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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250620T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250620T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T200713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T200713Z
UID:10013353-1750442400-1750449600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - George Takei signs It Rhymes with Takei
DESCRIPTION:Following the award-winning bestseller They Called Us Enemy\, George Takei’s new full-color graphic memoir reveals his most personal story of all—told in full for the first time anywhere! \nGeorge Takei has shown the world many faces: actor\, author\, outspoken activist\, helmsman of the starship Enterprise\, living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans\, and king of social media. But until October 27\, 2005\, there was always one piece missing—one face he did not show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never shared…and it rhymes with Takei. \nNow\, for the first time ever\, George shares the full story of his life in the closet\, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68\, and the way that moment transformed everything. Following the phenomenal success of his first graphic memoir\, They Called Us Enemy\, George Takei reunites with the team of Harmony Becker\, Steven Scott\, and Justin Eisinger for a jaw-dropping new testament. From his earliest childhood crushes and youthful experiments in the rigidly conformist 1950s\, to global fame asv an actor and the terrible fear of exposure\, to the watershed moment of speaking his truth and becoming one of the most high-profile gay men on the planet\, It Rhymes with Takei offers a sweeping portrait of one iconic American navigating the tides of LGBTQ+ history. \nCombining historical context with intimate subjectivity\, It Rhymes with Takei shows how the personal and the political have always been intertwined. Its richly emotional words and images depict the terror of entrapment even in gay community spaces\, the anguish of speaking up for so many issues while remaining silent on his most personal issue\, the grief of losing friends to AIDS\, the joy of finding true love with Brad Altman\, and the determination to declare that love openly—and legally—before the whole world. \nLooking back on his astonishing life on both sides of the closet door\, George Takei presents a charismatic and candid account of how far America has come…and how precious that progress is. \nEvent guidelines:\n– George Takei will personalize with names only\, no messages.\n– Photos from the line are OK\, posed photos are NOT okay.\n– George will be signing copies of It Rhymes with Takei ONLY and will NOT sign any Star Trek items or any other memorabilia. \nThis in-store ticketed event is a book signing only. Your ticket includes access to the signing line and a copy of IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI to be handed out at check-in the night of the event. \nQuestions? email promo@vromansbookstore.com
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-george-takei-signs-it-rhymes-with-takei/
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/2025/05/george-takei-600x600-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250618T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250618T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T191752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T191752Z
UID:10013351-1750273200-1750276800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Megan Greenwell\, in conversation with Ann Friedman\, discusses & signs Bad Company
DESCRIPTION:A timely work of singular reportage and a damning indictment of the private equity industry told through the stories of four American workers whose lives and communities were upended by the ruinous effects of private equity takeovers. \nPrivate equity runs our country\, yet few Americans have any idea how ingrained it is in their lives. Private equity controls our hospitals\, daycare centers\, supermarket chains\, voting machine manufacturers\, local newspapers\, nursing home operators\, fertility clinics\, and prisons. The industry even manages highways\, municipal water systems\, fire departments\, emergency medical services\, and owns a growing swath of commercial and residential real estate.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-megan-greenwell-in-conversation-with-ann-friedman-discusses-signs-bad-company/
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/2025/05/megan-greenwell-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250616T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250616T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T191505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T191505Z
UID:10013350-1750100400-1750104000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Bridget Crocker\, in conversation with Jim Benning\, discusses & signs The River’s Daughter: A Memoir
DESCRIPTION:A vivid and propulsive memoir about finding courage and meaning in a life outdoors\, by a world-class whitewater rafting guide. \nAfter Bridget Crocker’s parents’ volatile divorce\, she moved with her mother from Southern California to Wyoming . Her life was idyllic\, growing up in a trailer park on the banks of the Snake River with a stepfather she loved\, a new baby brother\, and the river as her companion–until her mother suddenly took up a radical new lifestyle\, becoming someone Bridget barely recognized. The one constant in her life–the place Bridget felt whole and fully herself–was the river. When she discovered the world of whitewater rafting\, she knew she’d found her calling. \nOn the river\, Bridget learned to read the natural world around her and came to know the language of rivers. One of the few female guides on the Snake River\, she then traveled to the Zambezi River in Africa\, some of the most dangerous whitewater in the world\, where she faced death and learned to conquer her fears–both on the water and off. The river taught her how to overcome years of betrayals and abuse\, to trust herself\, and\, finally\, how to help heal her family from generational cycles of trauma and poverty. \nA beautifully rendered memoir of a woman coming into her own\, The River’s Daughter opens us to the possibilities of transformation through nature.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-bridget-crocker-in-conversation-with-jim-benning-discusses-signs-the-rivers-daughter-a-memoir/
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/2025/05/bridget-crocker-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250614T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250614T140000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T191204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T191204Z
UID:10013349-1749906000-1749909600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Mimi Slawoff discusses & signs Historic Los Angeles Roadsides
DESCRIPTION:Embark on a treasure hunt adventure like no other! Kidd’s Jewelry Heist is famous for combining clue-solving fun with imaginative jewelry design that results in a truly unique keepsake of your very own creation! \nChildren who RSVP have an opportunity to participate in their very own bracelet-making experience inspired by their favorite books and stories. Let your child’s creative side run wild this summer during our “Picture This!” reading program\, where Kidd’s Jewelry Heist and Vroman’s Bookstore have created the perfect blend of literacy and entertainment to spark any imagination! \nRSVP at rsvp@vromansbookstore.com   \nMore information about Kidd’s Jewelry Heist can be found here.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-mimi-slawoff-discusses-signs-historic-los-angeles-roadsides/
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/2025/05/mimi-slawoff-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250612T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250612T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T190240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T190240Z
UID:10013348-1749726000-1749729600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program 2025 Kick-Off with Kidd's Jewely Heist!
