Tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday at the 30th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC, packing sold-out panels and waiting in huge lines to get the signatures of their favorite authors.
The annual festival features readings, screenings and panels with authors and other speakers. The two-day event is expected to bring together more than 550 storytellers across seven outdoor stages and 15 indoor venues.
It was too soon to know how many people attended the first day of the event, which is billed as the country’s largest literary festival. But the sun was shining following a rainy morning, and an organizer said the fest looked “super crowded,” estimating upward of 85,000 people would attend by the end of the day.
Among Saturday’s presenters were Matthew Specktor and Griffin Dunne, both authors of memoirs that explore growing up in Hollywood. They spoke with former Times book editor and critic David L. Ulin before a crowd of more than 150 people in USC’s Town and Gown ballroom.
Specktor is the author of several novels and nonfiction books, including “The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood.” In “The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir,” Dunne describes intimate moments throughout his life, telling stories of his late father, journalist Dominick Dunne, and his late uncle and aunt, the celebrated writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion.
During the noon panel, Dunne addressed a more recent family affair: the posthumous publication of Didion’s “Notes to John,” which features journal-like entries written for her husband, in which she describes her conversations with a psychiatrist about their daughter’s alcoholism and possible suicidal tendencies.
Dunne said he learned of the publication of the deeply personal work only a day before it was announced publicly.
“I could make an argument for how she would have felt about it for both sides,” he said. “She was a reporter on her own life.”
Also at noon, more than 100 people gathered inside the Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre to hear authors E.A. Hanks, Laurie Woolever, Sloane Crosley and Kareem Rosser discuss writing and processing grief with moderator Elizabeth Crane.
The authors reflected on the nature and stages of grief during the hourlong panel. Many experienced dual losses — entering their writing process thinking they would be reflecting on one loss, only for another to occur.
“Even if those five stages do exist, it’s so nonlinear,” said Crane, who has written numerous works of fiction as well as a debut memoir.
There were humorous moments amid the writers’ accounts of tragedy. The crowd laughed as Crosley and Hanks bantered about good Spotify playlists to listen to when writing about suicide.
In “Grief is for People,” Crosley grieves the jewelry she loses in a burglary, until she is forced to also reckon with the loss of her best friend and mentor to suicide.
Hanks is the author of “The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road,” which follows her journey traveling alone on Interstate 10 as she tries to process the life and death of her mother, as well as the death of a close friend. She is the daughter of Tom Hanks and his first wife, the late Susan Dillingham, who used the stage name Samantha Lewes.
Hanks also shared some insight into her process writing about grief.
“If anyone is out there and is trying to write, know that it gets better,” Hanks said of “choking” after receiving her first book deal. “This book took a decade, so the catharsis of publishing… was about my creative recovery.”
Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner, co-hosts of popular podcast “The Giggly Squad,” brought a lighthearted yet candid conversation to the festival’s main stage early in the afternoon. The comical duo this month released, “How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously,” an advice book that resembles an early-2000s teen magazine filled with quizzes, exclusive pictures of the famous best friends and heartfelt relationship advice.
“I didn’t know we had so many smart ones,” Berner said, as she greeted a standing-room crowd of fans, known as “Gigglers.”
During a conversation moderated by Times wellness editor Alyssa Bereznak, DeSorbo and Berner opened up about the beginning of their friendship, experiences on reality television and how they deal with anxiety. As they made fun of themselves and shared hot takes, their jokes were met with laughs and snickers.
Asked how to find a close friendship like the one they share, DeSorbo replied: “You have to find the person who you can truly be yourself with.”
The festival kicked off Friday evening with the 45th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony at USC’s Bovard Auditorium. The prizes recognize outstanding literary achievements and celebrate the highest quality of writing from authors at all stages of their careers.
Winners were announced in 13 categories for works published last year. Find a full list of winners here.
Additionally, award-winning author Pico Iyer received the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement, and celebrated poet Amanda Gorman received the Innovator’s Award for her work promoting literacy, empowering youth and raising awareness on important issues.
The ceremony opened with remarks by Times Executive Editor Terry Tang and was emceed by Times columnist LZ Granderson.
“In a world that is now feeling so confusing and distressing, this weekend gives all of us a chance to find a sense of unity, purpose and support,” Tang said.
The book festival runs through Sunday. More information, including a schedule of events, can be found on the festival’s website.