In collaboration with the City of Los Angeles’ Big Read honoring the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Grand Park’s Downtown Bookfest turns Dickinson’s poetry inside out with performances by Cut Chemist + Hymnal, David Prather and Mayda Del Valle. Free hands-on activities include creating your own pieces of poetic genius with PUBLISH! by Writ Large Press, constructing handmade books using dried plant specimens, a photo booth with Victorian-era props and prose, free writing advice, 826LA’s never-ending story, and pop-up bookshops for literary lovers big and small.
MAYDA IS THE DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST HOST!
Poet and performer Mayda Del Valle has been described by the Chicago Sun Times as having “a way with words. Sometimes they seem to flutter and roll off her lips. Other times they burst forth like a comet streaking across a nighttime sky.”
A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, Mayda got her start at New York City’s legendary Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, where she was the 2001 Grand Slam Champion and went on to win the 2001 National Poetry Slam Individual title, becoming the youngest and first Latina poet to do so. She went on to appear on 6 episodes of Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on HBO, and was a contributing writer and original cast member of the Tony Award winning Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.
Since 2011 Mayda has been a teaching artist with the poetry-based non-profit youth organization Street Poets. She is also a dancer and vocalist with the Los Angeles based Afro-Puerto Rican bomba group Atabey, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at California Institute of The Arts.
FOLLOW MAYDA: maydadelvalle.com
GET LIT PLAYERS PERFORM: 12:15pm – 12:35PM
The Get Lit Players (GLPs) are an award-winning youth poetry troupe and the most watched poets on the internet. They have collaborated with the United Nations, John Legend, the White House, and more, inspiring their peers to engage in their educations and their lives.
FOLLOW THE GET LIT PLAYERS: getlit.org
DAVID PRATHER PERFORMS: 12:45PM – 1:45PM
In nearly two decades with The Music Center, Mr. Prather has conducted numerous workshops and residencies, and created several solo shows including Prather’s Poetry Jam. In all of these endeavors, Mr. Prather has sought to share his love of language and performance so evident in his interpretation of Casey at the Bat. Transformation, Enduring Values and The Human Family are strong universal themes.
FOLLOW DAVID PRATHER: musiccenter.org
ST. BERNARD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM:
2:00PM – 2:20PM
11th and 12th graders from St. Bernard High School will be reading their original response poems inspired by Emily Dickinson with their Teacher Mike “the PoeT” Sonksen. (L-R Rosie Flores, Camille Jacome, Kyana Morgan and Larry Li.)
L.A. POETS PERFORM: 2:20PM – 2:40PM
You who wrote an L.A. poem in the NOON – 1:30PM workshop with Mike “The PoeT” Sonksen will express what makes this place the greatest on earth.
CUT CHEMIST + HYMNAL PERFORM: 3PM – 4PM
Cut Chemist has been recording and performing for over twenty years. Cut first became known as a founding member of both the rap group Jurassic 5 and the Grammy award winning Latin funk outfit, Ozomatli. His mix-tapes, albums, and remixes are critically acclaimed, including The Audience’s Listening and Sound of the Police. “Whatever comes next you can expect the same ethic of artistic integrity” says Cut. “Hip Hop is not a specific type of music, it’s how its presented. I feel I’ve always proved that and will continue to do so.”
Cut Chemist collaborates with Hymnal putting books and poetry to vinyl.
FOLLOW CUT CHEMIST: cutchemist.com
READINGS FROM RED HEN PRESS POETS Brendan Constantine, Kim Dower, Blas Falconer, Siel Ju, and Ron Koertge: .4:05pm – 5:00pm
Brendan Constantine is a poet based in Hollywood. His work has appeared in numerous journals, most notably Ploughshares, FIELD, Zyzzyva, Ninth Letter, Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, ArtLife, PANK, and L.A. Times Best Seller, The Underground Guide to Los Angeles. His first book, Letters To Guns (Red Hen Press 2009), is now required reading in creative writing programs across the nation. His most recent collections are Birthday Girl With Possum (Write Bloody Publishing 2011), Calamity Joe (Red Hen Press 2012), and Dementia, My Darling (Red Hen Press 2016).
