We’re getting a little freaked out by the slowly-dribbling-out list of people getting laid off today. In addition to Carina Chocano, the talented, innovative Veronique de Turenne has also announced that she’s been axed.

Is the LAT systematically removing the most fun reads at the paper?

–Via LA Observed

A number of L.A. Observed bloggers, including Veronique de Turenne, will descend upon the L.A. Times Festival of Books this year to speak on panels on topics ranging from non-fiction to surf culture.

We’d give you more details, but we’re multi-tasking this week and we’ve all seen how that is working out for us.

Instead, check out the schedule here.

So, remember when we said that Mark Katches was the closest thing to a Pulitzer SoCal got? And then it turned out that a former local freelancer won in Bangkok? And then Veronique de Turenne reminded us that, actually, the LAT garnered two finalists slots?

Well, now, Kevin Roderick at L.A. Observed asks why in Gaia’s name haven’t we mentioned the other former L.A. folks who actually, you know, won them suckers this year?

Good question, K-Rod. Our apologies to former LAT cartoonist Michael Ramirez and Amy Harmon. And congratulations!

Now we’ll go back to sitting alone in our rooms, making shit up.

We’ve been gently ripping our local reporters for not even coming close to nabbing a Pulitzer this year — only to be schooled. Repeatedly.

Now Veronique de Turenne writes to remind us that Tom Curwen we do have some finalists in our midsts:

I’m only sending this note because Tom Curwen is such a great guy — he was a finalist for the features Pulitzer. (And to be fair, I have to also point out the LAT photo staff were runners-up for the fire pix) But this email is really about Tom and that great story about the grizzly attack.

Why do we have the feeling that the next e-mail we get on the topic, L.A. will have won a Pulitzer after all? Our apologies, Tom.

Veronique de Turenne reminds us that the Huntington is hosting a Jack Smith retrospective, Smith on Wry, featuring the papers of L.A.’s beloved columnist.

Idle questions: In the future, will retrospectives be reduced to Google search terms and YouTube categories?

Fanboys Are Wetting Themselves: The promos for The Dark Knight have geeks salivating over their way-too-cool interactive in-jokes. We’re still having a hard time with the posters featuring Heath Ledger’s mug.

In Other Died-Too-Young News: Jason Rae, husband of Grammy-nominated British singer Corinne Bailey Rae has been found dead in the northern English city of Leeds. Officers are awaiting results of toxicology tests to determine the cause of death.

Slow News Day: Veronique de Turenne gives us a video clip of Marilyn Monroe drinking something and lounging. Or is it Lindsay Lohan? We can’t tell anymore.

Times Are A-Changing: In a rare admission of pussydom, the LAT writes

“Reporters have long had to tread carefully when writing about Scientology, fearful that lawsuits and other kinds of retaliation would follow any story that Scientology did not like. But that may be changing.”

What changed? The LAT claims it has to do with former Scientologists speaking out against the religion. But we have other theories.

No Three-Peat: The LAT is man enough to admit when they get it wrong. Despite projections of great things, Semi-Pro fails to make it big at the box office. Maybe it’s time for Will Ferrell to make, you know, a movie we haven’t already seen.

Veronique de Turenne Takes on the New York Times: We’re as tired as the next gal of New Yorkers sniffing their noses at L.A. If L.A. is so bad, why do so many New Yorkers move here?

THURSDAY 1.31.08
WHAT: Reading and signing of The Long Embrace
WHO: Author Judith Freeman
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Book Soup
WHY: For Raymond Chandler fans, this book will illuminate many of the darkened corners of his life.

SATURDAY 2.2.08
WHAT: John Cage’s Roaratorio: A Verbivocovisual Celebration of James Joyce’s Birthday
WHO: John Cage, John Snyder, Dolores Stevens, Marjorie Perloff and Robert Winter
WHEN: 4 p.m.
WHERE: Hammer Museum
WHY: When tackled in large groups, James Joyce is less confounding. Plus, it’s free. “yes i said i will yes!”

TUESDAY 2.5.08
WHAT: NBCC GoodReads Winter List Panel
WHO: Poet Amy Gertsler, NPR book critic Veronique de Turenne, novelist Katherine Taylor, novelist and critic Darcy Cosper, and blogger and novelist Mark Sarvas
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Skylight Books
WHY: Not only will a bunch of smart, talented people recommend a bunch of books to you, they’ll discuss the art of recommending books. It’ll be meta and lots of fun.

One of our favorite bloggers is joining latimes.com. Veronique de Turenne, who writes under K-Rod’s banner at LA Observed, is joining former LAist.com editor, Tony Pierce, to help beef up the news blogs at latimes.com.

According to the memo (which you can read below):

In her new position she will work closely with reporters, editors and the Web team to create a new kind of local coverage for latimes.com in the form of a fast-paced local news blog. The blog is still in development and will be launched early next year.

Veronique was kind enough to answer a few of our dumb questions:

1. What will you be doing on the site that is different than what you do for LAO and your own blog? I’ll be blogging the local news — anything and everything that has to do with Southern California.

2. What direction do expect news blogs to take in general, and at the LAT in particular? I think we’ll be seeing a lot more live-news blogs on newspaper web sites. Information on demand — the Times is on the leading edge with this. Put someone like Tony Pierce in the mix and you’re talking smart and fun and crazy innovations.

3. Will you be working from home or are they bringing bloggers into the newsroom? A bit of both. I’ve always loved the energy in a newsroom, especially at the city desk, and can’t wait to see how it’ll filter through to the blog. But the reality is, you can blog from anywhere — home, a cafe, a local library, Dodger Stadium, city hall, a park bench. I’d love to expand on that and blog from everywhere.

Congratulations, Veronique!

Read more

It all comes down to Barbie’s butt.

While the NYT bemoans “the relentless hagiography of the Catholic Church” in making Calcutta out to be a wasteland, the LAT runs a brilliant indictment of the global economy from the point of view of a Barbie’s plump rear end. The really delicious part is that the writer, Jennifer Tang, is based in New York.

(thank you, to the ever-more-readable Veronique de Turenne-helmed LA Observed for pointing out Tang’s piece today).

(image stolen from out new favorite Web site, Ms. Cellania)