Kicking off the second night of summer, Alta Journal readers braved Los Angeles traffic to spend a sunlit evening at Culver City’s Village Well Books & Coffee. This event, the fourth in a series of issue parties we’ve hosted, marked an exciting moment of transition; the celebration of Alta’s Issue 23 took place on the same day that copies of Issue 24 hit shelves at bookstores throughout the West.
The goal of these events (for those who haven’t yet had a chance to attend) is to connect the magazine’s contributors and staff with both Alta’s readers and independent bookstore enthusiasts in a lively—and literary—gathering. Over wine and great conversation, guests are encouraged to sip, shop, and share their thoughts and ideas about our journal with those who make it. Alta’s fostering of community fits closely with Village Well’s mission. Founded by Jennifer Caspar in 2021, Village Well was envisioned as a space that would cultivate community, encouraging customers to not only pick up a book but linger over coffee, chat with neighbors, exchange ideas, and attend weekly events.
“We’re both a bookstore and gathering space,” said Caspar. “That’s at the heart of what we’re trying to do.”
The evening featured readings from Issue 23 contributors Rachel Howzell Hall, Ajay Orona, and Lynell George, who are among Alta’s sharpest Southern California voices. Hall, a mystery author, left guests on the edge of their seats with the first half of her Sepulveda Boulevard thriller, “Breakdown in the Right Lane.” Alta associate editor Orona read from his eye-opening feature “The Grizzly Next Door,” a deeply researched article that traces the extinction of California’s state bear and what it might mean to reintroduce the species to the Golden State. Finally, award-winning journalist George closed with her essay “The Search for Mardou Fox,” which examines the life of Alene Lee, with whom Jack Kerouac had a “turbulent affair” and on whom he based one of his main characters in The Subterraneans.
The readings sparked diverse conversations and questions among the crowd, from rewilding California to AI’s present and future role in journalism and the microcultures of Los Angeles.
“This is a party,” declared poet Mike “Mike the PoeT” Sonksen.
The vibe was exactly what we were aiming for: a friendly evening supporting an indie bookstore with like-minded folks and talented writers.
“I thought it was such a great evening,” said George, “because it gave readers a sense of Alta’s range—the kinds of stories and experiences you can walk into when you open the pages, [and] with such vividness, from fiction to reported nonfiction and essay.… That’s how we tell a story of place.”
Want in on the next Alta issue party? Sign up for our weekly and events newsletters to stay in the loop on Alta’s literary happenings.•
