the BEAT of the week: Jonathan Lethem at Skylight Books.

As the author of such critically acclaimed contemporary classics as The Fortress of Solitude, Motherless Brooklyn and Chronic City, as well as an established essayist for McSweeney's and The New Yorker, Jonathan Lethem has become a revered name in the literary scene. And so it goes without saying that nearly every new piece published is sure to be scrutinized, and probably lauded, if not well-respected in the least.

I expect his latest work will get as much attention, and more. For the also-well-beloved book series 33 1/3, where artists comment on influential music albums, Lethem takes on the Talking Heads classic Fear of Music. It's promoted to be a personal and passionate take on the 1979 album, delving into the music from the perspective of his New York childhood -- all of which fits perfectly in tune with Lethem's oeuvre. This is definitely Lethem's niche.

You can get an even more personal take from Lethem himself when he makes an appearance at Skylight Books this Sunday. He'll be promoting and signing copies of the book, and band Big Mess will be covering Talking Heads covers afterwards. Consider it a well-deserved party, celebrating two modern classics.

Jonathan Lethem will be appearing at 5pm this Sunday, April 29 at Skylight Books, located at 1818 N Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz.

-- Chau Tu

Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

Penélope Cruz (above) is the Harper's Bazaar May cover girl. The subscriber edition cover is particularly cool.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a great start this season. Show your support for the home team with cute gear from Victoria's Secret.

Celebrate Earth Day 2012 by stopping by Sephora on Sunday with any empty cosmetic product container, and receive your choice of an Origins moisturizer--Starting Over, or A Perfect World.

If you love the baked goods from Joan's on Third as much as I do, you'll want to print Joan's Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, published in the Los Angeles Times last Saturday.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar

the BEAT of the week: Transmission L.A.: AV Club.

This is the sort of stuff that makes you appreciate Los Angeles: a full-on arts/music/film/food/everything festival curated by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, featuring works by people like Will Fowler, Benjamin Jones, Mike Mills, Takeshi Murata, Cory Arcangel and more. For 17 days, MOCA will host Transmission L.A.: AV Club, which "will illustrate how audio and visual art forms complement and influence each other." Kicking off the event is none other than Santigold, and Roy Choi of Kogi and Chego fame will be providing exclusive eats on the weekends.

This isn't your regular art exhibit. Stay tuned for exact scheduled events here at avantgardediaries.com.

Transmission L.A.: AV Club takes place from April 20 to May 6 at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, located at 152 N. Central Ave. in downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

How beautiful does Jessica Chastain look on the cover of T Magazine? A great loose blowout, a strong red lip, and a pretty yellow dress is such a perfect spring look. This Reese Witherspoon red carpet look from 2007 is still one of my favorites.

A simple recipe for cinnamon-sugar pecans. I made these for a party Saturday night and they were a hit!

Speaking of easy recipes ... enjoy the end of grapefruit season with a Greyhound!

HBO's "Girls" premieres tonight.

Today at brunch I had arepas for the first time, and became an instant fan. Jonathan Gold divulges where to find in L.A.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Cass Bird for T Magazine

the BEAT of the week: The Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Tour.

We've all learned quite a bit about the hip city of Portland from the hilarious IFC show Portlandia -- where the '90s never died, where you should put a bird on it, where you should beware of good-looking co-op leaders that look like Jason Sudeikis -- but one thing that probably isn't touched upon enough is how great their hometown Deschutes Brewery is. Technically based in nearby Bend, Deschutes is beloved all over Oregon for its great assortment of fine brews.

And now it's looking to expand the fan base. Deschutes hit the road earlier this week for a West Coast tour, complete with -- yes -- a giant wooden beer barrel on wheels. Expect a party -- here are some of the grand festivities planned, via Grub Street Los Angeles:

Tues, 4/10, 6:00-9:00 P.M. Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA)
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!

Thurs, 4/12, 3:00-5:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor)
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards - you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody - all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.

Thurs, 4/12, 6:00 P.M.-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun. The evening is packed with excitement:

Fri, 4/13, 4:00-6:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot)
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.

Fri, 4/13, 7:00 P.M.-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat)
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.

And that isn't even all -- check here for the complete lowdown. No excuses to miss out on some great beer while you can!

The Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Tour continues until Saturday at multiple locations all over Los Angeles.

-- Chau Tu

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the BEAT of young los angeles!

the BEAT of the week: 5 Second Films at Mohawk Bend.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and therefore it doesn't take a lot to tell a story. Such is a premise of 5 Second Films, which offers visual vignettes that are strictly 5 seconds long (plus 2 seconds for the title, and 1 second for the credit) and highlight the more comic moments in life.

So prepare for some quick hits of laughs when 5 Second Films take over Echo Park's beer-and-veggie-food-eats haven Mohawk Bend. The film group has curated one-hour segments of 5-second films (so that would be about 11 each minute...so more than 600 films?!) for the next three Tuesdays at the restaurant, and appropriately, a "5-second Filmmaker" drink will be on hand -- Cismontane’s Blacks Dawn coffee stout and Fog’s End Monterey Rye. Just try not to finish each drink with each film.

5 Second Films at Mohawk Bend takes place from 6pm to 9pm on April 10, 17 and 24 at Mohawk Bend, located at 2141 W. Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Mohawk Bend

Check It. BEAT pick of the week.

I spotted this beautiful Prada bag (Small Saffiano Lux Tote) in the JFK airport security line on Saturday morning. Dream purse. How well would it go with Repetto ballet flats, and a girly dress from Anthropologie?

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Neiman Marcus