By Lookout Staff

August 25, 2022 -- If you've ever wondered where you fit in or if your other half exists, Santa Monica College's upcoming Live Literary Talks & Readings might suggest some answers.

This fall's free online live virtual presentations will also include a discussion of secret deals between wealthy Americans and China by a bestselling investigative reporter.

The fall series kicks off Thursday, September 8, with a reading and conversation with Alex Espinoza, the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at UC Riverside.

Espinoza has published two novels -- "Still Water Saints" (Random House, 2007) and "The Five Acts of Diego León" (Random House, 2013) -- as well as "Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime" (Unnamed Press, 2019).

The recipient of a number of prestigious fellowships, his work has appeared in several anthologies and journals.

The series continues Tuesday, September 27, with a presentation by Nationally renowned investigative journalist Peter Schweizer titled "America’s Corrupt Elites and China.”

Schweizer is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including "Red-Handed," his recent release revealing "the secret deals wealthy Americans have cut to help China build its military, technological, and economic might."

His other books include "Clinton Cash" (2015), "Secret Empires" (2018) and "Profiles in Corruption" (2020). His 2014 book, "Extortion," exposed insider stock trading by members of Congress and led to passage of the STOCK Act, outlawing the practice.

Schweizer is the President of the Government Accountability Institute and host of the weekly podcast “The Drill Down.” He appears regularly on television, radio and numerous podcasts.

On Tuesday, October 4, Kimberly K. Robeson, a Greek-American Assistant Professor at Los Angeles Valley College, presents "Zeus, A Sword, and Soul Mates: Does Your Other Half Exist?"

Robeson's debut novel "The Greek Persuasion" is a tale about "the quest for wholeness and a path that goes beyond the traditional.

Robeson, who teaches world literature, creative writing and composition courses, has lived in Venezuela, Borneo, Greece, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain and Peru.

On Tuesday, October 25, Utah's Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal presents a reading titled "'West: A Translation.'" Rekdal is the author of an acclaimed book of essays "The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee: Observations on Not Fitting In" (2000).

"Her shimmering nonfiction debut, tackle thorny issues -- race and identity politics, interracial desire, what it means to be a 'hyphenated American' -- with a fresh, feisty, and very funny new perspective." .

Rekdal -- author of the hybrid photo-text memoir "Intimate" -- has published six books of poetry, including "Nightingale," which won the 2020 Washington State Book Award for Poetry.

Her most recent works of nonfiction are a book-length essay, "The Broken Country: On Trauma, a Crime, and the Continuing Legacy of Vietnam" and "Appropriate: A Provocation" (2021).

The fall series concludes Tuesday, November 15, with a reading by Helon Habila, a Professor of Creative Writing at George Mason University, titled "The Writer and the Environment."

Habila's work includes the novels "Waiting for an Angel" (2002), "Measuring Time" (2007), "Oil on Water" (2010),and "Travelers" (2019).

He is also the auhor of "The Chibok Girls: The Boko Haram Kidnappings and Islamist Militancy in Nigeria" (2016), the nonfiction account of the 2014 kidnapping of schoolgirls.

A Zoom link to each talk will be available with the listing on the event date on the SMC Events calendar at smc.edu/calendar.

To attend the events, Zoom software must be installed on the viewer’s computer (free download available at zoom.com).

Additional information is available by calling SMC’s Office of Public Programs at (310) 434-4100. All events subject to change or cancellation without notice.