DESCRIPTION:Embark on a treasure hunt adventure like no other! Kidd’s Jewelry Heist is famous for combining clue-solving fun with imaginative jewelry design that results in a truly unique keepsake of your very own creation! \nChildren who RSVP have an opportunity to participate in their very own bracelet-making experience inspired by their favorite books and stories. Let your child’s creative side run wild this summer during our “Picture This!” reading program\, where Kidd’s Jewelry Heist and Vroman’s Bookstore have created the perfect blend of literacy and entertainment to spark any imagination! \nRSVP at rsvp@vromansbookstore.com   \nMore information about Kidd’s Jewelry Heist can be found here.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-2025-kick-off-with-kidds-jewely-heist/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Families,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vromans-summer-reading-program-2025-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250611T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250611T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T185732Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T185732Z
UID:10013347-1749668400-1749672000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Renée Ahdieh\, in conversation with Dahlia De La Vega\, discusses & signs Park Avenue
DESCRIPTION:has always been destined for greatness. As the daughter of Korean bodega owners\, she promised herself that she would have every Fifth Avenue luxury when she grew up\, and it is all finally within reach. She has just made junior partner at her prestigious Manhattan law firm\, she can count on her two best friends to have her back\, and she is about to score the ultraluxe gold-on-gold Birkin bag of her dreams. So when her boss asks her to sit in on the hush-hush family implosion of a high-level client\, she accepts without hesitation—only to find out that it is one of the most famous Korean families in the world. \nThe Park family’s net worth is estimated at a billion dollars\, and their mega-successful Korean beauty brand has shaped the culture for the past two decades. But the patriarch is filing for divorce while his wife is dying\, and their three children can’t stop snapping at one another. With both the family fortune and legacy under threat from the worst kind of scandal\, it’s up to Jia to set things right—and she only has a month to do it. \nAs Jia sorts through the lies and subterfuge\, chasing the truth across the globe on private jets\, she finds herself falling for this broken\, badly-behaving family in ways she can’t quite explain. But it is also becoming clear that the Parks are hiding dark secrets. Can she find the truth in time to protect the Parks’ fortune and secure her success at the firm? And can she hold on to what’s most important\, even if it means admitting that what she’s always wanted isn’t what she actually needs?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-renee-ahdieh-in-conversation-with-dahlia-de-la-vega-discusses-signs-park-avenue/
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/2025/05/renee-ahdieh-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250610T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250610T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T185529Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T185529Z
UID:10013346-1749582000-1749585600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Kyra Davis Lurie discusses & signs The Great Mann
DESCRIPTION:In this poignant retelling of The Great Gatsby\, set amongst L.A.’s Black elite\, a young veteran finds his way post-war\, pulled into a new world of tantalizing possibilities–and explosive tensions. \nIn 1945\, Charlie Trammell steps off a cross-country train into the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles. Lured by his cousin Marguerite’s invitation to the esteemed West Adams Heights\, Charlie is immediately captivated by the Black opulence of L.A.’s newly rechristened “Sugar Hill.” \nSettling in at a local actress’s energetic boarding house\, Charlie discovers a different way of life–one brimming with opportunity–from a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm\, the absence of Jim Crow\, to the potential of an unforgettable romance. But nothing dazzles quite like James “Reaper” Mann. \nReaper’s extravagant parties\, attended by luminaries like Lena Horne and Hattie McDaniel\, draw Charlie in\, bringing the milieu of wealth and excess within his reach. But as Charlie’s unusual bond with Reaper deepens\, so does the tension in the neighborhood as white neighbors\, frustrated by their own dwindling fortunes\, ignite a landmark court case that threatens the community’s well-being with promises of retribution. \nTold from the unique perspective of a young man who has just returned from a grueling\, segregated war\, The Great Mann weaves a compelling narrative of wealth and class\, illuminating the complexities of Black identity and education in post-war America.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-kyra-davis-lurie-discusses-signs-the-great-mann/
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/2025/05/kyra-davis-lurie-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250607T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250607T170000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T185151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T185151Z
UID:10013345-1749312000-1749315600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Mike de la Rocha discusses & signs Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father How to Love
DESCRIPTION:In Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father How to Love\, Mike de la Rocha explores how inherited definitions of manhood profoundly impacted his ability to connect with his father\, his family\, and ultimately himself\, inviting readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery\, forgiveness\, and love. \nSacred Lessons is a deeply moving and inspiring memoir for those seeking self-love and healing. Intensely personal\, this memoir delves into the struggle men face in connecting with themselves and others\, offering tools for personal growth and ways to build meaningful and authentic relationships in their lives. \nThrough his story\, Mike de la Rocha reflects on his father’s legacy as a beloved professor who impacted tens of thousands of students\, yet struggled to teach his own son how to be emotionally vulnerable. Reflecting on the most important relationships in his life\, Mike explores the difficulty in communicating with his father and loved ones–a byproduct of a toxic culture that prohibits men from truly expressing themselves\, and purposely doesn’t teach men how to give and receive love. Through these stories\, we see how trauma is passed