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:20251129T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251129T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251113T194001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T194001Z
UID:10014525-1764414000-1764414000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Shop Local with Richard Scarry: A Special Story Time Reading in Celebration of Small Business Saturday
DESCRIPTION:“All the Busytown workers have worked hard to help their families and friends. I think it is about time to have a party to celebrate. Don’t you?” — Richard Scarry\, What People Do All Day \nJoin the Vroman’s Children’s Department on November 29th at 11am for a special Small Business Saturday celebration\, inspired by Richard Scarry and the Busytown books! There will be music with Ms. Marie and stories with Mr. Steve\, along with activities\, giveaways\, and more!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-shop-local-with-richard-scarry-a-special-story-time-reading-in-celebration-of-small-business-saturday/
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/2025/11/website-event-image-12.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251124T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251124T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251113T193728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T193728Z
UID:10014524-1764010800-1764010800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Andrew Bernstein discusses & signs Mamba & Mambacita Forever
DESCRIPTION:A beautiful and moving testament to the enduring life of Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Mentality. \nWhen Kobe and Gianna Bryant died\, tragically and unexpectedly\, in 2020\, the world mourned with a wholehearted ferocity. In perhaps the largest and most intense outpouring of public art the world has ever seen\, murals went up on seemingly every available wall in Los Angeles and around the globe. The paintings were both professional and amateur\, some public and some private\, many of them colossal. All of them expressed love and respect for Kobe and Gianna Bryant as athletes\, as a father and daughter\, as heroes who will not be forgotten. \nIn Mamba & Mambacita Forever\, Vanessa Bryant brings together the images and stories of more than a hundred murals honoring her husband and daughter. Taken together\, what emerges is the story of a man who became even more than he himself could have imagined\, an avatar of determination\, discipline\, and competitiveness. He was also a worldwide icon\, one of the greatest athletes of our time\, a man committed to his family and to fatherhood. Kobe was a figure of transformation and hope. \nMamba & Mambacita Forever ensures that the legacy of Kobe and Gianna Bryant will live on even after the most monumental murals themselves have all crumbled.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-andrew-bernstein-discusses-signs-mamba-mambacita-forever/
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/2025/11/andrew-bernstein_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251123T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251123T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251113T193437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T193437Z
UID:10014523-1763906400-1763906400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Local Author Day Introducing Pamela Nickel Williams and Donna R. Phillips
DESCRIPTION:Pamela Nickel Williams presents Clearly Lies Are True\nThe memoir\, Clearly Lies Are True\, is a compelling and powerful firsthand narrative account of the childhood and sexual abuse of Pamela Nickel Williams. Written from her perspective as a young child and teenager\, and told through vivid\, detailed memories and experiences\, Pamela’s story captures a unique period of time within the Church of Scientology. \nDonna R. Phillips presents Among The Reeds & Other Stories Of The Supernatural\nThe veil between the living and the dead is gossamer-thin in this haunting collection of supernatural tales\, where the familiar becomes strange and the strange\, achingly human. From a lakeshore to a basement apartment\, each story unveils a hidden world\, pulsing just beneath the surface of our own.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-local-author-day-introducing-pamela-nickel-williams-and-donna-r-phillips/
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/2025/11/local-author-day-website-event.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251122T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251122T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T224551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T224551Z
UID:10014428-1763809200-1763812800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Morgan Stevenson Cooper reads from & signs I Can Make a Movie!
DESCRIPTION:From self-taught\, award-winning director Morgan Stevenson Cooper comes a heartfelt picture book about a girl on a mission to make her first movie–and lift her grandpa’s spirits along the way. \nNorah Rose loves movies–action\, comedy\, drama–you name it! She dreams of becoming a director\, but Hollywood feels a long way from home. When her grandpa falls ill\, Norah decides to make a movie just for him\, because no one loves a good story more than Grandpa. Armed with her mom’s phone\, a head full of ideas\, and the wide-open backdrop of Kansas City\, Norah sets out to write\, cast\, shoot\, and edit her very first film. There’s a lot of work ahead\, but Norah’s sure of one thing: her movie is going to shine. \nWith a spirited how-to approach and lively artwork by Geneva Bowers\, Morgan Stevenson Cooper shows young readers how creativity\, heart\, and a little hustle can turn any dream into a reality.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-morgan-stevenson-cooper-reads-from-signs-i-can-make-a-movie/
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/2025/10/morgan-stevenson-cooper.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251120T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251120T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T224343Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T224343Z
UID:10014427-1763665200-1763665200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Brian Schaefer\, in conversation with Marc Malkin\, discusses & signs Town & Country
