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a novel idea<br />
The LA Times 18Th AnnuAL FesTivAL oF Books<br />
by Cortney Long and Simone guLLberg<br />
C<br />
4<br />
elebrity sightings, food truck tasting,<br />
the opportunity to expand your literary<br />
repertoire beyond “Harry Potter” and<br />
“The Hunger Games,” and a chance to support<br />
Cal State Long Beach’s very own Professor<br />
Charles Harper Webb. What more could any<br />
student ask for?<br />
Our lives have become a rinse and repeat<br />
cycle of an online world. In this not-so-new age<br />
of technology, books have become outdated,<br />
vintage almost. However, the LA Times 18th<br />
Annual Festival of Books on <strong>April</strong> 20 and 21<br />
at the University of Southern California allows<br />
you to break the monotony, and rock those<br />
bookworm glasses that have been collecting<br />
dust in your room.<br />
The Festival of Books is a free event that<br />
celebrates the love of all things literate. It features<br />
exhibits and seminars from prominent authors,<br />
along with storytelling and poetry-readings. If<br />
your pockets are feeling a bit heavy with the free<br />
entrance, there are more than 300 exhibitors<br />
selling and promoting books and book-related<br />
items from the Los Angeles area. The festival<br />
has become the largest and most prestigious<br />
book festival in the country, attracting more than<br />
150,000 people each year.<br />
The festival attracts all type of book lovers:<br />
even celebrities. This year’s Festival of Books<br />
will feature timeless Breakfast Club actress<br />
Molly Ringwald and Comedy Central comedian<br />
Demetri Martin.<br />
An even better reason to attend the Festival is to<br />
cheer on Professor Webb as he gives a reading<br />
of his newest collection of poetry, “What Things<br />
Are Made Of.” Webb has been teaching creative<br />
writing at CSULB for more than 20 years and<br />
has participated almost annually in the Festival<br />
of Books for the past 10 years. “What Things<br />
Are Made Of” debuted last month, and Webb is<br />
excited to give its first reading at 3:30 p.m. on<br />
Sat., <strong>April</strong> 20.<br />
“I think it’s fairly typical of my work, and it’s<br />
seriously funny,” Webb says. “I use a lot of humor<br />
in my work.”<br />
As a veteran of the Festival, Webb urges<br />
students to attend, especially if they have any<br />
interest in writing or reading.<br />
“The festival is the place,” he said. “They have<br />
really well-known writers and terrific poets, and<br />
a bunch of celebrities. I even saw Eric Idle from<br />
Monty Python one year.”<br />
Even if you aren’t the most avid of readers, don’t<br />
throw this Festival on the shelf just yet. (Pun<br />
intended). The Festival offers much more than<br />
just books. Unleash the inner Emeril Lagasse<br />
with cooking demonstrations and appearances<br />
from famous foodies. Brian Boitano, Olympic<br />
gold medalist figure skater, and host of Food<br />
Network’s What Will Brian Boitano Make, will be<br />
attending, as well as Top Chef’s Susan Feniger<br />
and Antonia Lofaso. The cherry on top? Once<br />
again, pun intended. The entire cooking stage<br />
The Festival of Books is sure to attract huge crowds on the USC campus every year.<br />
will be surrounded by food trucks- an LA staple.<br />
There will be food trucks there…need we say<br />
more?<br />
For those who fancy themselves more cultural<br />
than culinary, this year’s Festival boasts<br />
the addition of a Pop & Hiss music stage.<br />
All weekend long, local LA bands like Max<br />
Lugavere, Dustbowl Revival and Jasper Dixon<br />
Review will rock the eardrums of attendees.<br />
If in need of intellectual stimulation, head over<br />
to the conversation panels where current events<br />
and social matters will be discussed. The topics<br />
range anywhere from legalization of marijuana<br />
and gun control policy, to sexuality and religion.<br />
A must-see is the panel on humor-writing with<br />
Twitter legend Kelly Oxford, Chelsea Lately’s<br />
Heather McDonald, and NPR and The Moth’s<br />
Ophira Eisenberg.<br />
This month, forget about your electronics and<br />
take a step into the past. Revisit a time where<br />
books actually had covers and pages, rather than<br />
screens and buttons. No time machine required.<br />
The Festival of Books runs approximately from<br />
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at USC, on the weekend of<br />
<strong>April</strong> 20 and 21. The metro is running through<br />
the USC campus for the first time this year, so<br />
without the hefty $10 USC parking fee, there<br />
really is no excuse not to go. Leave your car in<br />
the LBC, hop on the metro and enjoy a weekend<br />
of books. You can even take your phone with<br />
you for the mandatory Facebook, Twitter and<br />
Instagram updates.<br />
Photo by Cortney Long<br />
Professor Charles Harper Webb featured with his<br />
book, “What Things Are Made Of.”
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