Vroman’s Live

Bookstore boasts stellar lineup for February

By Arroyo Staff

The renowned bookstore Vroman’s is hosting more top-notch virtual programs throughout February.

The “Vroman’s Live” events are held virtually. Register through vromansbookstore.com. Anyone with questions is asked to email email@vromansbookstore.com.

Marc Brown discusses “Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from ‘Arthur’” 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 2

As the award-winning “Arthur” TV series reaches its 25th anniversary, what better way to celebrate America’s favorite aardvark than this collection of life lessons perfect for graduations and other milestones? Join Arthur and his friends as they share the funniest and most heartfelt moments from the country’s longest-running children’s TV show and classic book series created by master storyteller Marc Brown. This treasure trove of quotes and life lessons is divided into five sections.

Joe Ide discusses “The Goodbye Coast: A Philip Marlowe Novel” 6 p.m. Thursday, February 3

Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe gets a dramatic and colorful reinvention at the hands of award-winning novelist Joe Ide.

The seductive and relentless figure Marlowe is vividly reimagined in present-day Los Angeles. Here is a city of scheming Malibu actresses, ruthless gang members, virulent inequality and washed-out police. Ide imagines a Marlowe very much of our time: He’s a quiet, lonely and remarkably capable and confident private detective, though he lives beneath the shadow of his father, a once-decorated LAPD homicide detective, famous throughout the city, who’s given in to drink after the death of Marlowe’s mother.

Marlowe, against his better judgment, accepts two missing person cases — the first, a daughter of a faded, tyrannical Hollywood starlet, and the second, a British child stolen from his mother by his father.

At the center of “The Goodbye Coast” is Marlowe’s troubled and confounding relationship with his father, a son who despises yet respects his dad, and a dad who’s unable to hide his bitter disappointment with his grown boy.

Steeped in the richly detailed ethnic neighborhoods of modern LA, Ide’s “The Goodbye Coast” is a bold recreation that is viciously funny, ingeniously plotted and surprisingly tender.

Michelle Tam discusses “Nom Nom Paleo, 3: Let’s Go!” 6 p.m. Friday, February 4

Michelle Tam and Henry Fong know that the healthiest meal is the one you make yourself, so they’re all about getting you off your butts and into the kitchen. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, whipping up a family dinner or preparing a special-occasion feast, “Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!” will inspire you with deliciously nourishing

meals.

Weeknight suppers should be healthy and flavor-packed but also fast and simple. Weekends and celebrations, on the other hand, are the perfect excuse to craft elevated (but easy) crowd-pleasers. This cookbook offers crazy-delicious recipes for all occasions, and every single one is free of grains, gluten, dairy and refined sugar. Better yet? No one in your family will notice what’s missing!

As always, “Nom Nom Paleo’s” recipes reflect the diverse cuisines Tam grew up with and culinary ideas from her travels. Often Asian inspired, Tam’s unfussy recipes maximize flavor, optimize whole foods, and are presented with photos of each step so they’re absolutely foolproof — even for novice cooks.

Lisa Lutz, in conversation with Chris Pavone, discusses “The Accomplice” 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 8

Owen Mann is charming, privileged and chronically dissatisfied. Luna Grey is secretive, cautious and pragmatic. Despite their differences, they form a bond the moment they meet in college. Their names soon become indivisible — Owen and Luna — and stay that way even after an unexplained death rocks their social circle.

They’re still best friends years later, when Luna finds Owen’s wife brutally murdered. The police investigation sheds light on some long-hidden secrets, but it can’t penetrate the wall of mystery that surrounds Owen. To get to the heart of what happened and why, Luna has to dig up the one secret she’s spent her whole life burying.

“The Accomplice” brilliantly examines the bonds of shared history, what it costs to break them, and what happens when you start wondering how well you know the one person who truly knows you.

Randal J. Metz presents “Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater” 1 p.m. Saturday, February 12

Since 1963, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater has enchanted families in Los Angeles and beyond with their delightful marionette performances.

It isn’t fall in Los Angeles without a showing of the Halloween Spooktacular, and no Christmas season is complete without a puppet performance of “The Nutcracker.” Now, for the first time, the visual history of the theater has been captured in the pages of a book, from Bob Baker’s earliest days to the theater’s transformation into a thriving nonprofit. The text describes a theater at the height of its powers, hosting performances for school children and collaborating with Disney on live-action films. The images bring some of Bob Baker’s most beloved shows to life, featuring new and vintage photographs of performances, introducing iconic characters like “The Black Cat” and “Bobo the Clown.”

Heather O’Neill, in conversation with Edward Carey, discusses “When We Lost Our Heads” 6 p.m. Thursday, February 17

Charismatic Marie Antoine is the daughter of the richest man in 19th century Montreal. She has everything she wants, except for a best friend — until clever, scheming Sadie Arnett moves to the neighborhood.