on intergenerationally and how to find ways to stop the cycle of harm. In the end\, both Mike and his father teach each other the greatest lesson of all: the sacredness of the love between a father and a son. \nTold with raw emotion and vulnerability\, Sacred Lessons is the human story of the impact that history and culture have upon us all. This is a book for those of us seeking community in a time when too many of us feel alone\, as well as a testimony to the legacy of a brilliant father\, a brutal indictment of patriarchy\, and an affirmation of the transformative power of love. \nBIO: \nMike de la Rocha is a visionary strategist\, acclaimed artist\, and compelling voice for change. Celebrated as one of the most influential changemakers of our era\, Mike has been behind several of the largest policy victories and cultural shifts in United States history. He’s earned accolades as one of GOOD magazine’s top 100 people reshaping our world\, recipient of the AFL-CIO’s prestigious Justice\, Peace and Freedom Award\, and was lauded as a groundbreaking innovator by Stanford Social Innovation Review. A proud alumnus of UCLA\, Mike co-founded Revolve Impact\, one of the leading creative agencies in the world\, and Tepito Coffee\, one of the fastest growing Latinx coffee companies in America. Mike calls Los Angeles home\, where he resides with his family. Learn more about his journey at mikedelarocha.com and join the conversation online at @mrmikedelarocha.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-mike-de-la-rocha-discusses-signs-sacred-lessons-teaching-my-father-how-to-love/
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/2025/05/mike-de-la-rocha-600x600_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250607T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250607T150000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T184850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T184850Z
UID:10013344-1749304800-1749308400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Delanie Fischer presents & signs Mocktales: 50+ Literary Mocktails Inspired by Classic Works\, Banned Books\, and More!
DESCRIPTION:Alcohol-Free Reimaginings of Literary Classics \nEnjoy co-authors Delanie Fischer and Lindsey Smith’s delicious mocktail adaptations of your favorite books and authors. \nBeloved stories with a sober twist. Have you ever wondered what the ladies from your favorite Jane Austen books would drink at a ball? What Jay Gatsby would be serving at his crazy parties? Experience these answers for yourself with Lindsey Smith and Delanie Fischer’s all-new zero-proof drink cookbook. MockTales captures the intoxicating atmosphere of the bestsellers that we know and love. Featuring over fifty plant-based recipes that are easy to make and full of nutritious flavors\, you’ll enjoy your next reread like never before with these delicious mocktails. \nA toast to the authors who made history. Each recipe inside MockTales is inspired by the literary characters and settings\, but also the minds behind these incredible stories. Explore alcohol-free concoctions based on famous authors such as Alice Walker\, Ernest Hemingway\, Margaret Atwood\, and more. Using ingredients that pay homage to their biographies\, writing styles\, and famous quotes\, each sip will have you and fellow book lovers falling in love with these incredible writers all over again. \nEnjoy over 50 recipes inspired by banned books and literary classics from all genres\, such as: \n\nHistorical fiction novels like Les Miserables\, Little Women\, and Huckleberry Finn\nRomance books such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice\nFantasy adventures including Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia\nScience fiction and horror tales such as Frankenstein\nBook-to-film adaptations like A Clockwork Orange and Fight Club\n\nSo if you liked fun mocktail and cocktail books such as Tequila Mockingbird\, The Art of Mixology Mocktails\, or Flavor Lab Creations\, then we recommend MockTales for you.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-delanie-fischer-presents-signs-mocktales-50-literary-mocktails-inspired-by-classic-works-banned-books-and-more/
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/2025/05/delanie-fischer-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250606T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250606T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T184500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T184500Z
UID:10013342-1749236400-1749240000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Cory O’Brien discusses & signs Two Truths and a Lie
DESCRIPTION:From the beloved internet humorist\, a debut novel that introduces an unforgettable investigator to the drowned streets of L.A. in a hugely imaginative and heartfelt blend of noir and cyberpunk. \nIn a mostly underwater near-future Los Angeles\, aging combat-drone veteran Orr Vue now lives a simple and small life\, trading snippets of what’s become the most valuable currency: information. So when the cops show up at his door looking for data on a murder he’s not even aware has happened\, things get interesting for the first time in 25 years. \nAt first\, Orr is happy to exchange whatever he knows about the demise of InfoDrip’s top exec to buy booze and pay rent on his memory storage\, but that plan goes to hell when Orr’s old boyfriend\, Auggie Wolf\, shows up as the number one suspect. Forced to stretch his atrophied spy skills and take his illegal horde of drones out of retirement alongside his busted knees\, Orr finds himself in the crosshairs of the militarized police\, a family of megarich corporate heirs\, a clan of emancipated AIs\, and a cult. Barely avoiding getting killed with every clue he collects\, Orr realizes he’s uncovered not just a murder\, but a conspiracy that threatens Auggie’s very existence. Ahh\, the things we do for love…\nBut in a world where memories can be bought and sold\, how can you truly know who anyone is—or what you yourself are capable of? Fast paced\, funny\, and shockingly romantic\, Two Truths and a Lie is Raymond Chandler reinvented for the 22nd century. \nCory O’Brien is the author of Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes and George Washington Is Cash Money. He has written for numerous award-winning video games\, including Monster Prom and Holovista\, and designed multiple tabletop games\, including Inhuman Conditions and Hand to Hand Wombat. He lives in Chicago.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-cory-obrien-discusses-signs-two-truths-and-a-lie/
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/2025/05/cory-obrien-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T183524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T184226Z
