Live Talks Los Angeles announces the upcoming guest speakers for its Live Talks Business Forums, a dynamic breakfast-hour series featuring leading business thought leaders and executives, for its 2012-2013 season.  Upcoming speakers include: Vice President of Forrester Research Harley Manning (10/4), Wired magazine editor and author of the Long Tail Chris Anderson (10/18), Founder & Managing Director of Clean Edge Ron Pernick (11/15), bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind Daniel Pink (1/17), Whole Foods CEO John Mackey (1/25), former CEO of GM and AT&T Ed Whitacre (3/7), and Former CEO of Procter & Gamble A.G. Lafley (3/21).  The upcoming October-November 2012 Live Talks LA art and culture schedule includes events with Hollywood legend Penny Marshall in conversation with her brother Garry Marshall (10/3 – rescheduled from 9/26), gay activist Bishop Gene Robinson in conversation with Bradley Whitford (10/5), internationally-acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros in conversation with Hector Tobat, Los Angeles Times journalist and author (10/10), comedian Chris Elliott in conversation with Merrill Markoe (10/11), bestselling author-physician Oliver Sacks (11/14), and atheist magician Penn Jillette (11/15).

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Live Talks Los Angeles, which produces compelling talks, will once again bring an A-list roster of personalities to Los Angeles venues this Fall, launching its new season with Molly Ringwald in conversation with Meghan Daum on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at Track 16 in Santa Monica.  The new Live Talks LA schedule also includes events with Hollywood legend Penny Marshall, rapper-producer Wyclef Jean, comedian Chris Elliott, atheist magician Penn Jillette, bestselling author Mitch Albom, acclaimed writer T.C. Boyle, bestselling author-physician Oliver Sacks, internationally acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros, author, social critic, and political activist Naomi Wolf, and gay activist Bishop Gene Robinson.

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Live Talks Los Angeles, which produces compelling talks with fascinating speakers, will once again bring an A-list roster of personalities to the El Rey, Track 16, and Aero Theatre in the coming months. The schedule includes National Book Award and Oscar-Winning Writer Live Talks Los Angeles who will talk about his upcoming novel, In One Person (6/21, Aero); Top Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who will reflect on his life via his forthcoming memoir, Yes, Chef (7/10, Track 16); and Studio 360‘s Kurt Andersen, who will discuss his upcoming tour de force novel, True Believers (7/26, Track 16).  Also on the calendar is a special concert event by The Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band with Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan and Matt Groening among its members, who will hold their last public concert, after performing together for 20 years (6/22, El Rey). Most events start at 8:00pm with receptions preceding the talks. Ticket prices range from $20 to $295.  Please visit Live Talks LA’s website for additional details, updates and tickets at livetalksla.org.

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Due out on October 31, 2011, William Castle Productions proudly presents House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay. The book features legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s authentic working script from his 1959 classic thriller with original formatting and Castle’s own hand-written notes.  This collector’s item even comes with a new twist on Castle’s famous theater gimmick, Emerg-O. The 248-page book includes a foreword by acclaimed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling, Matinee), hailing the book as “an important artifact.” It also includes an introduction by William’s daughter, Terry Castle, who shares her personal thoughts on this seminal piece of film history. A critical perspective of the film by writer and illustrator Charlie Largent is also included as well as a special welcome from William Castle himself. The Screamplay will be available in print for $24.99 via Amazon and select retailers through the recently resurrected William Castle Productions (ISBN-13: 978-0578092928).

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Photo Credit: Randall Montgomery

Award-winning actress and playwright Diz White is set to release her spine-tingling collection of true stories, Haunted Cotswolds, through The History Press this Halloween season. Set in what many consider the most beautiful part of England, White, a Los Angeles-based British expat, recounts the numerous paranormal events that have occurred in the region while simultaneously documenting the Cotswolds’ eerie architecture and fascinating history. Pieced together from both historic and present-day sources, the 96-page paperback book is filled with tales of ghosts, ghouls and the undead from every corner of the Cotswolds, the second most popular tourist destination in the UK. Included are stories of tortured headless kings, stark-raving mad butchering inn keepers, buried alive country squires, burned at the stake nuns, and other undead who walk among us. The author will discuss and sign copies of the book at a Samuel French reception in Studio City on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. (11963 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604; 818-762-0535; www.samuelfrench.com).

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Award winning filmmaker Jon Reiss is set to release his new book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era on March 15, 2010. The book is a primer for filmmaking in the digital era covering distribution of all types of media content – feature films, shorts, webisodes, transmedia, vblogs, etc., and is the first to address the new distribution and marketing landscape facing filmmakers today.
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Photo Credit: Helena Ruffin

Legendary interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal is set to introduce the world to her new improvisational theater group, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble, with monthly performances starting the weekend of February 19, 2010. The name, loosely translated, means “collision or chaos” which Rosenthal describes as not what the Company does, but the process they go through to do what they do. Each monthly performance will span three nights during one weekend. All performance begin at 8:30pm. Tickets cost $20. Reservations are necessary to insure seats… Read the rest of this entry »

Pioneering interdisciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal, 83, is set to release her long-awaited book, The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What It’s Doing! DbD, or “Doing by Doing” describes her signature method of teaching improvisational theater. In the 130-page book, the Obie winning performer explores improvisational theater and its relationship to life, offering a blow-by-blow account of what happens in her 34-hour DbD weekend intensive workshops (currently still happening on a bi-annual basis in Los Angeles). This mix of memoir, teaching manual, and manifesto was edited by Kate Noonan and is set for US release in December 2009 by Routledge. Read the rest of this entry »

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the Los Angeles book signing party for Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected on Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. The gallery, known for its well-respected Brazilian street art exhibits, welcomes author Phuong-Cac Nguyen, as she returns to her native Los Angeles for the celebration. Total São Paulo, the first offering from new book publisher Unhinged Jaw Press, is scheduled for release on April 29, 2009. Join the author for complimentary caipirinhas provided by Leblon Cachaça, music and other surprises while enjoying the art of talented Brazilian artist Thais Beltrame, whose solo exhibition opens in the gallery on May 7. Carmichael Gallery is located at 1257 N. La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information on the gallery please call 323-969-0600 or visit www.carmichaelgallery.com. To learn more about Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected please visit www.totalSPguide.com.
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The Asian Classics Institute of LA (ACI-LA) is thrilled to present two rare talks by world-renowned spiritual teachers, Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie McNally. On Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21, 2009 they will present “Where is Your Spiritual Partner?” from 7:00 – 9:30pm. Join Buddhist monk, Geshe Michael and Lama Christie as they use ancient spiritual texts to explore how to make love work in the 21st century. Learn how to find the perfect partner for you and reach a higher level of happiness with them. Following the teaching on Saturday night, stay for the Los Angeles release party and book signing for their new book, King of the Dharma: The Illustrated Life Of Je Tsongkapa, Teacher of the First Dalai Lama (www.jetsongkapathebook.com). ACI-LA, located near LAX, will hold both night’s events at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Westchester (6700 West 83rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90045). The events are free but you must RSVP at www.aci-la.org/SpiritualPartners.html. These teachings are jointly hosted by the Asian Classics Institute of LA and the Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in a spirit of shared wisdom between all faiths of the world. Both nights will be webcast live at www.ustream.tv/channel/SpiritualPartners. For more information on ACI-LA please visit www.aci-la.org.
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