Among the most emblematic figures to emerge in Southern California in the 1960s was Sister Mary Corita, a “rebel nun” whose exuberant artwork captured the spirit of that lively era. Her story is told with both compassion and critical skill by biographer April Dammann in “Corita Kent. Art and Soul. The Biography.” (Angel City Press), a sumptuous but scholarly book that allows us to see in glorious detail how Kent’s artwork served her spiritual calling and, at the same time, “shook up an art establishment that didn’t quite know what to do with a nun’s bold interpretation of her society.” Perhaps best known for her iconic “LOVE” stamp, Kent continued to make and teach art long after leaving her religious order and “evolved to represent a subversive homage to mass media.” April Dammann will present her new book at 6:30 p.m. on June 2 at Diesel, A Bookstore, at the Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., Suite 33, Santa Monica.
, an artful and elegant collection of short stories that feature women who are often depicted only obliquely in the Bible itself. (I was so impressed by the book when I saw it in galleys that I agreed to contribute a foreword.) “Reminiscent of Anita Diamant’s ‘The Red Tent,’ ” author Laurel Corona enthuses, “these beautifully written stories feel like meeting Eve, Lot’s wife, and many other compelling characters for the first time.” <em>Michal Lemberger will discuss and sign copies of her book at 7 p.m. on June 2 at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.</em></p>
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