UID:10013339-1749060000-1749067200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Ed - Bonsai Workshop with Daniel Deephouse
DESCRIPTION:Daniel brings more than 40 years of experience in Bonsai care and cultivation. He has created and cared for Bonsai in Australia\, the UK and the US. \nYou’ll repot\, trim\, and wire your own Japanese garden! Part of our ongoing Bonsai series\, Daniel will take you through the process of creating and caring for your very own Bonsai. We provide all the supplies you need\, you bring your enthusiasm and willingness to learn. We can’t wait to meet you. \nThis month’s plant selection is ficus trees. Daniel chose this because they are ok being potted in hot weather\, and they are one of the few trees that can be kept indoors as well as out. \nDaniel fell in love with the art when his Oma (grandmother\,) Elizabeth Deephouse introduced him to it when he was eight. He loves to share his passion with anyone interested in learning. Daniel currently volunteers to help maintain the Bonsai collection at the Huntington Gardens and the Lake Balboa Japanese Garden. He also tends to private collections in the Los Angeles area and styles private trees. You can see some of his work at www.deephouseland.com
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-ed-bonsai-workshop-with-daniel-deephouse-2/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vromans-ed-600-x-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T190000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T184055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T184055Z
UID:10013341-1749060000-1749063600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: Little Cloud by Eric Carle
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with the featured book: Little Cloud by Eric Carle. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story\, craft activities\, creative movement\, and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/pasadena-conservatory-of-music-presents-musical-storytime-little-cloud-by-eric-carle/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Families,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/storytime-600-x-600-5.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250604T190000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T183817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T183817Z
UID:10013340-1749060000-1749063600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Rucker Moses\, in conversation with Zeno Robinson\, discuss & sign Encounter at Owl Rock
DESCRIPTION:In this exhilarating alien sci-fi adventure perfect for fans of Jordan Peele’s Nope\, Lamar Giles and Kwame Mbalia\, twin brothers must stop aliens from taking over their Atlanta suburb. \nThere’s something weird going on in South Bank…and the Young brothers are at the center of it. \nCypress and Oakley Young are polar opposites and if it weren’t for being identical twins\, no one would ever guess they were related. Cy is a budding film director and this summer\, he’s filming his latest movie at the abandoned theme park with Oak and their best friend Jaz as his actors. He loves directing\, because being the director means calling the shots\, being in absolute control of how the story turns out. Except Oak’s wild imagination can’t be contained. Tired of hearing about his brother’s dreams and alien conspiracy theories\, Cy snaps at him. But before he can patch things up\, Oak vanishes into Owl Rock\, this huge otherworldly granite formation at the center of the park\, leaving only his skateboard behind. \nWhen Orion Industries\, the company that’s been excavating beneath Owl Rock and snapping up property all around town\, start searching for Oak with a little too much interest\, it’s up to Cy and Jaz to find Oak first and uncover the true secrets of Owl Rock. This heartening whirlwind adventure is ready to thrill as two brothers discover we’re not alone in the universe.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-rucker-moses-in-conversation-with-zeno-robinson-discuss-sign-encounter-at-owl-rock/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rucker-moses-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250602T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250602T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250530T182335Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250530T182335Z
UID:10013338-1748890800-1748894400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Cristina Jiménez\, in conversation with Francia Raisa and Annie Gonzalez\, discusses & signs Dreaming of Home
DESCRIPTION:A MacArthur “Genius” shares her inspiring story\, from undocumented newcomer to leader in a powerful immigrant youth movement. \nDreaming of Home is a coming-of-age story both for a young woman finding her true self and for a social movement of immigrant youth trailblazers who inspired the world and changed the lives of millions. \nCristina Jiménez’s family fights to stay afloat as Ecuador faces a political and economic crisis. When she was thirteen\, her parents courageously decided to seek a better life in the U.S.\, landing in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens\, New York. There are many challenges\, but eventually\, Cristina discovers she is not alone; she finds her calling within a community of social justice organizers. With deep candor and humor\, Cristina opens the door to what it’s like to grow up undocumented and the reality that being a “good” immigrant doesn’t shield you from systematic racism\, danger\, or even the confusion of falling in love. \nThrough personal stories and historical truth telling\, Cristina invites us to acknowledge the America that never was and to imagine the America that could be when everyday people build power and fight for change. And she reminds us that home is more than a physical place on the map\, offering each of us a roadmap for finding the home within even when the world around us seems to be crumbling. \n**This is a non-ticketed event\, but an RSVP is recommended to guarantee seating. promo@vromansbookstore.com
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-cristina-jimenez-in-conversation-with-francia-raisa-and-annie-gonzalez-discusses-signs-dreaming-of-home/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/9780802161543.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250531T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250531T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T175254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T184036Z
UID:10013219-1748703600-1748707200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Children's Book Signing & Reading: Alway
