Jonathan Lethem, LARB Luminary Dinner

Los Angeles Review of Books is thrilled to present our Fall Luminary Dinner in celebration of acclaimed writer Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, and his new short story collection, A Different Kind of Tension. Join us on September 20 for an intimate evening of dinner and drinks, followed by an expansive conversation between Jonathan Lethem and writer Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay and former LARB noir editor, on working across artistic forms, the boundaries of genre, 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 throughout the 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 a private home in Silver Lake. Cocktail reception for VIP guests begins at 6 p.m. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.

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Jonathan Lethem is the author of Brooklyn Crime Novel and twelve other novels, including Girl in Landscape and Chronic City. His fifth, Motherless Brooklyn, won The National Book Critic’s Circle Award. His stories and essays have been gathered in eight volumes, including the forthcoming A Different Kind of Tension. His work has been recognized with a Macarthur Fellowship, a Berlin Prize, and a Guggenheim, among other honors. He lives in Los Angeles and Maine, and is the Roy E. Disney ’51 Professor of Creative Writing at Pomona College.

Steph Cha is the author of four novels, including Your House Will Pay, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the California Book Award, and the Juniper Song crime trilogy. She’s a critic whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, where she served as noir editor, and is the current series editor of the Best American Mystery & Suspense anthology. Cha most recently co-created the television series Butterfly (2025), adapted from a graphic novel series onto screen by Prime Video starring Daniel Dae Kim. 

This event is made possible through the generous support of Tim Disney. Books will be available for sale courtesy of Chevalier's Books.

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.

Non-Member Dinner Ticket ($325) / LARB Member Dinner Ticket ($295): General admission for 1 to LARB Luminary Dinner featuring Jonathan Lethem.

Member Dinner Ticket + Annual LARB Supporter Membership ($395): Annual LARB Supporter Membership ($100) plus general admission for 1 to LARB Luminary Dinner featuring Jonathan Lethem at member level price (10% off).

VIP Cocktail Hour: (Single ticket $825; $1,500+ for two): Access to VIP cocktail reception with Jonathan Lethem, 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 ticket via check or wire transfer or additional sponsorship opportunities, please contact Emily VanKoughnett at emily@lareviewofbooks.org.

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 Tim Disney. Address will be sent with ticket confirmation.