Out of the Ordinary

Ojai bookstores defy type-casting.

Take Local Hero Books and Cafe at 254 E. Ojai Ave., known as a community forum for music, writing, arts and activism.

Free-standing bookshelves are arranged at varied angles. You may browse while sipping freshly brewed tea--just the way the British make it, said store manager Olivia Vardak, an English transplant. Employees trust their patrons to have fairly decent table manners and not drop anything on the books, she said. The cafe serves up muffins, ham croissants and other edibles for indoor or outdoor munching on the shop’s adjoining patio.

Bestsellers may or not make the cut here. Monica Lewinsky’s didn’t--Vardak said it wasn’t worth having. The store does specialize in special ordering, though, and will stock books recommended by the staff and patrons, she said.

Vardak manages the place for owner Bobby Houston, a director and producer who is editing a film. Houston, who took over in 1995, continues to make changes as the store evolves. Recently, it began opening at 8 a.m. on weekdays, a popular decision with the locals. It stays open late, too, especially on weekends.

Friday is open mike night, hosted by Mike Cregan. “Some people come prepared, and others get into the spirit of the moment,” Vardak said. “Some of it is very good, and some is--interesting.”

Musicians often perform on Saturday nights--anything from jazz to acoustic folk and blues. Authors make appearances from time to time--sometimes a local writer or a friend of a local. The town attracts its share of celebrities.

At 5 p.m. today author Kitty Tsui will sign and discuss her books, “Breathless” (Firebrand Books, $9.95) and, writing as Eric Norton, “Sparks Fly” (Badboy, $7.95). Later this month, Dr. Judith Boice will appear at a Sunday afternoon signing and seminar to discuss her book, “But My Doctor Never Told Me That!”

All events are free and open to the public.

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Meanwhile, down the block at 208 E. Ojai Ave., Ed Elrod operates Table of Contents, a scaled-down version of his Ventura Bookstore. With the Ventura store up for sale, Elrod seems at home in Ojai.

The inventory may be smaller but there is the same eclectic range of books. He continues to do special ordering and recommends books geared to customers whose tastes he has come to know over the years.

A huge poster of author Charles Frazier and his book, “Cold Mountain,” looms over a high shelf, a reminder that new authors can get published in spite of rejections by established publishing houses, and Elrod relishes recounting that story.

Elrod will host an informal book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday by author Stephen P. Huyler, whose family still lives in Ojai.

Huyler will sign “Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion” (Yale University Press,($35). An art historian, cultural anthropologist and photographer, he is on a national tour.

HAPPENINGS

* Today: 5 p.m. Kitty Tsui will discuss her books, “Breathless” and “Sparks Fly.” Local Hero Books and Cafe, 254 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 646-3165.

* Today: 7 p.m. Poetry Night at Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

* Tuesday: 6 p.m. Book signing by freelance photographer Tim Hauf of “Channel Islands National Park.” Visitors Center & Gallery, Ventura Harbor Village, 1575 Spinnaker Drive, No. 106, Ventura, 658-6358.

* Tuesday: 7 p.m. The Second Tuesday Contemporary Book Group will focus on “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson. Borders, 497-8159.

* Tuesday: 7 p.m. The Pop Culture Reading Group will focus on “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9170.

* Tuesday: 7:30 p.m. The Ventura County Writers Club will hear speaker John M. Daniel, a publisher who will talk about small press options and opportunities for literary fiction. Call Joan Sehnem at 579-9414 for more information. Borders, 497-8159.

* Tuesday: 7:30 p.m. Dr. Edward Hallowell, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, will discuss and sign “Connect.” He is coauthor of “Driven to Distraction, Answers to Distraction” and author of “Worry.” Calabasas Barnes & Noble, 4736 Commons Way, (818) 222-9542.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. The Great Books of the Century Fiction Reading Group will focus on “Burger’s Daughter” by Nadine Gordimer. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Thursday: 7 p.m. The Science Fiction Reading Group will focus on “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Friday: 7 p.m. Author Warren Farrell will discuss and sign “Women Can’t Hear What Men Don’t Say.” Borders, 497-8159.

* Friday: 7 p.m. Story time celebrates the Ventura Barnes & Nobles’ sixth year with “Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo” by Diane de Groat. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Saturday: noon. Elizabeth M. Cosin will discuss and sign “Zen and the City of Angels.” Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084.

* Saturday: 2-4 p.m. Stephen P. Huyler will sign “Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotions.” Table of Contents, 208 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 646-0265.

* Saturday: 7 p.m. Pajamamania features stories from the 1950s. Borders, 497-8159.

Storytellers Note: An organizational and planning meeting by Performances To Grow On is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ojai Coffee Roasting Company, 337 E. Ojai Ave., to discuss the “Ojai Storytelling Festival” scheduled for May 5-7. Contact Brian Bemen at 646-8907 for more information.

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Information about book signings, writers groups, publishing events can be e-mailed to [email protected] or faxed to 647-5649.