DESCRIPTION:A group of children investigate the threat that prompted large-scale evacuations in this powerful and dramatic companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Alone told in multiple POVs. \nAfter an imminent yet unnamed danger forces people across Colorado to leave their homes\, a group of kids including an aspiring filmmaker and a budding journalist find themselves in the same evacuation camp. As they cope with the aftermath of having their world upended\, they grow curious about the mysterious threat. \nAnd as they begin to investigate\, they start to discover that there’s less truth and more cover-up to what they’re being told. Can they get to the root of the conspiracy\, expose the bad actors\, and bring an end to the upheaval before it’s too late?https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-31/megan-e-freeman-discusses-signs-away
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-4/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/megan-e-freeman-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250529T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250529T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T174746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T174746Z
UID:10013218-1748545200-1748548800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: William Loving discusses Blue Earth River
DESCRIPTION:In a small Midwestern town\, divisions are sharp and passions high. Global capitalism has gutted the local economy; drugs\, alcohol and racial resentment have filled the void. A diverse\, multi-generational\, yet anxious cast of characters hangs together by a few threads\, one of which is the local newspaper and its beloved advice column\, “Dear Molly.” As Molly declines into dementia\, her husband Augustus steps in to continue the column\, which evolves into a bracing screed against vanity and hypocrisy as he exorcises his own demons\, creating a cause cé lè bre. When an anonymous letter writer begins responding in ominous tones\, it seems the town may be forced to confront mass violence.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-william-loving-discusses-blue-earth-river/
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/2025/04/william-loving-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250528T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250528T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T174401Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T174452Z
UID:10013217-1748458800-1748462400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Fiction Reading Group: Orbital by Samantha Harvey
DESCRIPTION:The Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group meets the 4th Wednesday of every month at 7pm. \nThis event is free and open to the public. \nMay’s pick is Orbital by Samantha Harvey. \nFiction Reading Group meetings are held inside Vroman’s Bookstore on the second floor in the event space. \n  \n 
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-fiction-reading-group-orbital-by-samantha-harvey/
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/2025/04/heading-26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250524T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250524T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T174032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T174032Z
UID:10013216-1748098800-1748102400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Edward Underhill discusses In Case You Read This
DESCRIPTION:From acclaimed author Edward Underhill comes a trans rom-com about serendipity\, chance encounter\, and the ultimate missed connection. This joyful celebration of queer love and found family is perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli\, Emery Lee\, and Julian Winters. \nArden isn’t excited about moving. Los Angeles was an easy place to fit in and find a supportive queer community. But Winifred\, Michigan? That sounds like a much more difficult place to exist. \nPasadena\, California\, is the perfect city for Gabe’s reinvention. Everyone knew everything about him in small-town Shelby\, Illinois. Gabe\, who wants to be out and proud\, can’t wait to relocate. \nWhen Arden and Gabe randomly meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska\, it feels like fate. Both are trans\, but more importantly\, both are huge fans of the band Damaged Pixie Dream Boi. Clearly\, the universe is trying to tell them something. Right? \nBut after an incredible evening of hanging out\, the pair part ways only knowing the other’s first name. And as both boys struggle to adjust to their new homes\, their thoughts keep being drawn back to their time together. Is one perfect night enough to bring Arden and Gabe back to each other\, or will the boys need some help to find each other again?https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-24/edward-underhill-conversation-racquel-marie-discusses-case-you-read
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-edward-underhill-discusses-in-case-you-read-this/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/edward-u-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250521T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250521T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T173817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T173817Z
UID:10013215-1747854000-1747857600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Christopher Moore discusses Anima Rising
DESCRIPTION:From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore comes a hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist\, a famous painter\, and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery. \nVienna\, 1911. Gustav Klimt\, the most famous painter in the Austrian Empire\, the darling of Viennese society\, spots a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal. He knows he should summon a policeman\, but he can’t resist stopping to make a sketch first. And as he draws\, the woman coughs. She’s alive! \nBack at his studio\, Klimt and his model-turned-muse Wally tend to the formerly-drowned girl. She’s nearly feral and doesn’t remember who she is\, or how she came to be floating in the canal. Klimt names her Judith\, after one of his most famous paintings\, and resolves to help her find her memory. \nWith a little help from Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung\, Judith recalls being stranded in the arctic one hundred years ago\, locked in a crate by a man named Victor Frankenstein\, and visiting the Underworld. \nSo how did she get here? And why are so many people chasing her\, including Geoff\, the giant croissant-eating devil dog of the North? \nPoor Things meets Bride of Frankenstein in Anima Rising\, Christopher Moore’s most ingenious (and probably most hilarious) novel yet. \nThis is a ticketed in-store event. Tickets include one entry and one signed copy of Anima Rising. For any guest who wants their signed copy to be personalized\, Chris will also stay for a signing line following the event. 
