West Hollywood City Announces Spring 2021 ‘WeHo Reads’ Series

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

February 11, 2021The City of West Hollywood invites the community to celebrate literature and local authors with its WeHo Reads literary and music series. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the series will be presented online on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wehoarts.

The WeHo Reads 2021 spring season kicks-off with a Black History Month-themed event featuring Aurielle Marie, whose anticipated collection, Gumbo Ya Ya, is expected to be released in Fall 2021. Aurielle Marie will be in conversation with Danez Smith, author of several poetry collections, including their latest Homie, which was nominated for a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award. Smith is also a NAACP Image Award Nominee and 2021 United States Artists Fellow. Both poets will read and discuss their work. The event will begin with musical guest Robbie Pollock, whose musical compositions have been heard at the White House during the Obama Administration, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, Create Justice forums, the Vera Institute of Justice Gala, the New York Ethical Society, and Carnegie Hall.

This online event will take place on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 6 p.m., on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehoarts. Members of the public can RSVP by visiting the WeHo Reads webpage at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

Among the featured authors and poets of the WeHo Reads 2021 season are: Charles Yu, the winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction for his book Interior Chinatown; Terry Wolverton, whose memoir Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman’s Building was named one of the “Best Books of 2002” by the Los Angeles Times; and Arthur Dong, who is a recipient of two GLAAD Media Awards: the Paul Monette Award and the OUT 100 Award from Out Magazine, among other honors.

Five of the eight WeHo Reads Spring 2021 events will also feature special musical guests. Among the featured musicians are Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles, which is proud to have Natalia Melendez, the first transgender female in the history of mariachi, as one of its members.

The complete City of West Hollywood WeHo Reads 2021 Spring series:

• February 17, 2021, 6 p.m. — Amplifying New Voices

In celebration of Black History Month, Danez Smith, the author of several poetry collections, including their latest Homie, which was recently nominated for a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award, sits in conversation with Aurielle Marie whose anticipated collection Gumbo Ya Ya will be released this fall. Both poets will read and discuss their work. Featuring musical guest Robbie Pollock.

• March 3, 2021, 6 p.m. — The Modern Hiker’s Guide to Griffith Park

Join Casey Schreiner, founder of ModernHiker.com and author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller Discovering Griffith Park: A Local’s Guide, for an in-depth slideshow presentation on everything this legendary urban park has to offer, as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. Learn where to hike, bike, and ride on horseback. Learn where your favorite movies were shot, and even discover a bit about the park's surprising place in LGBTQ history.

• March 17, 2021, 6 p.m. — In Your Face–Womxn Writing Truth

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Myriam Gurba, author of Mean, (which was named by O, The Oprah Magazine as one of the “Best LGBTQ Books of All Time”), talks to 2020 Creative Capital Awardee Randa Jarrar about her new memoir, Love is an Ex-Country. With musical guest Kelly Caballero.

• April 7, 2021, 6 p.m. — Exploring The Landscape of the Gay Rights Movement

Poets read and discuss representation in relation to the history of the local LGBTQ rights movement. With Gustavo Hernandez, a poet with an upcoming poetry collection titled Flower Grand First, and Rocío Carlos, author of the (other) house whose work was included in LACMA’s Pacific Standard Time exhibition, Those of This America. Featuring musical guests Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles.

• April 14, 2021, 6 p.m. — “It is time to cross the threshold on your hands.”

In celebration of National Poetry Month, West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace, brings together poets near and far for an exploration of thresholds in language, gender, generation, and geography. Featured poets include Terry Wolverton, Alyesha Wise-Hernandez, féi hernandez, Alan Pelaez Lopez and Harry Giles. The event will culminate in writing prompts to get participant’s creative juices flowing and will include a virtual after party for participants to share their work. (Title line from poet Kayleigh Zaloga).

• May 12, 2021, 6 p.m. — Creating Hollywood Chinese

In celebration of Asian American History Month, join the City of West Hollywood for a conversation between Arthur Dong, author of Hollywood Chinese, and Charles Yu, author of Interior Chinatown (Winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction).

• May 19, 2021, 6 p.m. — Alternative Futures: The Importance of Seeing Yourself in Young Adult Literature

A reading and conversation between James Sie, author of All Kinds of Other and Skylar Kergil, author of Before I Had the Words. With musical guest Jiaqing Wilson-Yang, whose first novel, Small Beauty, won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction.

• June 16, 2021, 6 p.m. — Legacy and Lineage and the Lost Generation

In celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and as part of the City’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, poets will read and discuss works by mentors they have never met alongside their own work. With Rajiv Mohabir, author of The Cowherd’s Son, Dare Williams, and Jubi Arriola-Headley, author of Original Kink. With musical guest Jayson Joseph of Elephants With Guns.

All events are free to attend and take place on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Pacific Time Zone. For additional information about these events, visit www.weho.org/wehoreads. Individual photos of WeHo Reads 2021 spring series participants are available for download at this Google Form.

WeHo Reads is the City of West Hollywood’s literary series that presents new and noteworthy authors of interest to the West Hollywood community. Past authors and presenters have included: André Aciman, Andrew Rannells, Arlene and Alan Alda, Armistead Maupin, Bianca Del Rio, Bryan Fuller, Carrie Brownstein, Charles Phoenix, Chris Kraus, David Ulin, Eileen Myles, Eloise Klein Healy, Emma Donoghue, Erwin Chemerinsky, Henry Rollins, Jacob Tobia, LeVar Burton, Lillian Faderman, Lorna Luft, Luis J. Rodriguez, Michael York, Michelle Visage, Natalie Goldberg, Natasha Deón, Nina Revoyr, Patrisse Cullors, Patt Morrison, Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco, Ryan Gosling, Sarah Silverman, Seymour Stein, Stephen Chbosky, Tananarive Due, and Tim & Eric (Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim).

The WeHo Reads 2021 spring series is presented by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division, and produced by Amanda Fletcher and Dare Williams.

Amanda Fletcher (IG: @theamandafletcher) is a writer, editor and coach whose work has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Orange County Register, Exposition Review, and many other publications. Originally from Canada, Amanda lives in Southern California and is working on her memoir HALO. She was a 2012 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow and former manager of the program.

Dare Williams (TW: @dare_williams13) is a Queer HIV-positive poet and artist, rooted in Southern California. He was a 2019 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, and his work has been featured in Cultural Weekly, Bending Genres, THRUSH, Exposition Review and is forthcoming in Limp Wrist and elsewhere.

For more information about WeHo Reads, please contact Mike Che, City of West Hollywood Arts Coordinator at (323) 848-6377 or mche@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, to continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.