BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Playhouse Village Association - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Playhouse Village Association
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://playhousevillage.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Playhouse Village Association
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Los_Angeles
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20240310T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20241103T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20250309T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20251102T090000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0800
TZOFFSETTO:-0700
TZNAME:PDT
DTSTART:20260308T100000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0700
TZOFFSETTO:-0800
TZNAME:PST
DTSTART:20261101T090000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T230941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230941Z
UID:10014396-1760871600-1760875200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Antoinette Portis reads from & signs To Activate Space Portal\, Lift Here
DESCRIPTION:This book is an interstellar portal\, and the aliens inside want to get to know you! \nBefore you lift the cover\, be sure you’re ready to meet Zrk and Blrg. They’re not so different from you–but to them\, you’re the alien! \nAfter their initial shock at seeing you through the portal\, they’re eager to see what kind of teeth you have\, compare home planets\, and maybe team up for a prank. You met as aliens\, but by the time the portal closes\, maybe you’ll be friends. \nTo Activate Space Portal\, Lift Here is an interactive treat sure to delight young galactic explorers. Antoinette Portis’s bright lines and bold colors pair perfectly with humor that also offers a subtle message of acceptance. Whether for bedtime or circle time\, this is a portal you’ll want to open!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-antoinette-portis-reads-from-signs-to-activate-space-portal-lift-here/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/antoinette-portis-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T230718Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230718Z
UID:10014395-1760871600-1760875200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Luisa Navarro presents & signs Mexico's Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life Through Stories and Photos
DESCRIPTION:A lush exploration of the vibrant and important traditions of Día de Muertos\, Mexico’s holiday for celebrating passed loved ones. \nWhether you are new to the holiday and celebrating for the first time\, looking to process a recent loss\, or just interested in this authentic Mexican cultural tradition\, Mexico’s Day of the Dead paints a vibrant picture of one of the country’s most storied and sacred holidays. \nWith photographer Christine Chitnis by her side\, author Luisa Navarro documents the most breathtaking displays\, as well as the artisans and people who keep the traditions alive. She delves into the origins of the holiday\, its rich iconography\, and modern-day customs. Thoughtful essays on the evolution of Día de Muertos are coupled with practical guides for celebrating it yourself\, as Luisa shares her tips for cultivating your own Day of the Dead traditions. Turn to Mexico’s Day of the Dead for approachable DIY projects. Build your own altar. Make your own sugar skulls. Create papel picado and bake your own delicious pan de muerto at home. \nThis landmark book brings Day of the Dead to life with transportive photography\, high-end finishes\, and eye-catching stained edges.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-luisa-navarro-presents-signs-mexicos-day-of-the-dead-a-celebration-of-life-through-stories-and-photos/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/luisa-navarro.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T230429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230455Z
UID:10014394-1760803200-1760810400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Teachers' Night Out! 2025
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Bookstore invites educators to its annual Teacher’s Night Out\, an evening dedicated to celebrating the incredible teachers and librarians who shape the community. Guests can enjoy snacks\, beverages\, and a variety of giveaways\, including books and classroom goodies. \nThroughout the evening\, Vroman’s knowledgeable staff will be available to recommend new titles for classroom discussions and libraries\, as well as share exclusive services available to educators. A publisher-sponsored table will feature curated reading lists and classroom recommendations. \nAttendees are encouraged to browse the featured selections\, connect with fellow educators\, and enjoy light refreshments. Each guest will also receive a 20% off coupon for personal shopping that evening. \nAs a special highlight\, Vroman’s Bookstore will honor 2024–2025 Teacher of the Year\, Star Gomez\, and Pasadena High School with an award presentation at 4:00 p.m. on the Vroman’s outdoor stage.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/377692/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/vromans-annual.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T225749Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T225749Z
UID:10014393-1760785200-1760785200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Judith Orloff reads from & signs The Highly Sensitive Rabbit
DESCRIPTION:High in the Sonoran Desert\, where crickets chirp and cactus grow\, lives a tiny cottontail rabbit named Aurora. Aurora is very sensitive to the beauties of nature and to the feelings of everyone around her. She likes to spend time alone\, and she worries a lot. Aurora’s brothers and sister tell her she is “too sensitive” and often leave her out of their rough-and-tumble play. \nWhen a flash flood destroys her family’s burrow\, Aurora must learn to face her sensitive nature head-on. She meets a spiny lizard\, spotted skunk\, cactus wren\, and javelina\, all of whom have lessons to teach her about kindness and self-care. Will Aurora learn to embrace her nature and thrive as a highly sensitive rabbit? \nBased on Dr. Judith Orloff’s teachings about living an empowered life as an empath\, this beautifully illustrated story teaches us to live with beauty\, sensitivity\, and joy.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-judith-orloff-reads-from-signs-the-highly-sensitive-rabbit/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/judith-orloff-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T225530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T225530Z
UID:10014392-1760554800-1760558400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Nalini Jones discusses & signs The Unbroken Coast