Kim Dower’s first collection of poetry, Air Kissing on Mars, (Red Hen Press, 2010) was on the Poetry Foundation’s Contemporary Best Sellers list, and was described by the Los Angeles Times as, “sensual and evocative . . . seamlessly combining humor and heartache.” Slice of Moon, her second collection, (Red Hen Press, 2013), was called, “unexpected and sublime,” by “O” magazine. Kim’s work has appeared in Garrison Keillor’s “The Writer’s Almanac,” and Ted Kooser’s “American Life in Poetry,” as well as in Ploughshares, Barrow Street, and Eclipse. Kim teaches a workshop called, Poetry and Dreaming in the B.A. Program of Antioch University. She lives in West Hollywood, California. Her latest collection is The Last Train to the Missing Planet (Red Hen Press, 2016).
Ron Koertge teaches at Hamline University in their low-residency MFA program for Children’s Writing. His most recent book, Vampire Planet, is a collection of new and selected poems. His other works include Sex World (Red Hen Press, 2014), Fever (Red Hen Press, 2007), Indigo (Red Hen Press, 2009), Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses (Candlewick Press, 2012), and The Ogre’s Wife (Red Hen Press, 2013). Koertge also writes fiction for teenagers, including many novels and novels-in-verse: The Brimstone Journals, Stoner & Spaz, Strays, Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs, and Coaltown Jesus. All were honored by the American Library Association, and two received PEN awards. He is the recipient of grants from the NEA and the California Arts Council and has poems in two volumes of Best American Poetry. He lives in South Pasadena, California.
Siel Ju is a writer in Los Angeles. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks: Feelings Are Chemicals in Transit (Dancing Girl Press, 2014), and Might Club (Horse Less Press, 2014). Her stories and poems appear in ZYZZYVA, The Los Angeles Review, Denver Quarterly, and other publications. She also edits Flash Flash Click, a weekly email lit zine for fast fiction. Siel is the recipient of a residency from The Anderson Center at Tower View and holds a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. Cake Time is her first novel-in-stories.
Blas Falconer is the author of The Foundling Wheel (Four Way Books, 2012); A Question of Gravity and Light (University of Arizona Press, 2007); and The Perfect Hour (Pleasure Boat Studio: A Literary Press, 2006). He is also a co-editor for The Other Latin@: Writing Against a Singular Identity(University of Arizona Press, 2011) and Mentor & Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets (Southern Illinois University Press, 2010). He teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Murray State University. Falconer’s awards include a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award from Poets & Writers, a Tennessee Individual Artist Grant, the New Delta Review Eyster Prize for Poetry, and the Barthelme Fellowship. Born and raised in Virginia, Falconer earned an M.F.A. from the University of Maryland (1997) and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston (2002). He currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his family.
The Writer Is In: Grand Park’s Teaching-Writer-in-Residence and LUNCHTIME! Writer’s Meetup facilitator traci kato kiriyama offers free writing consultation to dislodge any blocks, offer advice, or give words of encouragement.
traci kato-kiriyama is: a writer/actor and one half of the award-winning PULLproject Ensemble; director/co-founder of Tuesday Night Project – presenter of the Tuesday Night Cafe series (currently the longest-running Asian American-produced mic series in the country); and Writ Large Press author of a new book still in the birthing process. She has been presented as a performer, poet, theatre deviser, guest lecturer, speaker, facilitator, emcee, and Artist-in-Residence at innumerable venues from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington and Hawai’i to Philadelphia, Florida, New York and Toronto.
Emily’s BIG READ: The City of L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs leads Big Read activities exploring the life and times of Emily Dickinson, including a book-making workshop inspired by Dickinson’s collection of 400 plant specimens, creating personal treasures with magnetic poetry in a tin box, and a poetry photo booth with Victorian-era props and prose.
Be sure to check out the temporary installation of quilt created by students of the Canoga Park Youth Arts Center. This exhibition is the culmination of weeks-long class in which youth read the poetry of Emily Dickinson and created the quilt as group work of art.
Formed in 1925, the Department of Cultural Affairs promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite a powerful dialogue, engage LA’s residents and visitors, and ensure LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. DCA’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities, ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors alike.
