It is with much joy but even more humility that I inform readers of these pages that I will be in Los Angeles in a little more than two weeks. It will be the first time that Ellen and I have been to LA since we left for China three years ago, almost to the day. Up till now, our visits to the States have been to see family, mostly New York, but also New Orleans once. But this visit will be back to the city that had become home to both of us for substantial periods of our lives--Ellen's for over two decades, mine for one.
The reason for our return was an invitation for me to participate in a literary and journalistic event. To wit:
The Odyssey presents:
"Writers of the Storm: Fake News, and Public Decency, in the Age of Terror"
A Panel Discussion brought to you by
Writers-at-Large
Writers-at-Large, a California-based writers' advocacy group which operates under a small grant from the California Arts Council, is delighted to bring you "Writers of the Storm: Fake News and Public Decency in the Age of Terror." The panel will deal with our role, as writers, in speaking to what the concept of decency means, who gets to decide that, and why, as well as whether that decision diminishes the power of the pen, the dignity of writers, as well as the importance of diversity of opinion.
Those Writers-at-Large members on the panel include prominent journalist, and visiting professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, Joseph Bosco, author and political satirist, Paul Krassner, author/environmental journalist, Dick Russell, award-winning playwright and screenwriter Cathrine Ann Jones ("Touched By An Angel" series), TV writer/producer and novelist, April Smith, novelist and poet Deena Metzger, poet, screenwriter, and dramatist, Jervey Tervalon, and Los Angeles political writer, and activist, David Koff. Moderator: Past President of the Southern California chapter of the ACLU, author, Co-Chair of the Freedom to Write Domestic CoDomestic Committee of PEN USA and constitutional lawyer, Stephen F. Rohde. Hosted by project director, founder, of Writers-at-Large: Jayne Lyn Stahl. Co-sponsors: City Lights Books, PEN USA, Dutton's Books, Poets Against the War, and The Odyssey Theatre.
Tuesday, August 9th, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
at The Odyssey Theatre, 2055 So. Sepulveda Blvd. West Los Angeles. Reception: 6:30 to 7 p.m. Join us for hors d'oeuvres and beverages courtesy of Dutton's Books.
Admission: $30- regular admission ($20 students and seniors) $45 -- Golden Circle -- first 3 rows
Writers-at-Large is a proud member of the Intersection Incubator, a program for the Arts providing fiscal sponsorship, networking, and consulting to artists: www.theintersection.org, and is funded by a grant from the California Arts Council.
Further information on this event can be found at:
