Posts by Live Talks LA
Do you have a question for Richard Dawkins? Your chance to win a signed book.
Tomorrow, October 1, we host Richard Dawkins at a sold out event at the Moss Theatre in Santa Monica. He’ll be interviewed by Penn Jillette. Here’s your chance to win a signed copy of Dawkins’ book, Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science.
If you have a great question for Richard Dawkins, here’s your chance to win a signed copy of his book. We will pick 10 questions, and if yours is selected, we ship you a signed copy of Richard Dawkins’ book.
Please email your question to info@livetalksla.org with “Dawkins Question” in the subject line. If we pick your question, we will email you and ask for your address.
Questions must be submitted by 12pm on October 1.
Richard Dawkins in the news…
— Wall Street Journal, Sept 29 — A Biologists Worldview
— Wall Street Journal, Sept 29 — video interview with WSJ’s Gautam Naik
Mindy Kaling
Sunday, September 27, 2015
7:00pm
An Evening with Mindy Kaling
discussing her collection of essays
Why Not Me
The Alex Theatre
216 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
Sorry but this event is SOLD OUT
Mindy Kaling is the creator and star of The Mindy Project, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? She is also known for her work on the NBC sitcom The Office, where she portrayed the character Kelly Kapoor and served as executive producer, writer and director.
Mindy Kaling in the news:
— Mindy Kaling Reveals Writing Process For New Book ‘Why Not Me’? (Design & Trend, July 22)
— How to Be Unstoppable: Inside the Creative Mind of Mindy Kaling (Ad Week, July 19)
In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.
In one of the essays — “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions” — Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)
Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.
Matt Warburton is Executive Producer of The Mindy Project. He grew up in northern Ohio and has a degree in cognitive neuroscience from Harvard University. Previously he worked for 11 years as a writer and co-executive producer on the Fox animated series The Simpsons, leaving the show in December 2012, and prior to that worked as a writer (consulting editor) on the NBC comedy series Community, joining during the show’s third season.
Do you have a question for Mindy Kaling? Your chance to win a signed book!
This Sunday, September 27, we host Mindy Kaling at a sold out event at the Alex Theatre. Here’s your chance to win a signed copy of Mindy Kaling’s collection of essays, Why Not Me?
If you have a great question for Mindy, here’s your chance to win a signed copy of her book. We will pick 10 questions, and if yours is selected, we ship you a signed copy of Mindy Kaling’s book.
Please email your question to info@livetalksla.org with “Mindy Question” in the subject line. If we pick your question, we will email you and ask for your address.
Jason Segel
3:00pm
in conversation with Rico Gagliano
discussing his latest children’s novel,
Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic
Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre
New Roads School
Herb Alpert Educational Village
3131 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
PURCHASE TICKETS
$30 Family Package — 1 adult, 2 kids, 1 book
$25 General Admission + book
$20 General Admission
Among the many successful films Jason Segel has written, starred in, produced, or written and performed songs for are The Muppets; Jeff Who Lives at Home; The Five-Year Engagement; I Love You, Man; and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He has also starred in the hit television series How I Met Your Mother and the classic Freaks and Geeks. Segel’s latest critically acclaimed role in The End of the Tour casts him as famed author David Foster Wallace.
In September 2014, Segel broke into children’s publishing with the New York Times bestseller Nightmares! the first in a trilogy co-written with Kirsten Miller, the author of the Kiki Strike trilogy as well as the New York Times bestselling The Eternal Ones.
Nightmares! was inspired by Segel’s own childhood experience with night terrors. Originally conceived of as a motion picture screenplay, the story has evolved into an entirely engaging novel for middle-grade readers, populated with young characters grappling with relatable struggles and fears alongside uniquely comical yet terrifying villains (brought to life in the captivating black-and-white illustrations by Karl Kwasny).
Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic is the next installment in Charlie Laird’s battle with the Netherworld. After battling the evil ruler of the Nightmare realm President Fear and returning to safety back in Cypress Creek, it looks like things are getting freaky again when nearby town Orville Falls is suddenly filled with . . . zombies? Rumor has it that no one’s sleeping in Orville Falls, which means Charlie and his friends are back on the case to set things right in this fun and creepy tale. (For ages 8-12)
Rico Gagliano is a writer and journalist living in Los Angeles. He co-hosts and co-created the public radio show The Dinner Party Download, which airs on over 120 stations and is among the most popular arts podcasts on iTunes. His work has also been heard on All Things Considered and especially the business show Marketplace – for which he filed stories from England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, India, South Korea and across the US. His creative non-fiction has most recently appeared in Dwell magazine and in the 2014 edition of Outpost19’s California Prose Directory: New Writing From The Golden State.
Food talks at Live Talks LA this fall — Emeril Lagasse, Nigella Lawson & Madhur Jaffrey
We’re excited about our fall line up of food events in our Live Talks Food & Wine series. All three events are preceded by a reception with selections prepared from each of the cookbooks featured and accompanied by California wines. We feature Emeril Lagasse on October 8, Nigella Lawson on November 12 and Madhur Jaffrey on December 10.
Emeril Lagasse, Roy Choi
October 8
Emeril Lagasse in conversation with Roy Choi discussing his new cookbook, Essential Emeril: Favorite Recipes and Hard-Won Wisdom from My Life in the Kitchen at The Crest Theatre in Westwood.
Emeril Lagasse is the chef-proprietor of 12 restaurants across the country. He has received numerous Best Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best Service awards. He is the author of 18 cookbooks, and hosts Emeril Live! on the Food Network. In 2014, Lagasse participated in his third consecutive season as a main guest chef on Bravo’s Top Chef, and co-hosts On the Menu for TNT.
Nigella Lawson
November 12
Nigella Lawson discussing her new cookbook, Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food at The Crest Theatre in Westwood
Nigella Lawson, food enthusiast, television personality, and journalist, is the author of nine bestselling books including Nigellissima, Nigella Kitchen, Nigella Fresh, Nigella Christmas, Nigella Express, Feast, Nigella Bites, How to Be a Domestic Goddess, and How to Eat. She hosts The Taste with Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre, and Brian Malarkey. Visit her website.
Simply Nigella is a practical cookbook sharing delicious foods that make everyone feel better, in body and mind. There are everyday recipes that are light and easy to prepare, and indulgent dishes for special occasions.
With 150 recipes, Simply Nigella includes breakfasts and brunches; fast, easy, and light suppers; a feasting chapter for entertaining a group; and a section dedicated to “Bowlfoods.” There is also a wide array of sweet treats, including fabulous dairy-free and gluten-free recipes.
Madhur Jaffrey
December 10
Madhur Jaffrey discussing Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking at William Turner Gallery at Bergamot Arts Station, Santa Monica.
Madhur Jaffrey is the author of many previous cookbooks—seven of which have won James Beard Awards—and was named to the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. She is the recipient of an honorary CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to drama and promoting the appreciation of Indian food and culture. She is also an award-winning actress, having won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, with numerous major motion pictures to her credit.
No one knows Indian food like Madhur Jaffrey. For more than forty years, the “godmother of Indian cooking” (The Independent on Sunday) has introduced Western home cooks to the vibrant cuisines of her homeland. In Vegetarian India she shares the delectable, healthful, vegetable- and grain-based foods enjoyed around the Indian subcontinent.
Jaffrey travels from north to south, and from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, collecting recipes for the very tastiest dishes along the way. She visits the homes and businesses of shopkeepers, writers, designers, farmers, doctors, weavers, and more, gathering their stories and uncovering the secrets of their most delicious family specialties. With more than 250 recipes, beautifully illustrated throughout, and including personal photographs from Jaffrey’s own travels, Vegetarian India is a kitchen essential for vegetable enthusiasts and home cooks everywhere.
