As President Obama carefully considers our next move in Afghanistan, a decision that will define his presidency, we too are questioning what it means to further commit to this complex quagmire. Would a “counter-terrorism” strategy be more successful than a surge of 30,000 plus American soldiers? If we commit more troops will that actually help our original intentions of disabling al-Qaeda? How can we trust a partnership with Hamid Karzai after he rigged his last election and employs warlords in his cabinet? Do we really want to try and reform the dangerous Taliban factions?
The news is barely giving us a clear picture of what an escalated war in Afghanistan would look like. At this point we are left to piece together fractured bits of insider information. Coming to our aid is the Critical Issues Seminar, “Afghanistan: Which Way Forward?” Larry Mantle, the host of KPCC’s Airtalk, will moderate a panel discussion between Congressman Adam Schiff, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and of the Committee on Foreign Operations; Dr. Kalev I. Sepp, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations; and Dr. Reza Aslan, author of “No God But God” and the upcoming “Words Without Borders: Writings From the Middle East.”
WHEN: 7:00pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: The Autry National Center of the American West
ADDRESS: Griffith Park Campus, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027
AUTRY WEBSITE: www.autrynationalcenter.org
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES INC WEBSITE: www.cai-la.org
Not your dad’s “Clockwork Orange” anarchism, the new generation has organized its belief in a “culture of resistance” for a two-day conference and fair. Featuring such panel discussions as “Piracy and Hooliganism,” “Anarcha-Feminism” and “A Survival Guide for Obamamania,” the first day will be a veritable summit of current L.A. anti-authoritarianism. The second day, a cultural fair for confronting democratic ideals, will offer the sounds of 19 bands, a chance to stock up on anarchist wares and the opportunity to mingle with fellow freedom-lovers.
A design movement meets cinema meets the wardrobe department. Join the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles for an afternoon of exploring how the looks of such iconic film stars as Joan Crawford, Mae West and Gloria Swanson were influenced by Art Deco. Showing rare footage of Erte dressing Lucille LeSueur (later Joan Crawford) and color clips from 1920s “Fashion News,” fashion aficionado Louise Coffey-Webb examines the origins of Art Deco and its influence on the Golden Age of Film.
Guided by Esotouric’s keen L.A. scholars, take a tour of Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled times in the City of Angels. Using screenplays, film adaptations and private correspondence, Esotouric shows us Chandler’s influences and the locales of his anti-hero Philip Marlowe. Best described by its tagline - “Bungalows. Crime. Hollywood. Blondes. Vets. Smog. Death.” - “Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles” tour is a must see for anyone with an interest in how L.A.’s mean streets shaped a literary giant.
More then just an intriguing voice that comes across the airwaves, Edward Goldman of NPR’s “Art Talk” is also the host of the dynamic and roaming class, “Fine Art of Art Collecting.” Beyond explaining how to cultivate one’s private art collection, Goldman takes his students into a usually unseen side of the LA art world. With visits to artist studios, the homes of collectors and gallery walk throughs with curators, the class is a look at current local trends in both creating and collecting art.
From meeting America’s preeminent fortune cookie writer Donald Lau (who eventually had writer’s block) to discovering small family-run fortune cookie bakeries in Kyoto, author Jennifer 8. Lee (The Fortune Cookie Chronicles) and director Derek Shimoda (Killing the Chinese Cookie) have traveled the world to uncover the truth about this elusive cookie. Join Lee and Shimoda as they swap stories about following the fortune cookie trail and how 19th-century Japan appears to be the key to the puzzle.
According to Thomas S. Hines, UCLA professor of history and architecture, the entertainment industry of yesteryear was not solely drawn to kitsch and glitz. Kicking off the Hollyhock House’s new lecture series, Hines will discuss “The Other Hollywood: Modern Architecture and the Los Angeles Film Community.” With a focus on the two dominant branches of architectural modernism – rationalism and expressionism – Hines relays how architectural trendsetters like Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra captivated a movement of sophisticated actors, writers, directors and producers.