DESCRIPTION:A stunning debut novel set in and around a Mumbai fishing village that follows the friendship between a young girl struggling to find her place in the world\, and an aging historian reckoning with his past. \n​On the night his granddaughter is born in America\, Professor Francis Almeida rides a bicycle through his quiet Catholic neighborhood in a suburb of Mumbai. It is 1978. He has recently retired\, his grown children are scattered across the globe\, and for the first time in decades\, he is not sure what he should do next. A few streets from his home\, in the heart of a Koli fishing village\, he encounters a young mother praying for her baby daughter\, ill with dengue fever\, at the shrine of Our Lady of Navigators. He hopes the child will live. \nNearly a decade later\, Francis meets the child again. She is Celia\, daughter of a fisherman who is running from a debt collector. When an accident brings their families together\, both Celia and Francis find themselves with unexpected new allies. \nSpanning the turbulent years when Bombay became Mumbai\, at time when environmental and economic pressures are just beginning to change the fortunes of indigenous fisherfolk\, The Unbroken Coast is a lyrical novel that explores memory\, faith\, storytelling\, and the nature of home.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-nalini-jones-discusses-signs-the-unbroken-coast/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/nalini-jones.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251012T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251012T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T224739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224739Z
UID:10014391-1760277600-1760281200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Barbara Roberts discusses & signs The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
DESCRIPTION:Bunny Baxter thinks nothing could be worse than starting seventh grade at a school where she knows no one. But after her first day\, she realizes things can actually get much worse. \nIf Bunny Baxter were an insect\, she’d have so many ways to slip through seventh grade unnoticed. But she’s tall instead of tiny\, has flaming red Medusa hair instead of camouflage\, and she suffers from social anxiety\, which makes it hard to be part of a swarm. Worst of all\, she’s been redistricted to a new middle school away from her best friend who she could always hide behind when her anxiety got the best of her. \nThe first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well. Bunny trips on the steps\, falls into the cutest boy in the school\, and causes a kid domino pile-up. At lunch\, she unintentionally causes an uproar in the cafeteria\, which lands her and another girl in the principal’s office.  Bunny decides there is only one option: to get expelled so she can transfer to the school her best friend attends. \nShe soon discovers that it isn’t that hard to get in trouble—don’t turn in your homework\, walk around the track instead of run in P.E.\, pretend you deliberately hit someone with a badminton birdie. What isn’t so easy for Bunny is realizing she now has a reputation as a troublemaker. And even more confusing\, when it looks like her plan to get expelled might work\, she’s no longer sure what to do. \nThe Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming of age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself—quirks and all.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-barbara-roberts-discusses-signs-the-metamorphosis-of-bunny-baxter/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/barbara-roberts-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T224402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224402Z
UID:10014390-1760194800-1760198400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Stoker Award-winning author Pedro Iniguez in conversation with screenwriter Peter Atkins (Hellraiser) on horror in children’s literature (reading and signing)
DESCRIPTION:Join screenwriting legend Peter Atkins (Hellraiser) in an in-depth conversation with Stoker Award-winning writer Pedro Iniguez\, chronicling his journey writing science-fiction and horror\, to children’s literature\, including his first children’s picture book\, The Fib. This event is open to all ages with a reading and signing of The Fib. \nAbout The Fib: The line between imagination and lie blur in The Fib by Bram Stoker Award-winner Pedro Iniguez. \nWhen Pepe struggles to find something exciting for show and tell\, he spins a little lie about a magical creature with horns like a ram\, claws like a bear\, wings like a bat\, eyes like an owl\, and a tail like a lion. But\, Pepe and his class soon discover that this harmless fib takes on a life of its own– literally– growing into a giant\, uncontrollable monster that threatens to eat the entire school.\nAs chaos ensues\, Pepe learns a valuable lesson: even the smallest fib can spiral out of control\, but the truth holds the power to set things right. The Fib is a timeless story that weaves magic and morality into a powerful message about honesty\, responsibility and the power of creativity. \n  \nPedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker Award-winning speculative fiction writer from Los Angeles. The Fib is his first picture book and he is the author of Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future and the comic book Catrina’s Caravan\, among several others. Apart from conducting writing workshops and speaking at several colleges\, he has also been a sensitivity reader and has ghostwritten for award-winning apps and online clients. When he’s not reading\, writing\, daydreaming\, or cooking\, he likes to paint beside his Chihuahua\, Cookie\, and his turtle\, Squirt.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-stoker-award-winning-author-pedro-iniguez-in-conversation-with-screenwriter-peter-atkins-hellraiser-on-horror-in-childrens-literature-reading-and-signing/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/pedro-iniguez-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T123000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T223330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224120Z
UID:10014389-1760182200-1760185800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story\, craft activities\, creative movement and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/377676/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/storytime-600-x-600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251010T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251010T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T223125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T223125Z
UID:10014388-1760122800-1760126400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman Bookstore: Tom Lutz\, in conversation with John Powers\, discusses & signs 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia
DESCRIPTION:The year 1925 was arguably the peak of literature’s centrality. There were more magazines\, more journals\, more reviews\, more book news\, and more book gossip than ever before or since. Literature’s rivals for cultural attention were on the rise—film was becoming a more significant part of people’s media diet\, radio was just taking off\, television technologies were advancing—but literature was still king. Even mediocre books got dozens of reviews\, and the reviews were (most often) thoughtful and intellectually engaged. The belief that literary writing was an essential and consequential business was nearly universal. Modernist ferment continued to excite discussion while the pulp revolution in genre fiction—detective stories\, science fiction\, Westerns\, romance—was booming. These popular books\, even if sometimes condescended to\, were also given thoughtful review attention. \nThis encyclopedia was written as we approached the 100th anniversary of the annus mirabilis. In what follows\, we can see the seeds of virtually every aspect of our cultural life\, from art\, literature\, theater\, and music to physics\, philosophy\, social science\, and political discourse. The fear of environmental degradation\, the corruption in our politics\, the competing claims of utopianism and dystopia\, the bitterly divided views on science\, mass media\, art\, nature\, justice\, generations\, community\, freedom\, sexuality\, race\, immigration—all can be seen in their budding or full-blown gore and glory in 1925. We have come far and not very far at all.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vroman-bookstore-tom-lutz-in-conversation-with-john-powers-discusses-signs-1925-a-literary-encyclopedia/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/tom-lutz-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251008T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20251006T222924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T222924Z
UID:10014387-1759950000-1759953600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: How to Write a Book: A Conversation with Jade Chang & Ann Friedman
DESCRIPTION:To celebrate the launch of Jade Chang’s new novel\, What a Time to Be Alive\, Jade and frequent collaborator Ann Friedman discuss one of their favorite topics… How to Write a Book! Together\, Jade Chang and Ann Friedman (Big Friendship) are The Midwives of Invention (www.midwivesofinvention.com). They lead popular idea development workshops and retreats\, and on 10/8 they will talk about the unexpected overlaps between writing fiction and non-fiction\, their own writing processes\, and their current projects. \nA little more about What a Time to Be Alive: \n“What a Time to Be Alive is a sly\, sexy work of art. Jade Chang has captured the true essence of Los Angeles\, in all of its motley\, messy beauty\, with humor and heart. This is a novel that you will devour\, and share with your friends\, and soon want to devour again.” — Angela Flournoy\, author of The Wilderness and The Turner House \nA deeply moving and often hilarious novel following a woman who becomes an internet folk hero in the most unexpected way\, catapulting her into fame and influence just as she’s finally beginning to reckon with her complicated past \nLola Treasure Gold can’t figure out her life. She’s broke\, unemployed\, and back in her childhood home\, a crumbling cottage in the Hollywood Hills. Worse—unspeakably worse—one of her closest friends has just died. So nobody is more surprised than Lola when a jackpot falls in her lap: she stars in a Very Viral Video\, opening a surprising path for her to become a self-help guru. \nWith the encouragement of her other best friend\, Celi—still alive\, thank god—Lola embraces the public interest in her perceived message. But is she a scammer or a sage? Just as Lola is telling others to be their own guiding lights\, she can’t seem to find hers: she’s grieving; she’s accused of using the notoriety of her friend’s death to fuel her rise; and she’s full of questions about the fate of her mother\, who came to America pregnant\, fleeing China’s one-child policy\, got deported when Lola was eight\, and now has totally disappeared. \nDriven by an exuberant\, searching spirit\, Jade Chang’s kaleidoscopic new novel is a deep examination of the ways we commodify belief\, the power and precarity of fame\, and the delicious terror of being truly seen. What a Time to Be Alive asks if we can look honestly at the world and still love it; the answer is a brilliant\, resounding yes.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-how-to-write-a-book-a-conversation-with-jade-chang-ann-friedman/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/jade-chang-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250929T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250929T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T231105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T231105Z
UID:10014348-1759172400-1759176000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Joss Richard\, in conversation with Elissa Sussman\, discusses & signs It’s Different This Time
DESCRIPTION:In this sweeping\, second-chance romance\, a twist of fate forces two former roommates back into their beloved New York City brownstone where they must confront the events that led to their estrangement–and the unresolved feelings lingering between them. \nReeling from the cancellation of her hit TV show\, June Wood has nothing left to lose when a mysterious email lures her back to the New York City brownstone she once called home before she moved to Los Angeles. Thanks to a clause in the former owner’s will\, she and her old roommate\, Adam Harper\, now own the multimillion-dollar property–or at least they will in a month\, once all the paperwork is signed. \nFour weeks\, then June can return to her life in LA and forget about New York City and everything she left behind. Sure\, the fact that June and Adam are estranged and haven’t even spoken in five years\, and that their friendship didn’t exactly end on good terms might complicate matters\, but this is an opportunity of a lifetime. \nAs the autumn leaves fall around them\, through shared meals and late-night conversations\, old wounds and long-buried sparks resurface\, and it becomes strikingly clear: June and Adam have unfinished business. Confronted with the consequences of their choices years before\, they must now navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know how: together. Second chances are always a risk\, but maybe\, if they get it right and are finally honest with each other and with themselves\, it could be different this time.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-joss-richard-in-conversation-with-elissa-sussman-discusses-signs-its-different-this-time/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/joss-richard-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250927T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250927T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T230904Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T230904Z
UID:10014347-1758985200-1758988800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman’s on Screen - Stephen Rebello\, in conversation with Alonso Duralde\, discusses & signs Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling\, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train
