Michele StuevenBest known for The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz, and his memoir, My Dark Places, LA Author James Ellroy is a giant of American crime fiction. His last book, The Enchanters, came out in 2023, a novel that featured his recurring character, Freddy Otash. His upcoming novel, titled Red Sheet, is scheduled for release on Tuesday, June 9, and continues the story of the Hollywood fixer
Born in Los Angeles in 1948, Ellroy has become known for exploring the underbelly of his hometown. Red Sheet takes place in 1960s LA. The Cuban Missile Crisis has just ended, Attorney General Robert Kennedy has ordered a red probe, and the freewheeling Otash is on the case. Against this backdrop, Ellory explores ideological power wars, institutional corruption, and the anti-communist furor of the Cold War with subversion, intrigue, provocation, and style.
Following The Enchanters and Widespread Panic, Red Sheet is also narrated by Otash, a police officer turned corrupt PI, who leads us through a Los Angeles coming unglued: Richard Nixon, ex-VP and current gubernatorial candidate, might be linked to a murder on Halloween night; Tom Bradley is running for a city council seat and pushing the Rumford Fair Housing Act; and Hugh Hefner is along for the ride, just to name a handful of characters that weave through the pages. Once again blending fact and fiction, conspiracy and scandal, Red Sheet is, as Ellroy puts it, “our recent past madly reconstructed.”
For a chance to meet LA’s favorite author, there will be book signings on Tuesday, June 9, at Chevalier’s in Larchmont, Wednesday, June 10, at Vroman’s in Pasadena, plus he will be giving the intro to a screening of L.A. Confidential at the Million Dollar Theater in partnership with LA Conservancy on Saturday, June 13:
Lecture Tickets: https://www.laconservancy.org/tours-events/events-calendar/lecture-james-ellroy-rashly-revises-americas-so-called-red-scare/
Screening Tickets: https://www.laconservancy.org/tours-events/events-calendar/l-a-confidential-at-the-los-angeles-theatre/
Montana Avenue’s Wellness Walk and Sidewalk Sale returns on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a full day of movement, mindfulness, and shopping that includes:
- Fitness and movement pop-ups, provided by Good Body Pilates, Stretch Lab, FITstop, DMN8, Mighty Pilates, Andrea White Pilates, Pickleball clinic, Sound Baths, and more!
- Mini wellness and beauty experiences, like facials, self-care treatments, cryotherapy, and red light therapy from Restore Hyper-Wellness
- Creative workshops and interactive activities from Paint: LAB
- Healthy treats and refreshments from Kik’N Juice & Kreation Organic
- Exclusive sidewalk sale deals and promotions from Montana Avenue retailers, such as Estell Boutique (spin-the-wheel for savings), Laya, Brentwood General, Margaret O’Leary, and many more.
Courtesy Montana Ave. Wellness Walk
Bessie Award–winning Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater is celebrating its 25th anniversary with its production of The Revival: Djembe in the New Millennium, coming to Los Angeles on Saturday, May 9, marking the company’s first-ever performance here.
The Los Angeles engagement serves as the centerpiece of the African Soul International three-day celebration (May 9-11) of African heritage, community, and Mother’s Day hosted in partnership with African Soul International (ASI). This 25-year-old West African cultural arts education organization serves more than 200 schools across LA annually.
The weekend will open with a performance by “Le Ballet Dembaya,” one of LA’s premier West African dance companies. ASI’s on-site boutique will be open throughout the event, offering West African imports, cultural fashion, and curated gifts.
The Revival depicts the transformative influences of West African culture, music, and dance from Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Haiti, and Trinidad on the urban cultural landscape in Bed-Stuy during the early 90s to the present. It also fuses traditional and contemporary music genres and dance styles, including Folklore, Djembe, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, Rap, and R&B, as well as the song “African Dream,” recorded and performed by Talib Kweli (from his album “Reflections Eternal”), which is a new addition to the show. The Revival will take place at the ASI Cultural Arts Center; tickets can be purchased here.
Courtesy African Soul International