Lament in the Night Book Launch, February 23

Hey, Los Angeles. This Saturday, February 23, make a trip out to the Japanese American National Museum for a reading of Lament in the Night, a book about the dark underbelly of Little Tokyo in the 1920s. Originally written by Shoson Nagahara, it's been published in English for the first time ever by Kaya Press.

Actors Tamlyn Tomita and Gedde Watanabe will read excerpts from the book, followed by a discussion and Q&A with LA Times book critic David Ulin and translator Andrew Leong. The event is free and open to the public. Swing by Far Bar afterward for the reception, which will include free food and music. Here's more info:

What to Read: Lament in the Night by Shōson Nagahara

Looking for some good reading? Consider Lament in the Night, written by Shōson Nagahara and translated into English for the first time by Andrew Leong, recently published on paperback from Kaya Press.

Originally published in 1925, and touted as a naturalist noir masterpiece, the book is a collection of two dark novellas that reveal the gritty realities in 1920s Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Here's the publisher's description: