Saskia Wilson-Brown, in conversation with Steve Gontarski, discusses & signs The Cultures of Perfume: Scents That Shaped History
Featured Book
The cultures of perfume
"A history of perfume across 36 ingredients and nine sections"--
This book will be available for purchase at the event.
About This Event
A people's history of perfume--what the art of olfaction can teach us about ourselves and our common humanity. How do Las Vegas casinos convey the sensation of fresh water in the middle of a desert? What is the connection between unripe produce and the new popularity of green-smelling perfumes? And why do we love putting these scents and more on our skin?This illustrated field guide to 36 distinct scent notes tells the story of smell and humanity's fascination with perfume through anecdotes, historical research and folk knowledge. With a smart and politically savvy style, author Saskia Wilson-Brown argues for scent as an art on a par with all other forms of art, and demonstrates how its appreciation and creation can be enjoyed by everyone. Nine thematic sections--Among the Elements; In Sickness and in Health; Seduction; Magic and the Supernatural; Religion; Power; Trade Paths; The Golden Age of Consumerism; and The Stories We Tell--move from the ancient origins of scent-making to the birth of the perfume industry and beyond to the speculative scents of outer space. Readers learn of the economic, chemical, political and psychological components of the dreamy florals, sparkling aldehydes, animalic musks and other materials behind some of the world's most recognizable scents. Designed by Brian Paul Lamotte, The Cultures of Perfume features a "Smell More" section after each chapter, in which readers can follow their interests (and their noses) to find recommendations for scents by independent brands. Saskia Wilson-Brown founded the Los Angeles-based Institute for Art and Olfaction as a nonprofit advancing access and experimentation in perfumery. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, W, Paper, the Hollywood Reporter, Art in America and more. Steven Gontarski is an artist, musician and perfume aficionado. He sees perfumery as an art form that both mirrors and shapes culture. Through his YouTube channel and work with niche perfume retailer Luckyscent, including hosting their podcast 'It's Just Perfume,' Steven presents fragrances in a broad context pulling from perfume history, entertainment, fine art and personal memories.
Featured Author
Wilson-Brown, Saskia
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Julian Tepper, in conversation with Max Maduka, discusses & signs Getting Even/Letting Go
Getting Even/Letting Go is a taut, darkly comic novel about money, memory, and the psychic wreckage of a marriage long after love has ended.On a single spring afternoon in New York City, Gene Mills--a once-successful writer now living on fumes--hosts friends in his apartment while waiting for an art auction that could change everything. The paintings on the block were made by his ex-wife, now a global art star. They depict her affair, her ambition, and the life she detonated when she left him. Gene believes selling them is justice. Or survival. Or both.As the clock ticks toward the auction lots, Gene spirals through old resentments, legal threats, parental guilt, financial desperation, and the corrosive pleasure of retaliation. What unfolds is an intimate portrait of a man trying to convert emotional injury into cash, to reclaim dignity through ownership, and to convince himself that getting even might finally allow him to let go.With biting wit and relentless psychological precision, Julian Tepper explores the moral gray zones of divorce, custody, authorship, and art-world power--where love becomes leverage, memory becomes inventory, and victory may cost more than defeat. Getting Even/Letting Go is a novel about what remains when intimacy turns transactional, and whether freedom can ever be purchased without exacting a final, private price. Bio:Julian Tepper's fifth novel, Getting Even/Letting Go (Rare Bird), will be published in the fall of 2026. His writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Playboy, Brooklyn Rail, Zyzzyva, Daily Beast, Bomb, Tablet Magazine, The New York Review of Architecture, and elsewhere. His essay, "Locking Down with the Family You've Just Eviscerated in a Novel" was a "Notable Essay of 2022" in Best American Essays 2022. He was born and raised in New York City.Max Maduka is an actress and writer living in California. Twice named to the Forbes 30-Under-30, she is formerly the editor-in-chief of the American Reader, and writes on theology, literature, culture, and the arts.
UNSOUPERVISED READERS CLUB
Hosted by Book Soup Bookseller, Jessica! UNSOUPERVISED READERS SEPTEMBER EDITION WILL BE:Hungerstone by Kat DunnIt’s the height of the Industrial Revolution, and ten years into Lenore’s marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry’s ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs something deep within Lenore.Soon, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger, and Lenore begins to unravel. Torn between regaining her husband’s affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, Lenore must confront a darkness that will place her at risk.This immersive reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula, delivers a richly atmospheric look at feminine rage and the desires that feed our hunger. About the AuthorKat Dunn is the Lambda Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of Hungerstone. She has a BA in Japanese from SOAS and an MA in English from Warwick, has written about mental health for Mind, and worked as a translator for Japanese television. Kat grew up in London and has lived in Japan, Australia, and France.
Susan Orlean, in conversation with Patton Oswalt, discusses & signs Joyride: A Memoir
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, GOODREADS, AND MORE"Brilliant...A high-spirited, exhilarating memoir." --The Wall Street Journal - "In Joyride, the takeaway often has as much to do with the art of living as the art of writing." --Elle - "Wise and exuberant... It's funny, as well. Just masterful." --David Sedaris - "Superbly good...Ebullient, frank, moving, and inspiring." -- Booklist (starred review)From Susan Orlean, the beloved New Yorker writer and bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book who has been hailed as "a national treasure" by The Washington Post, comes a masterful memoir of finding her creative calling and purpose that invites us to approach life with wonder, curiosity, and an irrepressible sense of delight."The story of my life is the story of my stories," writes Susan Orlean in this extraordinary, era-defining memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is a magic carpet ride through Orlean's life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity has drawn her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile ("The American Man Age Ten") to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.Not only does Orlean's account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it's also an essential and practical "master class" ( The New York Times) to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer's block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede--a Susan specialty.While Orlean has always written her way into other people's lives in order to understand the human experience, Joyride is her most personal book ever--a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head-over-heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including Adaptation and Blue Crush, and confronting mortality. Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean's bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta, and Jonathan Karp--forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.Infused with Orlean's signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build, and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Library Book, Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award-winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and on Substack at SusanOrlean.Substack.com. Patton Oswalt is an award-winning actor, writer, and comedian. From his comedy specials to more than 200 film and television roles, Oswalt chooses work that inspires him and entertains audiences. Most recently his newest special, TEA & SCOTCH, came out on YouTube and has over half a million views. He co-created M.O.D.O.K., a Marvel stop-motion animated adult comedy series for Hulu, as well as voices the titular character and co-starred on the NBC Universal comedy A.P. Bio. This is a ticketed event through Eventbrite and will take place at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, located at 540 S. Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020 Your ticket includes a paperback copy of Joyride, to be handed out at check-in. A public book signing will follow the conversation. Check-in begins at 6pm and the show begins promptly at 7pm. No refunds on the day of the event. Questions? Please email info@booksoup.com