Skip to Content
tongue & groove orange

A monthly offering of short fiction, personal essays, poetry, spoken word + music produced by Conrad Romo. This  month features Bonnie Nadzam " Lamb" John Espinosa Nelson " Where Excuses Go to Die ", Verónica Reyes “Chopper! Chopper!", Tony Shea "Through the Jungle and the Rain" and  music by Izzy Cox

Sunday January 19th   ~ 6-7:30 pm ~ The Hotel Cafe: 1623 1/2 No. Cahuenga Blvd. ~ $6

 

 Bonnie Nadzam is an American novelist, essayist and short story writer, and has published in Harper's Magazine, Orion Magazine, The Kenyon Review, The Iowa Review, and many others. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies and English Literature from Carleton College, and an MA and PhD from the University of Southern California. Her debut novel, Lamb, was the recipient of the Flaherty Dunnan First Novel Prize and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK. Her second novel and first short story collection are forthcoming next year.

Tony Shea has been well schooled at Loyola College in Baltimore, the University of Maryland and Georgetown University. He is an award winning film maker,  the lead singer for Candygram For Mongo and his debut novel Through the Jungle and the Rain was released for Kindle via Shea Magazine's book division, SME. It will be out in paperback this April.

Verónica Reyes is a Chicana feminist jota poet from East Los Angeles, California. She earned her BA from California State University, Long Beach and her MFA from University of Texas, El Paso. Her poems give voice to all her communities: Chicanas/os, immigrants, Mexican Americans, and la jotería. Reyes has won AWP’s Intro-Journal Project, an Astraea Lesbian Foundation Emerging Artist award, and was a Finalist for the Andrés Montoya Poetry award. She has received grants and fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, and Montalvo Arts Center. Her work has appeared in Calyx, Feminist Studies, ZYZZYVA, and The New York Quarterly. She is a proud member of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS) and Macondo Writers’ Workshop.

John Espinosa Nelson has written for Esquire, the LA Weekly, and Players magazines, as well as for the non-profit U.S. VETS Inc. in support of homeless and at-risk veterans. Where Excuses Go to Die was created to fulfill a promise John made to writing instructors and education professionals, as well as the late comedienne, Lotus Weinstock, while serving time in California prisons for armed robbery. You can learn more at whereexcusesgotodie.com

Izzy Cox : a voodoo billy punk jazz..a Ella Fitzgerald meets Tom waits and Sun Rra..

Come early!  Seating is limited and we start on time! tongueandgroovela.com

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Why Are Mexicans Chanting ‘¿Y Si Sí?’ Right Now?

From “No Era Penal” to “Imaginémonos Cosas Chingonas” and “Sí Se Puede,” the latest three-word phrase has fans believing in the men’s national team again.

July 2, 2026

Lakers Fan Injured By LAPD During NBA Finals Celebrations Receives Historic Multimillion Dollar Payout

On June 23, a jury unanimously found the LAPD and City of Los Angeles liable for breaking Pablo Vera’s arm during the Lakers NBA Finals celebrations in October of 2020.

Burrito King In Echo Park, 1968-2026

The scratches in the counter, the wobble in the stools, the patina of seasoning accumulated on the flat-top. You can't make all that up out of nothing. 

July 1, 2026

World Cup Heartbreak Hurts. This Artist Turned That Pain Into New Paintings

Legendary artist Jorge R. Gutierrez, aka "Super Macho," known for his folk art-influenced paintings and animations for "The Book of Life," is showing his work this friday at La Luz De Jesus Gallery within Soapplant/Wacko in Los Feliz.

July 1, 2026

I Found the New Best Carne Asada Taco in L.A, And It’s in a Parking Lot In Silver Lake

The taquero's goals are high here: to make the best asada taco in L.A. County. Just a couple of weeks in, I would say he is well on his way. Even the beef tallow-enriched, organic wheat flour tortilla alone is worth a visit.