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-christopher-moore-discusses-anima-rising/
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/2025/04/christopher-moore-600-x-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250520T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250520T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T173538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T173538Z
UID:10013214-1747767600-1747771200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Lian Dolan discusses Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding
DESCRIPTION:Everyone loves–and hates–a big fancy wedding! From the author of Lost and Found in Paris and The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children’s wedding in glamorous Montecito\, California. \nYou’re invited…to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms\, the best-laid plans\, and one very memorable wedding. \nPenelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They’re planning a spectacular California wedding\, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights\, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone’s excited about Penny and Chase’s wedding——–except their mothers. \nThe Mother of the Bride\, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis\, doesn’t understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito\, California\, she raised Penny as single mother by choice\, supported by Lord Simon Fox\, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat\, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows. \nThe Mother of the Groom\, Abigail Blakeman\, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse–not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting\, but it is everything. \nBut when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action\, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences\, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children’s dream wedding a reality?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-lian-dolan-discusses-abigail-and-alexa-save-the-wedding/
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/2025/04/lian-dolanmay25-600-x-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250519T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250519T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T173331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T173331Z
UID:10013213-1747681200-1747684800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Amy Larocc discusses How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic\, One Dubious Cure at a Time
DESCRIPTION:A deeply researched\, lively\, and personal exploration of the multibillion-dollar wellness industry — about why women are feeling so un-well and how this trend has shaped our thinking about health and self-care \nPeloton. Pilates. Biohacking. Colonics. Ashwagandha. Today\, the wellness industry is a $3.7 trillion behemoth that touches us all. In this timely and clear-eyed book\, journalist Amy Larocca peels back the layers behind the wellness movement and reckons with its promises and profits. How did we get here and how did the idea of wellness become integrated with women’s lives? And how did we end up spending so much money on products that may not work at all? \nAmy Larocca takes readers into the communities that swear by their activated charcoal toothpaste and green juice enemas\, explaining what each of these practices really is–and what the science says. Larocca holds a magnifying glass to alternative medicine and nouveau lifestyle prescriptions — and tries a lot herself along the way — ultimately delivering an assessment of how the wellness industry embodies our (gendered\, class-based\, racialized) perceptions of care and self-improvement\, and how it preys on our unshakable fear of the unknown. She traces the history of how the beauty and fashion industries have peddled snake oil to women for decades–and why we keep coming back for more. \nA clear-eyed and honest portrait of the weird world of wellness\, How to Be Well lays bare the ways in which the simple notion of caring for oneself has become a seriously big business.https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-19/amy-larocca-conversation-annie-weisman-discusses-how-be-well-navigating-our-self
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-amy-larocc-discusses-how-to-be-well-navigating-our-self-care-epidemic-one-dubious-cure-at-a-time/
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/2025/04/amy-larocca-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250517T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250517T180000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T173131Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T173131Z
UID:10013212-1747497600-1747504800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: The Tomorrow Prize and The Green Feather Award Celebrity Readings and Honors
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s Bookstore for the Omega Sci-Fi Project’s culminating event\, celebrating emerging young writers for their incredible sci-fi stories.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-the-tomorrow-prize-and-the-green-feather-award-celebrity-readings-and-honors/
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/2025/04/hostingemaildigitalspace-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250517T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250517T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T172903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T172903Z
UID:10013211-1747479600-1747483200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Alex Killian & Grady McFerrin read from In-Between Places
DESCRIPTION:A gorgeously illustrated and inspiring picture book about confidently navigating “in-between” times and places in life. The perfect gift for grads of all ages and fans of I Wish You More and Oh\, the Places You’ll Go! \nSometimes you know just where you are going. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you find yourself in an in-between place. A place that is neither here nor there. A place where you can go up or down\, left or right. So how do you know which way to go? \nPoetic and reassuring\, In-Between Places reminds us that sometimes we just need to take a leap to land exactly where we’re meant to be. \nBUILDING CONFIDENCE: Inspiring text and vibrant illustrations will encourage readers to meet new experiences with an open mind and confidently take on any challenges that come their way. \nGREAT GIFT BOOK: Uplifting and visually enchanting\, this is an ideal present to encourage graduates of any age to leap into new beginnings and uplift any reader who finds themselves navigating an in-between time. \nPerfect for: \n\nParents\, grandparents\, educators\, and librarians\nAnyone looking for creative ways to talk with kids about change\, transition\, or self-doubt\nGift-giving for birthday\, graduation\, encouragement\, or any milestone momenthttps://vromansbookstore.com/event/2025-05-17/alex-killian-grady-mcferrin-read-between-places
