Posts by Live Talks LA
Gabriel Byrne with Colm Tóibín
This event premieres on January 13 at 6pm PST/9pm EST
PURCHASE TICKET (INCLUDES BOOK)
$38 includes a copy of the book to US addresses*
*Books ship week of January 18
Gabriel Byrne was born in Dublin in 1950. Before becoming an actor, he joined a seminary with hopes of becoming a Catholic priest. Byrne is best known for his work in The Usual Suspects, Miller’s Crossing, and Into the West. He’s also done extensive work as a television actor and as a director and producer. He is based in New York.
Colm Tóibín is the author of nine novels, including ‘The Master’ and ‘Brooklyn’, and two collections of stories. His play ‘The Testament of Mary’ was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages. He is Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and a contributing editor at the London Review of Books.
“Make no mistake about it: Walking with Ghosts is a masterpiece. A book that will wring out our tired hearts. It is by turns poetic, moving, and very funny. You will find it on the shelf alongside other great Irish memoirs including those by Frank McCourt, Nuala O’Faolain and Edna O’Brien.” —Colum McCann
As a young boy growing up in the outskirts of Dublin, Gabriel Byrne sought refuge in a world of imagination among the fields and hills near his home, at the edge of a rapidly encroaching city. Born to working class parents and the eldest of six children, he harbored a childhood desire to become a priest. When he was eleven years old, Byrne found himself crossing the Irish Sea to join a seminary in England. Four years later, Byrne had been expelled and he quickly returned to his native city. There he took odd jobs as a messenger boy and a factory laborer to get by. In his spare time, he visited the cinema where he could be alone and yet part of a crowd. It was here that he could begin to imagine a life beyond the grey world of 60s Ireland.
He reveled in the theatre and poetry of Dublin’s streets, populated by characters as eccentric and remarkable as any in fiction, those who spin a yarn with acuity and wit. It was a friend who suggested Byrne join an amateur drama group, a decision that would change his life forever and launch him on an extraordinary forty-year career in film and theatre. Moving between sensual recollection of childhood in a now almost vanished Ireland and reflections on stardom in Hollywood and Broadway, Byrne also courageously recounts his battle with addiction and the ambivalence of fame.
Walking with Ghosts is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking as well as a lyrical homage to the people and landscapes that ultimately shape our destinies.
Curated videos for your #curfewtainment
We thought you’d appreciate some fun videos to watch while you take the advice to stay home and help slow down the spread of the coronavirus. In some cities and states there are curfews, hence these curated videos for your #curfewtainment.
And you can buy signed copies of the featured authors from our online store. Signed books make great gifts…
Buy a signed copy of Jenifer Lewis’ memoir, “The Mother of Black Hollywood.”
Buy a signed copy of John Cleese’s memoir, “So, Anyway…”
Buy a signed copy of Eric Idle’s memoir, “Always L0ok on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography.”
Buy a signed copy of Bob Saget’s memoir, “Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian”
Buy a signed copy of Chelsea Handler’s collection of essays, “Uganda Be Kidding Me”
Buy a signed copy of Dave Barry’s novel, “Insane City.”
Buy a signed copy of Al Franken’s memoir, “Giant of the Senate.”
Buy a signed copy of Busy Philipps’ memoir, “This Will Only Hurt a Little.”
Buy a signed copy of Aasif Mandvi’s collection of essays, “No Land’s Man.”
Yuval Noah Harari with Judd Apatow
This event premieres on November 23 at 6pm PST/9pm EST
PURCHASE TICKET (INCLUDES BOOK)
$38 includes a copy of the book to US addresses*
$48 includes a copy of the book to addresses outside the US*
*shipping included and books ship week of Nov 21
YUVAL NOAH HARARI is a historian, philosopher, and the bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. His books have sold 27 Million copies in 60 languages, and he is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals today. The Guardian has credited Sapiens with revolutionizing the non-fiction market and popularizing “brainy books”.
JUDD APATOW, one of the most sought-after comedic minds in the industry, has directed, produced and written many of the biggest comedy films and hit TV shows of the last two decades. Apatow’s latest feature The King of Staten Island, starring Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei and Bill Burr, is inspired by events from Davidson’s own life. Previous director credits include The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, This is 40, and Trainwreck. He produced the Academy Award®-nominated films The Big Sick, Bridesmaids as well as Superbad and Anchorman. In television he was the executive producer of Freaks and Geeks, Girls, Crashing and Love.
“What makes it so interesting and provocative is that because it’s such a condensed sweeping history it talks about some core things that have allowed us to build this extraordinary civilization that we take for granted, but weren’t a given, and it gives you a sense of perspective in how briefly we’ve been on this Earth.”
— President Barack Obama
In 2020 Harari joined forces with renowned comics artists David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave, to create Sapiens: A Graphic History: a radical adaptation of the original Sapiens into a graphic novel series that is bursting with wit, humour and color. This illustrated book casts Yuval Noah Harari in the role of guide, who takes the reader through the entire history of the human species, accompanied by a range of fictional characters and traveling through time, space and popular culture references.
In this first volume, Harari tells the story of humankind’s creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens challenges us to reconsider accepted beliefs, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and view specific events within the context of larger ideas.
Featuring 256 pages of full-color illustrations and easy-to-understand text covering the first part of the full-length original edition, this adaptation of the mind-expanding book furthers the ongoing conversation as it introduces Harari’s ideas to a wide new readership.
Born in Haifa, Israel, in 1976, Harari received his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2002, and is currently a lecturer at the Department of History, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He originally specialized in world history, medieval history and military history, and his current research focuses on macro-historical questions such as: What is the relationship between history and biology? What is the essential difference between Homo sapiens and other animals? Is there justice in history? Does history have a direction? Did people become happier as history unfolded? What ethical questions do science and technology raise in the 21st century? One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?