DCA advances the social and economic impact of arts and culture through grantmaking, public art, community arts, and strategic marketing and development. DCA creates and supports arts programming, maximizing relationships with other city agencies, artists, and arts and cultural nonprofit organizations to provide excellent service to all residents and visitors in neighborhoods throughout LA.
Write Where You Are: Create your own L.A. poem in an activity taught by three generations of L.A. poets, including Mike “The PoeT” Sonksen and traci kato-kiriyama.
Mike Sonksen, also known as Mike the Poet, is a 3rd-generation LA native acclaimed for poetry performances, published articles & legendary city tours. Poet, journalist, historian, tour guide, and teacher, he graduated from the University of California Los Angeles and is currently pursuing an advanced degree at California State University Los Angeles. Sonksen has lectured at and had his book I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES! added to the curriculum of over 60 universities and high schools.
Let it NEVER-EVER End: Stop by 826LA and the Time Travel Mart to pick up goods or leave your mark in their never-ending story.
826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
PUBLISH! and Deconstruct Emily: Dickinson’s poems get refashioned, reordered, and reinvented via vintage typewriters in a activity led by Writ Large Press.
PUBLISH! is an ongoing underground publishing project. Kicking off below ground in the Old Bowery Subway Station in NYC, PUBLISH! has traveled all over, publishing hundreds of writers from around the world through the use of typewriters, speech-to-text software, broadsides, Instagrams, and mathematical equations.
Discover the Work: Take home new finds at the Red Hen Press , Skylight Books, and Get Lit Publications pop-up bookshops.
Get Crafty: Paper art-making with Ryman Arts.
Since its doors opened in 1990, Ryman Arts has engaged over 6,000 Southern California teens in its core 18-month studio program. This vibrant community of culturally diverse teens comes from over 150 neighborhoods across the region. In over two decades, Ryman Arts has evolved into a national model for transforming the lives and futures of young artists. A non-profit organization, Ryman Arts is funded by individuals, foundations, corporate supporters, and government agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts.
Finally Get That Library Card! Sign up and learn about the County of Los Angeles Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library
Whatever Pops In: Share your stories and thoughts at the KTLA Mobile Kiosk
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: Downtown Bookfest is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup // EVERY TUES MAR 7 thru MAY 30 // Noon – 1:30pm
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change.
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Do you like the idea of writing in the middle of a park?
Did you make a commitment to writing more often this year, yet haven’t made the time to do it?
Would you like to write among a community of other writers and have facilitation with a handful of simple prompts to get you started?
Then write where you are.
Grand Park’s Teaching Writer-in-Residence traci kato-kiriyama curates a variety of themes throughout the season, and facilitate short form writing exercises throughout the hour. Themes this year will include love, healing, power, quirks, city and maps, home, dreams, vision, food and nourishment; and many more.
Meetups will have special guests, including leaders in journalism and script-writing to support cultivating new writings or to nurture existing works.
LOCATION: Meet at the Fountain overlook, right off Grand Ave. below the white tents. Writing materials (pens and notepads) will be provided.
Photo by Javier Guillen for Grand Park/The Music Center
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Young Angeleno artists voice their creativity and expressions through music. LUNCHTIME! Concerts happen weekly on Thursdays MAR 2 thru MAY 30. Also Enjoy LUNCHTIME! Food Truck offerings from 11am – 2pm every TUES, WED, and THURS in Grand Park.
March 2 – String Ensemble
March 9 – Piano
March 16 – Evan Abounassar (jazz trio)
March 23 – Alec Shulman (jazz trio)
March 30 – Luca Mendoza (solo jazz pianist)
April 6 – Dance – Senior Solos
April 13 – Teira LC & Steve Gordon (jazz vocals with piano)
April 20 – Gospel
April 27 – LACHSA Piano
May 4 – LACHSA Vocal Jazz
May 11 – Dance Junior Solos
May 18 – LACHSA Piano
May 25 – Musical Theatre
LOCATION CHANGE: Lunchtime! Concerts will be moved to the Community Terrace THURS MAY 18, located next to Metro Station between Broadway and Hill St.