DESCRIPTION:A “big-hearted and true” (Andrew Sean Greer\, Pulitzer Prize winner) debut novel set in a small rural town amid a congressional race that forces the candidates\, their families\, and a clique of gay second homeowners to confront lies\, betrayals and shifting allegiances. \nThe trendy rural town of Griffin has become a popular destination for weekenders and the city’s second homeowners\, but now a congressional race in this swing district is highlighting tensions between life-long residents and new arrivals. The campaign pits local pub owner and town supervisor Chip Riley against the wealthy young carpetbagger Paul Banks\, challenging the social and political loyalties of their families and friends with lasting repercussions. \nDiane Riley\, Chip’s wife\, is a religiously devout real estate agent who feels conflicted about selling second homes–including to Paul and his much older husband\, Stan. Their elder son\, Joe\, is grieving the recent overdose death of his best friend and spiraling into drugs himself\, while their younger son\, Will\, is a newly out college student seduced by the decadent lifestyle of Paul’s circle. \nMeanwhile\, Stan Banks uses the race to give purpose to the pain of losing a loved one to AIDS\, even as he begins to doubt Paul’s readiness for office. And within their growing fraternity of city transplants\, Eric Larimer finds unexpected connection with a local farmer that opens his eyes to the region’s complexity as Leon Rogers\, still reeling from a divorce\, becomes increasingly desperate to infiltrate the Banks’s exclusive crew. \nSpanning six months from Memorial Day to Election Day\, Town & Country paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of a community in flux. For readers of Fredrick Backman and Jen Beagin\, this “powerful and extremely well-written book” (Colum McCann\, National Book Award winner) asks the essential and timeless questions: What makes a home\, and what do we owe our neighbors?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-brian-schaefer-in-conversation-with-marc-malkin-discusses-signs-town-country/
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/2025/10/brian-schaefer-website-event.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251119T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T224046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T224046Z
UID:10014426-1763578800-1763582400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jerry D. Moore discusses & signs Cat Tales: A History
DESCRIPTION:Feared\, revered\, respected\, and beloved\, cats have left an indelible paw print on the histories and civilizations of humankind. Over the last two million years\, cats and people have interacted in diverse and unexpected ways\, but the predecessors of today’s furry friends were predators\, not pets. \nLeading anthropologist Jerry Moore charts the cat’s path from deadly enemy to improbable roommate\, making use of the latest archaeological evidence to produce an original and revealing narrative. Starting with the terrifying prehistorical scimitar–tooth cat of the Pliocene age and the lion drawings of the Paleolithic Chauvet caverns\, Moore journeys through our complicated history with these charismatic creatures. He travels along the Nile and across the Mediterranean\, sailing on to South America\, exploring pet cemeteries\, cat mummies\, and exquisite statuary across continents and centuries. \nIllustrated throughout with photographs\, artifacts\, and artworks\, this book surveys our relationships with cats from the Paleolithic period to the present day\, unlocking the mysteries of these remarkable creatures. While cats are now beloved members of families around the world\, our attempts to bring cats in from the cold have not always had happy endings\, as Moore explores through such famous feline fanciers as Joe Exotic\, Siegfried Fischbacher\, and Roy Horn. From incredible archaeological finds to cave paintings\, and from classical statues to contemporary social media\, Cat Tales surveys ancient and modern interactions between humans and cats\, wild and domestic\, to ask a simple question: who domesticated who?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jerry-d-moore-discusses-signs-cat-tales-a-history/
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/2025/10/jerry-moore-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251118T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251118T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T223826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T223826Z
UID:10014425-1763492400-1763496000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pyet DeSpain\, discusses & signs Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking
DESCRIPTION:Next Level Chef winner Pyet De Spain celebrates her Mexican and Native American heritage in this collection of mouthwatering recipes\, a vibrant fusion that ties us to the land and to one another. \nStar chef Pyet DeSpain rose to prominence as the first winner of Gordon Ramsey’s Fox television show Next Level Chef. Now\, in her debut cookbook\, she shares the joy of cooking fueled by her burning passion for Native American and Mexican American cuisine. Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking is a tribute to her dual heritage–a gorgeously crafted celebration of the diversity of food and the stories\, traditions\, culture\, and profound philosophies of Indigenous people that season each meal. \nPyet shows you how to incorporate a delicious range of key ingredients–from venison\, dandelion greens\, and wild salmon to sunchokes\, bison\, and native berries–into more than sixty fusion dishes. Family and friends will be excited to gather around the table to enjoy sweet and savory food such as: \nThree Sisters SaladBison and Sweet Corn SoupFry BreadMexican Chocolate & Mezcal CakeCorn Silk and Honey TeaWojapi BBQ Sauce \nIn addition to her inventive and palate pleasing recipes\, Pyet invites home cooks to honor the seasons on our beautiful Earth and connect with essential foodways. “This is more than just a cookbook\,” Pyet writes. “It’s giving a voice to Indigenous people\, while also highlighting the fusion of my two cultures with fire and purpose.”
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-pyet-despain-discusses-signs-rooted-in-fire-a-celebration-of-native-american-and-mexican-cooking/
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/2025/10/pyet-despain-updated-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T223550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T223550Z
UID:10014424-1763218800-1763222400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Ry & Skyla Castles discuss & sign I Love Disneyland: 100+ Surprising Facts\, Fun Quizzes\, Fan-Favorite Trivia\, and More about Disneyland!
