Last weekend, about 1,000 people gathered at the LA International Ukulele Festival in Torrance to celebrate the little instrument with a big following. Yunte Huang’s final book in his Rendezvous with American History trilogy focuses on the remarkable life of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. The LA Public Library has acquired thousands of unpublished celebrity pictures by John Verzi. They were auctioned off to the library after the postal worker’s death in 2018.

At LA Ukelele Festival, versatile instrument cultivates unity

Host Steve Chiotakis connects you to the people and places of Southern California.

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KCRW’s departing reporter Anna Scott talks about the gains and setbacks in housing and homelessness — after eight years covering the beat. 
 Zach Galifianakis talks about the nonprofit Comedy Gives Back , reflects on his own Hollywood career, and explains why comedy is tougher than dramatic acting. 
 To mark Greater LA’s last show, we re-air part of the first-ever episode, in which Steve Chiotakis visits a giant car shredder between the Ports of LA and Long Beach.

How has LA homelessness changed in over 8 years?

When you hear the word “clown,” you probably picture a hacky kid’s entertainer. Well, a group of super-talented LA-based performers are trying to change that. 
 The Broad’s “LA Intersections” is an upcoming festival-style exhibit of the music and spoken word scenes of LA. Punk rocker Keith Morris speaks to the importance of LA music history. 
 Gathering around the table for a meal can ease America’s loneliness crisis, says Natasha Feldman, author of “The Dinner Party Project.”

Angelenos are crowding clown shows — ‘an act of counterculture’

A convenience store in Skid Row is changing hands from the community-oriented Korean American family that runs it — to a Black-led nonprofit. 
 “Existencia,” a new work by the experimental performance troupe Diavolo, explores the chaos and community that resulted from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 
 In an era of “hurriquakes,” heat waves, and fires, The Academy Museum screening series “Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film” looks at the real-world implications of disaster films.

Sale of Skid Row grocery store aims to bring racial healing

Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran have transformed their Venice home into The Mosaic Tile House, a living artistic tapestry reflecting their love story. 
 Kate Berlant wants audiences to know that her semi-autobiographical show, “KATE,” is theater, not stand-up. It begins on Jan. 17 at the Pasadena Playhouse. 
 At Regen Projects in Hollywood, Catherine Opie’s exhibition, “harmony is fraught,” features over 60 photographs of LA spanning three decades.

Finding love and beauty at Mosaic Tile House in Venice

Food journalist Mona Holmes discusses how the LA restaurant scene fared in 2023 and anticipates dining trends for the new year. 
 In response to complaints about customer service and mass transit safety, Metro is hiring hundreds of people to offer warm welcomes and help to passengers. 
 The Autry Museum’s “ Reclaiming El Camino ” details the hardships Native populations faced under European settlement, and highlights Indigenous resistance.

At LA Ukelele Festival, versatile instrument cultivates unity

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