DESCRIPTION:For the very first time the tense and drama-filled story of the making Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train is revealed as author Stephen Rebello takes readers deep into the shadows and light of one of the most subversive\, corrosively funny\, and beloved suspense thriller masterworks. \nAs entertaining as it is to watch Strangers on a Train\, so too is the previously untold backstory that packs all the suspense\, drama\, and twists of a thriller. After all\, what are the hallmarks of a great Hitchcock movie? A larger-than-life\, complex cast of characters\, each with something to prove\, lose\, or hide. Check. Tremendous risk\, outsized conflict\, and emotion as those men and women confront challenges off the set. Check. Feuds\, deceptions\, unlikely alliances\, and double-crosses. Check. Coming off a 5-year-string of flops\, Alfred Hitchcock gambled big on adapting Patricia Highsmith’s debut novel\, which critics called “preposterous” and “unconvincing\,” in addition to “unsavory\,” and “sick” (1950s code words for “gay” and “perverted”). Each step of the production was fraught with battles\, but Hitchcock masterfully stayed two steps ahead of his opponents as he fought to bring his vision to life. Strangers on a Train became not only a creative high-water mark and box-office smash for Hitchcock\, but also kicked off his unmatched decade of classics including Dial M for Murder\, Rear Window\, Vertigo\, North by Northwest\, and Psycho. \nRichly documented\, meticulously researched\, and stylishly written\, Criss-Cross is more than an authoritative film book. It is a portrait of an especially politically paranoid\, misogynistic\, and homophobic era in America\, a time of dramatic transition in the entertainment industry\, and a day of reckoning for Alfred Hitchcock and a few other talents with whom he made a dark\, resonant\, and prescient work of art.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-on-screen-stephen-rebello-in-conversation-with-alonso-duralde-discusses-signs-criss-cross-the-making-of-hitchcocks-dazzling-subversive-masterpiece-strangers-on-a-train/
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/2025/08/stephen-rebello-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250926T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250926T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T230457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T230457Z
UID:10014345-1758913200-1758916800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Robert Oventile and Contributors read from\, discuss & sign The Canyon
DESCRIPTION:Through poems and photos\, The Canyon meditates on Eaton Canyon\, a unique ecosystem nestled adjacent Pasadena and Altadena\, California. \nIn January 2025\, the Eaton Fire devastated the canyon\, along with parts of Altadena and Pasadena. The Canyon reflects on the resilience of this environment\, recalling how its wildlife\, plants\, and terrain rebounded after the 1993 Kinneloa Fire. Shaped by fire and now increasingly by human-driven climate change\, Eaton Canyon is part of a larger story-one that climate scientists place within the evolving Earth System. \nA celebration of Eaton Canyon’s beauty and endurance\, The Canyon invites readers on a journey through an ever-changing landscape. \nAbout the Author and the Photographers\nSusan Hopkins has been an Eaton Canyon Docent Naturalist since 2018 and a UC California Naturalist since 2019. Susan’s passion is taking long in duration\, very short on distance hikes in Eaton Canyon. The slower you go\, the more you see. She is also a nature gossip. \nEdgar McGregor is a meteorologist and environmentalist living in Southern California. He takes daily walks at Eaton Canyon to pick up litter\, speak about environmental issues\, and monitor changes to the park. He specializes in forecasting Santa Ana windstorms and aided in warning the Altadena community in the days before the 2025 Eaton Fire. \nTom Mills is an amateur nature and wildlife photographer who is one of many volunteer docents at the Eaton Canyon Natural Area. Born and raised on the North Shore of Long Island\, N.Y.\, Tom relocated to California in 1988 and has lived in Pasadena\, California with his wife\, Simone\, for over thirty years. Tom is also a member of the Pasadena Audubon Society\, with whom he also volunteers his time and photographs for use in the Society’s publications. \nRobert Savino Oventile hikes Eaton Canyon regularly. He is coauthor with Sandy Florian of Sophia Lethe Talks Doxodox Down (Atmosphere\, 2021).
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-robert-oventile-and-contributors-read-from-discuss-sign-the-canyon/
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/2025/08/robert-oventile-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250925T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250925T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T230247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T230247Z
UID:10014344-1758826800-1758830400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Vroman’s on Screen - Tim Greiving\, in conversation with Matt Gourley\, discusses & signs John Williams: A Composer’s Life
DESCRIPTION:John Williams is one of the most important film composers of all time\, having almost singlehandedly revived the Hollywood symphonic scoring tradition and helped restore the livelihood of American orchestras through the popularity of film music programming. His film music\, in the words of director Oliver Stone\, “came to stand for the American culture.” \nIn John Williams: A Composer’s Life\, the first biography of the composer\, author Tim Greiving offers an engaging account of a man whose body of work is well-known but whose personal life has consistently remained very private. Williams wrote the memorable scores and hummable themes for a staggering number of popular touchstones across multiple generations–among them Star Wars\, Indiana Jones\, Jaws\, E.T.\, Jurassic Park\, Schindler’s List\, and the Harry Potter series–and earned more Oscar nominations than any individual artist in the history of the motion picture Academy. He also composed dozens of concerti\, fanfares\, and other concert works and was a national presence as music director of the Boston Pops for more than a decade. He inspired countless children to pursue a career in the orchestra and won the respect of the classical community worldwide. Seeking to understand what drove Williams’s musical productivity and its effects on the lives of those close to him\, Greiving delves deeply into the composer’s decades-long career\, uncovering countless new stories and revelations. Throughout\, he analyzes and describes Williams’ film scores\, recalling them primarily in narrative and emotional terms rather than purely musicological ones\, and in doing so emphasizes one of Williams’s principle strengths: his musical storytelling. \nWith unprecedented interview access to Williams and those close to him\, Greiving presents the definitive portrait of a beloved but famously private doyen of twentieth-century pop culture. Featuring 175 exclusive interviews–including with Steven Spielberg\, Oliver Stone\, George Miller\, Mia Farrow\, Hans Zimmer\, Yo-Yo Ma\, session musicians\, family members\, and friends–John Williams: A Composer’s Life is the first and last word on the great court composer of the cinema age\, the musical conductor of our collective memory.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-vromans-on-screen-tim-greiving-in-conversation-with-matt-gourley-discusses-signs-john-williams-a-composers-life/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tim-greiving-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250921T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T225803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T225859Z
UID:10014343-1758463200-1758463200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: An Afternoon with author & director Andrew Davis
DESCRIPTION:The director of Holes\, Under Siege\, A Perfect Murder\, and the Academy Award nominated hit The Fugitive joins us for a discussion about his films and his debut novel Disturbing the Bones\, co-authored with Jeff Biggers\, which features subjects & themes that reverberate throughout his filmography. \nCover of Disturbing the Bones with a picture of author Andrew Davis and at the bottom it says TICKETED\nAn Afternoon with author & director Andrew Davis\nThe director of Holes\, Under Siege\, A Perfect Murder\, and the Academy Award nominated hit The Fugitive joins us for a discussion about his films and his debut novel Disturbing the Bones\, co-authored with Jeff Biggers\, which features subjects & themes that reverberate throughout his filmography. \nAbout the book\nA propulsive debut political thriller set in the aftermath of a global nuclear weapons crisis—from the acclaimed filmmaker of The Fugitive and an award-winning journalist . . . \n“A knife-edged investigation that morphs into a political thriller about a world on the brink. An ingenious page turner.” —Michael Mann \nA plot to disrupt a global peace summit in Chicago collides with a civil rights case breakthrough at a mysterious archaeological site . . . \nChicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo\, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother\, a well-known journalist\, several decades ago. That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore\, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries\, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12\,000-year-old site at a highway construction project. With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig\, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.The detective and archaeologist’s entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance. \nAbout the authors\nAndrew Davis\, raised on the southside of Chicago\, is the acclaimed director and screenwriter of numerous films\, including Holes\, Under Siege\, Code of Silence\, A Perfect Murder\, and The Guardian\, and whose landmark film\, The Fugitive\, chosen in 2020 by Los Angeles Times readers as the ultimate summer film\, was nominated for seven Academy awards including Best Picture. \nJeff Biggers is an American Book Award-winning historian\, journalist and playwright. Based part-time in Italy since 1989\, he is the recipient of the David Brower Award for Environmental Reporting\, the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year for Travel Writing\, a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism\, and other honors. Author of ten books of cultural history and investigative reporting\, his work has appeared in the New York Times\, The Atlantic Monthly\, Salon.com\, and on National Public Radio and Public Radio International.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-an-afternoon-with-author-director-andrew-davis/
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/2025/08/davis-website-event.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250920T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250920T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T225528Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T225528Z
UID:10014342-1758373200-1758376800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Leslie Adame\, in conversation with Tamika Burgess\, presents & signs Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic (Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic #1)
DESCRIPTION:A new Latinx middle grade fantasy debut where a secret magical academy\, an evil sorcerer\, and a powerful\, coveted gem awaits one girl in her quest to reunite her family. Perfect for fans of Claribel A. Ortega and B. B. Alston! \nTwelve-year-old Chloe Vega’s biggest fear is that her undocumented parents will be detained by immigration. That is\, until she learns that her parents are actually part of a secret magical society…and that the suspicious looking police officers who have been hanging around their block are henchmen for an evil sorcerer determined to settle a decades-old score. \nJust when Chloe discovers that she has powers\, too\, her parents are kidnapped. In order to rescue them\, she’ll need to harness her abilities at an elite academy\, run by the very agency who exiled her parents from the magical world. \nFinding herself in the center of a magical war that might destroy everything she has ever known\, Chloe can’t shake the feeling that the Agents of Magic are hiding secrets. With her parents’ lives hanging in the balance\, she must uncover who is truly on her side and fast to save her family–and the world itself.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-leslie-adame-in-conversation-with-tamika-burgess-presents-signs-chloe-vega-and-the-agents-of-magic-chloe-vega-and-the-agents-of-magic-1/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/leslie-adame-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250920T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250920T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T225304Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T225304Z
UID:10014341-1758366000-1758369600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Ashlee Yates reads from & signs The Stink
DESCRIPTION:Our life is perfect until one day a new smell enters our home\, PEE EWW! This playful children’s book follows an English Bulldog as he navigates life with his new very stinky baby sister. A heartwarming tale about home life changes shown through quirky illustrations and vivid language. \nPerfect for parents to read to their kids or for kids to read to their pets. The perfect addition to any child’s bookshelf!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ashlee-yates-reads-from-signs-the-stink/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ashlee-yates-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250919T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T224959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T224959Z
UID:10014340-1758304800-1758308400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Chris Colfer discusses & signs Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy!
