By Daily Press staff
Santa Monica College next week will host two events that cover the future of Los Angeles' urban development and the kick-off of a literacy series.
“The Next Los Angeles: Struggle for a Livable City” is the title of a free lecture, which will explore alternative visions for achieving social and economic justice in L.A. The lecture will begin at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, March 3 at Santa Monica College.
Robert Gottlieb, Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban Environmental Studies and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, will give the talk in the SMC Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd. Seating is on a first-arrival basis.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the SMC Associates, a private organization that funds speakers and special programs on campus, and the University of California Press Associates, which provides support to the prestigious University of California Press.
The lecture’s title comes from Gottlieb’s book of the same name that was recently published by UC Press.
Gottlieb is considered one of the leading experts on urban, environmental and development issues in the Los Angeles region. He is the author or co-author of 10 books and has served on numerous policy-making, community and public interest boards, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Liberty Hill Foundation, Los Angeles Food Security and Hunger Partnership, and more.
For information, call (310) 434-4003.
Also on March 3, the Santa Monica College Spring Literary Series begins March 3 and will feature, among others, Khaled Hosseini, author of the acclaimed novel, “The Kite Runner,” the book set in Afghanistan that has captivated readers nationwide.
This is the fourth semester that SMC has presented its literary series, which is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-arrival basis. The lineup is: * Thursday, March 3 at 11:15 a.m.: Tara Ison, who will talk about “Writers, Writing & the Writing Life.” Ison, who teaches creative writing in Antioch University’s MFA program, has had her work published in Tin House, The Kenyon Review, L.A. Weekly and numerous anthologies.
Her novel, “A Child Out of Alcatraz,” was a finalist in the 1997 Los Angeles Times Book Awards. Her talk will be held in the Art Lecture Hall 214 on SMC's main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd. * Friday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.: “Many Voices, Many Styles: An Evening of Poetry by SMC Faculty & Students.” The discussion, moderated by SMC English professor and author-poet Dan Cano, is being held as part of SMC’s yearlong celebration of its 75th anniversary. The evening of poetry and discussion will be held in the SMC Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd. * Saturday, May 21 at 4 p.m.: Khaled Hosseini, a physician born in Afghanistan, will talk about “The Kite Runner,” the tale of friendship, betrayal and redemption set in pre-and post-Taliban Afghanistan and in California. His appearance will also be in the SMC Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd.
The series is sponsored by the SMC Associates, a private organization that funds speakers and special programs on campus, and the SMC English department. In addition, Hosseini's appearance is being cosponsored by the Santa Monica Public Library and is part of the Santa Monica Citywide Reads program.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 26, 2005. Read the original PDF.