Tired of shopping for gifts that suck? Sick of getting stuck in mall parking lots with homicidal shoppers hell bent on bumming out your holiday high? F*#% that! This holiday season, try something new, something cool, something different…like the third annual ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY BOOK BAZAAR, Saturday, December 9th, 5-9 pm at Wax Poetic Gallery in Burbank. It’s a party where you can buy all your holiday gifts and hobnob with strange people. The worst thing that can happen is that you’ll meet some amazing writers and artists, drink free beer, and have a good time. Any hey, maybe you’ll even pick up personally autographed books and art for all your pals, and get your shopping done in one fell swoop.
Organized by local writers Rob Cohen & David Wollock (Etiquette For Outlaws, Been There, Done That!), THE ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY BOOK BAZAAR offers shoppers a chance to support the wares of local writers and artists, most of whom will be on hand to personally sign their work. It doesn’t hurt that in Los Angeles, “local writers and artists” includes some big name talent!
“It’s nice to give and get gifts that are personal,” says Cohen. “And after hitting up a few friends for autographed copies of their books to use as presents, we concocted this event. Every year it gets bigger, both in terms of the crowd we bring in and the authors who participate.”
This year, Cohen & Wollock are joined by local scribes representing over ten different publishing companies, ranging from heavy hitters like St. Martin to indie presses like Process. Authors include Pamela Ribon (Why Moms Are Weird), Al Austin (The Perfume Factory), Gary O’Brien (Bachelor 2000), Holiday Reinhorn (BIG CATS: Stories), Seth Grahame-Smith (The Big Book of Porn, The Spiderman Handbook), Christopher Behrens (Penis Pokey), Melissa Heckscher (Use This Book! The Only Book You’ll Ever Need), Robert Rhine (Satan’s 3 Ring Circus of Hell), Christopher Noxon (Rejuvenile: Kickaball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up), Ruthie Ellenson (The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide To Guilt), Justin Jurgenson (Obscene Interiors), Susan Brooks (She’s The Girl), Jason Leopold (News Junkie), Alix Lambert (Mastering the Melon: Mastering the Melon), Tom Reynolds (I Hate Myself And Want To Die: The 52 Most Depressing Songs You’ve Ever Heard), Jolene Siana (Go Ask Ogre), Steven Kurtz (Steve’s America), Mike The Poet (I Am Alive In Los Angeles), Brian Townsley (Let The Devil Ride), Brad Listi (Attention. Deficit. Disorder.) An Lee (The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in OC’s Little Saigon) and Martin Perlich (The Wild Times).
The event will also feature free booze, and live DJs doing Xmas “mash-ups.” Admission is FREE. Wax Poetic is located at 3208 West Magnolia, Burbank. Store number is (818) 843-9469, or visit www.WaxPoeticGallery.com.
“Last minute holiday shopping sucks for everyone,” says Cohen. “We figured we’d get people drunk and make it fun. We’re offering really unique stuff that’ll make people think, ‘Wow, the person who gave this to me is so thoughtful and original.’ Plus, giving people art and books and stuff makes you look cool and erudite.”
Find out more information on their website.
(Yes, they said “Free Booze.”)