Chevalier’s Books, Los Angeles’s oldest independent bookstore, joined Alta Journal on Thursday evening to celebrate the rich and ever-evolving literary legacy of the city through the words and voices of some of Alta’s Issue 24 contributors. The gathering was the most recent of the magazine’s quarterly issue parties, free events at which contributors mingle with Alta readers and staff at a partnering bookstore over readings from the magazine, local wines, and lively conversation.
Store manager Miles Parnegg and Alta editorial director Blaise Zerega kicked off the night with a warm welcome to the crowd. “It’s all about community,” Zerega said. “We love bookstores, and we want people to come into bookstores—please support local bookstores and the writers tonight.” The crowd more than happily obliged, shopping not only Alta’s recent issues but also published works by Alta contributors and authors who have been featured in the magazine’s California Book Club.
Alta member and Chevalier’s Books regular Emily Dell has been “delighted” by Alta since she was first gifted a subscription about two years ago. As a screenwriter and film director currently on strike, Dell finds that events like these help her stay connected to her craft and creative community. “We’re at a moment in history for creative professionals, and staying enriched in creative content outside of my industry is just as important as the work I do within my industry,” she said.
Readers transported audiences across the urban sprawl of Los Angeles through their stories. Désirée Zamorano read a portion of her fiction piece “Magda’s Hen,” which was inspired by the rooster that crows each afternoon near her home in the San Gabriel foothills. A selection of D. J. Waldie’s “The Tree Where Los Angeles Began” took listeners through hundreds of years of history on a corner of downtown Los Angeles via a gone but not forgotten sycamore tree. Santi Elijah Holley read from his piece “The Cop Watcher,” which follows William Gude’s night patrols along the streets of Hollywood to hold the LAPD accountable for misconduct, and poet Mike Sonksen celebrated the lives and work of two late L.A. writers, poet Amy Uyematsu and historian Mike Davis.
Following the readings, the crowd joined Zerega and Alta contributors in an engaging question-and-answer session that covered everything from the Los Angeles poetry scene to developing trust as a journalist and incorporating magic into fictional worlds. The night closed out with recommendations of essential Los Angeles writers, including shout-outs to Carey McWilliams, Naomi Hirahara, and Gary Phillips.
New Alta member Sean Joyner was pleased with the sense of camaraderie that brings Alta readers together. “The fact that [Zerega] knew the names of people in the crowd really stuck with me,” he said. “I didn’t really know that was happening here in L.A.”
Nina Rota was drawn to the event as a fan of Waldie, but this was her first time hearing of Alta. “I knew all of these speakers before, but now I’m really excited because I did not know about [Alta],” she said. “It’s a very lovely atmosphere because all of these people involved in the magazine all love L.A. in this different way.”
Creation of community is vital to Alta’s mission—and is the reason we cohost events like issue parties. “This whole place reeks of California,” said attendee John McKinney, “in the best way possible.”
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