Some stupid company once put West Hollywood on an eastside map, which was a laugh riot. But after a ritual burning and casting of spells, they saw the error of their fake eastside ways and have now given West Hollywood their own map. Good for them. It’s not often I find myself in this community but how can anyone resist a bookfair? Pa’ los libros!
Even though this post is about a bookfair, there is a fair amount of pictures up ahead. You’ve been warned.
BookSale. Two words together that make me smile, kinda like job and blow. I got up on Saturday morning, a lazy morning, the best kind. Exercise, wash clothes, check e-mail, blah blah. Looked at my calendar and saw that the week of April 12 – 18 was highlighted. Of course, National Library Week! Ok, they weren’t highlighted, just kidding. I promise.
It’s extremely rare that I take a Saturday off because that’s when I make my money. However, since I had to call off work because I had an interview in the morning, I decided to make a day out of it and make my way over to the UCLA Festival of Books. I have never been to one and decided to see what it’s all about. I mean, I love reading books and comic books so this should be right up my alley right ? WRONG.
Wyverwood Village, Los Angeles, 1939
Architects David J. Witmore and Loyal Watson landscaping by Hammond Sadler
From the book L.A. in the Thirties 1931-1941 by David Gebhard and Harriette Von Breton, 1975.
Unfortunately, Today I saw Spiderman in Santa Monica, and it looked like LA CRISIS had got to him!
He was twirling a sign outside of an Auto Stereo Store! (And his zipper was down! Sheesh!)
Tricks Are For Kids is a series based on the ramblings of an LAUSD substitute teacher. A former “regular” teacher in East L.A., CT opted for the mercenary-for-hire approach, after realizing Saturdays and Sundays also did not belong to him. Less cash money but more time to waste, he means, for himself. Tell him the options, again? He made his choice and there is no going back. “I’m going in!!” Now, live and uncut, so far, a drop-out teacher drops dime on the nonsense.
Dumb Interviewer: You’ve been in show business for awhile, so how old are you?
Dana Carvey: I’m 33 but I read at a 35 year old level.
So, the Miss had to leave prematurely due to a health situation. Old-school vet of some thirty years, most of ’em at Rooselvelt.
Could be seen as stoic and in fact some students, mainly girls, described her as this curmudgeon. Most boys got along fine with her. Her stoicism, when broken with a gigantic smile, was funny. I never really got a grip on her background but believe she had some Eastern European blood (thinking Serbian), and her manner sometimes reminded me of Eastern European Olympic athletes.
So let’s say despite all the good critiques of avoiding a consumer driven holiday season, you decide you still want to buy some gifts for a few folks. If you’re like me, you avoid anything that has the word “mall” or “Americana” in it. Or perhaps like me, the millions of holiday craft fairs around town have let you down – what to do? One place I always like to pay a visit to around this holiday time (and other times throughout the year too!) is Imix Books (pronounced EE-MEESH) in Eagle Rock. Proprietor Elisa Garcia-Rodriguez is a true bookseller by trade having worked in fabled bookstores like Midnight Special before branching out on her own to start Imix. She has worked tirelessly to create a beautiful community bookstore featuring the latest in Chicano/Latino titles, radical literature, cool handmade jewelry, artist produced tees, author readings, a special collection of children’s books and local artist shows in the store’s gallery. This cozy bookstore, nestled in between the ever changing trendy boutiques on Eagle Rock Blvd, has been able to hold out despite the fluctuating economy and the domination of Amazon (which has caused many an independent bookstore to close). Unlike many other businesses, Elisa has always been supportive of other independent enterprises, bookstores, artists and groups and has many a grateful friend in the community. Bookstores like hers are a rare treat in this day and age, stop in for a visit!
IMIX Bookstore
5052 Eagle Rock Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 257-2512
Continue reading
H/T to Neatroma for image.
Don’t miss the First Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair! There will be zines, pamphlets, DVD, CDs, radical bumper stickers, protest shirts, records, tapes, speakers, workshops, panels, open discussions, games, DIY distros, and much more.
Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Southern California Library for Social Studies & Research
6120 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90044
Take the Metro, the 204 and 754 will get you there. For more exact info go to the Metro Tripplanner.
Your friend,
Browne Molyneux
With the Dodgers so close in the playoffs, Angelenos are anticipating for their beloved team to bring home another World Championship!
It was 1988 when the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Oakland Athletics four games to one. It was by far an exciting time in Dodger history, but that was well over twenty years ago it’s time for for another well deserved victory!
I got to thinking what ever happened to the old Dodger Championship Mural that was located next door to The Original Texas BBQ KIng on N Cesar Chavez and Figueroa. I remember always looking and seeing the old faded mural when ever I passed by. Artist Peter Quezada painted the mural in 1988 shortly after the Dodger victory.
I was looking for a quote from a Norman Klein book on google when I found this passage instead (in a book about TELACU by John Chavez published way back in that ancient era of 1998) which mentions the vague boundaries of the Eastside:
The Eastside as Homeland
Though the federal government once confined TELACU to a clearly delineated “special impact area,” the Eastside as a whole has vague boundaries. Most observers would agree that it includes at the least Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, and East Los Angeles; … Others would add Highland Park, Commerce, Montebello, and even Monterey Park. … Though not initially within TELACU’s purview, Eagle Rock, Vernon, Maywood, Huntington Park, and Bell also merit consideration as parts of the Eastside. … This political fragmentation is nevertheless obviated by a high degree of demographic and cultural unity, for the Eastside shapes distinctly Mexican-American Los Angeles. TELACU’s founders dedicated the institution to the recovery of this “homeland” in 1968.
Click here for a link to this text
I guess back in 1998, when we still hadn’t received the latest “fluidity” memo the boundaries were also vague, but oh so very far from Echo Park and Silver Lake. And a history lesson from 10 years ago? C’mon Mr. Chavez, new people just moved into the city a few years ago and they want to try their hand at defining their new playground. Who are we to dare such a minor resistance to this “erasure of memory“?
Speaking of resistance, the person that made the “This is Not the East Side” stickers got in touch with us and gave us a small stack (thanks Comrade!) which we plan to share with you, dear readers! Send us a mailing address via our contact page and you’ll get a few of your own.
You know who he is. He’s all over the local media. He’s written a book about himself, Orange County: A Personal History, and it’s reputed to be serious. He’s going to be signing it at Borders in Pico Rivera, at the corner of Washington and Rosemead, relatively convenient to Eastsiders. Starts at 7:00 PM. La Bloga has details. (He’s in OC on the 18th at Libreria Martinez, his home turf.)
One of my fondest memories growing up was going to the movies with my parents. Even in San Diego, we had our version of the Million Dollar Theatre, but ours was in Logan Heights.“El Coronet†was where Mexican cinema was a weekly Mecca for the culturally starved and homesick. It didn’t matter if I had a small Spanish vocabulary, at 8 years old I began to understand the tension between women and men giving into love, keeping their principles and resolving their differences to come together. All this visual-audio negotiation took place in a spectacular romantic Ranchera Musical, with fabulous costumes, handsome leading men and strong principled women. It was there that the emotionally charged scaled notes began to send chills up my spine, at the same time made my heart well up with cultural pride. My friend, John Santos an Afro-Cuban drummer told me he feels the same deep emotion when he hears bagpipes, because he is part Irish. Makes me wonder if sounds are also part of our genetic make-up. Denise Chavez’novel Loving Pedro Infante reaffirms that we Chicanitas learn about our ideal hombre through these icons of Mexican cinema.