Previous food events at Live Talks Los Angeles include: Marcus Samuelsson in 2012 discussing his memoir; Daniel Boulud with Jonathan Gold; Suzanne Goin with Russ Parsons; Yotam Ottolenghi with Russ Parsons; Mark Bittman with Evan Kleiman; Marcus Samuelsson with Jonathan Gold; Charlie Palmer with Michael Voltaggio. Videos in the links.
Aasif Mandvi with Sam Rubin
8:00pm (Reception, 6:30-7:30pm)
in conversation with Sam Rubin
No Land’s Man
Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre
New Roads School
Herb Alpert Educational Village
3131 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90404
PURCHASE TICKETS
$20 General Admission seating
$30 Reserved Section seating
$33 Reserved Section Seating + Mandvi’s book
$95 Includes pre-event reception, Reserved section seat + book
Aasif Mandvi is well known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Notable television work includes Us & Them, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sex and the City, Sleeper Cell, The Sopranos, The Bedford Diaries, Oz, CSI, Law and Order, and Tanner on Tanner. Recurring roles include Jericho and ER. Currently, Aasif is writing, producing, and starring in the HBO series, The Brink, co-starring Jack Black and Tim Robbins.
No Land’s Man is a collection of humorous and personal stories of a second-generation immigrant’s search for meaning and identity in an increasingly confusing world. He has been dealing with identity issues across three continents and 30 years. With wit, smarts, and a good dose of hard-earned perspective, Mandvi explores a range of engrossing stories: dealing with his brunch-obsessed father, being a teenage Michael Jackson impersonator, and playing snake charmers, taxi drivers, and eventually a fake journalist as an actor in New York, where he was even once told that he wasn’t “Indian” enough for a role.
Aasif is also a critically acclaimed stage actor who received rave reviews for creating the role of ‘Amir Kapoor’ in the world premiere of Ayad Aktahr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Disgraced, at Lincoln Center. He was the recipient of the 1999 OBIE award for Sakina’s Restaurant, a critically acclaimed play he wrote and starred in. Other stage credits include the Broadway revival of Oklahoma and Suburbia.
In film, Aasif’s recent work includes, MILLION DOLLAR ARM with Jon Hamm, THE INTERNSHIP, starring alongside Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, MOVIE 43, THE DICTATOR with Sacha Baron Cohen, DARK HORSE for Todd Solondz, RUBY SPARKS, (from the creators of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), GODS BEHAVING BADLY, and PREMIUM RUSH. He also co-wrote and starred in TODAY’S SPECIAL, which premiered at the London Film Festival. Additional film credits include leads in THE LAST AIRBENDER and THE MYSTIC MASSEUR, and supporting roles in IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, THE PROPOSAL, GHOST TOWN, MUSIC AND LYRICS, SPIDER-MAN 2, FREEDOMLAND, ANALYZE THIS, MARGIN CALL, and THE SIEGE.
Sam Rubin is the entertainment reporter for the KTLA Morning News. Rubin hosts the Emmy-nominated “Live from the Academy Awards,” syndicated nationally by Tribune Entertainment, “Sneaks,” a series of movie preview shows produced in conjunction with the Los Angeles Times, as well as a show for the Reelz Channel. He is a recipient of a Golden Mike Award for Best Entertainment Reporter from the Radio & Television News Association and, as part of the KTLA Morning News team, earned an Associated Press Television-Radio Award for Best News Broadcast.
In addition to his activities at KTLA, he also reports for Tribune’s WGN-TV in Chicago. Nationally, Rubin provides reports for “On Air With Ryan Seacrest,” “Show Buzz,” and CNN. On the radio, Rubin reports for Los Angeles’ KNX-AM. Rubin has been previously at Live Talks Los Angeles interviewing Alan Cumming and Garry Marshall.