DESCRIPTION:Whether you’re a die-hard Disney fan or a first-time visitor\, this insider guide promises to give you a deeper appreciation for the iconic amusement park. \nI Love Disneyland blends fascinating trivia\, fun quizzes\, and key tips to help visitors of all ages make the most of their Disneyland experience. Going beyond the typical guidebook\, this book uncovers must-know details about Disneyland’s history\, secrets hidden throughout the park\, and strategies for navigating its amazing attractions. \nEach chapter is chock full of information regarding Disneyland’s nine themed lands including Main Street U.S.A\, Fantasyland\, Frontierland\, Adventureland and the newest addition\, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge which opened in 2019. Chapters highlight key rides and attractions guests won’t want to miss\, fascinating trivia\, must try restaurants\, Park Pointers\, shopping destinations\, and more! I Love Disneyland is a must read for fans as the iconic park celebrates its 70th Anniversary! \n“We wanted to create something that’s not just practical but also endlessly entertaining\,” note authors Ry and Skyla Castles. “For anyone who loves Disney\, this book is your ultimate companion to rediscover the magic at Disneyland.” \n“I Love Disneyland” stands out from other titles as it features: \n\nTrivia You’ll Love: Unearth lesser-known facts about the park’s70 year history and hidden gems.\nInteractive Quizzes: Test your knowledge of all things Disneyland!\nPark Navigation Tips: Learn insider tricks to avoid lines\, save time\, and plan your perfect day.\n\nWhether you’re someone who loves amusement parks or a fan of Mickey Mouse\, I Love Disneyland offers insight on Walt Disney’s vision to create an immersive entertainment experience for children and adults that would turn 160 acres of orange and walnut trees into the Happiest Place on Earth! \nAbout the Authors: \nRy Castles is a marketing professional and theme park enthusiast from Southern California. He’s been visiting Disneyland since he was a small child and grew up going to Disneyland a few times a year with his family. Together with his partner Skyla\, he created Sometimes Castles\, an online community that shares knowledge of food\, events\, and theme parks—especially Disneyland! When they aren’t working on marketing plans\, you’ll find them hanging out at Disneyland and California Adventure. From entertainment and special events\, to tips and hidden secrets\, they can help you feel like a Disney expert too! Learn more on their social media platforms at @SometimesCastles. \nSkyla Castles is an influencer marketing specialist and Southern California transplant. In moving to SoCal\, she discovered her love for Disney parks and wanted a creative outlet that married both her influencer marketing experience and this newly discovered passion. Together with her partner Ry\, she created Sometimes Castles\, an online community that shares knowledge of food\, events\, and theme parks—especially Disneyland!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ry-skyla-castles-discuss-sign-i-love-disneyland-100-surprising-facts-fun-quizzes-fan-favorite-trivia-and-more-about-disneyland/
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/2025/10/ry-skyla-castles.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T223343Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T223343Z
UID:10014423-1763204400-1763208000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Harshini Vankineni reads from & signs What Color Is the Baby?: A Celebration of Skin Tones
DESCRIPTION:A debut author takes a familiar loaded question\, steeped in colorism\, and turns it into one child’s openhearted celebration of her new baby sister. \nWhen Kundana meets her newborn sister\, Kuku\, she declares her the prettiest baby in the world. But as grandparents\, aunts\, and uncles welcome Kuku\, all they want to know is what color she is. Is she a marigold like her sister? Or a white jasmine? As the family gazes at Kuku’s brown skin\, big sister Kundana wonders why her family would care what color Kuku is–she’s beautiful! Inspired by first-time author Harshini Vankineni’s own experiences with colorism–the practice of treating people differently because of how dark or light their skin is– What Color Is the Baby? is a moving journey of a big sister finding a new and loving way to describe and defend her adored baby sister\, while Neha Rawat’s warm illustrations delight with coziness and love of family.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-harshini-vankineni-reads-from-signs-what-color-is-the-baby-a-celebration-of-skin-tones/
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/2025/10/harshini-vankineni.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251114T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251114T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T223124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T223124Z
UID:10014422-1763146800-1763150400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Kate Baer reads from & signs How About Now: Poems
DESCRIPTION:The third full length poetry collection from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman. \nRenowned poet Kate Baer returns with a bold and compassionate collection that confronts the march of time in a shifting world. \nWith her trademark candor and curiosity\, Baer explores what it means to grow older\, to release children into the wildness of their own lives\, and to reclaim the ever evolving self. Raw\, luminous\, and urgent\, this collection channels Baer’s own journey to middle age into poems that are profoundly intimate yet resound universally\, identifying the beauty\, resilience\, and fragility that arrive in every stage of life. \nHow About Now is a striking declaration of ongoing transformation and self-discovery. From the poet who has captured the heartbeat of the modern woman\, this collection reaffirms Kate Baer’s place among the most vital voices of our era.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-kate-baer-reads-from-signs-how-about-now-poems/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kate-baer-600x600-ticketed.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251113T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251113T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T222931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222931Z
UID:10014421-1763060400-1763064000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Gerald Petievich discusses & signs 13 Hillcrest Drive
DESCRIPTION:From the acclaimed author of To Live and Die in L.A… \nIn the streets of Beverly Hills\, secrets are the most valuable currency. Meredith Fox\, a once-prominent Hollywood publicity agent\, has clawed her way back from the brink of obscurity. Now\, she’s poised for a comeback\, leveraging the dark secrets of her celebrity clients to put herself back on top. But when a routine money drop goes wrong\, Meredith finds herself caught in a deadly web of betrayal. \nDetective Michael Casey\, navigating the waters of Beverly Hills’ elite\, is tasked with unraveling the mystery behind Meredith’s death. With every clue leading to more questions\, Casey must confront his own demons while piecing together a puzzle that threatens to expose the darkest secrets of the Los Angeles elite. \n13 Hillcrest Drive is a gripping thriller that peels back the layers of Hollywood’s glitz. In a city where image is everything\, the truth can be the most dangerous revelation of all.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-gerald-petievich-discusses-signs-13-hillcrest-drive/
