ALOUD @ Los Angeles Public Library

Fairchild, winner of the Kingsley Tufts Award, and Paschen, winner of the Nicholas Roerich Prize, read poems that celebrate how the humble -- the work of a machine shop, the duties of a home -- is exalted by attention and care, just as their poems are distinguished by thoughtfulness, gratitude, and a deep concern for the well-made phrase.

Arax, a native son, spent four years traveling the breadth of the Golden State to explore its singular place in the world. From the marijuana growing capital of the U.S. to the town that inspired The Grapes of Wrath, Arax offers a stunning panorama of California in a new century.

SurveyLA marks a coming-of-age for LA's historic preservation movement. Join amateur historians and LA aficionados for the public kick off of SurveyLA, share your knowledge of LA's hidden gems, view a screening of the SurveyLA video, and attend a lively panel discussion with city officials, preservationists, community organizers and developers regarding this historic survey.

In this groundbreaking work, Hajratwala mixes history, memoir, and reportage to explore the questions facing not only her own Indian family but that of every immigrant: Where did we come from? Why did we leave? What did we give up and gain in the process?

Nilekani, Co-Chairman of Infosys, was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006 and Forbes Businessman of the Year in 2007. In his new book Imagining India, he discusses the future of the subcontinent and its role as a global citizen and emerging economic giant.

Relying on recently declassified documents, Richelson--Senior Fellow with the National Security Archive--reveals how NEST operated during the Cold War, how the agency has evolved, and its current efforts to reduce the chance of a nuclear device decimating an American city.

Three emerging women writers discuss using nontraditional forms for an unconventional city, writing a polyvocal landscape for a polyvocal world, publishing with an independent press, and why women write LA better than anybody.

A renowned scholar and translator offers a unique adaptation of the greatest passages from two ancient successors to Lao-tzu, illuminated by his own poetic commentary.

A bestselling nonfiction author and renowned physician makes the leap to fiction with this epic tale that spans three continents and five decades, from a convent in India to a cargo ship bound for Yemen; from an operating room in Ethiopia to a hospital in the Bronx.

Is Pershing Square a study in failed urban design? What would it take to bring it back? Could we take lessons from New York City's beloved Bryant Park? Join us for a discussion on the future of what was once one of the most vibrant and elegant public spaces in downtown Los Angeles.