Lots of cities have great literary reading series — and whenever I happen by one while traveling, I wish there were something like it in L.A. too. Other writers, apparently, have also had this same thought — then actually taken action to make it happen. One San Francisco-area reading series has now spread to seven cities across the United States, from Austin to New York to Los Angeles!
That series is Why There Are Words. Founded by Peg Alford Pursell in Sausalito back in 2010, the series came to Los Angeles in February 2017, thanks to a couple of my favorite local literary people, Ashley Perez and Patrick O’Neil. Each event is held in a different space, featuring a motley crew of writers, some published, some not, some local, some on tour.
And I got to read in the series back in April last year! It happened in a sunny Koreatown living room — readers at the mic up front, wine, drinks, and Skylight Books selling books in the back.
The event happens every other month 2nd Sunday of the month, and the next one — themed “Spring is In the Air” — is coming up Sun., April 8 at 6:30 pm at KaffeBaren in downtown LA. Be there to hear Dana Johnson, Yelena Moskovich, Julia Fierro, Kate Maruyama, and Lisbeth Coiman.
Follow Why There Are Words’ Facebook page to hear of future events.