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Concerts is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup // EVERY TUES MAR 7 thru MAY 30 // Noon – 1:30pm
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Photo by Tim Aulger Photography
Grand Park partners with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dodgers Foundation and MLB to host 150 third and fourth graders from three local elementary schools to a #PLAYBALL clinic, kicking off the opening semifinals game of the World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium. Activities will include: home run derby, running bases, bat & ball games, giveaways and more.
This event is free and open to the public.
Suggested age for activities: 8-10 years old.
Information subject to change.
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Do you like the idea of writing in the middle of a park?
Did you make a commitment to writing more often this year, yet haven’t made the time to do it?
Would you like to write among a community of other writers and have facilitation with a handful of simple prompts to get you started?
Then write where you are.
Grand Park’s Teaching Writer-in-Residence traci kato-kiriyama curates a variety of themes throughout the season, and facilitate short form writing exercises throughout the hour. Themes this year will include love, healing, power, quirks, city and maps, home, dreams, vision, food and nourishment; and many more.
Meetups will have special guests, including leaders in journalism and script-writing to support cultivating new writings or to nurture existing works.
LOCATION: Meet at the Fountain overlook, right off Grand Ave. below the white tents. Writing materials (pens and notepads) will be provided.
Photo by Javier Guillen for Grand Park/The Music Center
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Young Angeleno artists voice their creativity and expressions through music. LUNCHTIME! Concerts happen weekly on Thursdays MAR 2 thru MAY 30. Also Enjoy LUNCHTIME! Food Truck offerings from 11am – 2pm every TUES, WED, and THURS in Grand Park.
March 2 – String Ensemble
March 9 – Piano
March 16 – Evan Abounassar (jazz trio)
March 23 – Alec Shulman (jazz trio)
March 30 – Luca Mendoza (solo jazz pianist)
April 6 – Dance – Senior Solos
April 13 – Teira LC & Steve Gordon (jazz vocals with piano)
April 20 – Gospel
April 27 – LACHSA Piano
May 4 – LACHSA Vocal Jazz
May 11 – Dance Junior Solos
May 18 – LACHSA Piano
May 25 – Musical Theatre
LOCATION CHANGE: Lunchtime! Concerts will be moved to the Community Terrace THURS MAY 18, located next to Metro Station between Broadway and Hill St.
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Concerts is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup // EVERY TUES MAR 7 thru MAY 30 // Noon – 1:30pm
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Part of Grand Park’s ongoing PROUD Series celebrating LGBTQ L.A., the PROUD Story Slam presents narratives about how Los Angeles connects us no matter who we are or whom we love. From L.A. gay rights pioneers to Angeleno trans comedians, hear amazing stories that transcend geography, generation, gender, race and background. Be prepared to laugh and perhaps even shed a tear.
NEW LOCATION Rain or Shine: Do not think for a second a few drops of possible weather will deter OUR L.A. VOICES to be heard. The PROUD Story Slam will take place at an adjacent indoor location at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Come share some space.
The Road to Equality from San Gabriel Valley Pride – a multi-year community art project inspired by the AIDS quilt will be displayed for the first time in its entirety. Add to the already 500 personal illustrations honoring the fight for LGBTQ rights.
Share your own with Q Youth Foundation: add to the collection of L.A.’s LGBTQIA+ experiences and voices.
LGBTQ L.A. history revealed in a 25-foot illustrated timeline by The Lavender Effect
HOSTED BY: D’Lo
BEATS BY: AkikoLUV
ACT I:
12:15-1:15PM: Martin Matamoros, Calpernia Addams, Amanda-Faye Jimenez, Pip Lilly, Justin Sayre, Ryka Aoki
ACT II:
1:30-2:30 PM: Scott Turner Schofield, Deadlee, Alexandra Grey, Coral Lobera, Corey Saucier, Mia Yamamoto
ACT III:
3-4 PM: Kristina Wong, Bitsy, Jade Phoenix Martinez, Miss Barbie-Q, Noel Alumit, D.M. Collins
Photo by Belo
D’Lo, a Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor/writer/comedian whose writing includes solo theater, stand up, poetry and plays.
You’ve seen D’Lo in your favorite shows like Looking (HBO), Transparent (Amazon), and Sense 8 (Netflix). He also can be found in the documentary based on his life/work called Performing Girl and the film Bruising for Besos. Lastly, he’s featured in Buzzfeed videos and on the web series Eastsiders and Dyke Central, and in two soon-to-be released webseries: Issa Rae-produced Minimum Wage and his own series.
