Radio. Anna’s new book is “Brown Acres: An Intimate History of the Los Angeles Sewers.” Appearance: “The Dirty History of LA: On Pollution, Sewers & Our Aging Infrastructure” panel at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 4pm
CATEGORY: FICTION
Michael Blake – Author of “Dances with Wolves.” Projects include a film of The Holy Road, based on the second in the Dances with Wolves series, and the last of the three books in the series. Appearance: “Arf, Neigh, Howl: Animals in American Culture & Myth” panel at The Open Book Pavilion at 3:30pm
Janet Fitch - Known for her Oprah selected book “White Oleander”, Janet now teaches at USC and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Appearance: “The 2nd Novel Nightmare” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 12pm
Cristina Garcia – Garcia’s first novel, “Dreaming in Cuban”, received critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University, and the recipient of a Whiti Writer’s Award. Appearance: “Global Connections: Exploring the World of Fiction” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 2pm
Peter Lefcourt - Lefcourt has distinguished himself as a writer and producer of film and television. Among his credits are “Cagney and
Lacey,” for which he won an Emmy Award. Lefcourt is the author of “The Deal,” one of the ten books that John Gotti reportedly ordered from jail, that was recently adapted into a movie — starring William H. Macy, Meg Ryan and L.L. Cool Jay – that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Appearance: “Coming to a Theater Near You: The Road from Book/Screenplay to Film” panel at the That’s Entertainment
Pavilion at 3:45pm
Nina Revoyr - Nina Revoyr’s first book, The Necessary Hunger, was described by Time magazine as “the kind of irresistible read you start on the subway at 6 p.m. on the way home from work and keep plowing through until you’ve turned the last page at 3 a.m. in bed.” Her second novel, Southland, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and “Best Book of 2003,” an Edgar Award finalist, and the winner of the Lambda Literary Award. Publishers Weekly called it “Compelling… never lacking in vivid detail and authentic atmosphere, the novel cements Revoyr’s reputation as one of the freshest young chroniclers of life in L.A.” Nina’s third book, The Age of Dreaming, was published in April, 2008. Appearance: “The 2nd Novel Nightmare” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 12pm
Mark Sarvas – Sarvas is best known as the host of the popular and controversial literary weblog “The Elegant Variation”, a Guardian Top 10 Literary Blog, a Forbes Magazine Best of the Web pick, and a Los Angeles Magazine Top L.A. Blog. His debut novel, “Harry Revised,” was published in May 2008. Appearance: “Bliss, Boredom & Bye-Bye: Facets of Love and Loss in Fiction” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 11am
Lisa Yee - Lisa Yee is the author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius. The winner of the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award, there are over 300,000 copies of MILLIE in print. Lisa’s second novel, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time won the Chinese American Librarian Association Best Book of the Year award, and was named an American Library Association Notable Book. Lisa was also named the 2007 Thurber House Children’s Author-in-Residence. Appearance: “Tough Issues, Light Touches: Writing for Teens Without Turning them Off” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 1pm
CATEGORY: MYSTERY
Heather Graham - This bestselling author has written more than a hundred novels and is proud to be a Killerette in the Killer Thriller Band. Appearance: “Crossing Over: Vampires, Werewolves and More in the Detective Novel” panel at the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion at 11:45am
Denise Hamilton - Author of the Eve Diamond crime novels, and a Fulbright Scholar who taught in Yugoslavia during the Bosnian
War. Appearance: “Getting Serious About Crime: Crime Writers with Something to Say” panel at the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion at 2:30pm
Naomi Hirahara - The Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery, she has recently written the middle-reader book “1001 Cranes.” Appearance: “Fooling Reader While Playing Fair: Tricks of the Mystery Writing Craft” panel at the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion at 10:30am
Stephen Hunter - Stephen Hunter won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as well as the 1998 American Society of Newspaper
Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism for his work as film critic at The Washington Post. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, and the New York Times bestsellers Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs. His forthcoming book is Night of Thunder: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel. Appearance: “High Octane Thrillers: How Authors & Screenwriters Fuel the Genre” at the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion at 1pm
Gary Phillips – TBA
Appearance: “The Noir of Politics – Lust. Greed. Arrogance. Power.” at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 12pm.