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/2025/10/gerald-petievich-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251112T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251112T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T222635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222635Z
UID:10014420-1762974000-1762977600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Amber Smith and Sam Gellar discuss & sign Fade Into You
DESCRIPTION:Bird and Jessa don’t have much in common. Bird is an aspiring poet\, still finding herself after a transformative summer away at writing camp. Jessa lives for the discovery of new music\, using it to block out the dysfunction waiting for her at home. They would never have crossed paths if it weren’t for one shared problem: Their two best friends have started dating\, and the relationship is threatening to ruin their senior year. Tired of coming second to their friends’ romance\, the girls come to the only logical conclusion: they have to break their friends up. But the more time Bird and Jessa spend scheming\, the more they start to realize they might have more in common than they thought. Set in the late ’90s in a world full of change as much as possibility\, Jessa and Bird relearn what it means to love themselves and receive love in return\, and to dream for a future they never imagined. \nAbout the Authors: \nAmber Smith is the New York Times\, USA TODAY\, and internationally bestselling author of the young adult novels The Way I Used to Be\, The Last to Let Go\, Something Like Gravity\, and The Way I Am Now. An advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence and LGBTQIA+ equality\, she writes in the hope that her books can help foster change and spark dialogue. She lives in Ithaca\, New York\, with her wife and coauthor\, Sam Gellar\, and their ever-growing family of rescued dogs and cats. You can find her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com. \nSam Gellar kicked off her writing career with a short chapbook of poetry in third grade. In high school\, her play Life Versus the Paperback Romance gained national attention and was subsequently performed Off-Broadway\, starring Mary-Louise Parker and Lisa Kron. She earned her MFA in creative writing and has penned numerous short stories and screenplays. Fade into You is her first novel. She feeds her creativity and consummate inner nerd with graphic novels and weekly TTRPG gaming. She resides in Ithaca\, New York\, with her wife and growing gaggle of rescue fur babies. Visit her at SamGellarWrites.com.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-amber-smith-and-sam-gellar-discuss-sign-fade-into-you/
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/2025/10/amber-smith-and-sam-gellar.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T222415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222415Z
UID:10014419-1762801200-1762804800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Souvankham Thammavongsa discusses & signs Pick a Color
DESCRIPTION:From Giller Prize and O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa comes a revelatory novel about loneliness\, love\, labor\, and class\, an intimate and sharply written book following a nail salon owner as she toils away for the privileged clients who don’t even know her true name. \n“I live in a world of Susans. I got name tags for everyone who works at this nail salon\, and on every one is printed the name ‘Susan.'” \nNing is a retired boxer\, but to the customers who visit her nail salon\, she is just another worker named Susan. On this summer’s day\, much like any other\, the Susans buff and clip and polish and tweeze. They listen and smile and nod. But beneath this superficial veneer\, Ning is a woman of rigorous intellect and profound complexity. A woman enthralled by the intricacy and rhythms of her work\, but also haunted by memories of paths not taken and opportunities lost. A woman navigating the complex power dynamics among her fellow Susans\, whose greatest fears and desires lie just behind the gossip they exchange. \nAs the day’s work grinds on\, the friction between Ning’s two identities–as anonymous manicurist and brilliant observer of her own circumstances–will gather electric and crackling force\, and at last demand a reckoning with the way the world of privilege looks at a woman like Ning. \nTold over a single day with razor-sharp precision and wit\, Pick a Color confirms Souvankham Thammavongsa’s place as literature’s premier chronicler of the immigrant experience\, in its myriad\, complex\, and slyly subversive forms.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-souvankham-thammavongsa-discusses-signs-pick-a-color/
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/2025/10/souvankham-thammavongsa.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T222143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222143Z
UID:10014418-1762614000-1762617600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Tigest Girma\, discusses & signs Eternal Ruin
DESCRIPTION:Like all ruinous things\, he came from the abyss. \nKidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse\, lied\, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires\, the Nefrasi\, into Uxlay. \nTrapped with a violently unstable vampire\, and reeling from her sister’s return\, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside\, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi\, Samson Sagad–and betraying Susenyos. \nA dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has lost: control. Even as the dark pages consume her\, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy–least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos\, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur\, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender. \nAs devastating secrets resurface from the past\, Kidan and her sister\, June\, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-tigest-girma-discusses-signs-eternal-ruin/
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/2025/10/tigest-girma-ticketed.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T221845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221845Z
UID:10014417-1762599600-1762603200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Erica Lee Schlaikjer reads from & signs Sky Luck
DESCRIPTION:As friends gather to look for shooting stars\, one boy discovers how to pay attention to what’s here\, not what’s missing. From an Own Voices Award winner comes a magical picture book celebrating abundant thinking. \nA dark night. Friends have gathered. One by one they point out flames streaking across the sky. All but one boy. He sees an airplane\, the Milky Way\, a full moon\, but no shooting stars. Frustrated by his bad luck\, he gives up and goes inside. \nHis uncle sees things differently. He asks . . . \nWhat if we open our hearts to all the wonders in the sky? The bright and the quiet\, the everyday and the once-in-a-lifetime. What if nature’s gifts are all around\, ready for us to recognize them? What if sky luck is infinite\, and everywhere\, for everyone? \nCrisp\, evocative text and lush\, cinematic illustrations deliver an invitation to be mindful of our planet’s never-ending treasures. A final spread reminds readers of the abundance of celestial surprises all of us are lucky to delight in.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-erica-lee-schlaikjer-reads-from-signs-sky-luck/
