Celebration of Books This Weekend

The two-day, 19th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books begins today at USC, with a live performance of the public radio show "Wits" joining the festival's customary lineup of authors discussing their books, cooking demonstrations and music.

Approximately 150,000 people are expected for the festival, which also includes family-oriented entertainment, poetry readings, a photography exhibit, film screenings and panel discussions.

Authors scheduled to appear today include actress Alicia Silverstone (12:10 p.m.); former Sen. Tom Hayden (3:30 p.m.); Terry McMillen (4 p.m.); Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Pau Gasol (4:30 p.m.); and actress Marlo Thomas (4:50 p.m.)

The festival will make its nighttime debut with "Festival After Dark," a live performance of the American Public Radio show "Wits" at 8 p.m. tonight at Bovard Auditorium. Performers include comedians Margaret Cho and Paul F. Tompkins, the punk rock group Superchunk and indie rock singer/songwriter Will Sheff, the bandleader of Okkervil River. Tickets are $33.50-$65.

Sunday's lineup includes novelist Jackie Collins giving a cooking demonstration (11 a.m.); Katherine Schwarzenegger, author of "I Just Graduated... Now What?" being interviewed by her mother, Maria Shriver (12:10 p.m.); an interview of Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. (1:30 p.m.); and actress Mayim Bialik, discussing her book "Mayim's Vegan Table" (2:30 p.m.)

The festival will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is $10 at lots and structures on and adjacent to the campus.

People taking Metro to the festival will receive a 10 percent discount on merchandise, including mugs and T-shirts.

Shuttle bus service will run in a continuous loop between Union Station and USC beginning at 9 a.m. with service continuing until one hour after the festival closes both today and Sunday. DASH F line service service to USC will run every 20 minutes from all stops from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information is available online at latimesfestivalofbooks.com and twitter.com/latimesfob.

--City News Service