With his writing partner Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller wrote six decades' worth of the most popular and best-loved popular music. “Hound Dog.” “Is That All There Is?” “Stand by Me.” Most everything the Coasters ever did, including “Charlie Brown” and “Poison Ivy.”  Stoller has a reasonably new book out, Hound Dog: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography, and Steve Barri, the composer and representative who signed Steely Dan (!), is there to ask all the deeply vital questions about the process of songwriting. Leiber died last August, so expect to hear a lot about him; frankly, you should ask as many questions as you can because you just never know. I mean, Donna Summer just died.  Donna Summer! Didn't you think she was going to be around forever? You bet you did! Talking to Mike Stoller about his work is a window into modern immortality. You owe it to yourself to drink from this particular poet's fountain.  Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.; Thurs., May 31, 2 p.m.; $5. (310) 440-4500, skirball.org.

Thu., May 31, 2 p.m., 2012

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