The City of West Hollywood has launched its 2025 WeHo Reads series. WeHo Reads is the City of West Hollywood’s literary series, which has presented new, diverse, and notable writers of interest to the West Hollywood community since 2013. Just a few notable past participants have included: André Aciman, LeVar Burton, Stephen Chbosky, Natalie Goldberg, Armistead Maupin, Walter Mosely, Eileen Myles, Nina Revoyr, and many others. A more comprehensive list of WeHo Reads participants is available on the City of West Hollywood’s website.

Upcoming WeHo Reads events:

Feminism and Fearlessness on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.; online. As part of Women’s History Month, this literary reading and panel discussion in the WeHo Reads 2025 series explores feminism and bold creative expression. Four exceptional writers — each with a unique voice and perspective — will discuss their artistic journeys, inspirations, and how their work uplifts communities and advocates for social justice.

How do writers channel their imaginations to confront fear, champion equity, and reimagine the world? How can their fearless storytelling inspire advocacy and action? The event will feature: Katya Apekina, an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and translator, whose second novel, Mother Doll, was named a Best Book of 2024 by Vogue; Olga García Echeverría, a bilingual poet and cultural archivist whose work amplifies queer and feminist voices, including her stewardship of the literary legacy of lesbian Colombian writer tatiana de la tierra; Angelina Sáenz, an award-winning educator, poet, and author of Waiting for Luna and two poetry collections, Edgecliff and Maestra; and Kate Stayman-London, the bestselling author of One to Watch and Fang Fiction, a screenwriter, and a political strategist. This event is free to attend, and RSVPs are requested at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

WeHo Reads: Richard Blanco and Kim Dower on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.; online. Join in for an inspiring National Poetry Month discussion between two celebrated poets whose work explores the intersection of identity, culture, and human connection. This engaging conversation will delve into their creative processes, their perspectives on poetry as a transformative art form, and the ways their experiences have shaped their work.

What role does poetry play in shaping our sense of self and our connection to the world? How can poetic expression illuminate identity, belonging, and universal truths? The event will feature Richard Blanco and Kim Dower in conversation, and open with a poem by the fifth and current West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Jen Cheng.

Blanco served as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet, selected during the Obama Administration, and he is a National Humanities Medal recipient. As a poet, memoirist, and advocate, Blanco’s work, including How to Love a Country and Homeland of My Body, reflects on cultural identity, belonging, and the human spirit, earning him widespread acclaim and recognition as a voice for diversity and justice.

Dower was the second West Hollywood City Poet Laureate, whose six acclaimed poetry collections — including her newest, What She Wants, Poems on Obsession, Desire, Despair, Euphoria as well as the bestselling I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom — are known for blending humor and heartache, memory and loss. Dower’s work has appeared in Ploughshares, Rattle, and O Magazine and is included in major anthologies, such as Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond.

This dynamic exchange between two literary luminaries will offer insights into the transformative power of poetry and its ability to inspire both personal and collective change. This event is free to attend, and RSVPs are requested at www.weho.org/wehoreads.

WeHo Reads is presented by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division and is produced by BookSwell, a literary events and media company dedicated to lifting-up writers from historically excluded communities. All events are free to attend. For additional information about WeHo Reads events, for viewing links, and to RSVP, visit www.weho.org/wehoreads.

For more information about WeHo Reads, please contact Mike Che, City of West Hollywood Arts Coordinator, at (323) 848-6377 or at mche@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.