May 2, 2011 – This past weekend was the first L.A. Times Festival of Books held at USC. For fourteen years the festival was held on UCLA grounds, however, after event organizers and University of California officials disagreed on the way to share expenses, the festival was moved to USC from this year onward.
As animals of habit, those of us who have attended the Festival of Books for years felt a bit odd at the new location. From knowing exactly what to do and where to park at UCLA, this year meant a lot of discoveries – new parking, new walkways, new tent set-ups. USC eliminated the food area that had become quite large at UCLA. Instead, the school’s food courts were open to the public. A few areas were isolated from the rest, requiring "This Way" signs to them. And the awesome used and super-cheap books tent, a big favorite, was nowhere to be found.
But at the end, it was a sunny day in Southern California like the days of any other Festival of Books before it, the poetry readings and author discussions went on as usual, and the Quran was available free of charge as every other year. Life goes on and eventually we will get used to this new location.
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