Amber Tamblyn stresses the importance of turning rage into action at L.A. Times Festival of Books
LA Times editorial writer Mariel Garza, left, speaks in conversation with Amber Tamblyn, author of “Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution,” during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
Amber Tamblyn remembers submitting “Paint It Black,” a film she co-wrote and directed, to a well-known film festival and being told by organizers that, while they liked it, they felt the slot for an actress-turned-writer/director had already been filled at the festival that year.
“I just want you to imagine them saying that to Bradley Cooper,” Tamblyn told a crowd during her appearance Sunday on the main stage at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
“When we give men opportunities predominately,” she continued, “we see it as an investment. When we’re giving it to women, when we’re giving it to marginalized voices, we’re seeing it as a gamble. And that’s been the problem for so long.”
Advertisement
It’s something Tamblyn unpacks in her timely book “Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution.” Part memoir, part call to arms, the collection of essays function as an exploration of Tamblyn’s feminist evolution and an exhortation against systemic sexism and misogyny — with reflections on the recent presidential election and the rise of the #MeToo movement.
During her conversation with L.A. Times editorial writer Mariel Garza, Tamblyn spoke about the title of the book and this idea of transforming rage into action at a time when the country is reckoning with its own identity and values.
Advertisement
“I was trying to find a term to encapsulate this sense of condensed change and really palpable rage that we’re feeling as a culture in the country right now,” said Tamblyn, who is a founding member of the “Time’s Up” movement. “What does it feel like within the body of this national existential crisis that all of us are feeling thrust and thrown into? What can we call this individual experience for each of us, where we’re harnessing our deepest powers and using tools we’ve never had to use before.”
Amber Tamblyn, author of “Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution,” speaks during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
For Tamblyn, whose onscreen work includes “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” films and “Joan of Arcadia,” the book continues her attention toward writing and activism in recent years. She’s written three books of poetry, including critically acclaimed “Dark Sparkler,” and released a novel last year, “Any Man,” about a female serial rapist who targets men.
And it presented an opportunity for Tamblyn, who has spent much of her life expressing the emotions and feelings of the characters she was portraying, to turn the spotlight on herself — not exactly a comfortable undertaking.
“I did not want to do that,” Tamblyn said. “The writing of this book was antithetical to everything within my entire body.”
“I have so much admiration for memoirists,” she continued, “I think about incredible women like Roxane Gay; I think about women who are able to write about these kinds of things — the personal — so beautifully and profoundly [and] so consistently. This was very difficult for me…. Looking at my own change, my own experience having an existential crisis in my early 20s and really trying to figure out the things.”
The key point of the ignited era, Tamblyn says, is to finds ways to translate the rage into action that benefits the many, instead of the few.
1/52
Get Lit — Words Ignite poet Khamal Iwvanyanwu shares his poetry with passersby at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. The group is based in Koreatown.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
2/52
Maria Recarte, of South Los Angeles, enjoys a Sunday afternoon with family and a book at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
3/52
Lincoln Choi, 2, of Los Angeles shows his enthusiasm as members from the Urban Voices Project perform at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. The project includes current and former residents of skid row.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
4/52
Members of the Urban Voices Project, which includes current and former residents of skid row, perform at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
5/52
People walk around the USC campus at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
6/52
Markey Torres, 5, and Sophie Torres, 4, both of Los Angeles, make a book purchase at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Ana Venegas / For The Times)
7/52
Get Lit – Words Ignite poets C.E Oldham, from left, Tyris Winter, Khamal Iwvanyanwu and Mila Cudas break into a group poem for passersby at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
8/52
Times critic Mary McNamara, left, interviews former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, author of the children’s environment book “Don’t Let Them Disappear,” at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
9/52
Leo Barba, 4, watches family members try on paper mache heads at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday. (Ana Venegas / For The Times)
10/52
Michelle Mauk, left, reads a pop-up book with her son Milo Armes, 6, during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
11/52
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, author of the children’s environment book “Don’t Let Them Disappear,” made an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
12/52
UC President and former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano discusses her book “How Safe Are We: Homeland Security Since 9/11” with L.A. Times Managing Editor Scott Kraft at the Festival of Books at USC on Sunday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
13/52
Le Petit Cirque contortionist Lila Woodard, 13, of Santa Barbara folds herself into a clear box at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
14/52
Author and actress Amber Tamblyn, author of “Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution,” speaks during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books held at USC.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
15/52
Hasan Paul, 12, peeks into a book for sale during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
16/52
People browse books for sale during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
17/52
Justine Bateman, author of “Fame: The Hijacking of Reality,” is interviewed during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
18/52
Shiri Davy, left, with Stefani Bulsara, who wrote “Radio Gaga.” Bulsara wears a CD-covered dress to reflect the book’s musical theme at the independent author pavilion at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
19/52
Kevin Tominaga holds his daughters Lana and Kaya Tominaga, left and right, who watch USC’s band perform during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
20/52
Samantha Ruzon, of USC’s Color Guard, performs during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
21/52
Fernando Grimaldo and Elaine Karaelias relax with a copy of “Inca Gods and Aliens” by Bruce Noon at the Los Angeles Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
22/52
Mexican journalist and author Anabel Hernandez talks about “A Massacre In Mexico: The True Story Behind the Missing Forty-Three Students,” at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
23/52
Molly Ash, right, tidies the books at the Book Soup booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
24/52
Indie musician Maddie Ross performs at the USC stage at the Los Angeles Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
25/52
Biani Martinez Romero, 8, of Los Angeles, watches a virtual-reality movie at the Save L.A. Cougars booth at the Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
26/52
Times columnists Chris Erskine, from left, Robin Abcarian, Steve Lopez and Frank Shyong speak on a panel during the L.A. Times Festival of Books.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
27/52
Valerie Jarrett, former White House senior advisor to President Obama and author of “Finding My Voice,” is interviewed by the Times’ White House editor Jackie Calmes at the L.A. Times Ideas Exchange during the Festival of Books.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
28/52
Jostin Soto Garcia reads a wall of comments at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
29/52
People pack the USC campus at the L.A. Times Festival of Books.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
30/52
Erica Reyes, of Silverlake, reads “Death Wins a Goldfish,” at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
31/52
Hanif Abdurraqib, center, speak during the “Drop the Beat: Writing About Music” panel along with Greg Mack, Times writer Gerrick D. Kennedy and Will Ashton at the annual L.A. Times Festival of Books.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
32/52
Valerie Jarrett, former senior White House advisor under President Obama and author of “Finding My Voice,” is interviewed by Times’ White House editor Jackie Calmes at the L.A. Times Ideas Exchange during the Festival of Books at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
33/52
Attendees laugh with Sandra Cisneros during her appearance at the Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
34/52
Author Sandra Cisneros drew a crowd during her appearance at the Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
35/52
Noah McCown, 3, of Glendale, gets a kiss from a marionette during the Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
36/52
Sophia Tesfalem, 12, gets her face painted by USC Public Safety Cadet Amy Ramirez, 14, during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
37/52
Sisters Mia and Diana Palma peruse books for sale during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
38/52
Lili Anolik, author of “Hollywood’s Eve,” takes part in a panel discussion titled “Los Angeles: The People and Places” during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday at USC.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
39/52
Jonah Legere, and Shannon Legere of Long Beach read “Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes,” together during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at University of Southern California on Saturday, April 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
40/52
People pack the USC campus for the L.A. Times Festival of Books on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
41/52
Author Andrea Beaty takes questions from children in the audience at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
42/52
Judi Rivera of Whittier operates a printing press making a copy of the first issue of the Los Angeles Daily Times at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
43/52
USC student Caroline Sharp, 19, opens a book she just purchased at the L.A. Times Festival of Books on the USC campus Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
44/52
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, speaks at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
45/52
Actor Joshua Molina and Alana Newhouse, author of the cookbook “The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List,” at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
46/52
Children are mesmerized as a figure from the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre performs at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
47/52
People pack the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
48/52
Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, right, and executive editor Norm Pearlstine on the main stage at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
49/52
William Deverell leads a panel discussion titled “Los Angeles: The People and Places That Shaped a City” at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
50/52
Times columnist Robin Abcarian, left, speaks with authors Roxane Gay and Laurie Halse Anderson at the Bovard Auditorium during the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
51/52
Japanese author and illustrator Sunny Seki talks with Jade Monge, 10, at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
(Ana Venegas / For The Times)
52/52
Andrew Sanchez of Los Angeles and Misha Ponnuraju of San Bernadino browse the shelvesat the L.A. Times Festival of Books at USC on Saturday.