D’LO is the PROUD Story Slam host!
FOLLOW D’LO: dlokid.com
AkikoLUV is a bonafide “skratch nerd”. Deeply passionate about the art of DJing, she had dedicated her life to the skills-intensive subgenre of turntablism.
AKIKOLUV IS THE PROUD STORY SLAM DJ!
FOLLOW AKIKOLUV: facebook.com/akikoluv and @akikoluv
Justin Sayre, described by Michael Musto in The Village Voice as “Oscar Wilde meets Whoopi Goldberg,” and hailed as one the “Funniest People in Brooklyn” by Brooklyn Magazine and among “LA’s 16 Most Talented LGBT Comics” by Frontiers Magazine, is best known as the creator and host of The Meeting at Joe’s Pub. He currently works as a staff writer on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls and has appeared opposite Lisa Kudrow on HBO’s The Comeback. His first young adult novel, Husky, was published by Penguin Books in 2015 and a sequel will hit stands in 2017. Stage credits include: Rite of Water (Queer Pop Up) The Boy Sonata (The Wild Project) Love’s Refrain (La MaMa).
JUSTIN’S PROUD STORY: A high profile moment at a Hollywood fundraiser gives Justin his first taste of the glitz and horror of the Hills.
FOLLOW JUSTIN: Twitter @JustinSayreCHM
Photo by Krista Benson.
Calpernia Addams is a musician, actress, author and activist from Nashville, Tennessee who has made Hollywood her home for over 15 years now. Calpernia has toured the US and Europe playing original acoustic music, most recently in London, Ukraine, Germany and more across four continents. Her work has been recognized at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Emmys, by GLAAD, Oxford University, Harvard University and many others.”
CALPERNIA’S PROUD STORY: Calpernia volunteers with the Reading to Kids charity in the early-morning- hours-post-late-night-WeHo-club-gigs. Moments of kindness and strength ensue.
FOLLOW CALPERNIA: calpernia.com
Photo by Elena Kulikova.
Amanda-Faye Jimenez is a Blaxican queer fat femme dyke writer and performer. She has performed at SORORITY at The Hammer Museum, the Radar Productions Queer Readings Series, and the McDonald’s in Silverlake next to her favorite gay bar. She was repeatedly referred to as “very engaging” by the interview panel that ultimately rejected her from the 2017 PEN Emerging Voices Fellowship, so even though she made it to the final thirteen, she’s not exactly sure if that’s a compliment. She can be found engaging her followers and making semi-relatable memes at @failureprincess on Instagram and Twitter.
AMANDA-FAYE’S PROUD STORY: Amanda tells of the first queer reading materials she managed to awkwardly obtain when she was first coming out.
FOLLOW AMANDA-FAYE: facebook.com/amandafaye and amandafayejimenez.com.
Deadlee joined the Homo Revolution movement and was featured in Pick Up The Mic, a documentary highlighting open LGBTQ rappers. He released a successful second CD called ASSAULT WITH A DEADLEE WEAPON. He followed that with a 20 city tour with fellow LGBTQ artists HOMO REVOLUTION TOUR and pride shows in Mexico, Canada and USA. This led to appearances on CNN, The Tyra Banks Show and Howard Stern. He has always been in the forefront of marriage and LGBTQ equality, having worked with gay youth for over 20 years.
DEADLEE’S PROUD STORY: ALL POETS STEP FORWARD IN THE R3VOLUTION. With Respect, Peace, and Passion we stay on message to complete our Love Revolution.
FOLLOW DEADLEE: facebook.com/deadlee and Instagram @deadlee2213 and Twitter @deadlee2213
A writer and actor, single and a Scorpio, Pip is a former member of The Second City National Touring Company. Pip appeared on Frank TV (TBS), viral video hit Gay Hunt, and the feature film, Butch Camp. He co-wrote and co-starred in the comedy web series Failing Upwards. Stage credits include Showboat, Joe’s Garage, Schoolhouse Rock Live! And Women Behind Bars.
PIP’S PROUD STORY: Amore, Hollywood Style is a humorous and romantic short story about how a Midwestern American man and an Italian Irish man meet in fall in love in Hollywood.
FOLLOW PIP: Twitter @piplilly and facebook.com/OfficialPipLilly
Bitsy is an LA-based performance-activist and entertainer electrifying the minds of anyone willing to recharge their social-justice hard-drive. Her topics have included bisexual visibility, street harassment, and rape-culture. In 2013 she established More than “NO,” a performance-fueled, consent-culture nonprofit, and quickly began “Cabaret Con-Sensual,” a live show where survivors of sexual assault and allies can heal in a supportive atmosphere. Bitsy holds a BA from UCLA and performs at sex-positive events across the country.
BITSY’S PROUD STORY: Bitsy tells about dating LGTQ people in LA as a “B” person and constantly being questioned about where she falls on the spectrum.
Jade Phoenix Martinez is a Queer, Trans Femme, Woman of Color, First Generation Filipinx-American, Parent, LA based Performance Poet and Activist/Educator. Jade’s work is a poetic expression rooted in the multiple identities she holds and how they intersect with her day-to-day fight for liberation while creating and navigating our current social and political systems and structures. Jade Phoenix is a fierce story and truth teller, a vulnerable and engaging performer, a passionate parent and informative educator, organizer and activist.
FOLLOW JADE PHOENIX: jadephoenixpoetry.com and facebook.com/jadephenyx
D.M. Collins can’t decide what he wants to be when he grows up. In recent years, he’s been the Music Editor at LA RECORD, founder and co-host of the A Rrose in a Prose literary salon, curator at the Pickle Factory art gallery, and performance poet in the avant-classical band WORDS. Yet these days, you’re more likely to see him busking on a street corner downtown, or at a Farmer’s Market, strumming his heart out on autoharp, Guitaro, or zither, either alone or with his new psych-folk-country project, the Children of Jack Acid.
D.M.’S PROUD STORY: D.M. discovers and accepts his bisexuality as a teenager through loving David Bowie, Lou Reed, and the music of glam rock. D.M. culminates his performance with a Velvet-Underground-esque song that, like all good glam songs, seems to be about love and relationships but is actually about a tree frog that lives at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
FOLLOW D.M.: A Rrose in Prose
Photo by Tom Fowler.
Kristina Wong was recently featured in the New York Times’ Off Color series “highlighting artists of color who use humor to make smart social statements about the sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways that race plays out in America today.” She is a performance artist, comedian and writer who has created five solo shows and one ensemble play that have toured across North America and the UK. She’s been a commentator for American Public Media’s Marketplace, PBS, Jezebel, xoJane, Playgirl Magazine, Huffington Post and a guest on Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, FXX’s “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.” Her newest solo show “The Wong Street Journal” navigates White Privilege as an Asian American “Mzungu” in East Africa.
FOLLOW KRISTINA: kristinawong.com
Alexandra Grey is and actress and singer best known for her role as Denise Lockwood on NBC’s Chicago Med. Grey a trans woman, has since guest-starred on Amazon’s Transparent, CBS’s Code Black, and Comedy Central’s Drunk History. She also joined the cast of the upcoming ABC mini-series “When We Rise” directed by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black. On the music side, she has opened for artists such as Zara Larsson, Todrick Hall, and Kesha!
ALEXANDRA’S PROUD STORY: A glimpse into the journey that has helped Alexandra become the proud trans woman she is today.
MISS BARBIE-Q’s PROUD STORY: I Never Knew – a story of epiphany, self-realization and a new knowledge of how the universe works.
FOLLOW MISS BARBIE Q: facebook.com/BarbieQLA and @MissBarbieQLA
Martin Matamoros is a Cuban American artist and playwright based in Hollywood.
MARTIN’S PROUD STORY: Martin Matamoros will be recounting his childhood memories of his mother’s best friend, Cecilia.
