Wear Your Extrovert Genes

Did you know the Doo Dah Parade is coming up this Saturday? Did you know it's in a new location? Do you want to be in it? You could march with the winners of the Thorny Rose Award.

I just learned that Friends of Hahamongna (I'm a Friend) won this year's Thorny Rose Award and at the last minute has been invited to march in the parade. Each year, says the Pasadena Star-News, "the Thorny Rose is awarded to Pasadena's most controversial citizen or group by an anonymous committee of local socio-political observers." This year the observers had a hard time coming up with anyone cantankerous enough. The Friends of Hahamongna are pretty nice. But they just won't drop the Hahamongna issue, so I guess you could call them a thorn in someone's side.

Columnist Larry Wilson expressed concern that the Friends of Hahamongna might take the award as an insult instead of an homage. But the Friends are good-humored folk who see the Thorny Rose as an opportunity to spread the word.

A few weeks ago some of you joined in signing the petition at savehahamongna.org, asking the City Council to reconsider a 2003 decision to build soccer fields at Hahamongna (there's still time to sign). Now you can join the Friends of Hahamongna in the Doo Dah Parade. The parade starts at 11:00am this Saturday at 2627 E. Colorado Blvd. Look for the Friends of Hahamongna and join in the friendly chaos!

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Here's a photo taken outside Pasadena: an overview of one small section of the gargantuan Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the UCLA campus.

The fun part: going down the Janss steps. The good-for-me part: going up them.
plunging into the crowd was the insane part.

I went Saturday with my brother and sister-in-law. They had a list of signings to attend, so we ran the gamut of fun/good-for-us/insane several times over. We met Michael Connelly, Kate DiCamillo, Nick McDonnell, Dave Eggers and T.C. Boyle (at the Vroman's booth!). See? There's always a Pasadena connection. Michelle Huneven was there, too. She's the Altadena author whose novel, Blame, was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Had I known, I'd have brought my copy of Blame for her to sign. I was thrilled to stop by the booth of Glendale's Abril Armenian Book Store, buy A Gift in the Sunlight by my friend Kay Mouradian, and have her sign it.

The Festival will host about 400 authors--of all genres and degrees of fame--over the weekend. If you go today you could meet Po Bronson, Elizabeth George, Antwone Fisher, Pico Iyer and/or a local author you already know.

Wear sensible shoes. Have patience with the crowd. And watch out for readers of all ages underfoot.