DESCRIPTION:Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Land of Stories in this sequel to Roswell Johnson Saves the World! Packed with humor\, heart\, and action\, the second book in this adventure series will take middle grade readers on another epic journey\, this time\, to save the galaxy! \nSomething very strange is happening in our galaxy. People\, spaceships\, and whole stars are disappearing without a trace. The Milky Way Galactic Alliance can’t explain the bizarre phenomena\, prompting Roswell and his alien friends to solve the mystery themselves. Along the way\, Roswell discovers new technology that puts our entire solar system in grave danger\, and he learns he’s closer to the problem than he ever thought possible.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-chris-colfer-discusses-signs-roswell-johnson-saves-the-galaxy/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/chris-colfer-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250918T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250918T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T224733Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T224733Z
UID:10014339-1758222000-1758225600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Chip Jacobs discusses & signs Later Days
DESCRIPTION:In an evocative follow-up to his Los Angeles-Times bestselling Arroyo\, Chip Jacobs returns with a gripping tale of brotherhood\, recklessness\, and last-ditch redemption against the backdrop of a Southern California prep school in gender upheaval. \nAs the elite\, all-boys institution transitions to coed\, transforming the place from suburban Lord of the Flies to soap-operatic play\, two unlikely friends–Luke Burnett and Denny Drummond–alternate rescuing the other from self-destruction and home lives gutted by loss and distracted parents. Eager to maximize their era as God-like Seniors at Stone Canyon Prep\, the pair and their classmates act invincible. They commandeer Bob’s Big Boy and wander the secret world beneath Caltech\, meeting a charismatic Nobel Prize physicist in the process. They sweat destiny-making S.A.T.s\, grapple with fallout when two boys fall for the same girl\, and watch in horror as a playoff basketball game is upended by the chemistry lab. Just when our heroes barely graduate\, en route to prized universities\, their bond is severed by a wild gunshot that will haunt them for decades. \nTwenty years later\, Luke is a hard-charging journalist with an imploding career\, while Denny is a visionary software engineer on the verge of a breakthrough–until a terminal diagnosis rewrites any happy ending. Their reunion forces both to confront the worst of themselves\, a luminous female classmate who predicted her own death\, and exactly how they squandered the potential Stone Canyon draped around them. As Denny’s time runs short\, Luke races to make peace with his failures in a world shorn of the magic his teachers once heralded. In a final act of reckoning\, with the famous Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in the mix\, fate offers them one last chance to heal the other by confronting mortality and pleading for goodbyes slippery before. \nLater Days is a powerful exploration of the ties that bind and break us. Perfect for readers drawn to fierce\, flawed friendships\, the currency of forgiveness\, and the raw beauty of life skimming its edge. With rich insight into the secret histories of the late-seventies Pasadena area\, and the psychological baggage of growing up in the shadows of “Great Men\,” father\, Jacobs second novel is as emotionally resonant as it is intellectually sharp.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-chip-jacobs-discusses-signs-later-days/
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/2025/08/chip-jacobs-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250917T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250917T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T224333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T224333Z
UID:10014338-1758135600-1758139200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: D.J. Waldie discusses & signs Elements of Los Angeles: Earth\, Water\, Air\, and Fire
DESCRIPTION:In Elements of Los Angeles: Earth\, Water\, Fire\, Air\, acclaimed essayist D.J. Waldie continues his singular meditation on Los Angeles: a place of contradictions\, dreams\, and disquiet. With uncommon clarity and emotional depth\, Waldie considers Los Angeles as a place of both promise and disillusionment\, of civic memory and strategic forgetting\, of natural beauty and environmental fragility. Each of the four classical elements forms the basis for a profound and poetic reassessment of the city’s image\, exploring topics as diverse and resonant as the unlikely history of the Hass avocado\, the St. Francis Dam disaster\, an endurance contest that saw a young woman buried alive\, and the sound of Vin Scully’s voice carried across the summer air.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-d-j-waldie-discusses-signs-elements-of-los-angeles-earth-water-air-and-fire/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/dj-waldie-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250915T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250915T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T224044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T224044Z
UID:10014337-1757962800-1757966400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Zoe B. Wallbrook\, in conversation with Elise Bryant\, discusses & signs History Lessons
DESCRIPTION:A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague’s murder before she becomes the next target in this funny\, romantic debut mystery\, perfect for readers of Janet Evanovich\, Kellye Garrett\, and Ali Hazelwood. \nAs a newly minted junior professor\, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism\, working on her next academic book\, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies. \nThe rising star of Harrison University’s anthropology department was never one of Daphne’s favorites\, despite his popularity. But that doesn’t prevent Sam’s killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam–something the killer will stop at nothing to get. \nBetween grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life\, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam’s murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller\, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus. \nThis well-crafted\, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-zoe-b-wallbrook-in-conversation-with-elise-bryant-discusses-signs-history-lessons/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,Ice House,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/zoe-b-wallbrook-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T223801Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T223801Z
UID:10014336-1757772000-1757775600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Ezra Edmund reads from & signs Cerberus The Tiger: The Tiger Saga
