Posts by Live Talks LA
Anderson Cooper with Lisa Ling
This event was taped in front of a live audience with limited capacity
.
TICKETS
— $40 includes a copy of the book with signed book plate (shipping included)
— Please note we only ship to US addresses
.
New York Times bestselling author and journalist Anderson Cooper chronicles the rise and fall of a legendary American dynasty—his mother’s family, the Vanderbilts.
.
Anderson Cooper is an anchor at CNN and a correspondent for CBS’ 60 Minutes. Cooper has won 18 Emmys and numerous other major journalism awards. He has written two books which topped the New York Timesbestsellers list. Dispatches From The Edge – A Memoir of Wars, Disasters, and Survivaland The Rainbow Comes and Goes, which he co-wrote with his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper lives in New York with his son, Wyatt. The book is co-authored with Katherine Howe.
Lisa Ling is the Executive Producer and host of This is Life on CNN, now in its eighth season. For five seasons prior, She was Executive Producer and hosted Our America on OWN. She was also a field correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and contributor to ABC News’ Nightline. Lisa was the first female host of National Geographic’s flagship show Explorer. She got her start in journalism as a correspondent for Channel One News where she covered the civil war in Afghanistan at 21 years of age. She later went to become a co-host of ABC Daytime’s show The View, which won its first daytime Emmy during her time at the show. She is the co-author of Mother, Sister, Daughter, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood, and Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and The Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home that she penned with sister Laura.
“A dramatic tale expertly told of rapacious ambition, decadent excess, and covert and overt tyranny and trauma. . . . With resplendent detail, the authors capture the gasp-eliciting extravagance of the Vanderbilt Gilded Age mansions. . . . With its intrinsic empathy and in-depth profiles of women, this is a distinctly intimate, insightful, and engrossing chronicle of an archetypal, self-consuming American dynasty. . . . Irresistible.” — Booklist (starred review)
.
When eleven-year-old Cornelius Vanderbilt began to work on his father’s small boat ferrying supplies in New York Harbor at the beginning of the nineteenth century, no one could have imagined that one day he would, through ruthlessness, cunning, and a pathological desire for money, build two empires—one in shipping and another in railroads—that would make him the richest man in America. His staggering fortune was fought over by his heirs after his death in 1877, sowing familial discord that would never fully heal. Though his son Billy doubled the money left by “the Commodore,” subsequent generations competed to find new and ever more extraordinary ways of spending it. By 2018, when the last Vanderbilt was forced out of The Breakers—the seventy-room summer estate in Newport, Rhode Island, that Cornelius’s grandson and namesake had built—the family would have been unrecognizable to the tycoon who started it all.
Now, the Commodore’s great-great-great-grandson Anderson Cooper, joins with historian Katherine Howe to explore the story of his legendary family and their outsized influence. Cooper and Howe breathe life into the ancestors who built the family’s empire, basked in the Commodore’s wealth, hosted lavish galas, and became synonymous with unfettered American capitalism and high society. Moving from the hardscrabble wharves of old Manhattan to the lavish drawing rooms of Gilded Age Fifth Avenue, from the ornate summer palaces of Newport to the courts of Europe, and all the way to modern-day New York, Cooper and Howe wryly recount the triumphs and tragedies of an American dynasty unlike any other.
Written with a unique insider’s viewpoint, this is a rollicking, quintessentially American history as remarkable as the family it so vividly captures.
Liane Moriarty with Seija Rankin
This event premieres on September 14, 2021 at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT
TICKETS
— $38 includes a signed copy of the book (shipping included)
(* we only ship to US addresses)
— also includes access on video-on-demand for 72 hrs after the event.
— ASL interpreter available upon request.
.
.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest.
.
Liane Moriarty is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret, and Truly Madly Guilty; the New York Times bestsellers Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children.
.
