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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T185208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185208Z
UID:10015253-1781636400-1781636400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: CJ Leede & Kyle Kouri\, in conversation with Chuck Tingle & Liz Kerin\, discuss & sign Headlights & The Problem Drinker
DESCRIPTION:Special Agent Daniel Stansfield is ready for a change. Burnt out and defeated by the job\, it’s his last day with the FBI. But before he can turn in his badge\, he’s summoned back to Denver\, the city he ran from four years ago\, with a chilling message: it’s happening again. \nSeemingly innocent people are waking up on the side of the highway\, with no memory of how they got there\, wearing the skin of victims they’ve allegedly never met. And they each share one haunting detail: a strand of a stranger’s hair is tied around their tongue. \nNow Daniel is pulled back into the gruesome cycle\, and every clue leads him deeper into the shadows of his own past. He will have to confront the ghosts of his traumatic childhood and face what’s been hunting him all along— before he and the people he loves become the next victims. \nAbout The Problem Drinker \nHis girlfriend is horror famous\, his own writing and acting is floundering\, and he is drinking to make sense of it all. \nKyle Kouri’s debut non-fiction collection is full of ‘whiskey courage’ staring at the abyss of family\, writing rejection\, relationships\, and his own drinking. From hijinks at AWP to hustling in the movie business\, Kouri bridges the gap in drama between indie and horror. \nAt turns hilarious and heartbreaking\, The Problem Drinker is the story of an artist living with another artist\, yearning to move the needle in his career\, amidst a sea of personal tragedies and comedies. If F. Scott Fitzgerald had one foot in the 2020s horror scene\, that’s the spirit of Kouri’s caustic and big-hearted\, lush and refreshingly candid debut.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-cj-leede-kyle-kouri-in-conversation-with-chuck-tingle-liz-kerin-discuss-sign-headlights-the-problem-drinker/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cj-leede-web-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T214538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214538Z
UID:10015298-1781636400-1781636400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Shannon Algeo\, discusses & signs The Power in Your Hands: Liberate Yourself from Attachment to Technology
DESCRIPTION:“A moving and inspiring book about the most important topic facing all of us.” –Johann Hari\, author of New York Times bestselling book Stolen Focus \nWho will you become when you put down your phone and pick up your life? \nThe average smartphone user spends the equivalent of 61 to 80 days per year on their device. Smartphones have become the fifth limb of the human body as they move with us from the bathroom to the waiting room to the kitchen sink to the bed. But we aren’t just physically attached to our phones; we’re emotionally attached as well. \nNew research reveals how individuals with insecure attachment styles (anxious or avoidant) are more likely to develop a problematic or compulsive relationship with their smartphone. But all of us–regardless of our attachment style–are turning to our phones more and more to soothe and distract us\, which numbs our empathy\, diminishes the quality of our relationships\, and drains the part of our brain required for creative focus. The more time we spend on our screens\, the less time we spend engaging in our life with our own two hands. The good news is that we can course-correct by reclaiming the embodied and ensouled wisdom that our recent ancestors knew well. But digital detoxes are not enough. We need both personal and collective action to recover from the tsunami of digital distraction we now face. \nIn The Power in Your Hands\, psychotherapist and meditation teacher Shannon Algeo invites readers to reckon with their attachment to technology through understanding the connections between compulsive smartphone behavior and their unique attachment style in relationships. He guides readers on a journey of reconnection to their inner child’s needs for artistry\, self-expression\, and real human relationships. Through psychologically supported “rituals of remembering”\, readers will rewire their neuropsychology and reclaim their creativity so they can move from the despair of digitization to the fulfillment of re-humanization. \nWhile we must address this problem collectively\, only you can reckon with the underlying human needs\, desires\, fears\, and insecurities that keep you reaching for a phone that would sooner have you scroll into oblivion than connect with your soul. Your attention\, relationships\, and desires are yours. The power is in your hands.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/shannon-algeo-discusses-signs-the-power-in-your-hands-liberate-yourself-from-attachment-to-technology/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/shannon-algeo-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T114500
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20250106T200208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250106T200208Z
UID:10007787-1781694000-1781696700@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Storytime with Mr. Steve and Miss Marie!