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-alex-killian-grady-mcferrin-read-from-in-between-places/
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/2025/04/alex-and-grady-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250516T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250516T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T172649Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T172649Z
UID:10013210-1747422000-1747425600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Radha Vatsa\, in conversation with Naomi Hirahara\, discusses No. 10 Doyers Street
DESCRIPTION:Archana Morley knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As a woman journalist from India making her way through the cutthroat world of tabloid newspapers\, she’s always on the lookout for untold stories. \nIn the aftermath of a bloody shooting in Chinatown\, Archana finds her most challenging subject-the dreaded gangster Mock Duck. But she realizes that things are not as they seem when the mayor declares Chinatown must be demolished\, and the authorities raid Mock’s home and tear apart his family. She embarks on a quest for the truth that leads her from gritty alleys to the back-room politics of City Hall and beyond. \nInspired by real events\, No. 10 Doyers Street is a gripping novel of New York City on the cusp of modernity\, as seen through a unique immigrant perspective.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-radha-vatsa-in-conversation-with-naomi-hirahara-discusses-no-10-doyers-street/
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/2025/04/radha-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250514T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250514T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T172445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T172445Z
UID:10013209-1747249200-1747252800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Mariah Blake discusses & signs They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals
DESCRIPTION:A landmark investigation of the chemical industry’s decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals\, told through the story of a small town on the frontlines of an epic public health crisis \nIn 2014\, after losing several friends and relatives to cancer\, an unassuming insurance underwriter in Hoosick Falls\, New York\, began to suspect that the local water supply was polluted. When he tested his tap water\, he discovered dangerous levels of forever chemicals. This set off a chain of events that led to 100 million Americans learning their drinking water was tainted. Although the discovery came as a shock to most\, the U.S. government and the manufacturers of these toxic chemicals–used in everything from lipstick and cookware to children’s clothing–had known about their hazards for decades. \nIn They Poisoned the World\, investigative journalist Mariah Blake tells the astonishing story of this cover-up\, tracing its roots back to the Manhattan Project and through the postwar years\, as industry scientists discovered that these chemicals refused to break down and were saturating the blood of virtually every human being. By the 1980s\, manufacturers were secretly testing their workers and finding links to birth defects\, cancer\, and other serious diseases. At every step\, the industry’s deceptions were aided by our government’s appallingly lax regulatory system–a system that has made us all guinea pigs in a vast\, uncontrolled chemistry experiment. \nDrawing on years of on-the-ground reporting and tens of thousands of documents\, Blake interweaves the secret history of forever chemicals with the moving story of how a lone village took on the chemical giants–and won. From the beloved local doctor to the young mother who took her fight all the way to the nation’s capital\, citizen activists in Hoosick Falls and beyond have ignited the most powerful grassroots environmental movement since Silent Spring. \nHumane and revelatory\, this book will provoke outrage–and hopefully inspire the change we need to protect the health of every American for generations to come. \nMariah Blake is an investigative journalist whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic\, Mother Jones\, The New Republic\, and other publications. She was a Murrey Marder Nieman Fellow in Watchdog Journalism at Harvard University.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-mariah-blake-discusses-signs-they-poisoned-the-world-life-and-death-in-the-age-of-forever-chemicals/
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/2025/04/mariah-blake-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250512T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250512T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T172145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T172145Z
UID:10013208-1747076400-1747080000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Chris Santiago reads from and signs Small Wars Manual: Poems
DESCRIPTION:“Small Wars Manual is a masterpiece\, one of those books I read and know at once I’ll be coming back to the rest of my life.”–Kaveh Akbar\, author of Martyr! \nFrom award-winning poet Chris Santiago\, a far-reaching collection of erasures and original poems examining the long shadow of American militarism and imperialism. \nStemming in part from a disturbingly mundane military document of the same name\, Small Wars Manual is a how-to for imperialism that critically dismantles itself with each passing line\, “a pidgin // containing elements // of animus and // insubordination.” In its wake\, the very boundaries of oppression and resistance\, art and justice\, and power and truth exploded. \nHighly conceptual yet gut-wrenching\, this meticulous and visionary masterpiece of erasure poetry and other forms sinks into the cold mechanics of American warfare in the Philippines and Vietnam to reveal a brutal rhetoric. In more autobiographical sections\, Chris Santiago’s own Filipino immigrant background reveals hard-lived experiences\, where “stars can guide // either bayonets // or refugees” and “even small wars waged // on the living room floor” cause trepidation and harm. \nThis righteous collection redeems the vulnerable from the aggressors–empire\, army\, their systems and tools–and transforms everything in the process. In the hands of Santiago\, the deconstructive becomes the eviscerating\, condemning all wars that upend countries and mark generations. Here are shining poems that make shelter of chaos\, by one of the most skillful and intrepid poets writing today.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-chris-santiago-reads-from-and-signs-small-wars-manual-poems/
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/2025/04/chris-santiago-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T140000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T170312Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T170312Z
UID:10013207-1746882000-1746885600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman’s Type-In: A Celebration of Typewriters & Typewriting!