Big Little Lies was adapted as a series for HBO by David E. Kelley, starred Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz. The series was critically acclaimed and won eight Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. Actress/producer Nicole Kidman and producer/writer David E. Kelley will reunite for another adaptation of a Moriarty bestseller. Nine Perfect Strangers premieres as an eight-part miniseries on Hulu on August 19, 2021. Starring alongside Kidman are Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale and Michael Shannon.
.
Seija Rankin is the Books Editor at Entertainment Weekly, where she oversees coverage of everything from literary fiction to celebrity memoirs.
.
“Combines domestic realism and noirish mystery. . . . The structure follows the pattern of Big Little Lies by setting up a mystery and then jumping months into the past to unravel it. Funny, sad, astute, occasionally creepy, and slyly irresistible.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
.
“I loved it. An absolute page-turner with all the wit and nuance that put Liane Moriarty head and shoulders above the crowd. Liane Moriarty shows once again why she leads the pack.”―Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Dry and The Survivors
.
Apples Never Fall
The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?
.
The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.
.
When a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, the children are alarmed but not completely surprised that Joy would want to take Savannah in. But when Joy disappears, leaving nothing but a cryptic text message that is sent to all four of her children, the Delaney family is shaken to their core, and Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke are forced to reckon with their family’s secrets.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
This event premieres on July 21, 2021 at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT
TICKETS
— $53 includes a copy of the book*
(* shipping included to US addresses only)
The eagerly awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Hamilton: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new book gives readers an extraordinary inside look at In the Heights, his breakout Broadway debut, written with Quiara Alegría Hudes, now a Hollywood blockbuster.
Quiara Alegría Hudes is the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright of Water by the Spoonful and the author of a memoir, My Broken Language. She wrote the book for the Tony-winning Broadway musical In the Heights and later adapted it for the screen. Her notable essays include “High Tide of Heartbreak” in American Theatre magazine and “Corey Couldn’t Take It Anymore” in The Cut. As a prison reform activist, Hudes and her cousin founded Emancipated Stories, a platform where people behind bars can share one page of their life story with the world. She lives with her family in New York but frequently returns to her native Philly.
Jeremy McCarter is the author of Young Radicals and co-author, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Hamilton: The Revolution. He is the founder and executive producer of Make-Believe Association, a Chicago-based production company. He spent five years on the artistic staff of the Public Theater and has served on the jury of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He has written about culture and politics for New York magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He lives in Chicago with his family.
“For 20 years In The Heights—a show about a community—somehow manages to create camaraderie and community every time it is performed. This book is a collective diary looking back and shining a spotlight on the people and moments that have nurtured the journey and evolution of this show with paciencia y fe for *checks notes* LITERALLY half of my life. Quiara and I are so grateful that the hundreds of stories and recuerdosthat make up In The Heightsare collected here.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda
In the Heights: Finding Home reunites Miranda with Jeremy McCarter, co-author of Hamilton: The Revolution, and Quiara Alegría Hudes, the Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist of the Broadway musical and screenwriter of the film. They do more than trace the making of an unlikely Broadway smash and a major motion picture: They give readers an intimate look at the decades-long creative life of In the Heights.
Like Hamilton: The Revolution, the book offers untold stories, perceptive essays, and the lyrics to Miranda’s songs—complete with his funny, heartfelt annotations. It also features newly commissioned portraits and never-before-seen photos from backstage, the movie set, and productions around the world.
This is the story of characters who search for a home—and the artists who created one.
Richard Marx with Patton Oswalt
This event premieres on July 8, 2021 at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT
TICKETS
— $38 includes a a copy of the book with a signed bookplate*
(* we only ship to US addresses)
Legendary musician Richard Marx offers an enlightening, entertaining look at his life and career.
Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide over the course of his career. He is the only male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts, and he has written on a number one single in each of the last four decades—an accolade previously only reached by Michael Jackson. He won a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy and has scored fourteen number-one singles, both as a performer and as a songwriter/producer. He is also a committed philanthropist, supporting charitable causes such as the American Cancer Society and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the charity closest to his heart, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Daisy Fuentes.
Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in the history of popular music. His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum and made him the first male solo artist (and second solo artist overall after Whitney Houston) to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was an even bigger smash, going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one. He has written fourteen number one songs in total, shared a Song of the Year Grammy with Luther Vandross, and collaborated with a variety of artists including NSYNC, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and Keith Urban. Lately, he’s also become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his ability to out-troll his trolls.
Patton Oswalt is an actor, comedian and writer continues to find success in all areas of entertainment — from his award-winning comedy specials to his many memorable film roles and guest appearances on his favorite TV shows (including Parks and Recreation, for which he received a TV Critics Choice Award), Oswalt continues to choose work that inspires him and entertains audiences. He recently created M.O.D.O.K., the new Marvel stop-motion animated adult comedy series for Hulu as well as voices the titular character, and currently co-stars as Principal Durbin on the NBC Universal comedy A.P. Bio, produced by Seth Meyers, Mike O’Brien, and Lorne Michaels. In 2020, he received Emmy and Grammy nominations for his Netflix special I Love Everything. As a comedian, Oswalt has shot eight TV specials and released seven critically acclaimed albums, including his Emmy and Grammy-winning Talking for Clapping and Grammy-nominated Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time, Finest and My Weakness Is Strong.
In Stories to Tell, Marx uses this same engaging, straight-talking style to look back on his life and career. He writes of how Kenny Rogers changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut—which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits. He tells the uncanny story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John, his childhood crush, watching Xanadu. He shares the tribulations of working with the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video. Yet amid these entertaining celebrity encounters, Marx offers a more sobering assessment of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades—the challenges of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules, and the rewards of connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama worthwhile. He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work, including finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently struck him—and that doctors haven’t been able to solve.
Stories to Tell is a remarkably candid, wildly entertaining memoir about the art and business of music.
Patti LaBelle with Tamar Braxton
This event premieres on July 6, 2021 at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT
TICKETS
— $40 includes a a copy of the book with a signed bookplate*
(* we only ship to US addresses)
— Complimentary to view
From beloved icon, musician, and “godmother of soul” (New York Times), Patti LaBelle, the celebratory anniversary edition of LaBelle Cuisine. First published more than twenty years ago, these comfort food favorites are back, along with a few new delicious delights that will bring joy and flavor to the family table.
Patti LaBelle’s illustrious career spans seven decades. She is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time GRAMMY Award winning artist, an accomplished actress, and a three-time Emmy nominee. She is also the foundera of a successful food and lifestyle brand, Patti’s Good Life. Additionally, she is a humanitarian who devotes much of her time and talent to non-profit organizations and is the recipient of several honorary degrees.Patti is adored around the world by millions of fans of her music and her cooking.
Tamar Braxton has built her dedicated fanbase throughout the years as a multi–Grammy Award-nominated singer, and five-time Emmy nominated, co-creator and co-host of “The Real,” as well as creator and star of, We TV’s “Braxton Family Values.” She also was the winner of season 2 of CBS’ “Celebrity Big Brother,” and was a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and is the current host of her own podcat “Under Construction.” She is a devoted mother and mental health advocate who is candidly sharing her own experiences in an effort to destigmatize the conversation around mental health, especially within the Black community.
First published more than twenty years ago, LABELLE CUISINE: Recipes to Sing About by Patti LaBelle is back in an updated 20thAnniversary Edition with new recipes and an introductory letter from Patti. This New York Timesbestselling cookbook features comfort food favorites (including a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie!), along with a few new delicious delights that will bring joy and flavor to the family table.
For Patti, cooking is about love. Taught by the great cooks in her family—her mother, father, and aunts Hattie Mae and Joshia Mae—Patti LaBelle has kept these family heirlooms close to her heart. But now, she invites you into her kitchen and serves up more than 100 of her favorites—Say-My-Name Smothered Chicken and Gravy, Fierce Fried Corn, and Aunt Hattie’s Scrumptious Sweet Tate Bread—to good-enough-for-dinner-parties dishes—Shrimp Etouffee, Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary-Lemon Rub, and Aunt Mary’s Philadelphia Buttercake.