DESCRIPTION:Mr. Steve and the gang host story time every Wednesday at 11 AM in the upstairs children’s section of Vroman’s Bookstore.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-storytime-with-mr-steve-and-miss-marie-2/2026-06-17/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Families,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/storytime-website-image.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T185430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185430Z
UID:10015254-1781722800-1781722800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Kerri Schlottman\, discusses & signs Daytime Moon
DESCRIPTION:Isa has a gift. Premonitions\, intuitive insight\, a knack for tarot. But she is adrift. \nYears ago\, she ran away from one coast to the other and never looked back\, but when her brother Cole unexpectedly shows up on her stoop\, she’s convinced that it’s time to go home. Back in the California desert\, Isa is swept up in her former life of late-night drag races by the Salton Sea\, beers with the locals\, and haunting reminders of the twin sister she lost and the mother she never got to meet. \nWhen Dane\, the man who raised them\, becomes terminally ill\, Isa is forced to confront everything she ran away from. In a posthumous letter\, his revelations ignite her fearless internal drive. Traveling up and down California highways\, through desert and forest\, roaring coastline and border towns\, Isa will follow the signs so delicately woven into the fabric of her life – a name\, a constellation\, a painting\, a gleam of recognition on the water’s surface. If she can piece them together\, she just might reunite the shattered remains of her beloved family. \nArtfully narrated\, Schlottman’s novel is an unforgettable journey through hidden stories\, the depths of women’s secrets\, the shimmering fluidity of memory\, and the magic of transmutation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-kerri-schlottman-discusses-signs-daytime-moon/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kerri-schlottman-rsvp.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T110000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260608T230207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260608T230207Z
UID:10015281-1781780400-1781780400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Sophia Sings Sendak
DESCRIPTION:Join Sophia\, a professional musician from the band Cash & Skye and a Card & Gift Clerk at Vroman’s Bookstore\, in a morning of song\, dance\, and storytelling! Enjoy Maurice Sendak classics such as Chicken Soup with Rice\, Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters\, and more.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-vromans-summer-reading-program-sophia-sings-sendak/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Ice House,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/website-event-image-18_0.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T185702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185702Z
UID:10015255-1781809200-1781809200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Joan Lunden discusses & signs Joan: Life Beyond the Script
DESCRIPTION:In this fearless and inspiring memoir\, trailblazing journalist Joan Lunden pulls back the curtain on the defining moments that shaped her extraordinary life–from breaking barriers on national television to reshaping motherhood\, survivorship\, and aging on her own terms. \nSince bursting onto the national morning news scene in 1980 as cohost of Good Morning America\, Joan Lunden has been a catalyst for revolutionary societal changes. She didn’t just report the headlines; she made headlines for shattering the mold in a news industry dominated by older white men and rewrote the rules entirely. In a bold move that challenged workplace norms\, Joan was one of the first to bring her newborn daughter to work so she could continue breastfeeding\, showing the world that she could be a dedicated mom and a top-tier journalist at the same time. \nIn her 50s\, after raising three grown daughters from her previous marriage\, Joan and her husband\, Jeff Konigsberg\, welcomed two sets of twins via surrogate\, proving women can embrace motherhood at any age. \nThen\, in her 60s\, Joan discovered she had breast cancer. She bravely went public with her diagnosis\, chronicling her journey and fearlessly posing bald on the cover of PEOPLE. Standing in her truth\, she became an advocate for women to be better informed about the disease. She even lobbied Washington to require mammogram testing results be made available to all women\, especially those with dense breast tissue. Her valiant efforts enabled early cancer detection and surely helped save countless lives. \nDuring the later-life care of her mother\, Glady\, Joan advocated again–this time for senior citizens. She testified before Congress to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to include senior care\, imploring that caregiving isn’t just something we do at the start of life– it happens at the end\, as well. \nAt every turn\, Joan has been willing to step out of her comfort zone while reinventing herself and the environment around her. JOAN: Life Beyond the Script shares the extraordinary transitions this journalist\, television host\, author\, and advocate has undergone and how she has influenced our life transitions as well. By deeply reflecting on the most pivotal moments in her life and career\, accepting the times when she faltered as much as when she was sure of herself\, Lunden encourages us all to be open to change and the profound transformations it brings. \n 
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-joan-lunden-discusses-signs-joan-life-beyond-the-script/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/joan-lunden.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T110000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T185930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185930Z
UID:10015256-1781953200-1781953200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Daniel Brewer and Paul Paolilli read from & sign Pondering: A Story in Cinquains
