Posts by Live Talks LA
Annie Leibovitz
4401 Elenda St,
Culver City, CA 90230
“[A] gorgeous anthology of fashion images … Leibovitz is nothing less than America’s greatest living photographic portraitist … she has changed fashion photography forever.” – Anna Wintour
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Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz’s surprising account of her encounters with fashion over five decades
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Annie Leibovitz is one of the most influential photographers of our time. In 1970, she began creating what became her legendary work for Rolling Stone. Since the early 1980s, she has expanded her repertoire at Vanity Fair and Vogue and in independent projects. She is the recipient of many honors, including the International Center of Photography’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Centenary Medal of the Royal Photographic Society..
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“A compendium of her greatest hits … Her pictures are big, colorful, beautifully composed, egregiously luxuriant, loaded with detail, and nearly always contain some kind of implied narrative.” – The New York Times Book Review
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Fashion has been both the subject of, and the vehicle for, many of Leibovitz’s images, which have graced the covers and interiors of countless publications and magazines around the world. In conversation, Leibovitz will share stories from her ambitious fashion shoots—including looks by designers such Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Rei Kawakubo—alongside tales of her encounters with a wide and diverse range of icons: from fashion designers such as Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld to Kate Moss, Serena Williams, politicians Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi, and cultural figures—Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Gaga, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—to name a few.
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Starting in 1970, when Leibovitz began creating what became her ground-breaking work for Rolling Stone, to her work at Vogue and Vanity Fair in the 1980s, and through to present day, Leibovitz will reflect on her career, the individuals she has photographed, the editors she has worked with, and how her distinctive approach has developed and evolved over the last half century.
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Don’t miss the opportunity to spend an evening with the legendary photographer as she grants you a passport to Wonderland, a world where fashion is revealed in unexpected subjects and places, and photography is celebrated in its highest form.
David Koepp with Lawrence Kasdan
Soon to be a major motion picture from Netflix and Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow.
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From the author of Cold Storage comes a riveting, eerily plausible thriller, told with the menace and flair of Under the Dome or Project Hail Mary, in which a worldwide cataclysm plays out in the lives of one complicated Midwestern family.
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David Koepp has written more than two dozen feature films in a wide variety of genres, including the first two Jurassic Park films, Death Becomes Her, Carlito’s Way, The Paper, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Panic Room, War of the Worlds, Angels and Demons, and Inferno. Some of the films he’s both written and directed are Stir of Echoes, Secret Window, Ghost Town, and Premium Rush, the latter two co-written with John Kamps. He is the author of the debut novel Cold Storage (2019) currently in production with Studio Canal Films, and the Audible Originals #1 bestselling story “Yard Work” (2020). He divides his time between Los Angeles and New York. Visit his website.
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Lawrence Kasdan has directed, written or produced twenty-four motion pictures, including BODY HEAT, THE BIG CHILL, SILVERADO, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST and GRAND CANYON. He has written or co-written six of the most successful films in motion picture history – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, THE BODYGUARD, and STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Nominated for four Academy Awards and six Writers Guild Awards, Kasdan was honored by the Writers Guild of America with its Laurel Award for advancing the literature of motion pictures. His documentary series LIGHT & MAGIC will appear on Disney+ this year.
“With Aurora, David Koepp has firmly staked his ground as one of the best thriller writers working today. Come for the mind-blowing concept of a massive geomagnetic storm that wipes out nearly every power grid on Earth, stay for why this book truly soars—characters you’ll love, breakneck-pacing, and the question we’re all wrestling with in these wild, modern times: what happens when life slips out of our control?” — Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter and Recursion
“There’s a reason David Koepp is the most successful screenwriter of all time. It’s because he’s one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Aurora is up there with his best: scary, funny, and thought provoking. Buy it immediately.” — Scott Frank, writer and director of The Queen’s Gambit
In Aurora, Illinois, Aubrey Wheeler is just trying to get by after her semi-criminal ex-husband split, leaving behind his unruly teenage son.
