In celebration of its 120th anniversary the management at Vroman’s bookstore decided to create a new Authors Walk of Fame, similar to the one in the courtyard at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Here, instead of movie stars, selected authors will have their handprints and signatures immortalized in cement. Jen Ramos, the Promotions Director, announced that a new author would be added annually.
Vroman’s even went as far as hiring Sasson Shakoori, the man who actually mixes the cement and lays it into the walkway for the Chinese Theater, to handle the messy details. Where else but L.A. would there be a person who is famous for making smooth cement and helping famous people put their hands in it!
And the author Vroman’s selected to be the first in the Walk of Fame? It is Lisa See whose works include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and her recently published, China Dolls. (See is definitely making the publicity rounds; she was also the guest of honor at a recent dinner for the Los Angeles Review of Books.)
This event on Saturday morning was the third of three at Vroman’s in honor of the anniversary. Friday night I attended a group reading by Michelle Huneven, Denise Hamilton, Naomi Hirahara, Jervey Tervalon, Mark Salzman and Luis Rodriguez. While it was billed as each of them reading one of their short stories, it turned out to be somewhat different.
Michelle, Denise and Jervey did read short stories with Vroman’s as the setting. Naomi spent her time reporting on Vroman’s delivery of schoolbooks to children at the Manzanar concentration camp during World War II. Mark told of the worst author’s signing he ever experienced–it happened in Cleveland, then he played a solo on his cello for us. And Luis announced that he had just become the new Poet Laureate for Los Angeles. He then went on to read two poems. I had no idea he was a poet. I think he is better known for his memoir, Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A
So Happy Anniversary to Vroman’s, the largest independent bookstore still standing in Southern California. And Congratulations to Lisa See, too! [NOTE: two years later Luis Rodgriguez’s handprints were imprinted on Vroman’s Walk of Fame.]