CATEGORY: SCIENCE FICTION & HORROR
Stephen Barnes - Stephen Barnes has published 23 novels, including the New York Times bestseller “The Cestus Deception.” His latest is “In the Night of the Heat,” an Atria mystery written with his wife, supernatural novelist Tananarive Due, and movie star Blair Underwood. Appearance: Stephen Barnes will present “Creating a Believable Character from Start to Finish” a writing workshop in The Writing Room at 3pm
Ray Bradbury - Ray has written over 600 various works, adapted many stories for the Ray Bradbury Theater, and has won an Emmy
Award. Appearance: “In Conversation with Ray Bradbury” at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 1pm
David Gerrold - Gerrold wrote ‘The Trouble with Tribbles,’ one of the most popular episodes of the original series. After his Trek success, Gerrold continued writing television scripts and science fiction novels. He has won Nebula and Hugo Awards. Appearance: “Star Trek the Manga” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 3:50pm
Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson - Coauthors of the continuation of the “Dune” series, based on the original works of Frank
Herbert. Brian is Frank Herbert’s son. Appearance: “Political Climates, Economic Uncertainty, Religious Controversy & the SciFi
Writer” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 11am
Larry Niven - Larry has written over 60 books, including well-known “Ringworld”. He is a winner of five Hugo Awards and a Nebula Award. Appearance: “Political Climates, Economic Uncertainty, Religious Controversy & the SciFi Writer” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 11am
Amy Wallace - Amy Wallace is the co-author of “The Book of Lists,” “the original, benchmark compendium of facts weirder than fiction,
intriguing information, and must-talk-about trivia that has sold over eight million copies worldwide and spawned many imitators.
Appearance: “The Book of Lists: Horror” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond panel at 3:50pm
CATEGORY: COMICS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, MANGA
David Gerrold – Gerrold wrote ‘The Trouble with Tribbles,’ one of the most popular episodes of the original series. After his Trek success, Gerrold continued writing television scripts and science fiction novels. He has won Nebula and Hugo Awards. Appearance: “Star Trek the Manga Uchu” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 3:50pm
Jordan Mechner - Writer, game designer and filmmaker Jordan Mechner is one of the videogame industry’s most respected
creators. His games, including Karateka, Prince of Persia, and The Last Express, have sold millions of copies. His current projects include an upcoming feature film based on Prince of Persia, and a Prince of Persia graphic novel to be published by First Second Books.
Appearance: TBA
Ariel Schrag - Ariel’s illustrations, comics, and original art have been seen across the world. She was also nominated for an Eisner Award. Appearance: “The Rise of the LGBT Graphic Novel” panel at The Queer As LA Folk Pavilion at 2pm
Wil Wheaton - Wil was first seen in “Stand by Me” and “Star Wars: The Next Generation.” He has written Star Wars Manga and his
memoirs. Appearance: “Star Trek the Manga” panel at the Comics, SciFi & Beyond Pavilion at 3:50pm
CATEGORY: WRITER/PERFORMER—INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
Luis Alfaro – Luis works in plays, poetry, short stories, performance and journalism. A Chicano, born and raised in downtown Los
Angeles, he is the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and a resident artist at the Mark Taper Forum, where he is co-director of the Latino Theatre Initiative. He was a visiting artist to The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has toured his work throughout the United States, England, and Mexico. Appearance: “A Stranger Among Us: Stories of Cross Cultural Collision and Connection” panel at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 1pm
CeCe Antoinette – Actress and writer….more TBA.
Appearance: “The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival Presents” at The Robertson Theater stage at 1:45pm
Beth Lapides – Beth is a writer, actress and comedian who created the live LA show “The Un-Cabaret”, and recently wrote the humorous
haiku collection “Did I Wake You?” Appearance: Un-Cabaret Performance at The Robertson Salon at 11:45am
Writing Workshop: If Your Onstage Reading Sucks, They Won’t Buy the Book: Performance for Writers (hosted in The Writing Room from 1:30-3pm)
Ruth Otero – Actress and writer…more TBA.
