Join some of the brightest and most creative minds in your neighborhood as they come together to celebrate the Small Press Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd.
The event is part of a larger vision from both small press publishers and the Culver City Arts Foundation to create a platform for some of the lesser-known talents who use small press companies to publish their works. Mark Lipman, the publisher of Vagabond and organizer of the event, lauded Culver City’s eagerness to assist in organizing this event.
“I don’t think being able to organize something on this scale, so quickly, with so much community support, would be possible in a larger jurisdiction,” Lipman claimed.
Both Lipman and Culver City both understand the importance of spreading the word about small book presses, as it brings a platform to those who may not be able to find it otherwise.
“There are so many powerful, important and talented voices in our own neighborhoods, in every community, not just across the country, but around the world, and it’s on the parchment of small presses that those voices can be heard,” Lipman remarked
Lipman first mentioned the idea of holding a festival for small presses at a City Council meeting. Councilmember Thomas Small, who was the mayor at the time, suggested that Lipman works with the Arts Foundation. Lipman went through the city’s application process as an official Culver City Special Event and was approved with more than 20 other event applicants on August 26.
With help from the Wende and some support from Beyond Baroque, a literary arts foundation located next door to Vagabond in Venice, the festival quickly became a reality.
“The Wende Museum have been amazing partners from the moment it was suggested to host the book festival at the museum.” Lipman lauded.
“Without their support, it would have been very difficult indeed to bring such a great and professionally designed event for our community.”
On top of a variety of writing workshops and literary readings throughout the day, there will be an interactive Kid’s Space in the outdoor courtyard of the Wende with activities and a writing workshop at 1:30 p.m.
There will also be an episode of the poetry radio show ‘Poets Café’ recorded live at the festival, and the day will be closed with poets from Tia Chucha Press presenting poetry from throughout Los Angeles reading from their anthology ‘Coiled Serpent’. The reading will be hosted by Jessica Wilson Cardenas, founder of the Los Angeles Poetry Society.
Lipman hopes that he will be able to use this event to shine more light on small press, enough so that an even bigger event might be possible.
“In the not too distant future, Vagabond would like to bring an International Poetry Festival to Culver City,” Lipman explained.
“Hopefully the groundwork laid by the upcoming book festival can lead to the foundation of even greater things for Culver City in the years to come.”