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/2025/10/erica-lee-schlaikjer-600x600_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251107T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251107T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T221618Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221618Z
UID:10014416-1762542000-1762545600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Meher McArthur discusses & signs A Japanese Art Journey: A Curator's Memoir of Polka Dot Pumpkins\, Paper Dolls and Woodblock Prints
DESCRIPTION:Passion\, Art\, and Identity: A Multicultural Memoir of Finding One’s Place in the World \nIn this engaging memoir\, Japanese art historian and curator Meher McArthur transports you into the extraordinary world of Japanese art — from ceramics\, swords\, prints and textiles to Buddhist art\, folk painting\, contemporary art and animation. One artwork and one language lesson at a time\, we follow McArthur as she unspools a compelling narrative of curiosity and inspiration\, personal and cultural growth\, with heartbreak and resilience. This book will provide avid art lovers new ways of seeing and understanding the power of art\, not only to inspire but to illuminate one’s place in the world. \nThe author presents her art memoir in three parts: \nDiscovering and Learning \nGrowing up in a small Scottish town as a multiracial child\, McArthur often felt culturally out of place. Encouraged by her Persian and Scottish parents to embrace a global identity\, she studied Japanese at Cambridge\, eventually moving to Japan–where she fell in love with its language\, temples\, ceramics\, and art traditions. Just as she found her passion\, family upheaval challenged her sense of direction. \nBecoming a Curator \nWith a master’s degree in Japanese art\, McArthur forged a path as a museum curator in California\, organizing exhibitions on folk art\, sake\, ceramics\, and Buddhist calligraphy–while learning the rhythms of museum life and starting a family. \nCurating Beyond the Museum \nStepping away from the museum world\, she became an independent curator\, exploring new creative territory through origami\, anime\, and contemporary art–discovering fresh ways to connect with audiences and with herself. \nSpanning continents and cultures\, this is both an inspiring art memoir and a resonant reflection on cultural belonging. McArthur’s story offers a warm\, generous vision of how art can illuminate identity and bridge difference–inviting readers to fall in love with Japanese art and culture\, and to embrace the idea that there’s no single way to belong in the world.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-meher-mcarthur-discusses-signs-a-japanese-art-journey-a-curators-memoir-of-polka-dot-pumpkins-paper-dolls-and-woodblock-prints/
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/2025/10/meher-mcarthur.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T221405Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221405Z
UID:10014415-1762455600-1762459200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - David Daley discusses & signs Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections
DESCRIPTION:“David Daley has been at the absolute forefront of educating us about the theft of our elections by radical Republicans determined to subvert everyone else’s power to choose their own leaders. An absolute warrior for democracy.” — Rick Perlstein\, New York Times bestselling author of Nixonland and Reaganland \nIn 1981\, a young lawyer\, fresh out of Harvard law school\, joined the Reagan administration’s Department of Justice\, taking up a cause that had been fomenting in Republican circles for over a decade by that point. From his perch inside the Reagan DOJ\, this lawyer would attempt to bring down one of the defining pieces of 20th century legislation–the Voting Rights Act. His name was John Roberts. \nOver thirty years later in 2013\, these efforts by John Roberts and the conservative legal establishment culminated when Roberts\, now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court\, wrote Shelby County vs. Holder\, one of the most consequential decisions of modern jurisprudence. A dramatic move that gutted the Voting Rights Act\, Roberts’s decision–dangerously premised on the flawed notion that racism was a thing of the past–emboldened right-wing\, antidemocratic voting laws around the country immediately. No modern court decision has done more to hand elections to Republicans than Shelby. \nNow lauded investigative reporter David Daley reveals the urgent story of this fifty-year Republican plot to end the Voting Rights Act and encourage minority rule in their party’s favor. From the bowels of Reagan’s DOJ to the walls of the conservative Federalist Society to the moneyed Republican resources bankrolling restrictive voting laws today\, Daley reveals a hidden history as sweeping as it is troubling. Through careful research and exhaustive reporting\, he connects Shelby to a well-funded\, highly-coordinated right-wing effort to erode the power of minority voters and Democrats at the ballot box–an effort that has grown stronger with each election cycle. In the process Roberts and his conservative allies have enabled extreme partisan gerrymandering to become the law of the land\, while fringe conservative theories about our elections infiltrate the foundations of our democracy.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-david-daley-discusses-signs-antidemocratic-inside-the-far-rights-50-year-plot-to-control-american-elections/
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/2025/10/david-daley-ticketed.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T220958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220958Z
UID:10014414-1762369200-1762372800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Tori Atencio McCullough\, Kelsey McCullough\, & Bobbie Lucas\, discuss & sign Xavier X Atencio: The Legacy of an Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend
DESCRIPTION:From apprentice animator on Pinocchio to the lyricist behind “Yo Ho\, Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me\,” Xavier “X” Atencio’s Disney career was diverse and spectacular. \nNow for the first time his talent\, humor\, and creativity come to life in a book celebrating the body of work and the legacy of one of Walt’s original and most versatile Imagineers. \nXavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of An Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend depicts the life\, art\, and lasting legacy of X\, detailing how he put himself into his work and used his talents\, passion\, humor\, and creativity to inspire generations. It is the most comprehensive look to date at the one of Walt’s original and most versatile Imagineers. \nFeaturing previously unpublished artwork and photographs from X’s personal collection\, this book grants readers the unique opportunity to discover the true depths of influence X attained on his life journey. For while it was rare to become a Disney Imagineer\, it was even rarer to end a career at Disney with as diversified a resume as X’s–from “small-town Colorado boy” to art school attendee\, Disney animator\, attraction scriptwriter\, lyricist\, voice-over artist\, and finally Disney Legend. \nSet against the historic and cultural evolutions of The Walt Disney Company\, Xavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of An Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend provides a deeply personal perspective into the life and career of a Disney Legend whose story\, until now\, had remained largely untold.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-tori-atencio-mccullough-kelsey-mccullough-bobbie-lucas-discuss-sign-xavier-x-atencio-the-legacy-of-an-artist-imagineer-and-disney-legend/
