Diesel, A Bookstore in Oakland is excited to welcome back poet C.S. Giscombe to read, discuss and sign his newest collection, Prairie Style, on Sunday, November 1st, at 3 p.m. Giscombe is the author of several books of poetry, including Giscome Road and Here. He has also published a memoir entitled Into and Out of Dislocation. He is the editor of Mixed Blood, a poetry journal, and teaches at the University of California at Berkeley.

Also reading will be Charity Ketz, whose first poetry collection, The Narcoleptic Yard was recently published by Black Lawrence Press. Ketz was born in Roanoke, Virginia and grew up in State College, Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. from Penn State University, an M.F.A. from Cornell University, and has held lectureships at both universities. She is currently a Ph.D student in English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood is very excited to welcome Mark Weiss to the shop to discuss and sign the anthology of poetry he edited, The Whole Island: Six Decades of Cuban Poetry, on Sunday, November 15th, at 3 p.m.

Cuba's cultural influence throughout the Western Hemisphere, and especially in the United States, has been disproportionally large for so small a country. This landmark volume is the first comprehensive overview of poetry written over the past sixty years. Presented in a beautiful Spanish-English en face edition, The Whole Island makes available the astonishing achievement of a wide range of Cuban poets, including such well-known figures as Nicolás Guillén, José Lezama Lima, and Nancy Morejón, but also poets widely read in Spanish who remain almost unknown to the English-speaking world - among them Fina García Marruz, José Kozer, Raúl Hernández Novás, and Ángel Escobar-and poets born since the Revolution, like Rogelio Saunders, Omar Pérez, Alessandra Molina, and Javier Marimón. The translations, almost all of them new, convey the intensity and beauty of the accompanying Spanish originals. With their work deeply rooted in Cuban culture, many of these poets - both on and off the island - have been at the center of the political and social changes of this tempestuous period. The poems offered here constitute an essential source for understanding the literature and culture of Cuba, its diaspora, and the Caribbean at large, and provide an unparalleled perspective on what it means to be Cuban.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Malibu is pleased to present Latana in celebration of the publication of her new book, Barely Exposed, a subtle yet probing answer to the question, "How do you see your world?" in visual likenesses of contemporary young people, on Sunday, November 15, at 3 p.m.

The stark images of young people half-dressed and set against a black background is an effort to evoke the true essence and intimacy of who they are, while at the same time asking the viewer to consider their own strength, beauty and vulnerability.

Latana’s artwork has been the object of numerous exhibitions throughout the world. She was sponsored by the Armenian Embassy to discover inspiration within that magnificent country and returned with a series of poignant images of the land and its people. The exhibition, “Armenia...Through The Lens And Into The Heart” was held at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She has authored two other photographic books, Fragments, the Abandoned Villa Series and The Phukthar Monastery.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Oakland is pleased to present award-winning children's book author Katherine Sturtevant to the store to host a publication party for her new novel, The Brothers Story, on Sunday, November 15th, at 3 p.m. The Brothers Story is a fascinating portrait of a young person struggling to balance family and freedom and also a frank depiction of Restoration London in its bawdy, raucous glory.

“...Sturtevant has done a breathtakingly good job...[The] book is not only a stunning story but a challenging and deeply satisfying work of social conscience.” -- Booklist (starred review)

“Sturtevant’s characters have real human complexity....Packed with authentic period detail...this is a lively adventure that merits a sequel...” -- Horn Book

Katherine Sturtevant has previously written At the Sign of the Star, a Booklist Editors’ Choice, and its sequel, A True and Faithful Narrative, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among other accolades. She lives in Berkeley, California.