Jenny Slate, LARB Luminary Dinner

Los Angeles Review of Books is thrilled to present an evening with acclaimed actress, comedian, and author Jenny Slate on April 19. Join us for dinner and drinks at the historic home of Susan Orlean and John Gillespie, followed by an expansive conversation between Jenny Slate and writer Sarah Manguso on craft, the intersections of motherhood and artistry, and more. Tickets are available here.

LARB Luminary Dinners are a celebration of visionary voices from the creative world. Held in homes across Los Angeles several times a year, each evening welcomes the creative community together for illuminating conversation in intimate settings to support the work of LARB, a nonprofit literary magazine.

The LARB Luminary Dinner will be held at the home of Susan Orlean and John Gillespie in the Hollywood Hills. Cocktail reception for VIP guests begins at 6 p.m. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.

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Critically-acclaimed actress, comedian, and New York Times best-selling author Jenny Slate is one of the most versatile creators working today. Slate is known for her starring role in A24’s Obvious Child and for co-creating, co-writing and voicing the beloved Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. In 2022 Slate was nominated for a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and Oscar for the feature film of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. She is also known for her 2019 comedy special Stage Fright, and her essay collection Little Weirds, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. Her new comedy special, Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional, is now streaming on Prime Video. Slate is starring in the new FX series Dying for Sex opposite Michelle Williams, and this fall will released her second book, Lifeform. She is a graduate of Columbia University, and lives with her family in Massachusetts and Los Angeles.

Slate will be hosted in conversation with Sarah Manguso. Sarah Manguso is the author of nine books, most recently the novel Liars. Her writing has been translated into 15 languages. Her previous novel, Very Cold People, was long-listed for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the Wingate Literary Prize, and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Her nonfiction books include 300 Arguments, an essay-in-aphorisms; Ongoingness: The End of a Diary, a meditation on motherhood and time; The Guardians: An Elegy, an investigation of friendship and suicide; and The Two Kinds of Decay, a memoir of her experience with a chronic autoimmune disease. Her work has been recognized by an American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Hodder Fellowship, and the Rome Prize. 

This event is made possible through the generous support of Susan Orlean and John Gillespie.

Questions? Please email Emily VanKoughnett at emily@lareviewofbooks.org.

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TICKET LEVELS

All tickets include dinner, presentation, and book signing, and proceeds directly support the Los Angeles Review of Books, a 501(c)(3) literary and cultural arts nonprofit publication.

Dinner Ticket ($250+): General admission for 1 to LARB Luminary Dinner featuring Jenny Slate

VIP Cocktail Hour Package ($1,500+): Tickets for 2 to VIP cocktail reception with Jenny Slate, plus dinner & conversation

Event Sponsor ($5,000+): Tickets for 4 to VIP cocktail reception, dinner & conversation, as well as named recognition during the evening’s program

If you are interested in purchasing a higher-level ticket, donations will also be accepted via check or wire transfer. Please contact Emily with any inquiries.

Proceeds directly support the Los Angeles Review of Books, a 501(c)(3) literary and cultural arts nonprofit. This event will take place at the home of author Susan Orlean and John Gillespie. Address will be sent with ticket confirmation.