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/2025/10/tori-atensio-mccullough-kelsey-mccullough-bobbie-lucas.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T220716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220716Z
UID:10014413-1762340400-1762344000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Aria Mia Loberti reads from & signs I Am Ingrid: The Adventures of the World's Greatest Guide Dog
DESCRIPTION:This funny\, adorable picture book is based on the life of Ingrid\, the real guide dog to actress\, author\, and UNICEF Ambassador Aria Mia Loberti! \nIngrid knows she is fabulous. She flies around the world with her person\, Aria. Working as a team\, they navigate everything from college classes and ancient ruins to movie sets and red carpets. And Ingrid never goes anywhere without her string of pearls. But before Ingrid was the best guide dog there ever was\, she was just a small\, black puppy with very big paws. \nGrowing up at Guide Dogs for the Blind\, Ingrid saw lots of grown-up dogs wearing special harnesses. They were guide dogs\, and they got to help people and go on adventures. Ingrid dreamed of being just like them. But becoming a guide dog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of training and hard work. When they are wearing their harnesses\, guide dogs must be focused and calm. That means no sniffing strangers\, barking\, or picking up food from the ground — no matter how good it smells! But Ingrid was determined to complete her training and become the best guide dog in the world. \nThis funny and heartwarming illustrated picture book will teach kids what guide dogs do and how they work together with their humans to become an unstoppable team. Plus\, the back of the book includes nonfiction information about guide dogs\, the spectrum of vision\, Aria’s life and career\, and photos of the real Ingrid — including her wearing her trademark pearls!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-aria-mia-loberti-reads-from-signs-i-am-ingrid-the-adventures-of-the-worlds-greatest-guide-dog/
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/2025/10/aria-mia-loberti.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251104T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251104T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T220459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220459Z
UID:10014412-1762282800-1762282800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Julia Ioffee discusses & signs Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia\, from Revolution to Autocracy
DESCRIPTION:FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD \nAcclaimed journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women\, from revolution to utopia to autocracy. \nIn 1990\, seven-year-old Julia Ioffe and her family fled the Soviet Union. Nearly twenty years later\, Ioffe returned to Moscow—only to discover just how much Russian society had changed while she had been living in America. The Soviet women she had known growing up—doctors\, engineers\, scientists—seemed to have been replaced by women desperate to marry rich and become stay-at-home moms. How had Russia gone from portraying itself as the vanguard of world feminism to becoming a bastion of conservative Christian values? \nIn Motherland\, Ioffe turns modern Russian history on its head\, telling it exclusively through the stories of its women. From her own physician great-grandmothers to Lenin’s lover\, a feminist revolutionary; from the hundreds of thousands of Soviet girls who fought in World War II to the millions of single mothers who rebuilt and repopulated a devastated country; from the members of Pussy Riot to Yulia Navalnaya\, the wife of opposition leader Alexey Navalny\, Ioffe chronicles one of the most audacious social experiments in history and documents how it failed the very women it was meant to liberate—and how that failure paved the way for the revanche of Vladimir Putin. \nPart memoir\, part journalistic exploration\, part history\, Motherland paints a portrait of modern Russia through the women who shaped it. With deep emotion\, Ioffe reveals what it means to live through the cataclysms of revolution\, war\, idealism\, and heartbreak—and how the story of Russia today is inextricably tied to the sacrifices of its women.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-julia-ioffee-discusses-signs-motherland-a-feminist-history-of-modern-russia-from-revolution-to-autocracy/
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/2025/10/julia-ioffe.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251103T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251103T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T220244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220244Z
UID:10014411-1762192800-1762192800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  TICKETED - Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris Present: The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate's Revenge: A Graphic Novel
DESCRIPTION:In the fourth installment of Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris’s New York Times-bestselling series our heroes–First Cat\, LOZ 4000\, and the Moon Queen– encounter Captain Babybeard and his crew of swashbuckling pirates.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-mac-barnett-shawn-harris-present-the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-baby-pirates-revenge-a-graphic-novel/
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/2025/10/barnett-harris.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T170000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T220002Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220002Z
UID:10014410-1762099200-1762102800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Garrett Hongo and Robin Coste Lewis read from & sign their new books Ocean of Clouds: Poems and Archive of Desire: A Poem in Four Parts for C. P. Cavafy
DESCRIPTION:About Ocean of Clouds: \nIn his fourth book of poems\, award-winning poet Garrett Hongo sees coastlines and waters\, skylines and ancestral lines for what they inspire and teach. \nIn a surpassingly beautiful collection of poems\, with his characteristic long-lined\, rolling music\, Hongo is alert to the possibilities of individual moments of perception and grace in the landscapes of his life\, whether waiting for a ferry in Balboa after a writing workshop (“An oil slick from a yacht . . . / Spread rainbows on the water\, an aleph / curving toward us”) or hanging out and playing LPs with the late\, great poet Michael Harper\, or watching his daughter in the sun with a halo of messy twelve-year-old’s hair\, or listening to the sea\, which speaks to him in so many places: at the Wai’ōpae Tidepools\, at Cassis\, at Divi Bay in Saint Martin\, where\, he tells us\, “I thought of writing to the soul of Nâzim Hikmet\, / saying loving a woman was like writing a book– / . . . it is love’s body on which you write a page of kisses . . .” \nThese poems of cloudy moons and sandstone cliffsides\, the black glass of lava shattered into sands\, waves surging\, and stories of a poet’s gratitude for the journey he has made\, come together to make a paean against forgetting. \nAbout Archive of Desire: \nThe National Book Award\, PEN/Voelcker Award\, and NAACP Image Award winner returns with another inventive and boundary-breaking book: a sensual journey ignited in the archives of iconic queer Alexandrian poet C. P. Cavafy. \nIn her first book\, Robin Coste Lewis’s poems exploded the imagery of the Black female