Appearance: “The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival Presents” at The Robertson Theater stage at 1:45pm
The Lindz – Actress and writer…more TBA
Appearance: “The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival Presents” at The Robertson Theater stage at 1:45pm
Mortified – Hailed a “cultural phenomenon” by Newsweek and celebrated for years by the likes of This American Life, The Today Show, Esquire, The Onion AV Club, Daily Candy, Entertainment Weekly, and E!, Mortified is a comic excavation of the strange and extraordinary things we created as kids. Witness adults sharing their own adolescent journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories and more. Appearance: The Robertson Theater at 1pm
Da’ Poetry Lounge - Da’ Poetry Lounge is the largest and longest running weekly poetry venue in Hollywood’s history. It is an open forum designed to allow artists of all fields to perform or showcase their artform. Birthed in 1998, Da’ Poetry Lounge has become a tourist attraction as well as a haven for many years. Bringing together the most diverse of audiences, Da’ Poetry Lounge provides an important forum for personal expression without criticism or judgment. Appearance: The Robertson Coffee House at 1pm
Story Salon - TBA
Appearance: The Robertson Theater at 12pm
Chi Chi’s Word Parlor – Chi Chi’s Word Parlor is an hour long performance created in the spirit of a “Salon” and improvisational theater. Five to six writers read short stories and poems and musicians play music in between readings. Two brave souls show off their improvisational skills in “lockdown” where the MC generates audience suggestions for the writers and the writers create a story from these suggestions which they read at the end of the show. Appearance: The Robertson Theater at 3pm
Word Theatre - WordTheatre is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the love of language and literature alive through the ancient
tradition of oral storytelling. Since it’s inception in 2003, Artistic Director Cedering Fox and her partners have been creating and producing live events featuring literary works performed by world-class authors and actors at their salons in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Appearance: The Robertson Coffee House at TBA
CATEGORY: LGBT
Luis Alfaro – Luis works in plays, poetry, short stories, performance and journalism. A Chicano raised in downtown Los Angeles, heis the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and a resident artist at the Mark Taper Forum, where he co-directs the Latino Theatre Initiative. He has toured his work throughout the United States, England, and Mexico. As an activist, he works with at-risk youth, has co-founded three non-profit arts organizations, and chaired the Gay Men of Color Consortium. Appearance: “A Stranger Among Us: Stories of Cross Cultural Collision and Connection” panel at the People, Places & Politics Pavilion at 1pm
Gabrielle Calvocoressi – Renowned poet and recipient of the Rona Jaffe Award, Gabrielle is both a Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University. Appearance: “The Poetry Salon” at The Robertson Salon at 12:45pm
Michael Kearns - For more than a quarter of a century, Michael Kearns has been a fixture in the Los Angeles world of art and
politics. He received the prestigious 2002 Playwrights’ Arena Award for Outstanding Contribution to Los Angeles Theatre, acknowledging three decades of work as an actor, writer, producer, director, teacher, and fundraiser. Appearance: “Queer Renegades” readings at The Queer As LA Folk Pavilion at 12pm
Eloise Klein Healy - Eloise is the author of six books of poetry, including “Artemis in Echo Park”, which was nominated for the Lambda Book Award and released as a spoken-word recording. Healy is the co-founder of ECO-ARTS, an ecotourism/arts venture, and her imprint with Red Hen Press, Arktoi Books, specializes in publishing the work of lesbian authors. Appearance: “Literati Cocktail” poetry reading event at The Robertson Coffee House at 11:15am
Nina Revoyr - Author of three novels, Nina has won the Ferro Grumley and Lambda Literary Awards for her riveting, fast-paced style.