DESCRIPTION:This lyrically written and gorgeously illustrated ode to ponds is crafted in a uniquely American poetic form called American cinquain. \nIn this glorious celebration of nature\, three girls walk an old trail in search of a hidden pond\, marveling at treasures they discover along the way–darting dragonflies\, croaking bullfrogs\, fluttering sycamore leaves\, and more. Written in a unique poetic form called American cinquain\, the story seamlessly weaves together an invitation to readers to immerse themselves in nature\, while also bringing attention to this endangered ecosystem. The info-packed pages at the end of the book include an overview of the pond ecosystem and the current threat to it\, as well as an exploration of the cinquain form.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-daniel-brewer-and-paul-paolilli-read-from-sign-pondering-a-story-in-cinquains/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/daniel-brewer-and-paul-paolilli.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T150000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T190623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T190623Z
UID:10015257-1781967600-1781967600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: ; Tom Lin discusses & signs Babylon\, South Dakota
DESCRIPTION:From the author of the Carnegie Medal in Fiction winner The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu comes a tantalizing\, American West saga about a Chinese American family trying to survive on their Dakota farm as a powerful\, mysterious\, and morally dubious military secret shapes their lives. \n“Lin’s gossamer prose is patient and full of wonders.”– Ed Park\, author of Same Bed Different Dreams and An Oral History of Atlantis \nWhen Saul Keng Hsiu and his wife\, Mei Lee\, move from China to the United States to take possession of a 160-acre homestead bequeathed to them by a distant relative\, all they have are the possessions on their back\, some hidden gold\, and a pocketful of chrysanthemum seeds. After a rocky start and a long\, harsh winter\, the couple find themselves successfully raising chrysanthemums and livestock\, and soon after\, a daughter\, Mara. \nBut when representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers buy an acre of the Hsiu’s farmland and begin building a missile silo\, the inexplicable starts to occur: Mara can commune with the animals on the farm\, Mei develops a hidden talent for augury\, and the chrysanthemums become impervious to everything. When the Hsius learn that the project on their farm is an effort to make America’s nuclear deterrent invulnerable\, they see firsthand the long arm of power and empire. \nIn the years and generations that follow\, increasingly impacted by the silo and its residue\, the Hsius experience strange\, wondrous\, and tragic events on their farm. An ambitious epic and an ode to the beauty and glory of our connection to the natural world\, Babylon\, South Dakota\, upends the idea of “strangers in a strange land” to become a classic American story. It is a daring novel about how choices reverberate across generations and asks us what we owe to one another.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-tom-lin-discusses-signs-babylon-south-dakota/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/tom-lin.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T190819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T190819Z
UID:10015258-1782154800-1782154800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Teo Rivera-Dundas discusses & signs Slow Guillotine (Zero Street Fiction)
DESCRIPTION:Slow Guillotine follows three broke weirdos whose collective desire to make and think about art is constantly interrupted by their art-industry-adjacent minimum-wage jobs. Throughout the novel\, the three friends’ day jobs in a failing independent bookstore\, a sterile gallery in downtown Manhattan\, and miscellaneous living rooms across the Long Island birthday-party-clown circuit interweave with their attempts to come to terms with their precarity\, gender-dysphoric embodiment\, and the floating dream of collective liberation. \nSpanning one year and told through an obsessive first-person present tense\, Slow Guillotine brings the bildungsroman structure through the autofictional looking glass\, questioning how “coming of age” could be feasible in a society of debtors\, wage laborers\, and renters.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-teo-rivera-dundas-discusses-signs-slow-guillotine-zero-street-fiction/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Ice House,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/teo-rivera-dundas.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260623T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260623T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T191019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T191019Z
UID:10015259-1782241200-1782241200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  David Litt discusses & signs It’s Only Drowning: A Memoir
DESCRIPTION:A former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed\, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan. \nDavid\, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks\, and Matt\, the daredevil electrician with a shed full of surfboards\, had never been close. But as America’s crises piled up and David spiraled into existential dread\, he noticed that his brother-in-law was thriving. He began to suspect Matt’s favorite hobby had something to do with it. \nDavid started taking surf lessons. For months\, he wiped out on waves the height of daffodils. Yet\, after realizing that surfing could change him both in and out of the water\, he set an audacious goal: riding a big wave in Hawaii. He searched for an expert he could trust to guide and protect him–and when he couldn’t find one\, he asked Matt. Together\, they set out on a journey that spanned coasts\, and even continents\, before taking them to Oahu’s famously dangerous North Shore. \nIt’s Only Drowning is a laugh-out-loud love letter to surfing–and so much more. It’s an ode to embarking on adventures at any age. It’s a blueprint for becoming braver at a time when it takes courage just to read the news. Most of all\, it’s the story of an unlikely friendship\, one that crosses the fault lines of education\, ideology\, and culture tearing so many of us apart.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-david-litt-discusses-signs-its-only-drowning-a-memoir/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/david-litt.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T215652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T215652Z
