Staffers and friends of Sunset Strip fixture Book Soup are contacting potential buyers due to a serious illness afflicting founder Glenn Goldman. Judging by emails circulating in L.A. book circles, the search has become urgent in recent days. The store, opened in 1975, self-describes this way: "Though we are one of the last large independent bookstores, with over 60,000 titles in-stock, we tend to specialize in subjects of interest to our clientele: art, photography, film, music, literary fiction, controversial non-fiction, celebrity bio, etc. And with our commitment to university, international, and small presses, you’ll always find books here that just can’t be found anywhere else."

Upcoming author event: Chip Jacobs, co-author of "Smogtown," talks Thursday about how the war against smog helped mold the modern-day culture of Los Angeles. Book Soup calendar