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I'm about finished with John Irving's latest novel, "In One Person." "'In One Person' is a novel that makes you proud to be human. It is a book that not only accepts but also loves our differences," Edmund White says. Just so happens, Irving will be at the Aero Theatre on Thursday night as part of the Live Talks LA series. We're a media sponsor of the series and they are offering five pairs of tickets to the LA Observed community. Click over here to grab a pair.
Then on Friday morning, author Scott Turow will discuss the future of the book industry with LA Times books writer Carolyn Kellogg. Turow is president of The Authors Guild these days. That's for the Live Talks Business Forums and is a breakfast event at the City Club on Bunker Hill. There are five pairs of tickets to that too. Grab them here.
Turow is in Los Angeles as well for Friday night's 20th anniversary, and final public performance, of the Rock Bottom Remainders. That's the band made up of authors such as Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Matt Groening and Turow, who sings. 
Plus some musical ringers, which through the years have included the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon and Ronnie Spector and on Friday night will feature Roger McGuinn, once of The Byrds. The Remainders, founded by the late Kathi Kamen Goldmark, came together for the American Booksellers Association convention in Anaheim in 1992. This will be the entire group's first time on stage together since 2007 — Goldmark died of breast cancer May 24 — and they will go back to Anaheim for a private show Saturday at the American Library Association conference. Stories in the Daily News last weekend and in Wednesday's LA Times have previewed the band's final chapter.
The Remainders website says the band's events through the years have raised more than $2 million for charity. Friday night's show at the El Rey benefits the Downtown Women's Center, The Midnight Mission and a new Emerging Authors Series to debut at Live Talks LA next year.
One further connection: Ted Habte-Gabr, the founder of Live Talks Los Angeles, has managed the Rock Bottom Remainders since 2002.
Bottom photo: Amy Tan on tambourine