UID:10015261-1782327600-1782327600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Fiction Reading Group
DESCRIPTION:The Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group explores contemporary fiction -long and short– from a diverse selection of writers.  Enjoy lively discussions at our one-hour meetings.  Our Fiction Reading Group is free and inclusive – there are no requirements nor criteria to join. We announce upcoming titles 3-6 months in advance and choose titles that are available in paperback.  Drop by our next meeting! \nJune’s pick is The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden \n  \nFiction Reading Group meetings are held inside Vroman’s Bookstore on the second floor in the
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-fiction-reading-group-4/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/heading-26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T180000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T222319Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T222319Z
UID:10015305-1782406800-1782410400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Summer Concert on The Paseo With Café Luar from the Pasadena Conservatory of Music
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s Bookstore outside on the Vroman’s paseo for an unforgettable evening of live music\, presented in partnership with the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/summer-concert-on-the-paseo-with-cafe-luar-from-the-pasadena-conservatory-of-music/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vromans-Summer-Jazz-Series-.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T191258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T191258Z
UID:10015260-1782414000-1782414000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  William Loving\, in conversation with Ivy Pochoda\, discusses & signs Fells Point
DESCRIPTION:What begins as a personal journey of late-life reckoning becomes a noir-tinged meditation on memory\, mortality\, and the search for purpose. By turns darkly funny and melancholic\, Fells Point captures a soul—and a city—at a crossroads. \nDaniel Doyle Jr.\, a jaded\, middle-aged corporate communications flack in Baltimore\, is drifting through life under a literal death sentence: a congenital heart defect that could take him any day. Determined to reclaim some meaning\, he sets out to truly see and understand his city for the first time\, creating a “bucket list” of cultural landmarks\, lost institutions\, and personal haunts across Baltimore. But as he traverses the city’s past and present\, he realizes he’s being followed by a mysterious stranger who seems to appear wherever he goes. Is it paranoia\, coincidence\, or something more sinister? \nBio: \nWilliam Loving is the author of three novels\, including City of Angles\, Blue Earth River\, and his latest\, Fells Point. Before turning to fiction\, he worked as a journalist at the Los Angeles Times and the Minneapolis Star Tribune\, covering city life\, politics\, and culture. His fiction reflects a journalist’s sharp eye for character and place\, blending wit\, suspense\, and a deep connection to the cities that have shaped him. He lives in Pasadena\, California\, with his wife.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-william-loving-in-conversation-with-ivy-pochoda-discusses-signs-fells-point/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/william-loving.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T210000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T222051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T222051Z
UID:10015304-1782421200-1782421200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Sale July 25 - August 2
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Summer Sale starts on Saturday\, July 25th! The sale is located upstairs in the Vroman’s Event Space. \nAll sales are final. May not be combined with other discounts.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-sale-july-25-august-2/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/summer-sale-2025-2_0-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T140000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260512T220216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T220216Z
UID:10015263-1782568800-1782568800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jeremy Atherton discusses & signs Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told
DESCRIPTION:From the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Gay Bar comes a rule-breaking\, sweat-soaked\, genre-busting story of outlaw love. \nNATIONAL BESTSELLER The New Yorker Best Books of 2025 Publishers Weekly Top 10 Books of the Year Time Out 10 Best Books of the Year NPR Books We Love 2025 \nIt’s 1996\, and Jeremy Atherton Lin has met the boy of his dreams–a mumbling\, starry-eyed Brit–just as\, amid a media frenzy\, US Congress prepares the Defense of Marriage Act\, denying same-sex couples federal rights including immigration. The pair steals away to remote forests and vast deserts\, London fashion shows and Berlin sex clubs\, dinner parties\, back alleys\, East Village hotel rooms\, and San Francisco dives. Finding no other way to stay together\, they shack up illicitly among unlikely allies in a “city of refuge.” \nWith Atherton Lin’s inimitable blend of tenderness and wicked humor\, Deep House moves through the couple’s string of rented apartments while unlocking doors to a lineage of gay men who have come before–smuggling a foreign partner through national checkpoints or going public to stand up for the right to get down in the privacy of their own homes. They include hapless criminals\, sexpot bartenders\, friars\, pirates\, government workers who subverted the system\, activists who went all the way to the Supreme Court\, and the celebrated artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres. \nFollowing Gay Bar–called “a rich tapestry” by Vanity Fair and “an absolute tour de force” by Maggie Nelson– Deep House juxtaposes whispered disclosures of undocumented domesticity with courtroom drama and political stunts to explore myriad forms of intimacy while questioning the mechanisms that legitimize love. Deep House is at once a historical kaleidoscope and the innermost tale of two boyfriends who made a home in the shadows of a turbulent civil rights battle. \nA Recommended Book in the Washington Post\, the New York Times Style Magazine\, Observer\, W Magazine\, NBC News\, E! Online\, Queerty\, Literary Hub\, Stylist\, & Dazed
