Patrick Renna, best known for his role in the 1993 film The Sandlot, offers baseball-themed anecdotes and affirmations. Heartfelt reminders that life’s a marathon, not a sprint, may be familiar, but many young readers will find them revelatory. The author also stresses that failure is just as much a part of life as success, encourages children to embrace individuality and work hard despite being the underdog, and emphasizes that practice shows commitment and “prepares you for the big game or the test.” All these lessons will be relatable to young people, and many are supported by real-life stories: basketball superstar Michael Jordan’s short-lived stint in minor league baseball, an unexpected victory during Game One of the 2015 World Series, and Renna’s willingness to swallow his fear when, as a young teen, he was handed a new script just an hour before shooting a pivotal scene inThe Sandlot. Each tidbit stands alone, but taken together, all 20 tenets provide a lively road map to life. The colorful spot art features images of diverse young baseball players, plus some visually appealing double-page spreads filled with movement and action. White space is used thoughtfully, allowing readers to reflect on how these words of wisdom might apply to them. A solid base hit, with guidance on the great American pastime–and life itself.

This ticketed event is a book signing & photo op only and tickets include a copy of A Little Slugger’s Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life, to be picked up at check in the day of the event.

Event Guidelines:

Patrick Renna will be signing the book only, no memorabilia.

Photo op pictures will be taken with your camera by a Vroman’s employee.plays

Questions? Please email us at email@vromansbookstore.com

The post Vroman’s Bookstore: TICKETED – Patrick Renna signs A Little Slugger’s Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life appeared first on Playhouse Village Association.

“For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book.”— Buzzfeed

Rachel Dang once voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, is unemployed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it’s time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.

As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren’t exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she’s the one flailing.

The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventures where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.

Erin La Rosa is the author of The Backtrack, Plot Twist, For Butter or Worse, Womanskills, and The Big Redhead Book. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and four daughters (two human, and two feline).

The post Vroman’s Bookstore: Julie Tieu, in conversation with Erin La Rosa, discusses Girl Most Likely To appeared first on Playhouse Village Association.

Senator Anthony Portantino represents California’s 25th State Senate District, which stretches along the 210 Freeway from Sunland/Tujunga to Upland.  He proudly represents the Rose Bowl, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Griffith Park, Warner Brothers, Disney, Caltech and the Claremont Colleges.

Supporting public education, mental health, and sensible gun control have been priorities for Senator Portantino during his time in office. His accomplishments include increasing funding for special education and the K-12 Local Control Funding Formula. He has authored legislation that created California’s umbilical cord blood collection program, pushed back school start time for middle and high schools, banned the open carry of handguns on Main Street California, raised the purchase age of firearms to 21, and placed the suicide hotline number on student identification cards.  In addition, his efforts have created a science fellowship in the State Capitol and established a unique partnership between the University of California and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

He personally negotiated the end of the 710-freeway tunnel with the Brown administration and authored SB 7, which formally ended the threat of the freeway, protected the non-profits in the corridor, and paved the way for Pasadena to develop the dormant freeway stub.

Senator Portantino currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Select Committee to foster trade between California, Armenia and Artsakh.
Prior to his years as a representative, he spent many years working in film and television production, served on the California Film Commission, and spent nearly eight years on the La Cañada Flintridge City Council, with two terms as Mayor.  In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Award at a ceremony in the historic island’s great hall.

Senator Portantino grew up in New Jersey, where he attended public schools and graduated from Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he met his future wife, Ellen, a longtime business executive at Warner Brothers and Disney.  They have two daughters.

Linda Ravenswood BFA MA, PhD and is a poet and performance artist from Los Angeles. Her accolades include an Oxford Prize in Poetry (2022) and the Edwin Markham Prize in Poetry (2023). She is the founding editor of The Los Angeles Press, est. 2018, and the co-founder of the Poet Laureate program in Glendale, California. Her recent collections include Cantadora-letters from California (Eyewear London/The Black Spring Press Group, 2023), The Stan Poems (Pedestrian Press, 2022), Tlacuilx-Tongues in Quarantine (HINCHAS Press, 2021), and XLA Poets (HINCHAS Press, 2020). Find her at thelosangelespress.com

Brian Sonia-Wallace has been described as a “creative genius” by the LA’s Department of Cultural Affairs and “disappointingly normal” by the New York Times. He’s written for the Guardian, Rolling Stone, and more. He has been the resident writer for Amtrak, the Dollar Shave Club, and Mall of America to name a few. His company, RENT Poet, was featured on NPR’s How I Built This.try

The post Vroman’s Bookstore: A Group Poetry event featuring Senator Anthony Portantino, Linda Ravenswood, and Brian Sonia Wallace appeared first on Playhouse Village Association.