DESCRIPTION:Cerberus The Tiger: A Middle Grade Portal Fantasy Adventure Full of Mystery\, Science\, and Myth Cerberus The Tiger (The Tiger Saga\, Book One) \nCerberus saw the portal open. He saw the beast come through. Now he’ll risk everything to uncover the truth… and stop it from happening again. \nTen years ago\, Cerberus witnessed something no one else believes. His father\, a brilliant scientist\, opened a portal in their lab\, and a towering two-headed beast came through. Cerberus watched it take his father. Everyone else called it an accident. He wanted to believe them. \nNow\, a strange energy signal pulses with the same pattern from that night. It should be impossible. But it could mean that his father is still alive. Somewhere. \nWith help from Ricky\, a childhood friend turned controversial researcher\, Cerberus begins tracking ancient energy pulses and fractured time. At the center is MonFus\, a strange force binding lost worlds and missing creatures. But each test risks waking something older… something that has waited long enough. \nCerberus is pulled into an unfamiliar world filled with forgotten cities\, dangerous beasts\, and suspicious allies. High above\, a dark castle looms\, its roots sunk into rivers of glowing magma. Something waits inside. And it remembers him. \nIf Cerberus fails\, he may lose more than his father. He could unleash a villain powerful enough to bend time itself. \nHe wants the truth. But the truth might come at a terrible cost.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ezra-edmund-reads-from-signs-cerberus-the-tiger-the-tiger-saga/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ezra-edmund-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250913T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T223512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T223512Z
UID:10014335-1757761200-1757764800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Matthew Forsythe reads from & signs Aggie & the Ghost
DESCRIPTION:“A book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds and a way to move from a place of acceptance.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review) \nFrom Matthew Forsythe\, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum\, comes a surprising and pleasing picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe. \nAggie is very excited to live on her own–until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear\, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food. \nBut the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe–winner gets the house.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-matthew-forsythe-reads-from-signs-aggie-the-ghost/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/matthew-forsythe-600xx600.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250909T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250909T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T223129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T223129Z
UID:10014334-1757444400-1757448000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Dr. Ingrid Clayton\, in conversation with Dr. Ramani Durvasula\, discusses & signs Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves--And How to Find Our Way Back
DESCRIPTION:From a clinical psychologist and expert in complex trauma recovery comes a powerful guide introducing fawning\, an often-overlooked piece of the fight-flight-freeze reaction to trauma–explaining what it is\, why it happens\, and how to help survivors regain their voice and sense of self. \nMost of us are familiar with the three F’s of trauma–fight\, flight\, or freeze. But psychologists have identified a fourth\, extremely common (yet little-understood) response: fawning. Often conflated with “codependency” or “people-pleasing\,” fawning occurs when we inexplicably draw closer to a person or relationship that causes pain\, rather than pulling away. \nDo you apologize to people who have hurt you?\nIgnore their bad behavior?\nBefriend your bullies?\nObsess about saying the right thing?\nMake yourself into someone you’re not . . . while seeking approval that may never come?\nYou might be a fawner. \nFawning explains why we stay in bad jobs\, fall into unhealthy partnerships\, and tolerate dysfunctional environments\, even when it seems so obvious to others that we should go. And though fawning serves a purpose–it’s an ingenious protective strategy in unsafe situations–it’s a problem if it becomes a repetitive\, compulsory reaction in our daily lives. \nBut here’s the good news: we can break the pattern of chronic fawning\, once we see it for the trauma response it is. Drawing on twenty years of clinical psychology work–as well as a lifetime of experience as a recovering fawner herself–Dr. Ingrid Clayton demonstrates WHY we fawn\, HOW to recognize the signs of fawning (including taking blame\, conflict avoidance\, hypervigilance\, and caretaking at the expense of ourselves)\, and WHAT we can do to successfully “unfawn” and finally be ourselves\, in all our imperfect perfection. \nDate:\nTue\, 9/9/2025\nTime:\n7:00pm – 8:00pm\nAdult Event Book Signing\nEvent Related Books & Products
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-dr-ingrid-clayton-in-conversation-with-dr-ramani-durvasula-discusses-signs-fawning-why-the-need-to-please-makes-us-lose-ourselves-and-how-to-find-our-way-back/
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/2025/08/dr-ingrid-clayton-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250906T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250906T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T222626Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T222626Z
UID:10014333-1757170800-1757174400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jenny Andrus reads from & signs Elsa’s Chessboard - Includes Art Activity
DESCRIPTION:Elsa carries her chessboard everywhere\, always ready for a game. When World War II forces her from Europe\, can chess help make America home? \nGrowing up in 1900s Vienna\, Elsa’s brothers are always playing chess. “No girls!” they tell her when she first asks to learn; but she wears them down\, and soon she’s such a pro that they give her a special chess set of her own. \nElsa plays chess whenever she can. When she grows up\, she even meets her husband over games in the park. But when World War II grips Europe\, the young Jewish family flees to America\, where they find themselves surrounded by unfamiliar languages. \nLuckily\, Elsa knows one language that can always bring people together: chess! \nMillions of Americans are falling in love with chess\, and young people are no exception.  Based on the life of author Jenny Andrus’s grandmother\, Elsa’s Chessboard is a gripping tale of resilience\, human connection\, and the boundless potential of women in male-dominated fields.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jenny-andrus-reads-from-signs-elsas-chessboard-includes-art-activity/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/jenny-andrus-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250906T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250906T123000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T222218Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T222218Z
UID:10014332-1757158200-1757161800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board) by Sandra Boynton
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board) by Sandra Boynton. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story\, craft activities\, creative movement and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-pasadena-conservatory-of-music-presents-musical-storytime-barnyard-dance-boynton-on-board-by-sandra-boynton/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/storytime-600-x-600-6.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250903T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250903T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T221952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T221952Z