Immediately united by their passion and intensity, Marie and Sadie attract and repel each other in ways that thrill them both. Their games soon become tinged with risk, even violence. Forced to separate by the adults around them, they spend years engaged in acts of alternating innocence and depravity. And when a singular event brings them back together, the dizzying effects will upend the city.

Traveling from a repressive finishing school to a vibrant brothel, taking readers firsthand into the brutality of factory life and the opulent lives of Montreal’s wealthy, “When We Lost Our Heads” explores gender, sex, desire, class, and the power of the human heart when it can’t let someone go.

Daniel A. Olivas, in conversation with Professor Alvaro Huerta, discusses “How to Date a Flying Mexican” 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 23

During the pandemic and in the wake of his father’s death, Daniel A. Olivas set upon the task of reviewing almost 25 years’ worth of his short stories that had been published in various collections or as parts of novels.

He found many of his narratives fell within the world of magic, fairy tales, fables and dystopian futures. This review also revealed that many of his fictions confronted — either directly or obliquely — questions of morality, justice and self-determination while being deeply steeped in Chicano and Mexican culture. Olivas decided to choose his favorite tales from the many scores of stories that populated his published works.

He added to the mix two recent stories — one dystopian, the other magical — both of which confront the last administration’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies.

The result is “How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories.” Though his books have been taught in colleges and high schools across the country for over two decades, this collection brings together some of his most unforgettable strange tales that will be enjoyed, again, by his fans, and anew for readers who have not, as yet, experienced Olivas’ distinct fiction.

Patt Morrison discusses “Rio-LA: Tales from the Los Angeles River” 6 p.m. Thursday, February 24

“Rio-LA: Tales from the Los Angeles River,” 20th anniversary edition, traces the history and lore of the Los Angeles River. When the book was first published in 2001, few people even regarded the river, but because of Morrison’s devotion to the topic, LA River has been rediscovered.

The river has become the center of the county’s 2021 master plan to reestablish it as the heart of the city, its lifeline to all things positive: an antidote to homelessness; a source of increased affordable housing; new jobs; good health and serenity. Morrison traces this rediscovery in her extensive new “Afterword,” following pages of river history, dating back to before the founding of the pueblo called Los Angeles.

Carol Wallace and Rick Hamlin present “Our Kind of People” and “Even Silence is Praise” 6 p.m. Friday, February 25

In “Our Kind of People,” Helen Wilcox has one desire: to successfully launch her daughters into society. From the upper crust herself, Helen’s unconventional — if happy — marriage has made the girls’ social position precarious. Then her husband gambles the family fortunes on an elevated railroad that he claims will transform the face of the city and the way the people of New York live, but will it ruin the Wilcoxes first?

As daughters Jemima and Alice navigate the rise and fall of their family — each is forced to re-examine who she is and even who she is meant to love.

From the author of “To Marry an English Lord,” an inspiration for “Downton Abbey,” comes a charming and cutthroat tale of a world in which an invitation or an avoided glance can be the difference between fortune and ruin.

“Even Silence Is Praise: Quiet Your Mind and Awaken Your Soul with Christian Meditation.” Through stories, practical advice and helpful prompts, Rick Hamlin guides Christians to center their minds and hearts on God as they seek to hear the still small voice above all the noise and chaos in the world.

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Movement Form

Function

Style Shapes

Texture Focus

Color

Light

Landscape design is unique compared to other construction or engineering trades, in that as the landscape matures, it metamorphoses. Many of its elements are perishable, as it must evolve dramatically with seasons, and it is affected by maintenance more than most trades. Its shifting nature, along with a plethora of other elements, should be considered closely when designing an outdoor masterpiece.

To create a perspective, let’s start with what we at Garden View Landscape, Nursery & Pools consider to be the basic beginning points, function and the ABCs: art, budget and constraints. Most designers and individuals, whether professional or amateur, will almost always start with function. From there they can come up with a budget, then review common constraints, such as amount of space, hillsides, access, etc. One of the areas that we believe sets us apart from most designers is an artisanal level of creativity and the consideration of how the concepts of art apply. Artistic interpretation and application does not have to cost more, but it certainly can add great value and enjoyment to a project.

Since function is the primary driving force in the design, how do we incorporate an artistic interpretation that molds, blends and enhances the functional attributes of the yard, while creating harmony between all of the elements?

To help navigate this challenge, we have developed a series of garden tips to help our designers, customers, friends and even our competitors apply the concepts of art and function to the landscape. Many of the principles discussed in this series do not only pertain to the landscape, but are applicable in almost any artistic endeavor.

The series has been developed to educate in an engaging, fun way. Our goal is to inspire kids and adults alike to learn and appreciate horticulture, landscape, art, and the world around us. We want to spark the imagination and encourage well-thought-out action.

To visit the design series with Gardy & Woody (and other helpful garden tips), please visit our website and go to the Education & Garden Tips section, garden-view.com/garden-tips-with-gardy-woody. Come back often, as we will be constantly adding new tips every month.

Still have questions? Visit www.garden-view.com for more information!