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jeremy-atherton-discusses-signs-deep-house-the-gayest-love-story-ever-told/
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/jeremy-atherton-lin-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T180000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T203600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T203600Z
UID:10015287-1782579600-1782583200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Concert on The Paseo With the Pasadena Conservatory of Music Jazz Faculty
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s Bookstore this summer outside on the Vroman’s paseo for an unforgettable evening of live jazz\, presented in partnership with the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-concert-on-the-paseo-with-the-pasadena-conservatory-of-music-jazz-faculty/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vromans-Summer-Jazz-Series-.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T204009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T204009Z
UID:10015288-1782932400-1782932400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Linda Codega\, discusses & signs Pasha the Storm
DESCRIPTION:Moby-Dick meets The Bone Shard Daughter in this swashbuckling queer fantasy adventure packed with piracy\, political intrigue\, and the eternal souls of the drowned\, for fans of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi and Black Sun. \nAn exiled pirate queen hunts a killer whale on the high seas\, while caught between a power-hungry empress and a revolutionary conspiring to end her reign . . . \nPasha the Northern Storm was once the most infamous Meridian pirate who ever sailed the sister oceans. Now\, a decade into her exile\, Pasha’s afterlife is being held hostage by Atle\, an absurdly attractive noble who knows far too much about pirate magic–but not enough about sailing to realize how dangerous Pasha really is. \nMinister Atle Itaavar is duty-bound to serve the Kingdom of Garda\, but as Queen Thivaldís gathers support for her ambitions of empire\, Atle turns to treason to stop her. In order to destroy the Queen’s new necromantic navy\, Atle plans to steal the Queen’s flagship\, kidnap a washed-up pirate to sail it\, and track down a legendary killer whale to bring it down. \nBut the hunt for the great undying whale drags Pasha\, Atle\, and the crew of the Dog into a cosmic reckoning as they face threats from ghosts and gods alike–and the Queen of Garda is close behind.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-linda-codega-discusses-signs-pasha-the-storm/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/linda-codega-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260702T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260702T110000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T204811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T204811Z
UID:10015289-1782990000-1782990000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Kat's Clay Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s on Thursday\, July 2nd\, at 11 am for an air-dry clay activity led by Vroman’s resident artist\, Kat! Construct miniature sculptures (or just let your imagination run wild) in a guided craft. Materials will be provided.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-kats-clay-workshop/
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/website-event-image-18_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260707T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260707T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T205156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T205156Z
UID:10015290-1783450800-1783450800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Ray Morton discusses & signs King Kong: The History of a Movie
DESCRIPTION:The 1933 KING KONG was not just a terrifying monster movie. It was also an epic fairy tale\, a tragic love story\, and a landmark piece of cinema that introduced one of the most beloved characters in motion picture history-a universally recognizable cultural icon whose legacy encompasses a vast multimedia universe consisting of more than ten feature films as well as numerous television shows\, books\, comics\, toys\, collectibles\, and even a Broadway musical. \nIn this extensively revised and updated edition of a classic book first published two decades ago\, King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon is the definitive account of the most famous simian in pop-culture history. It spans the whole of the Eighth Wonder’s filmography\, chronicling in detail the making of every Kong movie beginning with the 1933 original and continuing through the giant gorilla’s Japanese adventures and the epic Dino De Laurentiis and Peter Jackson remakes before concluding with the most recent films that place the great ape within an ever-expanding “Monsterverse.” Author and Kongophile Ray Morton also offers entertaining looks at the character’s appearances in other media\, along with plenty of trivia and reflections on the franchise’s enduring appeal. Packed with photographs and based on extensive new research and exclusive interviews\, this is by far the most complete and comprehensive guide to all things Kong. \nIncluded here are: \nThe creation of the Kong character by Merian C. Cooper \nThe development\, production\, and release of the original 1933 film and its many successors \nThe Cartoon Kong: the giant gorilla’s animated incarnations. \nKong on the Stage: theatrical productions featuring the Eighth Wonder. \nKong on the Page: the many publications devoted to the great ape. \nThe Sons of Kong: Kong variants\, spoofs\, and rip-offs such as Mighty Joe Young\, Queen Kong\, and A*P*E*. \nThe Kongs that Never Were: Kong projects that never made it to the screen \nThe innumerable Kong-related products generated over the past century
