Leimert Park Village Book Fair Announces 2010 Lineup Of Authors
| The Leimert Park Village Book Fair will feature booksignings, writing workshops, panel discussions, poetry readings, stage performances, musical entertainment and a variety of activities for the whole family. |
An Actor and a Gentleman by Louis Gossett Jr.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – May 25, 2010 – NEWS RELEASE
LEIMERT PARK VILLAGE BOOK FAIR
ANNOUNCES 2010 LINEUP OF AUTHORS
LOS ANGELES – An Oscar winner. A Pulitzer Prize winner. An Emmy-nominated music director and an award-winning literary giant headline the fourth annual Leimert Park Village Book Fair. The producers of the book fair are excited to bring an interesting mix of authors, poets, spoken-word artists with entertainment and television personalities, merging the two worlds of literary and entertainment to offer an eclectic mix of literature, art, music and fashion.
The Leimert Park Village Book Fair will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Leimert Park on the Vision Theatre Back lot, located at 43rd Street and Degnan Boulevard. The family-oriented event is held in the heart of Leimert Park, which is considered the center of the African American arts/intellectual scene. The event is free and open to the public.
The book fair is produced by Cynthia E. Exum and Associates in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, 8th District in association with the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and Eso Won Books. Sponsors include Nestle USA, Sempra Energy – the Gas Company, Time Warner Cable and KABC-TV7 with additional support from community partners – the Leimert Park Village Business Improvement Association, the Leimert Park Village Merchants Association, Community Build, Strategic Counsel PLC, and the United States Postal Service. For more information, visit www.leimertparkbookfestival.com.
This annual book fair has become a much-anticipated cultural tradition in the community. It provides authors an opportunity to promote their newest work and meet some of their fans up close and personal.
“We are pleased to welcome back this wonderful literary event,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, 8th District. “Each year the fair continues to bring together great writers in the community, as well as attract some of the nation’s most pre-eminent and highly-regarded authors, poets, and spoken word artists — all for the celebration and love of books and reading. And just like last year — this will be another great opportunity to meet some of your favorite authors as well as discover new ones.”
More than 5,000 enthusiastic book lovers, families and fans will be treated to celebrity readings, booksignings, writing workshops, panel discussions, poetry readings, stage performances, and musical entertainment for the whole family – all encouraging reading, writing and literacy in the African American community. Plus, in the Children’s Village, sponsored by Nestle USA, kids will enjoy a crafts pavilion, celebrity storytelling, face-painting, book give-aways and more. A Healthy Food Preparation Pavilion, sponsored by Sempra Energy, will feature cooking demonstrations and food sampling by chefs Sharon Winbush and Kevin Smith.
The lineup of participants at this year’s book fair include:
ON THE MAIN STAGE | The Headliners
An Actor and a Gentleman: Louis Gossett Jr. – Hollywood royalty and one of the most-respected stage and screen actors of our time, the Oscar- and Emmy-winner is the author of “An Actor and a Gentleman” (Wiley), which recalls his 50+ years in the entertainment business.
Douglas A. Blackmon – A journalist for the Wall Street Journal, Blackmon nabbed a Pulitzer Prize in the General Nonfiction category for his book, “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II,” (Doubleday), a precise and eloquent work that examines a deliberate system of racial suppression and that rescues a multitude of atrocities from virtual obscurity. He calls it the “age of neo-slavery.”
Behind the Music of Rickey Minor – the Emmy-nominated music director of the highly-rated show, “American Idol,” and now the “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” is the author of the book, “There’s No Traffic on the Extra Mile,” (Penguin) sharing his journey from South Central to center stage and spinning stories from his life in the music business into inspirational gold.
Ishmael Reed – a literary giant, Reed is considered one of the most prominent – and yes, controversial – African-American literary figures, since Ralph Ellison. Producing a substantial body of work – fiction, poetry, essays and plays – with the consistent objective of satirizing American political, religious and literary repression, Reed has won numerous awards and prizes. Recently retired from teaching for 35 years at the University of California, Berkeley, his latest offering is “Barack Obama and the Jim Crow Media: The Return of the “Nigger Breakers.” (Baraka Books)
The Kinseys – Married for more than 40 years, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey are known for their incredible collection of African-American art, books and manuscripts that document and tell the remarkable story of African Americans triumphs and struggles from 1632 to the present. They are the authors of “The Kinsey Collection,”
The Crowd Pleasers:
Coffee Talk With a Housewife: NeNe Leakes – the reality star from Bravo’s “The Real Houswives of Atlanta” dishes from her book, “Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way” (Touchstone Hardcover / Simon & Schuster), discussing her fractured childhood, abusive relationship, struggles with being a single mother, landing Mr. Right, and all the messy lessons she’s learned along the way.
A Table Read With Donald Welch — Welch is the author of the hit stage play and novel “The Bachelorette Party” and “In My Sister’s House” (Random House), blazing his own trail to bring “real world” topics to the forefront of today’s audience.
Poetry Slamming With:
Ruth Forman — an award-winning writer and filmmaker who appeared in the PBS series “The United States of Poetry,” brings reflections from her third volume of poetry, called “Prayers Like Shoes.”
Taalam Acey – is one of the most sought-after spoken-word artist in the country. Acey has recorded more than a dozen spoken word CDs, and authored four books, including the award-winning memoir, “Eyes Free: The Memoir.”
CHILDREN’S VILLAGE | Children’s Main Stage
Philana Marie Boles — will deliver the keynote address in the Children’s Village to inspire and uplift our young people. Boles is the author of “Little Divas,” (Harper Trophy) a coming-of-age novel about girls growing up, and how they deal with friendship, family, love and sex.
The Wayans Family (Kim, Shawn … and maybe Marlon) – the Wayans will bring their zany brand of comedy to the Children’s Village. Kim will offer readings from her children’s book series, “Amy Hodgepodge,”
Go Metro to the fourth annual Leimert Park Village Book Fair. Show your valid Metro pass or Metro rail tickets and get an additional 10 percent discount on merchandise purchased on the Vision Theatre back lot.
CONTACT: Wyllisa Bennett, publicist
wrb public relations
wyllisa@aol.com
310.266.9704 cell