Then the lights go out—not just in Aurora but across the globe. A solar storm has knocked out power almost everywhere. Suddenly, all problems are local, very local, and Aubrey must assume the mantle of fierce protector of her suburban neighborhood.
Across the country lives Aubrey’s estranged brother, Thom. A fantastically wealthy, neurotically over-prepared Silicon Valley CEO, he plans to ride out the crisis in a gilded desert bunker he built for maximum comfort and security.
But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over, and what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of several long-overdue reckonings—which not everyone will survive . . .
Aurora is suspenseful storytelling—both large scale and small—at its finest.
Eliza Reid with Lisa Napoli
at Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Los Angeles, CA 90010
“Secrets of the Sprakkar is a fascinating window into what a more gender-equal world could look like, and why it’s worth striving for. Iceland is doing a lot to level the playing field: paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and broad support for gender equality as a core value. Reid takes us on an exploration not only around this fascinating island, but also through the triumphs and stumbles of a country as it journeys towards gender equality.” — Hilary Rodham Clinton
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Eliza Reid is the First Lady of Iceland and co-founder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003. Eliza Reid never expected to live in Iceland at all—much less become its First Lady. But after meeting her Icelandic husband at university, Eliza’s life transformed when he won the presidency. Her new position granted her remarkable insight into the roles of Icelandic women in business, politics, the home, and more. Eliza’s immigrant perspective offers an uplifting examination of Iceland’s reputation: one of the best places in the world to be a woman.
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Lisa Napoli has had a long career in journalism, including staff reporting jobs at public radio’s Marketplace, the pioneering New York Times CyberTimes, and as a columnist/correspondent at MSNBC. She is the author, most recently, of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR. Her previous books include Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News; a biography of NPR benefactor, the McDonald’s heiress, Joan Kroc, Ray & Joan, and a memoir about media’s impact on the tiny kingdom of Bhutan, Radio Shangri-La.
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“With warmth, wit, and insight, First Lady Eliza Reid explores the reasons why Iceland is one of the best places on earth for women, as well as the challenges still ahead in achieving full gender equity. Secrets of the Sprakkar is an illuminating, inspiring, and absorbing book about how a more equitable society could elevate us all.” – Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author of Wild
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Iceland is the best place on earth to be a woman―but why?
For the past twelve years, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has ranked Iceland number one on its list of countries closing the gap in equality between men and women. What is it about Iceland that makes many women’s experience there so positive? Why has their society made such meaningful progress in this ongoing battle, from electing the world’s first female president to passing legislation specifically designed to help even the playing field at work and at home? And how can we learn from what Icelanders have already discovered about women’s powerful place in society and how increased fairness benefits everyone?
Eliza Reid, the First Lady of Iceland, examines her adopted homeland’s attitude toward women―the deep-seated cultural sense of fairness, the influence of current and historical role models, and, crucially, the areas where Iceland still has room for improvement. Reid’s own experience as an immigrant from small-town Canada who never expected to become a first lady is expertly interwoven with interviews with dozens of sprakkar (“extraordinary women”) to form the backbone of an illuminating discussion of what it means to move through the world as a woman, and how the rules of society play more of a role in who we view as “equal” than we may understand. Secrets of the Sprakkar is a powerful and atmospheric portrait of a tiny country that could lead the way forward for us all.
Gary Janetti with Leslie Grossman
at Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Los Angeles, CA 90010
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Gary Janetti is a four-time Emmy nominated writer and producer who is the showrunner and creator of HBOMax’s The Prince. He got his start writing on several network series before joining Fox’s Family Guy where he was on the original writing staff and went on to pen many memorable episodes featuring Brian and Stewie. He then wrote on NBC’s Will & Grace, where he rose to executive producer and showrunner. Janetti also created, executive produced and wrote all episodes of the ITV/PBS British sitcom Vicious starring Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi. His popular Instagram account of over 900k followers has been featured and praised in such publications as the New York Times, People and Vanity Fair. Janetti’s first book, Do You Mind If I Cancel? was a New York Times bestseller. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @garyjanetti.
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Leslie Grossman has appeared in the last four seasons of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “American Horror Story”. She was also recently seen in recurring roles on Hulu’s “Love, Victor” and ABC’s “The Goldbergs” and the recently released film “Studio 666.” Grossman’s breakout television role was as spoiled rich girl Mary Cherry on “Popular” and she starred for four seasons on “What I Like About You.” Her additional television credits include “Goliath,” “Shrill,” “Black-ish,” “Fuller House,” “Love,” “The Good Place,” “The New Normal,” “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” “Speechless,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Modern Family,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Whitney,” “CSI,” “Scandal,” “Dexter” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Born and raised in Los Angeles, Californian Leslie is a mom who enjoys spending time with family and friends. She still knows her bat mitzvah torah portion by heart.
“Gary Janetti is a national treasure! Start Without Me had me screaming with laughter and seething with jealousy. But it also had me in tears. Because the sneaky secret about Gary is that as antisocial as he purports to be, no one writes with more connectedness or feeling. Sorry, Gary! Reading your book about how little you want to hang out with people is only going to make everyone want to hang out with you more.”―Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My Presence
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Gary Janetti is bothered. By a lot of things. And thank God he’s here to tell us.
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In Start Without Me, Gary returns with his acid tongue firmly in cheek to the moments and times that defined him. He takes us by the hand as we follow him through the summers he spends in his twenties, pursuing both the perfect tan and the perfect man to no avail and much regret. At his Catholic high school, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a nun who shares Gary’s love of soap operas, which becomes a salvation to them both. And don’t get him started on how a bad hotel room can ruin even the best vacation. This laugh-out-loud collection of true-life stories from the man “behind his generation’s greatest comedy” (The New York Times) is for anyone who has felt the joy in holding a decade-long grudge.
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Whether you are a new convert to Janetti or one of the million who follow him on social media for a daily laugh, Start Without Me will have you howling at Gary’s frustrations and nodding along in agreement at the outrages of life’s small slights. It’s the literary equivalent of a night out with your funniest friend that you wish would never end.
Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy with Lori Gottlieb
This event premieres on April 27, 2022 at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT
— $38 ticket includes a signed book (shipping included).
(* we only ship to US addresses; books ship week of May 2)
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From the duo behind the bestselling book No Hard Feelings and the wildly popular @LizandMollie Instagram account, an insightful and approachable illustrated guide to handling our most difficult emotions.
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Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy are the co-authors (and Liz is the illustrator) of the bestseller No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotion at Work.Their new book is Big Feelings: How To Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay. Learn more at lizandmollie.com and follow them on Twitter @lizandmollie
Liz Fosslien is the Head of Content at Humu, a company that uses behavioral science to make work better. Prior to joining Humu, Liz designed and led workshops for executives at Google and Nike on how to create inclusive cultures. Liz’s writing and data visualization projects have appeared on CNN, in the Economist, The New York Times, NPR, and Freakonomics.
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Mollie West Duffy is an organizational and leadership development expert. She was previously an Organizational Design Lead at global innovation firm IDEO and a research associate for the Dean of Harvard Business School. She has worked with companies of all sizes to develop good workplace culture. Her writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Quartz, and Entrepreneur, and she’s taught design courses at Stanford and USC.
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Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold more than a million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series. In addition to her clinical practice, she is co-host of the popular Dear Therapists podcast produced by Katie Couric and writes The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column. She has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR’s Fresh Air and her 2019 TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year. She is also the creator of the new Maybe You Should Talk To Someone Workbook: A Toolkit for Editing Your Story and Changing Your Life. Learn more at LoriGottlieb.com or by following her on Twitter @LoriGottlieb1 and Instagram @lorigottlieb_author.
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“Writing (and drawing) with their signature insight and humor, Liz and Mollie dispense the wisdom and compassion we all need for working through our most difficult emotions.”—Susan Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
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“Over the past few years, our emotions have often gotten the better of us. This book will restore your sense of control—and make you feel less alone in the world. Liz and Mollie do an outstanding job bringing your fuzziest feelings into sharp focus.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife.
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We all experience unwieldy feelings. But between our emotion-phobic society and the debilitating uncertainty of modern times, we usually don’t know how to talk about what we’re going through, much less handle it. Over the past year, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy’s online community has laughed and cried about productivity guilt, pandemic anxiety, and Zoom fatigue. Now, Big Feelings addresses anyone intimidated by oversized feelings they can’t predict or control, offering the tools to understand what’s really going on, find comfort, and face the future with a sense of newfound agency.
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Weaving surprising science with personal stories and original illustrations, each chapter examines one uncomfortable feeling—like envy, burnout, and anxiety—and lays out strategies for turning big emotions into manageable ones. You’ll learn:
• How to identify what’s behind your anger and communicate it productively, without putting people on the defensive
• Why we might be suffering from perfectionism even if we feel far from perfect, and how to detach your self-worth from what you do
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Big Feelings helps us understand that difficult emotions are not abnormal, and that we can emerge from them with a deeper sense of meaning. We can’t stop emotions from bubbling up, but we can learn how to make peace with them.
Wil Wheaton with John Ross Bowie
Will Wheaton is a highly acclaimed producer, narrator, and actor who has appeared in dozens of films and TV series. Most recently, he played a fictionalized version of himself on The Big Bang Theory, one of the most highly rated and watched sitcoms of the last decade. An accomplished voice actor, Wil has lent his talents to animated series including Family Guy, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His audiobook narration of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and was one of Goodreads’ 10 Best Narrator and Audiobook Pairings of All Time. He has also lent his voice to titles by John Scalzi, Randall Monroe, Andy Weir, and Joe Hill. When he isn’t acting, narrating, or podcasting, Wil is writing. A lot. He lives in Los Angeles with his badass, irrepressible wife Anne, one rescued dogs, one cat, and four vintage arcade cabinets.
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John Ross Bowie is an actor and author who lives in Los Angeles. Among his over 100 TV and Film credits: the Big Bang Theory, Speechless, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jumanji: The Next Level, He’s Just Not That Into You, and The Heat. His memoir NO JOB FOR A MAN Will be published in November, 2022 by Pegasus Books.
“Wil Wheaton is a geek who’s unafraid to sit at the keyboard and open a vein. There’s a lot of scorching honesty mixed in with these convulsively funny memoirs.” — Cory Doctorow on Just a Geek
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From starring in Stand by Me to playing Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation to playing himself, in his second (third?) iconic role of Evil Wil Wheaton in The Big Bang Theory, to becoming a social media supernova, Wil Wheaton has charted a career course unlike anyone else, and has emerged as one of the most popular and well respected names in science fiction, fantasy and pop culture.
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Back in 2001, Wil began blogging on wilwheaton.net. Believing himself to have fallen victim to the curse of the child actor, Wil felt relegated to the convention circuit, and didn’t expect many would want to read about his random experiences and personal philosophies..
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Yet, much to his surprise, people were reading. He still blogs, and now has an enormous following on social media with well over 3 million followers.
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In Still Just a Geek, Wil revisits his 2004 collection of blog posts, Just a Geek, filled with insightful and often laugh-out-loud annotated comments, additional later writings, and all new material written for this publication. The result is an incredibly raw and honest memoir, in which Wil opens up about his life, about falling in love, about coming to grips with his past work, choices, and family, and finding fulfillment in the new phases of his career. From his times on the Enterprise to his struggles with depression to his starting a family and finding his passion–writing–Wil Wheaton is someone whose life is both a cautionary tale and a story of finding one’s true purpose that should resonate with fans and aspiring artists alike.