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ray-morton-discusses-signs-king-kong-the-history-of-a-movie/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ray-morton.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T170000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T210639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T210658Z
UID:10015291-1783497600-1783530000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: William A. Hoffman discusses & signs Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Adventurer
DESCRIPTION:Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Adventurer is a fun travel book with a unique format.  Each outing is laid out with a convenient\, two-page format – summary\, background\, itinerary\, map and nearby attractions.  Busy folks can choose their outing\, grab the book and go!  With over 500 captioned\, color photos covering six counties from Santa Barbara to San Diego\, the book is a delight to read.  With Hoffman’s background as a tour guide\, teacher\, and urban planner\, Exploring Southern California is much more than a touristy beach guide.  The book’s appendices on architectural styles\, walking streets\, historic preservation\, and trivia quizzes make it intellectually engaging and a reference you’d return to repeatedly.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-william-a-hoffman-discusses-signs-exploring-southern-california-80-outings-for-the-urban-adventurer/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/william-hoffman.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T210938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T210938Z
UID:10015292-1783623600-1783623600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Barry Lyga discusses & signs Every Hunter is Hunted
DESCRIPTION:From the world of Barry Lyga’s New York Times bestselling I Hunt Killers trilogy comes a thrilling adult mystery about the hunt for a monstrous serial killer. \nBrides are being murdered on their wedding nights. Soaked in blood and draped in lace. With nothing left behind to help them find the killer\, the FBI is at an impasse. Their only\, desperate hope is to convince Jasper Dent\, the son of two serial killers and a former teen prodigy at hunting down such monsters\, to emerge from his self-imposed exile. \nWhen he was a teenager\, both of Jasper’s parents were members of a secret society of serial killers. Today\, his father is in prison\, and his mother is in a coma\, both results of their final confrontation with Jasper years ago. Now wealthy from a bestselling memoir about his parents\, Jasper still carries the scars from their parenting–and the uncanny\, unwanted ability to understand killers that they instilled in him. \nJasper wants nothing more than to hide from his past – cash his royalty checks and never think about murder and blood again. But he knows the only way to find any meaning or redemption in his life is to face his demons once again. His skills rusty\, his confidence shaken\, Jasper races against a ticking clock\, frantically seeking to solve the impossible mystery before more women meet a horrific end.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-barry-lyga-discusses-signs-every-hunter-is-hunted/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/barry-lyga.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T110000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T211214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T211214Z
UID:10015293-1783767600-1783767600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jenna Rothberg reads from & signs Deli Days
DESCRIPTION:At Zeyde’s Deli\, Sundays mean helping Grandpa serve the neighborhood’s best pastrami on rye. \nOne moment you’re carrying a tray of the deli’s famous sandwiches. The next\, you’re standing in a sea of broken cookies and scattered sprinkles while the lunch rush stares. But right there in the chaos\, a grandchild learns what family tradition really means–and that sometimes the best memories come from our biggest messes. A warm\, funny story about growing up one matzo ball at a time. \nPerfect for: \n\nFamilies: Looking for a heartwarming story about intergenerational bonds\, cultural heritage\, and the joy of shared meals.\nEducators: Seeking an engaging way to introduce themes of tradition\, resilience\, and the historical significance of community spaces like delis.\nYoung Readers: Who love stories about food\, family\, and discovering their place in a cherished tradition.\n\nDeli Days is a celebration of tradition\, resilience\, delicious food and even better company.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jenna-rothberg-reads-from-signs-deli-days/
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/jenna-rothberg.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T160000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T213453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T225256Z
UID:10015294-1783785600-1783785600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Nadia Paredes discusses & signs Art Therapy for Every Day: 365 Tools & Exercises to Help You Create\, Heal & Grow