figure from antiquity through the present day. Her second book was an expansive hybrid photographic and poetic study of human migration and the human family. Now she delivers a “poem in four parts\,” which originated as a musical\, visual\, and lyrical collaboration with the composer Vijay Iyer\, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler\, and visual artist Julie Mehretu\, with Lewis on the microphone offering a live reading of this sequence. Ignited by their encounters with Cavafy’s archive\, in the heart of Athens\, the multimedia quartet exalted the liminal spaces where desire and diaspora meet–where art often asserts itself most forcefully. In this volume\, Lewis brings this performance to life on the page\, where the poem weaves in and out of Cavafy’s bedrooms\, notebooks\, and the suppressed erotic excavation underpinning all of his work. Lewis converses directly with Mr. Cavafy: “often you / reminded us that // the only true / barbarians are the ones / raging in silence inside // of our own / minds.” But she also brings equal parts of herself to this study of artistry and sensuality\, as in the short\, tender section entitled “Cavafy in Compton/Closet Anthem: Self-Portrait at Sixteen\, 1979.” \nAs in all Lewis’s works\, here she reaches across centuries to express what is timeless and not bound by our current moment or our single selves: the discipline and glory of art\, the give-and-take of love\, the kiss that lives in the moment\, and the unfolding journey of being human\, whose contours become clear only with the passage of time\, the igniting of memory\, and the words we find to describe the journey.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-garrett-hongo-and-robin-coste-lewis-read-from-sign-their-new-books-ocean-of-clouds-poems-and-archive-of-desire-a-poem-in-four-parts-for-c-p-cavafy/
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/2025/10/garrett-hongo-updated-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T215424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T215424Z
UID:10014409-1762092000-1762095600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Caroline L. Perry & Sydney Hanson read from & sign I Am Not Happy!
DESCRIPTION:In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and Unicorns Are the Worst!\, this hilarious picture book introduces the adorable quokka\, who–despite his ever-present smile–is definitely not as happy as he looks! \nWith its bright eyes\, puffy cheeks\, and beaming smile\, the quokka is clearly the happiest animal on earth. Or is it? This quokka is here to tell you…he is not happy! At least not all the time. Just like everyone else\, he can be sulky\, or sorry\, or sad; but you’d never know from the look on his face! So\, what’s a moody marsupial to do when he’s being misunderstood? Teach every other animal from kangaroos to koalas not to judge a critter by its cover!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-caroline-l-perry-sydney-hanson-read-from-sign-i-am-not-happy/
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/2025/10/caroline-l-perry-sydney-hanson.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T215204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T215204Z
UID:10014408-1762081200-1762081200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Tepito Coffee + Vroman’s Bookstore Present: Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion
DESCRIPTION:Tepito Coffee + Vroman’s Bookstore Present: Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion\, a special conversation moderated by Mike de la Rocha\, featuring Rudy Mondragón\, Gaye Theresa Johnson & Priscilla Leiva\n\nImage\n \n\nProfessional boxers practice their trade within an ostensibly apolitical arena. In reality\, however\, the fighters work inside a capitalistic and neoliberal sports culture that they both challenge and uphold. This collection delves into professional boxing’s capacity for brilliance\, contradiction\, resistance\, and complicity. Scholars\, activists\, and artists explore the boxing ring as a site for understanding original and diverse ideas about the performance of race\, citizenship\, gender\, power\, and dissent. Essays and interviews draw attention to the cultural politics and performances of marginalized boxers while revealing the structures of power and practices of agency at work around Black\, Brown\, and queer bodies. As the contributors establish boxing’s central place in communities of color\, they open exciting new avenues for studying race\, immigration\, gender\, and capital. Multifaceted and innovative\, Rings of Dissent uncovers fascinating corners of the boxing world as it illuminates what the sport tells us about America.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/tepito-coffee-vromans-bookstore-present-rings-of-dissent-boxing-and-performances-of-rebellion/
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/2025/10/tepito.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T214824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T214824Z
UID:10014407-1762012800-1762020000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's On Screen - Howard Berger discusses & signs Making Monsters: Inside Stories from the Creators of Hollywood's Most Iconic Creatures
DESCRIPTION:Explore behind the scenes of the greatest monster movies ever made! \nWhat makes a great movie monster? Academy Award-winning make-up effects artist Howard Berger and acclaimed journalist Marshall Julius have spoken to dozens of film industry legends to find out. \nA celebration of monsters\, monster movies and monster movie makers\, Making Monsters delivers an illuminating\, entertaining and accessible oral history of the genre\, gathering an enviable array of A-list talent from make-up and digital effects legends (Tom Savini\, Phil Tippett) to directors (John Carpenter\, Ti West)\, actors (Simon Pegg\, Barbara Crampton)\, composers (Michael Giacchino) and writers (Russell T Davies). \nPacked with hundreds of images\, from film stills to personal\, behind-the-scenes pictures from dozens of interview subjects – many never before published – Making Monsters is a treasure trove of monstrous creations\, and the stories behind them\, that is sure to make fans jump\, scream and howl with delight. \n\n \n\nVroman’s On Screen is an ongoing event series highlighting books & authors that explore the elements of Film and Television from actors & directors to artists behind the camera to media studies & criticism.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-on-screen-howard-berger-discusses-signs-making-monsters-inside-stories-from-the-creators-of-hollywoods-most-iconic-creatures/
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/2025/10/howard-berger.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T123000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T213748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213748Z
UID:10014406-1761996600-1762000200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child. 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-over-the-river-and-through-the-wood-by-lydia-maria-child/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Free,In-Person,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/storytime-600-x-600-7.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251031T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251031T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T213526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213526Z
UID:10014405-1761926400-1761926400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Young Readers' Halloween at Vroman's Boo-kstore!