DESCRIPTION:A Type-in is a community-based\, family-friendly event at which typewriter enthusiasts share their love for the analog art of putting ink to paper with mechanical marvels of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Come for the demonstrations\, stay for the click\, clack! No plugs-in needed.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-type-in-a-celebration-of-typewriters-typewriting/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250510T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T165622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T165635Z
UID:10013206-1746874800-1746878400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Kobina Commeh reads from & signs Kwesi & Nana Ruby Learn to Swim
DESCRIPTION:“A wonderful story to show how it is possible to overcome our fears of doing something new by accepting help from others” — School Library Journal\, starred review \nKwesi doesn’t know how to swim… and discovers his grandmother doesn’t either! Can they conquer their fear of water together with the help of the West African legend Mami Wata? \n“How about we make a deal?” Nana rubbed Kwesi’s head. “I will learn to swim\, if you do.” \n“Deal!” \nKwesi likes spending time at the lake with his friends\, except there’s one tiny problem… he can’t swim. But guess what? Neither can Nana Ruby! When she comes over for dinner one night\, she tells Kwesi about when she moved from Ghana to the US and the history of segregation that kept her out of pools and caused a fear of water among many Black people. \n“So I will never learn how to swim?” Kwesi asks. But Nana Ruby tells him they will call on the strength of Mami Wata\, the sea creature of West African legend\, to conquer their fears together. This touching intergenerational story teaches the importance of naming\, acknowledging and facing fears.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-kobina-commeh-reads-from-signs-kwesi-nana-ruby-learn-to-swim/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250509T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250509T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T165413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T165413Z
UID:10013205-1746817200-1746820800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Alyssa Villaire discusses The Glittering Edge
DESCRIPTION:Penny Emberly is caught in a magical feud in order to save her mother’s life – perfect for fans of Tracy Wolff and Maggie Stiefvater.\nRumors are the lifeblood of Idlewood\, Indiana. The locals whisper that the De Lucas are witches\, and that decades prior they cursed the wealthy Barrion family as revenge for a love gone tragically wrong: now\, if a Barrion falls in love with you\, you’ll die. If this isn’t reason enough for wallflower Penny Emberly to stay away from both families\, she doesn’t know what is. But when Penny’s mom is in an accident that leaves her on the brink of death\, Penny can’t ignore the rumors anymore–because the Barrion curse is real. And her mom is its latest victim.\nIn order to save her mom’s life\, Penny must bring together two bitter enemies on either side of the feud and work with them to break the curse. For star quarterback Corey Barrion\, doing so would mean finally saving his family from the magic that killed his mom. And for misfit witch Alonso De Luca\, it would mean convincing everyone in Idlewood–especially Penny–that he isn’t the villain they believe him to be.\nBut as the trio navigates Alonso’s unpredictable magic\, the tangled web of Barrion-De Luca history\, and an increasingly chaotic group chat\, it soon becomes clear that the curse is not what they expected. Did a De Luca really curse the Barrions in a fit of jealousy\, or is something even more sinister afoot? Penny will have to conquer her anxiety\, wrestle with her budding feelings for Alonso\, and delve into dangerous\, forbidden magic to find the truth and save her mom — even if it means putting her own life at risk.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-alyssa-villaire-discusses-the-glittering-edge/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250507T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250507T200000
DTSTAMP:20260503T014029
CREATED:20250415T165039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250415T165039Z
UID:10013203-1746644400-1746648000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Meghan Daum discusses The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays
DESCRIPTION:From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Unspeakable and The Problem with Everything comes a new collection of unputdownable essays. \n“For the last five or six years\, on many afternoons around 4 or 5 p.m.\, I’ve been overcome with the sensation that my life is effectively over. Note the personal touch here. This is not a sensation of the world ending\, which has been in vogue for quite some time now\, and maybe for good reason. It’s a distinct feeling of being at the end of my days. My time\, while technically not ‘up\,’ is disappearing in the rearview mirror. The fact that this feeling of ambient doom tends to coincide with the blue-tinged\, pre-gloaming light of the late afternoon lends to the whole thing a cosmic beauty\, as devastating as it is awe-inspiring. As such\, I’ve dubbed this the catastrophe hour.” \nWritten between 2016 and 2023\, these essays are classic Daum\, showcasing the author’s wit\, her intellect\, and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Delving into divorce\, dating\, music\, friendship\, beauty\, aging\, death and money\, Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists. \nAnnabelle Gurwitch is a New York Times bestselling author of five books\,  and activist\, actress and two-time Thurber Prize finalist.  She’s written for The New Yorker\, The Los Angeles Times\, The New York Times\, and The Washington Post. Her next book The End of My Life is Killing Me is due out next year from Zibby Publishing.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-meghan-daum-discusses-the-catastrophe-hour-selected-essays/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore
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