And this 20thanniversary edition has three new recipes you’ll want to prepare and eat ASAP – Patti’s Quarantine Lobster-Shrimp Cakes, Good Life Chicken, and Bangin’ Fish Deluxe. Yum.
LABELLE CUISINE has recipes you’ll want to cook, eat, and share with friends. Filled with the legendary entertainer’s favorite dishes and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare them, LABELLE CUISINE makes you feel like Patti’s in the kitchen with you, demonstrating the recipes and techniques that can help turn anybody into a fabulous cook.
Anita Diamant & Melissa Berton with Michaela Pereira
PURCHASE TICKETS/RSVP
— $27 includes a a copy of the book with a signed bookplate*
(* we only ship to US addresses)
— Complimentary to view
New York Timesbestselling author Anita Diamant and Academy-Award winning producer and Executive Director of The Pad Project Melissa Berton in conversation with journalist and host of Fox 11’s “Good Day LA” Michaela Pereira discussing their new book “Period. End of Sentence.: A New Chapter in the Fight for Menstrual Justice.”
Anita Diamant is the bestselling author of the novels The Boston Girl, The Red Tent, Good Harbor, The Last Days of Dogtown, and Day After Night, and the collection of essays, Pitching My Tent. An award-winning journalist whose work appeared in The Boston Globe Magazine and Parenting, and many others, she is the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life. She lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website.
Melissa Berton is an Academy Award-winning producer for Best Documentary Short (2019) for PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE., available on Netflix, Melissa Berton is a Los Angeles-based teacher, writer, and speaker. She is the Founder & Executive Director of The Pad Project, a non- profit organization dedicated to the principle that “a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” In recognition of her human rights work, Berton received the 2019 Eleanor Roosevelt Global Women’s Rights Award. Visit her website.
Michaela Pereira is an award-winning journalist and host of FOX 11’s daily flagship program “Good Day LA.” She is a well-known media personality having hosted her own daily national show on CNN’s sister station HLN, as a longtime member of the KTLA morning news team and host of CNN’s “New Day”. She is a community and human rights supporter, advocating for women and children as a member of the board of directors for the Long Beach Boys & Girls Club and the advisory board of Optimist Youth Home. She has received many awards for her work as a journalist and philanthropist. She is a proud member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a native of Canada. Visit her website.
“Period. End of Sentence. [is] filled with rich personal testimonies, details on political organizing strategy, and Diamant’s own wisdom on issues ranging from religious rituals surrounding menstruation to pop culture celebrations of periods to menstrual product marketing critiques… Diamant knowingly and lovingly represents it all—with the keen eye of a reporter, the soul of a storyteller, and the voice of a trusted narrator. Her commitment to social justice and dignity for all shines through.”—Marie Claire
From beloved New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Anita Diamant comes a timely collection of essays to help inspire period positive activism around the globe, with foreword by Academy Award winning producer
When Period. End of Sentence. won an Oscar in 2019, the film’s co-producer and Executive Director of The Pad Project, Melissa Berton, told the audience: “A period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” Continuing in that revolutionary spirit and building on the momentum of the acclaimed documentary, this book outlines the challenges facing those who menstruate worldwide and the solutions championed by a new generation of body positive activists, innovators and public figures.
Including interviews from people on the frontlines—parents, teachers, medical professionals, and social-justice warriors—Period. End of Sentence. illuminates the many ways that menstrual injustice can limit opportunities, erode self-esteem, and even threaten lives. This powerful examination of the far-ranging and quickly evolving movement for menstrual justice introduces today’s leaders and shows us how we can be part of the change.
Fearless, revolutionary, and fascinating, Period. End of Sentence. is an essential read for anyone interested in empowering women, girls, and others around the world.