City of Glendale, CA
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Be The Change Book Festival
Media Contact:
Maryl Fleisher, Marketing Manager
Glendale Library, Arts & Culture
222 East Harvard Street, Glendale CA 91205
(818) 937-7806 / mfleisher@glendaleca.gov
Be The Change Book Festival
Glendale, CA – Glendale Library, Arts & Culture is pleased to announce the inaugural Be The Change Book Festival, an all-day event on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at Central Library celebrating diversity in reading. The festival will take place from 10am-4pm and will feature diverse children, teen, and adult author talks, crafts, food trucks, music, and more. Be The Change is the library’s promise to build a collective understanding of systemic racism, elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and inspire our community to be the change through lectures, exhibits, and programming. “For the last three years, the library has implemented Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism, or IDEA, tenets into the core values of our strategic plan. We believe that part of putting those values into practice every day is elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and those of the LGBTQIA+. We feel this book festival is an ideal opportunity to celebrate these values and voices,” says Library Director Gary Shaffer.
The festival’s lineup includes author interviews and signing with the following authors:
John Cho, Special Guest
Dynamic actor and New York Times best-selling author John Cho’s esteemed career has spanned over two decades. Cho has continued to deliver compelling performances in both film and television, positioning him as one of the first Korean-American actors in the mainstream to breakthrough business and cultural barriers. Cho’s debut middle-grade book, Troublemaker, was released on March 22, 2022. Troublemaker landed on both The New York Times and IndieBound bestseller lists in its first week. Troublemaker is a galvanizing middle-grade offering that follows the L.A. riots in 1992 through the eyes of 12-year-old Korean American Jordan Park, whose parents own a liquor store. When Jordan’s father leaves to check on the store amid mounting unrest, Jordan and his friends set out on a perilous journey to help his dad, and Jordan is forced to face the racism plaguing his community.
Ajuan Mance
Mance’s response to the groundswell of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Living While Black, denounces the excessive surveillance, harassment, and violence aimed at Black folks engaged in the activities of everyday life—and celebrates the courage and resilience of the Black community. In homage to the radical power of art, Living While Black celebrates the small acts of resistance that comprise the daily lives of Black folks by presenting them in a series of vivid illustrations
Luis J. Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez has published 16 books in all genres, including the best-selling memoir, "Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A." and the sequel, "It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing." His last poetry book is "Borrowed Bones." Luis has been the founding editor of Tia Chucha Press for 33 years and a co-founder of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore in the San Fernando Valley, which has been operating for 21 years.
Naz Kutub
Author of the novel “The Loophole,” Kutub was inspired by his personal experiences growing up in Singapore as a gay Muslim and as someone raised on a calorie-dense diet of Eastern lore.
Benson Shum
Benson Shum is a children's book author and illustrator who uses watercolor, ink and digital tools to create his illustrations. His book, “Anzu the Great Kaiju,” received a starred review from School Library Journal. Both Anzu the Great Kaiju and Anzu the Great Listener were selected for the 2022 & 2023 Kid's Indie Next List, recommended by American Booksellers Association. Alex's Good Fortune was also selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library 2023. Benson is also an Animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he was a part of films like Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen 2, and Encanto.
Andrea J. Loney
Andrea J. Loney’s picture books include “Double Bass Blues,” “Take A Picture Of Me,” “James Vanderzee,” and “Bunnybear” (ALA Rainbow List). Her most recent works include the middle-grade chapter book biography “Vip Stacey Abrams: Voting Visionary,” a picture book biography “Curve And Flow: The Elegant Vision Of La Architect, and the futuristic chapter book series “Abby In Orbit.”
Joe Cepeda
Joe Cepeda is an award-winning illustrator of more than thirty-five books for children. He has illustrated books written by numerous notable authors, including Gary Soto, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Arnold Adoff, Monica Brown, Julius Lester, and Toni Morrison. Joe is the author-illustrator of “The Swing,” and several early readers from the I Like to Read Series, including “Up, I Dig, I See, and I Hop.”
Vahe Berberian
Vahé Berberian is an Armenian painter, author, playwright, and actor born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1955, and relocated to Los Angeles in 1976. Vahé studied art in Lebanon and the United States, receiving a degree in journalism with honors in 1980. Vahe Berberian’s literal work includes the novels “Hanoun Hor Yev Vortvo” and “Namagner Zaataren” and the plays “Pink Elephant” and the recently staged “Baron Garbis.”
Community partners and local booksellers will be on site with special author signings and books for sale. Sellers include Abril Books, Alzheimer Association, Indie Author Project, Legacy Comics, Octavia’s Bookshelf, Once Upon a Time, Philippine Expressions, Quiet Quail Books, Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, NaNoWriMo, Korean Cultural Center, Stacked Deck Press, and The Writers Guild Foundation.
Family activities will take place throughout the day, including bookmaking workshops by artist Deborah Disman, whose exhibit is currently on view in the Reflectspace Gallery. The library will also offer the “Big Free Library” a chance for patrons to take free, gently used books home.
The Glendale City Council generously supported this Book Festival with Measure S funds. The Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust (GLACT), Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Laemmle Theaters, Crescenta Canada Pet Hospital, and Gordon Biersch Brewery are also sponsors of this event.
Be The Change Book Festival takes place at Central Library 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale, on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, 10am – 4pm. Parking is free with validation at the Marketplace Parking structure directly across the street. Food trucks will be on site throughout the day.
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About Glendale
Known as the “Jewel City,” Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of more than 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks, and easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking.
About Library, Arts & Culture
Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust. For more information visit GlendaleLAC.org, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@glendaleca.gov.
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