Doesn’t the title look weird? It felt weird to type. For so many years I’ve been going to UCLA for the LA Times Festival of Books, but this year the location has been switched to my alma mater.
Glad as I am to have USC host the event, I do have reservations about the campus. It seems to have less open space than the UCLA campus. I could imagine them using the two athletic fields and the library field for the tents, but other than that . . . ?
I’m also wary of the parking situation. It’s much safer to park in neighborhoods around UCLA than around USC. Not that UCLA was great, but I felt like they had more parking structures.
However, USC offers a more central location, so perhaps it’ll capture more East-siders who foreswore the cross-city commute in previous years. It’s also much flatter (remember the Stairmaster routine at UCLA?)
But in a few weeks, no matter the difficulties, I’ll be there, thrilled to see these folks:
- Chris Adrian (with his new book “The Great Night” recently released!)
- Jennifer Egan (Not only the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, but, more prestigiously, the winner of a live Rooster in The Tournament of Books)
- Dave Eggers
- Olga Grushkin
- Yiyun Li
- Hi Ho Silver Oh (okay, not really one of my favorites, but a cool band name, no?)
In addition to these fine individuals, there’s a large number of regular favorites.
Kid-friendly marketing video:
2 comments
I have gone every year for the last 15 years. Tried to make it this year but after sitting in traffic for 2 hours my family and I turned around and came home. What a disappointment. If it is at USC again next year we won’t go at all.
I’m so sorry to hear that! Maybe try a different route? I’m going to try to get there early and beat the traffic.