Author & Participant Bios

A doctor and author, Cook focuses his thrillers on current medical issues. His bestselling novels include "Fatal Cure," "Contagion" and "Chromosome 6."

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CHARLES CORN

Culinary Revolutions / Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Corn was editor in chief of Dutton publishing. He is the author of "Distant Islands," and his newest book is "The Scents of Eden."

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GRACE CORNISH

Black Women's Identity / Sunday, 3 p.m.

The author of "10 Bad Choices That Ruin Black Women's Lives," Cornish has been featured on such programs as "The Montel Williams Show" and "The Ricki Lake Show."

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BETTE YARBOROUGH COX

L.A. Neighborhoods / Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Cox is the founder and president of the BEEM foundation for the advancement of music. She is the author of "Central Avenue: It's Rise and Fall Including the Musical Renaissance of Black Los Angeles."

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PETER CRAIG

Hollywood's Fringe / Sunday, 3 p.m.

Craig is the author of "The Martini Shot: A Novel."

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ROBERT CRAIS

Noir Writing / Saturday, 2 p.m.

Crais' best-selling Elvis Cole suspense series includes "Sunset Express." His most recent book, "L.A. Requiem," will be published in June by Doubleday.

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MARION CUNNINGHAM

Cooking Stage / Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Cunningham writes a syndicated cooking column. She was the host of a TV series entitled "Cunningham & Company," and her most recent book is "Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham."

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THOMAS CURWEN

Plants We Love / Sunday, 11 a.m.

The Writing Process / Sunday, 2:30 p.m.

Curwen is deputy editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

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MERI NANA-AMA DANQUAH

Black Women's Identity / Sunday, 3 p.m.

Born in Accra, Ghana, Danquah is the author of "Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman's Journey Through Depression." She is a spokesperson for the National Mental Health Assn. Campaign on Clinical Depression.

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IRIS RAINER DART

Family Fiction / Saturday, 1 p.m.

Dart began her career as the only female writer for "The Sonny and Cher Show" in 1975. Her first novel was "Beaches," which was made into a movie, and her most recent is "When I Fall in Love."

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SARA DAVIDSON

Art of the Memoir / Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

'60s Second Thoughts? / Saturday, 3 p.m.

Davidson's latest book is "Cowboy: A Love Story." She is the author of "Loose Change," "Real Property" and "Friends of the Opposite Sex."

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MARGARET LESLIE DAVIS

Titans of Industry / Sunday, 10:30 p.m.

Davis is the author of "Rivers in the Desert: William Mulholland and the Inventing of Los Angeles" and "Dark Side of Fortune: Triumph and Scandal in the Life of Oil Tycoon Edward L. Doheny."

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MIKE DAVIS

L.A.: A Sense of Place / Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Davis is the bestselling author of "City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in L.A." and "The Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster."

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DOM DeLUISE

Writing Children's Books / Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

Times Storytelling Stage / Saturday, 3 p.m.

DeLuise has more than 60 feature film credits to his name and has recently begun writing children's books. His books include "Charlie the Caterpillar" and "King Bob's New Clothes."

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LILIANA NIETO DEL RIO

Americanos / Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

As photojournalist, Del Rio covered the uprising in Chiapas in 1994, the influx of Kurdish refugees into Turkey following the Gulf War and civil strife in Central and South America. She was awarded the John S. Knight Fellowship for journalists at Stanford University and the World Press Budapest photojournalism award.

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PETER DENNIS

Times Storytelling Stage / Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Times Storytelling Stage / Sunday, 3:30 p.m.

Dennis has appeared on numerous television shows, including "Murder She Wrote," "Seinfeld" and "Friends." His one-man show, "Bother!", based on "Winnie the Pooh," received the L.A. Theater Award and the Drama-Logue Award.

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TOMIE DePAOLA

Illustrator as Storyteller / Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

DePaola is the artist and author of more than 200 picture books. Recent books include "Big Anthony: His Story" and "Bill and Pete to the Rescue." Most recently, DePaola illustrated "Erandi's Braids" and "26 Fairmount Avenue."

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DIGBY DIEHL

Good / Bad Hemingway / Saturday, 2 p.m.

A literary correspondent for ABC's "Good Morning America," Diehl is also the author of several books, including "Tales From The Crypt: The Complete Archives."

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SANDRA DIJKSTRA

Why Agents Matter / Sunday, 4 p.m.

Founder of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, which was established in 1979, Dijkstra has represented more than 150 authors, including Chitra Divakaruni, Amy Tan, Lisa See and Mike Davis.

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CARA MIA DiMASSA

GenX: What's Next? / Sunday, noon

DiMassa is an assistant editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

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GERALD DiPEGO

Page to Screen / Sunday, 2 p.m.