FOLLOW MARTIN: @juanmartinmatamoros
Ryka Aoki is the author of Seasonal Velocities, He Mele a Hilo (A Hilo Song) and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul. She has been honored by the California State Senate for her “extraordinary commitment to free speech and artistic expression, as well as the visibility and well-being of Transgender people.” Ryka was the inaugural performer for the first ever Transgender Stage at San Francisco Pride, and has performed in venues including the San Francisco Pride Main Stage, the Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, the National Queer Arts Festival, and Ladyfest South. Ryka also appears in the recent documentaries Diagnosing Difference and Riot Acts. She has MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University and is the recipient of a University Award from the Academy of American Poets. She is a professor of English at Santa Monica College
FOLLOW RYKA: rykaryka.com
Scott Turner Schofield (SKO-feeld) is an award-winning actor and diversity speaker. His purpose in life is to inspire Hollywood, your school, your job, and your family to embrace gender diverse people. He is a consultant, coach and spokesperson, and one of the top speakers in the nation on transgender issues.
One of his generation’s trailblazers in the movement for transgender liberation since 2002, Schofield has used a successful mix of storytelling and advocacy to change policies at educational institutions, corporations, and spiritual centers.
In 2015, Schofield married his twin passions of advocacy and art at a high level, becoming the first openly transgender actor in daytime television, in a recurring role on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful.
As a part of the “Transgender Tipping Point” in Hollywood and beyond, Schofield uses his celebrity platform and his gift for building bridges in traditional and conservative communities to take action in the movement toward full civil rights and social acceptance for transgender people.
SCOTT’S PROUD STORY: A transgender babysitter gets caught up in honest kid questions and figures out to answer honestly about exactly what is a man or a woman.
As an HIV positive queer person of color, Corey Saucier celebrates the intersectionality of his many identities and strives to give them equal space in the world. Through workshops and performance, he has cultivated his own personal histories into a public voice that echoes themes of gay minority identity, queer faith, and concepts of the “taboo”. In addition to his theater work, he is a prolific writer: A Lambda Literary Fellow in Fiction and Non-Fiction, a UCLA Writing Program Fellow, and a Columnist for A&U Magazine.
COREY’S PROUD STORY: Corey will perform My Brothers’ Story – a modern retelling Of Cain and his fabulous brother Able as they travel from the magical lake in the middle of Downtownto the dark dangerous forests of WeHo!
FOLLOW COREY: facebook.com/csaucier3
Mia was born in Poston Relocation Camp, Arizona, 1943, graduated from Cal State University Los Angeles, B.S. Government 1966, served in the U.S. Army 1966-68, 4th Infantry Division, USARV, awarded National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. Mia graduated from UCLA School of Law and co-founded Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association.
Mia is also the past president of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, a statewide organization of 2,500 private and public defenders; co-founder and past chair of the Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance (coalition of minority, women’s and LGBT bar associations of Los Angeles); immediate past president of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance and past president of the Japanese American Bar Association.
Mia served on the California Judicial Council State Task Forces on Jury Improvement and Access to Justice, co-founder of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Southern California, on which she currently serves on the board, along with the boards of the Criminal Courts Bar Association and International Bridges to Justice (a human rights group providing Due Process education to the judicial systems of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa), served on the Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for the American Bar Association, previously served on the boards of the L.A. County Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association, and ACLU of Southern California. She is also associated with other organizations, such as the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, National Lawyers Guild, Philippine American Bar Association, and several others.
She is a frequent media commentator on issues relating to criminal law and a variety of related issues for: (print) LA Times, LA Daily Journal; (radio) KPFK, KPCC; (television) KCAL, Fox, NBC, KCET, MSNBC, CNN, Court TV and other cable and foreign media.
She is a recipient of the Rainbow Key Award from the City of West Hollywood (2011); “Sisters Standing Up For Love” API-Equality 2012, The Harvey Milk Legacy Award, LA Pride and Christopher Street West 2012; and the Liberty Award LAMBDA Legal 2012. She was one of three recipients of the inaugural Stonewall Award from the American Bar Association on February 9th, 2013. She received the Good Neighbor Award from Equality California on September 20, 2014. She was a featured speaker in Trafalgar Square for “Pride in London”, June 27, 2015, as well as for the “Interlaw Diversity Panel”, June 29, 2015, London, England.