DESCRIPTION:Find your creative flow\, soothe nerves\, and reconnect with yourself through art therapy. \nArt is the best medicine–and by tapping into our creativity regularly\, we can develop tools to help us feel better\, calmer\, and more resilient. \nArt Therapy for Every Day features 365 accessible and engaging exercises\, each designed to help you develop self-awareness\, explore your emotions\, and find relief from stress and trauma. Each exercise focuses on a specific intention\, can be completed with everyday art supplies\, and is designed to fit easily into your day. \nWhether you want to better regulate your emotions\, find joy in the creative process\, or simply seek a meaningful and hopeful alternative to idle online scrolling\, Art Therapy for Every Day unlocks the simple yet transformative power of self-expression\, day after day.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-nadia-paredes-discusses-signs-art-therapy-for-every-day-365-tools-exercises-to-help-you-create-heal-grow/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/nadia-paredes.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260714T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260714T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T213726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T213726Z
UID:10015295-1784055600-1784055600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Marisa Solis & Elizabeth Dougherty discuss & sign The Complete Expert-To-Author Guide: Plan\, Write\, and Publish Your Nonfiction Book
DESCRIPTION:Learn how to turn your expertise into a clear\, compelling nonfiction book that reaches the people who need it most. \nWhether you’re a consultant\, coach\, educator\, healthcare provider\, or entrepreneur\, writing a book can expand your influence and help more people benefit from your ideas. The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide provides a practical\, step-by-step roadmap for moving from concept to finished manuscript without getting stuck along the way. \nWritten by veteran editors and book coaches Marisa Solis and Elizabeth Dougherty\, who have guided hundreds of nonfiction books from idea to publication\, this hands-on guide walks you through every stage of the writing process with clarity and confidence. \nHere’s what makes The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide an essential resource: \n– A Clear Road Map for Writing Your Book: Follow a proven framework that takes you from initial idea to completed manuscript with manageable\, actionable steps. \n– Designed for Experts and Professionals: If your profession involves helping people improve their lives\, turn your knowledge into an advice-based nonfiction book. \n– 25 Practical Exercises and Writing Tools: Writing prompts\, preformatted templates\, and market analysis exercises help you clarify your message and stay focused. \n– Structure Your Book with Confidence: Develop your advice-based book’s premise\, fine-tune your framework\, and strengthen your table of contents upfront–making writing faster and less stressful. \n– Navigate the Publishing Process: Write a book proposal\, explore publishing paths\, and build the platform needed to reach your audience. \nIf you’ve been thinking about writing a book but aren’t sure where to start or how to finish\, The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide gives you the structure\, strategy\, and support to bring your book to life.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-marisa-solis-elizabeth-dougherty-discuss-sign-the-complete-expert-to-author-guide-plan-write-and-publish-your-nonfiction-book/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/marisa-solis-elizabeth-dougherty-rsvp.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T213928Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T213928Z
UID:10015296-1784142000-1784142000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Fatimah Asghar discusses & signs Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak & Homecoming
DESCRIPTION:A tender\, searching collection that breaks open notions of faith to ask how a daughter\, alienated from kin\, can find love and a home in the world\, from the award-winning author of If They Come for Us and When We Were Sisters \n“There is\, in Daughter of the Mountains\, an almost supernatural sense of connectedness\, compassion. It’s a blueprint and a manifesto. I sit in stunned gratitude at its guidance.”–Kaveh Akbar\, New York Times bestselling author of Martyr! \nat the edge of an edge \nis an edge. at that edge \nis a cliff. beyond that cliff \nis me. \nExiled from ancestral homelands\, how can one find a place for themself in the world? In this stunning sophomore collection\, the acclaimed poet Fatimah Asghar unweaves residual grief to reckon with their relationship to Allah\, long-estranged but deeply loved kin\, the landscape of their ancestors\, and love itself. \nIn meditative poems\, Daughter of the Mountains grapples with multiple facets of fulfillment\, betrayal\, love\, loss\, and longing\, illustrating how place\, lineage\, and environment inform the practice of spirituality and vice versa. With wisps of humor\, imagery that is as beautiful as it is startling\, and powerfully disruptive formal invention\, this is an intimately lyrical and explosive collection.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-fatimah-asghar-discusses-signs-daughter-of-the-mountains-poems-of-heartbreak-homecoming/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T110000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T214209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214236Z
UID:10015297-1784199600-1784199600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Stuffed Animal Sleepover
DESCRIPTION:Your stuffed animals are invited to an overnight sleepover in the Vroman’s Children’s Department! The plushies will get a chance to experience the fun of a bookstore after dark\, climbing ladders\, browsing books\, and making new friends! \nDrop your plushie off at the Kids Info Desk on Wednesday\, July 15th\, between the hours of 5-8 pm\, and then come back on Thursday\, July 16th\, at 11 am to see all the mischief they’ve gotten up to throughout the night! We will have a slideshow and craft in the morning.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-stuffed-animal-sleepover-2/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/website-event-image-18_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260717T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260717T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T214900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214900Z
UID:10015299-1784314800-1784314800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Michael Elias discusses & signs Bender’s L.A.
