He’s long overdue.

Educated in England, an L.A. oilman by vocation, Raymond Chandler was not only an unlikely writer, he was arguably the first writer to venture beyond Los Angeles’s surface noise, and one of the handful of writers who understood Los Angeles, the most complicated and most misunderstood city in America. And he did it all in his first novel.

Santa Monica’s Citywide Reads program, in which everyone is encouraged to read one specific book and talk about it, began ten years ago. Despite sporadic lobbying from me over the years, it ignored Chandler – until now, Perhaps to make up for passing Chandler by for all those years, it has assembled an impressive series of events that focus on Chandler’s works, including some of his films as well as his novels, his legacy and his literary heirs and successors, with particular focus on one of his novels, THE LADY IN THE LAKE.

The Chandler revival begins Saturday, February 25, and runs through March 31, with some very choice stops along the way.
• An Evening with Michael Connelly & Robert Crais.
Best-selling modern mystery authors Michael Connelly and Robert Crais discuss the influence of Raymond Chandler on their work and the mystery genre. Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Lincoln Middle School Auditorium, 1501 California Avenue.
• A Touch of Naomi
Mystery author Naomi Hirahara takes us on a tour of noir, accompanied by the torchy songs and sax of Doc & Renee. Monday, February 27, 2012 at 6:30 p.m., Annenberg Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway.
• Los Angeles Noir Now
Denise Hamilton, editor of Los Angeles Noir, leads a discussion on the noir genre of today with authors Christopher Rice, Jim Pascoe, Gary Phillips and Naomi Hirahara. Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

• Bay City and Beyond
A look back at the history of Santa Monica and Los Angeles in the noir period with authors Ernest Marquez (“Noir Afloat”), David Kipen (Los Angeles in the 1930s) and Alain Silver (Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles), as well as SMPL Image Archives Librarian Cynni Murphy. Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.
• Raymond Chandler’s Sense of Place: Santa Monica & The West Side
Judith Freeman presents an illustrated, virtual tour of Santa Monica places associated with Raymond Chandler and his novels. Monday, March 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Annenberg Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast Highway. 

• The Lady in the Lake Live: Authors Reading Raymond Chandler – Judith Freeman, Janet Fitch and Denise Hamilton lead a star-studded list of authors in a staged, costumed reading of THE LADY IN THE LAKE. Audience costumes encouraged. Friday, March 16, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, 1210 Fourth Street. 

• The Masters of Los Angeles Noir
Author Denise Hamilton discusses noir pioneers Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Ross Macdonald with their respective biographers Judith Freeman, Julie Rivett and Tom Nolan. Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard. 

• Staged Reading of “The Pencil”
A staged reading of Raymond Chandler’s last Phillip Marlowe short story, “The Pencil,” produced by the Ruskin Group Theatre. Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 3:00 p.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.
• Raymond Chandler Movie Screenings 

“Double Indemnity,” Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m. (Main Library); “The Big Sleep,” Saturday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m. (Ocean Park Branch); “Strangers on a Train.” Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. (Fairview Branch); “Murder My Sweet,” Monday, March 19, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. (Montana Branch); “Lady in the Lake,” Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. (Main Library); “The Long Goodbye,” Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. (Main Library), 
Q&A following with Elliott Gould (schedule permitting). Gould played Marlowe in this Robert Altman film.

Discussions of THE LADY IN THE LAKE, will be led by “trained, volunteer facilitators” the following times and places: Tuesday, February 28, at 4:00 p.m., Panera Bread, 501 Wilshire Boulevard; • Thursday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m., Ocean Park Branch Library, 2601 Main Street; Wednesday, March 7, at 7:00 p.m., Fairview Branch Library, 2102 Ocean Park Blvd.; Monday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m., Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth Street; Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 1201 Third Street Promenade; Saturday, March 17, at 11:00 a.m., Café Bolivar, 1741 Ocean Park Boulevard; Wednesday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m., Montana Branch Library, 1704 Montana Ave.; Saturday, March 31, at 11:00 a.m., Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard. 



People who already belong to a book club and are interested in reading and discussing THE LADY IN THE LAKE with their group are invited to use the Citywide Reads Resource Guide, available from late January through March 31, 2012 at all Santa Monica Public Library locations and on the Citywide Reads web site at www.smpl.org/Citywide_Reads.aspx.

The Santa Monica Public Library is wheelchair accessible. For special disabled services, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8606 at least one week prior to the event. For more information, call the Santa Monica Public Library at (310) 458-8600 or visit www.smpl.org.