Join us for a day of panel discussions, workshops, and other activities celebrating the written word, self-expression, and DIY culture!
Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Central Library
Community Partners
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Taper Lobby
Come meet community partners who can help you hone your craft. With us today are Beyond Baroque, 826LA, Women Who Submit, Los Angeles Editors and Writers Group, our own Literature & Fiction Writing Group, and our librarians who help curate the Los Angeles Public Library's Zine collection.
LA-based Indie Authors on Craft and Impact
Time: 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
Join Indie authors Josef Lemoine and Désirée Zamorano as they discuss the art of writing and getting one's voice into the world. Josef Lemoine is a Filipino-American writer whose fiction and poetry have been published in several literary journals, and his debut coming-of-age novel, The Unsaid Summer, was a runner-up for the 2022 Red Hen Press Fiction Award. Désirée Zamorano, author of the literary novel The Amado Women and the LA-based historical fiction Dispossessed. Her work is often an exploration of issues of invisibility, injustice, or inequity.
Razorcake and Heavy Manners: Spreading Artwork, Love and Zines
Time: 12 noon - 12:45 p.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
Join Todd Taylor from LA fanzine Razorcake and Matthew James Wilson from Heavy Manners as they discuss all things zines. Razorcake is a DIY, punk rock fanzine that has been published in Los Angeles, CA, since 2001. Heavy Manners is a lending library, gallery, and bookstore that seeks to provide a space for developing, sharing, and discussing artwork and creative practice.
BYOB Zine Workshop
Time: 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room A
Join LAPL Zine librarians for an interactive zine-making workshop. Each participant will be inspired to create and leave with their own original zine creation. All materials will be provided, just BYOB (Bring Your Own Brain)!
Using LAPL Resources to Research your Book
Time: 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room B
Researching for a book can be difficult, but you don't have to do it alone! Learn about the wealth of free library resources available for authors researching a book from California History Librarian Kelly Wallace and Literature & Fiction Librarian Christa Deitrick.
Zine Folding Demo With Nova Community Arts
Time: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Octavia Lab
Zines are a DIY form of rapid publishing that are a great way to share your thoughts, poetry, drawings, comics, or more! In this class, you’ll learn how to fold and assemble several types of zines using various methods, including X-Fold, T-Cut, Snake, and Pamphlet Stitch zines. You will leave with instructions and templates to help you incorporate these techniques into your next zine projects! All supplies are provided.
Registration is required to attend this in-person program. To participate, please email rsvpoctavialab@lapl.org. Nova Community Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art studio that offers arts education and access to materials and equipment in Los Angeles, CA. Please visit us at https://www.novacommunityarts.com to learn more!
Poetry for Commuters
Time: 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room A
This poetry workshop invites you to contemplate your daily commute. Whether you bike, drive, or take public transportation, participants will get inspired by the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles. We will look at some examples and come out with a drafted poem that could be made into a zine or published elsewhere. All levels of experience in poetry are welcomed in this guided workshop with Iván Salinas from Beyond Baroque. Find your voice and a new passion for writing!
Iván Salinas is a poet based in the San Fernando Valley experimenting with words, images, and sound. His literary work has been published in a variety of journals and magazines, including Curious Publishing, Dryland, Drifter Zine, Backlash Lit, and more.
Professional Writing and Submission Workshops: The Importance of Groups and Connections
Time: 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room B
Work with professional writing coach Cody Sisco and learn about the benefits of collaborative spaces, working with a writing coach, and joining a writer's group. Also, learn how to submit your writing with Lisa Diane Kastner, the Founder & CEO of both Running Wild Press and RIZE Press, prominent local independent small presses
How to Graphic Novel
Time: 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room A
Join comic creator and storyboard artist Moss Lawton on how to get started on your own graphic novel or webcomic. They’ve worked as a story artist for TV and features at studios including Netflix, Nickelodeon, Disney, Dreamworks, and WB on projects such as Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Monsters at Work, and Monster High. Moss makes comics with the help of their very loud cat, Vincent, and has been told they decorate way too early for Halloween.
You've Written Your Book, Now What?
Time: 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room B
You have your best draft of your book ready. Now what? Join three accomplished writers and editors who will walk you through what the next steps should be to help get your manuscript publisher ready.
Amy Friedman is an author, editor, memoir and personal essay writing teacher, and founder of Out of the Woods Press, the publishing arm of a nonprofit serving young people impacted by incarceration. Isabel Ngo is a writer and editor born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. As a freelance copyeditor and sensitivity reader, she’s worked on fiction and nonfiction books for independent authors and major publishers, including Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Bloomsbury.
Viva Padilla is a poet and the founding editor of sin cesar, an independent print literary journal founded in South Central, Los Angeles, and is the author of INSUMISA, a hybrid collection of bilingual-literate work.
More Information
Parking
- The Los Angeles Public Library does not own or operate public parking facilities in the vicinity of the Central Library. Limited reduced-rate parking is available at the parking garage located at 524 South Flower St., directly underneath Central Library.
- Parking validation for this parking garage is available at the Information Desk. Parking validation rates of $1, payable at the parking garage only between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
- Westlawn Garage 524 S. Flower St.
- Flat rate with library validation $1
Public Transportation
- Public transportation is highly encouraged. The Metro A (Blue), B (Red), and D (Purple) Lines have stops near Central Library. Most buses that come downtown stop near the Central Library. Check the Metro website for rates, routes, and schedules.
- Downtown residents are encouraged to take the DASH “B” route to Central Library. Service runs every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit ladottransit.com/dash for more info.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is admission?
The event is free and open to all. All activities, author programs, and workshops are free.
Do I need to register?
No, but select in-person programs have limited capacity and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis for attendance.
Where will the event take place?
Indie-Pendent Voices will take place in various areas of the Los Angeles Central Library, including Mark Taper Auditorium, Octavia Lab, Meeting Room A, and Meeting Room B.
Is there going to be food?
The festival will not be providing food; however, there are many food options in Downtown Los Angeles around Central Library.
Do I need a library card?
A library card is not needed to attend the event. If you don’t already have a Los Angeles Public Library card, we encourage you to sign up for one at the Circulation desk located on the first floor. Library cards are free to residents of California, and the Los Angeles Public Library no longer charges late fines! Parking validation will require a library card.
Will I be able to purchase books?
Yes, The Library Store will be in the Taper Auditorium Lobby from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with select Indie Author and Zine titles for sale. The books will also be available for sale in the Library Store located on the first floor, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Is the festival ADA-compliant?
Yes. Central Library is fully accessible throughout the building. Flower and Fifth Street entrances have ramps. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event.
Will author signings be available?
Yes, this year, author signings will be offered from 12 noon - 1 p.m. in the Taper Auditorium Lobby.
Are you an author or community organization interested in participating in 2025?
Contact us below if you're an author or the representative of an organization interested in participating in next year's (2025) Indie-Pendent Voices celebration. Opportunities include hosting a program, workshop, or tabling.