It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere: A quarterly reading series in the Culver City arts district

I’m used to driving to the Mandrake from the west, so making the trip from Burbank for the first time last weekend, I got completely turned around. I parked in the general vicinity, walked up a confused half block to the stoplight, and was repeatedly pushing the cross button when I looked behind me to see an open door, and over it, the familiar little neon sign: BAR.

The Mandrake is a low-key bar in the industrial-looking area that’s the Culver City arts district. It’s also home to It’s Five...