FOLLOW MIA: miayamamoto.com
Noel Alumit was born in The Philippines and was raised in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles. He wrote the novels Letters to Montgomery Clift and Talking to the Moon, a Los Angeles Times Bestseller. His performance pieces “The Rice Room: Scenes from a Bar” and “Master of the (Miss) Universe” played to sold-out performances on both coasts. In addition to writing and performing, Noel Alumit is a Buddhist Divinity student at the University of the West.
NOEL’S PROUD STORY: Noel will perform an excerpt from “Master of the (Miss) Universe,” a show about his (and other Filipinx’s) obsession with beauty pageants.
FOLLOW NOEL: noelalumit.com
Photo by Mandy Stoller.
MORE ABOUT CORAL SOON!
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup // EVERY TUES MAR 7 thru MAY 30 // NOON – 1:30PM
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // NOON – 5PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change.
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Do you like the idea of writing in the middle of a park?
Did you make a commitment to writing more often this year, yet haven’t made the time to do it?
Would you like to write among a community of other writers and have facilitation with a handful of simple prompts to get you started?
Then write where you are.
Grand Park’s Teaching Writer-in-Residence traci kato-kiriyama curates a variety of themes throughout the season, and facilitate short form writing exercises throughout the hour. Themes this year will include love, healing, power, quirks, city and maps, home, dreams, vision, food and nourishment; and many more.
Meetups will have special guests, including leaders in journalism and script-writing to support cultivating new writings or to nurture existing works.
LOCATION: Meet at the Fountain overlook, right off Grand Ave. below the white tents. Writing materials (pens and notepads) will be provided.
Photo by Javier Guillen for Grand Park/The Music Center
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Young Angeleno artists voice their creativity and expressions through music. LUNCHTIME! Concerts happen weekly on Thursdays MAR 2 thru MAY 30. Also Enjoy LUNCHTIME! Food Truck offerings from 11am – 2pm every TUES, WED, and THURS in Grand Park.
March 2 – String Ensemble
March 9 – Piano
March 16 – Evan Abounassar (jazz trio)
March 23 – Alec Shulman (jazz trio)
March 30 – Luca Mendoza (solo jazz pianist)
April 6 – Dance – Senior Solos
April 13 – Teira LC & Steve Gordon (jazz vocals with piano)
April 20 – Gospel
April 27 – LACHSA Piano
May 4 – LACHSA Vocal Jazz
May 11 – Dance Junior Solos
May 18 – LACHSA Piano
May 25 – Musical Theatre
LOCATION CHANGE: Lunchtime! Concerts will be moved to the Community Terrace THURS MAY 18, located next to Metro Station between Broadway and Hill St.
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Concerts is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup // EVERY TUES MAR 7 thru MAY 30 // Noon – 1:30pm
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
Do you like the idea of writing in the middle of a park?
Did you make a commitment to writing more often this year, yet haven’t made the time to do it?
Would you like to write among a community of other writers and have facilitation with a handful of simple prompts to get you started?
Then write where you are.
Grand Park’s Teaching Writer-in-Residence traci kato-kiriyama curates a variety of themes throughout the season, and facilitate short form writing exercises throughout the hour. Themes this year will include love, healing, power, quirks, city and maps, home, dreams, vision, food and nourishment; and many more.
Meetups will have special guests, including leaders in journalism and script-writing to support cultivating new writings or to nurture existing works.
LOCATION: Meet at the Fountain overlook, right off Grand Ave. below the white tents. Writing materials (pens and notepads) will be provided.
Photo by Javier Guillen for Grand Park/The Music Center
ABOUT GRAND PARK’S OUR L.A. VOICES: LUNCHTIME! Writers’ Meetup is a part of Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a season-wide celebration of Angeleno expression.
Other OUR L.A. VOICES events:
Grand Park’s LUNCHTIME! Concerts // EVERY THURS MAR 2 thru MAY 25 // 12:15PM – 1:15PM
Grand Park’s DOWNTOWN BOOKFEST // SAT MAR 11 // Noon – 5PM
Grand Park’s PROUD Story Slam // SAT MAR 25 // Noon – 4PM
PORTALS PROJECT at Grand Park // MON APR 10 thru SUN APR 23 // check webpage for daily hours
Information subject to change
METRO RED or PURPLE LINE TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION, GOLD LINE TO LITTLE TOKYO/ARTS DISTRICT STATION
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
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