Janet Evanovich with Lisa Scottoline
Janet Evanovich with Lisa Scottoline
discussing her novel, “Fortune and Glory.”
David Byrne & Maira Kalman
This event premieres on November 9, at 6pm PST/9pm EST
REGISTER/PURCHASE BOOK
$32 includes a book with signed bookplate (shipping included and books ship week of October 19)
From former Talking Heads frontman and multimedia visionary David Byrne and revered bestselling author, illustrator, and artist Maira Kalman–an inspiring celebration in words and art of the connections between us all. The Spike Lee film adaptation of the Broadway hit American Utopia airs on HBO in Fall 2020.
David Byrne is a Scottish-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and co-founder of Talking Heads. He has been the recipient of many awards, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The author of How Music Works, Bicycle Diaries and The New Sins, Byrne lives in New York City. He has a daughter and a grandson.
Maira Kalman is an illustrator, an author, and a designer. She is the author of And the Pursuit of Happiness and The Principles of Uncertainty. She is the illustrator of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules and the bestselling edition of William Strunk and E. B. White’s The Elements of Style. Kalman’s work is shown at the Julie Saul Gallery in Manhattan. She lives in New York City and has a daughter, a son, and two grandchildren
Isaac Fitzgerald has been a firefighter, worked on a boat, and was once given a sword by a king, thereby accomplishing three out of five of his childhood goals. After making a bunch of cool things for the internet, he now writes books and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
“This selection of Byrne’s lyrics accompanied by Kalman’s illustrations captures the spirit of the show. As readers page through the book and savor the words, the pictures fairly leap off the page. Byrne’s afterword sums it up best: “Here is the hope and joy that I believe emanates from the show itself in something you can hold in your hands.” VERDICT Whether or not readers are fans of Byrne, they’ll enjoy this colorful and playful presentation.” ―Library Journal
A joyful collaboration between old friends David Byrne and Maira Kalman, American Utopia offers readers an antidote to cynicism, bursting with pathos, humanism, and hope–featuring his words and lyrics brought to life with more than 150 of her colorful paintings.
The text is drawn from David Byrne’s American Utopia, which has become a hit Broadway show and is soon to be a documentary from Spike Lee. The four-color artwork, by Maira Kalman, which she created for the Broadway show’s curtain, is composed of small moments, expressions, gestures, and interactions that together offer a portrait of daily life and coexistence.
With their creative talents combined, American Utopia is a salvo for kindness and a call for jubilation, a reminder to sing, dance, and waste not a moment. Beautifully designed and edited by Alex Kalman, American Utopia is a balm for the soul from two of the world’s most extraordinary artists.
Janet Evanovich with Lisa Scottoline
This event premieres on November 7 at 5pm PST/8pm EST
on the Live Talks Los Angeles YouTube channel and also on our Facebook page
The event is free to register to watch, and you can purchase a signed book when you RSVP.
REGISTER/PURCHASE BOOK
— $37 includes a book (shipping included, and books ship the week of Nov 16)
The twenty-seventh entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series isn’t just the biggest case of Stephanie Plum’s career. It’s the adventure of a lifetime.
Over the last twenty-five years, Janet Evanovich has written a staggering twenty-three New York Times bestsellers in the Stephanie Plum series. In addition to the Plum novels, Janet has coauthored the New York Times bestselling Fox and O’Hare series (including The Big Kahuna with her son, Peter Evanovich), the Knight and Moon series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, the Alexandra Barnaby novels, and the graphic novel, Troublemaker (with her daughter, Alex Evanovich). Visit her website. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Lisa Scottoline is the New York Times-bestselling author and Edgar Award-winning author of thirty-two novels. She has 30 million copies of her books in print in the United States and has been published in thirty-five countries. After a successful career in corporate law, Scottoline released her first legal thriller, Everywhere that Mary Went, in 1994. Her debut was nominated for an Edgar Award, the most prestigious award given in crime fiction. Her second novel, Final Appeal, won the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original in 1995. Since then, she has gone on to write 30 more critically acclaimed novels, and her recent, After Anna, was a #1 bestseller. Scottoline also writes a weekly column with her daughter, Francesca Serritella, for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and those universally beloved stories have been adapted into a series of bestselling memoirs. In addition to writing, Lisa reviews popular fiction and non-fiction, and her reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America and has taught a course she developed, “Justice in Fiction” at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, her alma mater. She lives in the Philadelphia area.
In Fortune and Glory, when Stephanie’s beloved Grandma Mazur’s new husband died on their wedding night, the only thing he left her was a beat-up old easy chair…and the keys to a life-changing fortune.
But as Stephanie and Grandma Mazur search for Jimmy Rosolli’s treasure, they discover that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Two dangerous enemies from the past stand in their way—along with a new adversary who’s even more formidable: Gabriela Rose, a dark-eyed beauty from Little Havana with a taste for designer clothes. She’s also a soldier of fortune, a gourmet cook, an expert in firearms and mixed martial arts—and someone who’s about to give Stephanie a real run for her money.
Stephanie may be in over her head, but she’s got two things that Gabriela doesn’t: an unbreakable bond with her family and a stubborn streak that will never let her quit.
She’ll need both to survive because this search for “fortune and glory” will turn into a desperate race against time with more on the line than ever before. Because even as she searches for the treasure and fights to protect her Grandma Mazur, her own deepest feelings will be tested—as Stephanie could finally be forced to choose between Joe Morelli and Ranger.