Zócalo, the public lecture series that LA Observed helps co-sponsor, has just added an evening discussion with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. It will be at the Walt Disney Hall's BP Hall on Monday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 pm. The conversation will be between the mayor and Jim Newton, Editor of the Editorial Pages at the L.A. Times. Free, but reservations are required. Info

Poking around the Zócalo site, I see some other fun stuff. Michael Govan, director of LACMA, chats tonight with Ann Philbin, director of the Hammer Museum. Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson discusses “Why We Need Heroic Conservatism" on Oct. 9. And on Oct. 23, novelist Francisco Goldman discusses his book, The Art of Political Murder in Central America: Who Killed the Bishop? Venues vary for these events.