Appearance: “The 2nd Novel Nightmare” panel at the Fiction Pavilion at 12pm
Christopher Rice – Author of three best selling novels and a regular columnist for The Advocate magazine. Christopher Rice is the son of best-selling novelist Anne Rice and a leader in the gay community. Appearance: “We Are Everywhere: New and Unique Voices in LGBT Fiction” at The Queer as LA Folk Pavilion at 11am
Ariel Schrag - Ariel’s illustrations, comics, and original art have been seen across the world. She was also nominated for an Eisner Award. Appearance: “The Rise of the LGBT Graphic Novel” panel at The Queer As LA Folk Pavilion at 2pm
Frederick Smith - Bio TBA
Appearance: “We Are Everywhere: New & Unique Voices in LGBT Fiction” panel at The Queer As LA Folk Pavilion at 11am
Patricia Nell Warren - Warren’s most celebrated novel,” The Front Runner,” was first published by William Morrow in 1974, and has
become the most popular gay love story of all time. With eight successful novels to her credit and an estimated readership of over twenty million people worldwide, her books are considered by many to be an intrinsic part of the GLBT rites of passage as well as a literary synthesis of the gay and lesbian experience. Appearance: “Love, West Hollywood” panel at The Queer As LA Folk Pavilion at 1pm
Jess Wells - Jess is a four-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, and recipient of a San Francisco Arts Commission Grant for
Literature. Appearance: “We Are Everywhere: New & Unique Voices in LGBT Fiction” panel at The Queer as LA Folk Pavilion at 11am
CATEGORY: POETRY
Gabrielle Calvocoressi - Gabrielle’s poems have been featured in “The New England Review”,” Ninth Letter”, and “The Paris Review”. A recipient of the Rona Jaffe Award for Emerging Women Writers, Gabrielle has been both a Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University. Appearance: “The Poetry Salon” readings at The Robertson Salon at 12:45pm
Beckian Fritz Goldberg - The author of six volumes of poetry, Beckian has been awarded the Theodore Roethke Poetry Prize, The Gettysburg Review Annual Poetry Award, a University of Akron Press Poetry Prize, a Field Poetry Prize, and a Pushcart Prize. She currently teaches at Arizona State University. Appearance: “The Poetry Salon” at The Robertson Salon stage at 12:45pm
Eloise Klein Healy - Eloise is the author of six books of poetry, including “Artemis in Echo Park”, which was nominated for the Lambda Book Award and released as a spoken-word recording. Healy is the co-founder of ECO-ARTS, an ecotourism/arts venture, and her imprint with Red Hen Press, Arktoi Books, specializes in publishing the work of lesbian authors. Appearance: “Literati Cocktail” poetry reading event at The Robertson Coffee House at 11:15am
CATEGORY: CHILDREN
Maryum “May May” Ali - “MayMay” has dabbled in acting, comedy, writing, and even hiphop. She is the oldest of Muhammad Ali’s nine
children, and her new book, “I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali,” is an illustrated tribute to her father’s amazing life journey. Appearance: “Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 12:10pm
Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts - Husband & wife actors and co-authors who were inspired to write by their beautiful mixed-race nieces and nephews will read from their book,” Amy Hodgepodge - All Mixed Up.” Appearance: “Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 12:10pm
George McClements - McClements is the author of such popular picture books as “Night of the Veggie Monster.” He will be reading from his latest book, “Baron Von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident.” Appearance: “Storytime Steve: Authors & Actors Reading Children’s Books” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 12:10
Randy Oglesby - A prolific actor best known for his role as Degra on Star Trek: Enterprise. Randy will perform in “Green Eggs &
Ham” at the West Hollywood Book Fair. Appearance: Performing “Green Eggs & Ham” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 11:50am
Media City Ballet - Media City Ballet, one of the major ballet companies of the Southern California area, will premiere the ballet, “The Four Musicians” at the West Hollywood Book Fair. This colorful production with an original score is based on the classic Grimm’s fairy tale, The Four Musicians of Bremen. MCB produces three major performances a year, including The Nutcracker. The company also puts on several smaller performances, has an active educational outreach program, and sponsors the Media City Junior Ballet Company.
Appearance: “The Four Musicians” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 1:35pm
Will & Co. - Returning for a third year, Will & Company - a not-for-profit multicultural theater group is presenting their newest adaptation: a fast paced engaging tale based on Collodi’s classic work, Pinocchio. The infamous wooden puppet learns many lessons
about kindness, patience, courage and honesty after he runs away from his father, Gepetto. Appearance: “Pinocchio” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 11am
East West Discovery Press - East West Discovery Press will bring author Icy Smith to the stage to do a dramatic reading of her new book, “Mei Ling in China City,” a story about Los Angeles’ early Chinatown. Appearance: “Mei Ling in China City” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 1:15pm
Rogue Artists Ensemble - Rogue Artists Ensemble is a collective of multidisciplinary artists who created Hyper-theatre, an
innovative hybrid of theater traditions, puppetry, mask work, dance, music and modern technology. They are proud to present their first all-ages production, “The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone” based on the children’s book by Timothy Basil Ering, and featuring life-sized puppets and original music. Appearance: “The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone” on the Target Kids’ Stage at 3:35pm