UID:10014331-1756924200-1756927800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Keala Kendall\, in conversation with Dana Ledoux Miller\, discusses & signs How Far I'll Go: A Twisted Tale
DESCRIPTION:After a devastating battle with Te Kā\, Moana’s worst fears are realized: the heart of Te Fiti is in ruins\, Maui is frozen in volcanic rock\, and darkness threatens to envelop her beloved home. Desperate to fix things\, Moana stumbles upon an island already crumbling under the blight. All life is gone\, save one sole survivor–a young woman named Noe. \nMoana is relieved to find another wayfarer\, even if this stranger is more than a little intimidating. Better still\, Noe has an idea how to fix the heart: using the tears of Te Fiti\, gems infused with the goddess’s essence. The catch? The tears are said to be scattered throughout the realm of monsters. \nBanded together\, Moana and Noe set a course for an impossible mission to find the powerful lost tears. Will Moana be able to restore the heart amid secrets and monsters? Or will the blight overtake everything Moana holds dear? \nKeala will be joined in conversation with Moana 2 co-director & writer Dana Ledoux Miller\nDana is a Samoan American writer\, producer\, director\, and showrunner\, known for her work on various television series and Moana 2. She co-founded the Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK)\, a non-profit dedicated to uplifting Pacific Islander voices in entertainment.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-keala-kendall-in-conversation-with-dana-ledoux-miller-discusses-signs-how-far-ill-go-a-twisted-tale/
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/2025/08/keala-kendal-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250902T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250902T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250814T221544Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T221544Z
UID:10014330-1756839600-1756843200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Dax Dasilva & Eric Hendrikx\, discuss & sign Echoes from Eden: A Daring Voyage to Protect Earth's Last Wild Places
DESCRIPTION:“Echoes from Eden recounts Dax Dasilva’s journey supporting conservation efforts in the places that need it most. This book is a testament to the power of direct action\, a blueprint for environmental conservation\, and\, as well\, a deeply personal exploration of spirituality and Earth stewardship.” \n— Jane Goodall\, PhD\, DBE \nAll proceeds from this book will be donated to the Jane Goodall Legacy Fund \nFrom the frontline protests of Clayoquot Sound to the helm of a global tech empire\, Dax Dasilva’s path has always straddled two worlds–innovation and conservation. Echoes from Eden is not just the story of a man who walked away from business as usual; it is a call to arms for the wild. \nAs the world reeled from the pandemic and conservation efforts collapsed\, rangers were sent home\, funding dried up\, and poachers and loggers swept in like vultures. Instead of retreating\, Dasilva launched the Age of Union Alliance\, committing $40 million to safeguard the planet’s last wild places. What followed was a journey into the heart of the Earth’s most endangered landscapes–tracking Grauer’s gorillas in the Congo with Dr. Kerry Bowman\, navigating Amazonian rivers with Paul Rosolie and Junglekeepers\, braving militia-held territories in Haiti to protect community forests\, and sailing with Sea Shepherd to shut down illegal fishing operations in the Bay of Biscay. \nAlong the way\, he met those who risk everything to defend the land: Dr. Jane Goodall and Juma Xipaya in the Amazon\, Suzan Baptiste protecting the leatherback turtles of Trinidad\, Dr. Russell Mittermeier conserving the endangered lemurs of Madagascar\, and the fearless eco-warriors fighting in Indonesia\, Canada\, and beyond. \nBut Echoes from Eden is more than an expedition log–it is a reckoning. Told with an urgency sharpened by experience\, it asks us to see the world as it is: beautiful\, brutal\, and slipping through our fingers. This isn’t a plea for awareness–it’s a battle cry. \nThe time to act isn’t tomorrow. It’s now.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-dax-dasilva-eric-hendrikx-discuss-sign-echoes-from-eden-a-daring-voyage-to-protect-earths-last-wild-places/
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/2025/08/dax-desilva-and-eric-hendrikx-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250828T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250828T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250805T230947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250805T230947Z
UID:10013925-1756407600-1756411200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Joanne Yi\, in conversation with Yi Shun Lai\, discusses & signs All The Tomorrows After
DESCRIPTION:A captivating\, heartrending novel about a Korean American teen navigating grief and first love who agrees to accept money from her estranged father in exchange for letting him get to know her–for fans of Nina LaCour\, Kathleen Glasgow\, and All My Rage. \nEach night\, Winter Moon counts her earnings dreaming of escape. Once she’s saved enough\, she and her grandmother can finally take flight and disappear. But when her spiteful mother steals her money and blows through it all in one day\, Winter is forced to turn to her estranged father\, who recently reappeared in her life after being absent for more than a decade. They agree upon a simple contract: she spends time with him in exchange for payment. \nIt’s not easy reconciling the past and the present\, though\, and when she’s struck with a sudden loss\, Winter flounders in grief and rage. The only person offering a hand is Joon\, the new boy at school who sees Winter when no one else does. \nWhen Winter discovers a secret her father has been keeping from her\, things get even more complicated. As she navigates grief\, first love\, and forgiveness\, Winter begins to forge connections\, new and old\, that make her question everything: her future\, her conviction to disappear\, and what it really means to be family. Winter knows that broken things can never be fixed\, but can they come back together in a different way?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-joanne-yi-in-conversation-with-yi-shun-lai-discusses-signs-all-the-tomorrows-after/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Archetype Yoga
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/joanne-yi-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250827T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250827T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T210738
CREATED:20250805T204042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250805T204042Z
UID:10013924-1756321200-1756324800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Fiction Reading Group
DESCRIPTION:The Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 7pm. \nThis event is free and open to the public. \nAugust’s pick is When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut. \nFiction Reading Group meetings are held inside Vroman’s Bookstore on the second floor in the event space.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-fiction-reading-group-6/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/heading-26.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR