Samantha Josephs: Carrying at Skylight Books

Samantha Josephs' first novel comes out on October 6. The night before, she's at Skylight Books in Los Feliz to talk about it, and the person asking the questions is Jamie Clayton, who played Pinhead. Carrying is a horror book that's also funny, and that pairing tells you a lot about the tone of the evening. If you're hunting for things to do in Los Angeles on a Monday night, this one beats another rerun.

The book

Martha has built the exact life she wanted. Her husband adores her and wants more kids. Her stepdaughter looks up to her. Dinner is plated every night and her blowouts look salon-done without the salon. She's also a trans woman living fully stealth, so completely that her own family doesn't know, and she has been staging miscarriages to keep it that way.

Then a mystery illness hits. Martha signs up for experimental treatments, starts giving in to cravings she can't explain, and finds out she's pregnant, which shouldn't be possible. The rest of the novel follows her trying to hold on to the life she fought for while her body changes on its own schedule.

The publisher calls it equal parts funny and harrowing. It's already on the longlist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a good sign for a book that isn't officially on shelves yet.

Who's talking

Josephs is a trans writer and semi-retired drag queen who moved to Los Angeles from New York City. She came through USC's Writing for Screen and Television program and wrote for podcasts, video games, apps and erotica before this debut.

Clayton is the draw for horror fans. She wore the pins in David Bruckner's Hellraiser remake for Hulu. TV viewers know her as Nomi Marks on Sense8 and as Tess Van De Berg on The L Word: Generation Q. The flyer bills her as Josephs' conversation partner, so plan on a sit-down talk rather than a straight reading.

Practical info

When: Monday, October 5, 7 PM, wrapping around 9 PM Where: Skylight Books, 1818 N Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles Admission: The store's flyer says admission is free

The same flyer says seating is first-come, first-served. A launch with an actor attached tends to fill up, so arrive early if you want a chair. The store's own event page has an RSVP button, which helps them plan. The hardcover lists at $30 on Skylight's site if you'd rather buy it there than online.

The store sits on the Vermont Avenue strip of restaurants and cafes, and Metro's B Line stop at Vermont/Sunset is a short walk south. Street parking on Vermont and the side streets is workable on a Monday, but leave a few minutes to circle.

More book nights and gallery picks are on the arts and culture calendar, and the full list of Things Happening In Los Angeles covers the rest of the city.