DESCRIPTION:In the coke-dusted canyons and deal-making rooms of 1970s Los Angeles\, Bender’s L.A. follows writer David Bender as he sets out to remake his life – romantically\, professionally\, and spiritually – after his wife walks out in Puerto Vallarta with a single sentence and a suitcase. \nWhile the Vietnam War casts its shadow\, Bender runs afoul of Nixon’s FBI\, plays tennis with fugitive Abbie Hoffman\, arms himself against a homicidal producer\, and goes back in time to fall in love with a young Marilyn Monroe. Bender weaves through a world of players\, radicals\, writers and artists including a woman suspiciously like Eve Babitz. \nHaunted by his New York past and guided by his Sun Tzu-quoting agent Neil Navitz\, Bender begins to wonder whether success has cost him the things that mattered – or whether he ever truly possessed them. \nWith a comic edge\, Elias offers a bitter-sweet meditation on love\, memory\, and the moral compromise of the Hollywood illusion machine and the misfits it often mangles along the way. In this tragicomedy of nostalgia and recovery\, Bender prevails.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-michael-elias-discusses-signs-benders-l-a/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/michael-elias-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260719T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260719T160000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T215117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T215117Z
UID:10015300-1784476800-1784476800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Local Author Day Introducing Esma Ali\, Paul J. Ramirez & Kimberly Lee
DESCRIPTION:Esma Ali presents Was Jesus A Narcissist?: A Muslim’s Defense of Jesus!\nAs a Christian\, I found this book thought provoking. Well-researched. It has helped me understand the Muslim mindset. I appreciate Esma’s use of Psychology in her illustrations. \n-Anne Nolty\, PhD\, Psychologist\, Pasadena\, CA. \nAs a Catholic\, I have immensely enjoyed the reading!!! Esma Ali brings out perspectives that have never crossed my mind. The book has enhanced an understanding of my own faith as well as Islam. Although I disagree with some of her statements\, I recommend this book. A good educational source for everyone! \n-Adolfo Sanchez\, Accountant \nAs a Bible Study Pastor\, I have grasped the Muslim viewpoint on scripture. This book has enhanced my knowledge. Esma Ali has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Bible. \n-Jolene Cadenbach\, Pastor\, Arcadia Congregational Church \nAs a Muslim\, I value this book. Esma Ali has illuminated me about the Bible. Her work has enabled me to converse intelligently with Jews and Christians.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-local-author-day-introducing-esma-ali-paul-j-ramirez-kimberly-lee/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/local-authors-600-x-600-3_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260720T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260720T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T215458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T215458Z
UID:10015301-1784574000-1784574000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Alicia Upano\, discusses & signs Everything to the Sea
DESCRIPTION:Part riveting love story\, part coming-of-age tale\, Everything to the Sea is a breathtaking debut novel spanning years and shores after a sudden tsunami devastates the island of Hawai’i and cuts short a young couple’s budding romance—a deeply moving testament to the catastrophes love can endure. \nThis is how the story goes: Jane will fall in love. And then all of this will vanish. \nHome for one final summer\, Jane is working and saving cash for her senior year of college before she leaves her island town behind forever. At first\, she doesn’t remember Kenji\, but he quickly becomes someone she can’t forget: square jaw\, a dimple in his cheek. A Hilo boy. To Kenji\, she’s Janie\, nose perpetually buried in her old high school sketchbooks. Jane tells herself it’s only a fling—one perfect\, carefree summer\, on her way to achieving her dream of becoming an architect and moving to the continent. \nThen a tsunami sweeps their families out to sea\, and their all-consuming affair breaks with the weight of grief\, pulling them in opposite directions. Kenji remains in Hawai’i\, bound by duty to rebuild their hometown. Jane\, shattered by the loss\, follows her best friend to California. For seven years\, an ocean lies between them\, until Jane and Kenji meet on another coast . . . \nIn prose that sparkles like sun on the water\, Upano’s debut novel tells the unforgettable story of two young people as they come of age\, fall in love\, forge new families\, and try to find their way back together\, again and again. Everything to the Sea is a moving portrait of our ability to overcome even the most devastating tragedies\, when everything else is washed away.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/alicia-upano-discusses-signs-everything-to-the-sea/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/alicia-upano-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260721T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260721T190000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144244
CREATED:20260615T221455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T221455Z
UID:10015302-1784660400-1784660400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Dr. Niki Elliott discusses & signs Heart-Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive
DESCRIPTION:A transformative guide for anyone working with the child who is left out\, left behind\, or labeled “difficult.” \nHeart-Centered Connections teaches the best practices to support kids who are misunderstood and marginalized–those who are neurodivergent\, have a learning disability\, or are trauma survivors. They have extraordinary potential waiting to be unleashed. \nHeart-Centered Connections is based on decades of groundbreaking research with over 1\,000 child-serving professionals–principals\, teachers\, foster care program directors\, social workers\, and parents. Dr. Elliott offers seven pillars that will help you create environments where kids can achieve their full potential. Children mirror adults’ emotions\, which is why the first pillar is Self-Awareness. What is your state when you engage with the child? Other pillars include Interpersonal Awareness\, Neuroinclusive Spaces\, Activated Genius\, Engaged Learning\, Mindful Communication\, and Heart-Centered Repair. You will learn how to: \n– Increase your ability to handle stress so you remain composed when a child acts out \n– Establish stronger bonds\, even with kids who initially seem defiant \n– Teach in a way that creates joy and confidence \n– Design neuroinclusive environments in which youth of all abilities can flourish \n– View the child from a new perspective\, offering them choice and dignity \n– Help the child settle their nervous system state so they can focus and learn \nIn this practical book\, Dr. Elliott brings clear guidance and a hopeful message: when safety\, compassion\, and trust come first\, real learning can begin. Heart-Centered Connections shows you how to create that foundation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-dr-niki-elliott-discusses-signs-heart-centered-connections-seven-essential-skills-for-helping-neurodiverse-and-marginalized-children-thrive/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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