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Friday\, October 31st for Halloween at Vroman’s Boo-kstore! \nWe will have a special Halloween themed storytime with Mr. Steve and Halloween activities starting at 4pm. \nAfter storytime\, make your way through Vroman’s for trick-or-treating! We will have designated spots all around the Boo-kstore where young ghouls and goblins can happily haunt for goodies! \nCostumes are highly encouraged!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/young-readers-halloween-at-vromans-boo-kstore/
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/2025/10/halloween-music-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T213340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T214345Z
UID:10014404-1761764400-1761768000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Ticketed - Andrew Morton discusses & signs Winston and the Windsors: How Churchill Shaped a Royal Dynasty
DESCRIPTION:From an early age\, Winston Churchill was convinced that he was a man of destiny. Today\, it seems his premonition was correct; few figures in British history have been so deeply and consequently involved with the British family as Churchill. While many people in positions of power have advised kings and queens during their reign\, Churchill is unique in his role: helping to shape not only a reign\, but an entire royal dynasty. \nIn Winston and the Windsors\, one of the world’s best-known biographers and a leading authority on celebrity Andrew Morton presents a meticulously researched joint biography of Winston Churchill and the House of Windsor. Throughout the course of his career and life\, Churchill’s relationship with the Windsor’s fluctuated wildly. At times\, he was the royal family’s trusted confidante. At others\, he was their leading antagonist. In exploring the complex relationship between the two\, Morton argues that – whether the attitudes of the royal family were warm or icy towards Churchill – their relationship is central to the twentieth-century history of the British monarchy. \nFrom the Churchill family’s complex relationship with the crown; to Winston’s initially begrudging but ultimately fruitful partnership with George VI; to his enduring fondness for Queen Elizabeth II\, this fascinating narrative biography sheds a new light on the ways the crown not only shaped Winston Churchill’s career – but the ways in which Churchill shepherded the monarchy into the modern era. \nThis is an in-store ticketed event with two ticket options.- General Admission + 1 copy of Winston and the Windsors– 2 General Admissions + 1 copy of Winston and the Windsors
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-andrew-morton-discusses-signs-winston-and-the-windsors-how-churchill-shaped-a-royal-dynasty/
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/2025/10/andrew-morton-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251028T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T213104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213104Z
UID:10014403-1761678000-1761681600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Eli Frankel discusses & signs Sisters in Death: The Black Dahlia\, the Prairie Heiress\, and Their Hunter
DESCRIPTION:Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker\, an award-winning producer\, true-crime researcher\, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest – and most gruesome – murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary. \nIn January 1947\, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short\, completely drained of blood\, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity\, city-wide panic\, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD–all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years. \nSix years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away\, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious\, educated\, popular\, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm\, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941\, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma. \nOne victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets. \nEli Frankel reveals for the first time a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene\, never before shared with the public\, that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish\, skilled and lucky\, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on newly discovered documents\, law enforcement files\, interviews with the last surviving participants\, the victims’ own letters\, trial transcripts\, military records\, and more\, this epic true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle. \nIn Sisters in Death\, the Black Dahlia cold case is finally closed.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-eli-frankel-discusses-signs-sisters-in-death-the-black-dahlia-the-prairie-heiress-and-their-hunter/
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/2025/10/eli-frankel-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251027T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251027T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T083741
CREATED:20251022T212833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T212833Z
UID:10014402-1761591600-1761595200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Thomas Schlesser discusses & signs Mona’s Eyes
DESCRIPTION:THE SENSATIONAL #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER THAT HAS TAKEN THE WORLD BY STORM \nTen-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only fifty-two Wednesdays to visit fifty-two works of art and commit to memory “all that is beautiful in the world” before Mona loses her sight forever. \nWhile the doctors can find no explanation for Mona’s brief episode of blindness\, they agree that the threat of permanent vision loss cannot be ruled out. The girl’s grandfather\, Henry\, may not be able to stop his granddaughter from losing her sight\, but he can fill the encroaching darkness with beauty. \nEvery Wednesday for a year\, the pair abscond together and visit a single masterpiece in one of Paris’s renowned museums. From Botticelli to Basquiat\, Mona learns how each artist’s work shaped the world around them. In turn\, the young girl’s world is changed forever by the power of their art. Under the kind and careful tutelage of her grandfather\, Mona learns the true meaning of generosity\, melancholy\, love\, loss\, and revolution. Her perspective will never be the same — nor will the reader’s. \nMona’s Eyes is a heartfelt\, enlightening journey across five centuries of Western art history. With the emotional impact of The Elegance of the Hedgehog and the readability of The Little Paris Bookshop\, Thomas Schlesser’s sensational debut novel is at once a moving book about the beauty of life and a deeply touching story about the special bond between a girl and her grandfather. \nDiscover all 52 masterpieces inside the fold-out dustjacket.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-thomas-schlesser-discusses-signs-monas-eyes/
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/2025/10/thomas-schlesser.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR