August 06, 2015

 

By Troy Tieuel 

Contributing Writer 

 

The 9th Annual Leimert Part Village Book Fair (LPVBF) invaded the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza with a push for literacy, publishing and an 80s style, Hip Hop orientated theme this past August 1 led by founder and executive producer Cynthia E. Exum.  Exum started the book fair in memory of her sister, who passed away, but left within Exum a love and desire for reading.

 

“I started the LPVBF nine years ago,” said Exum standing in the food court of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

 

 “I am very proud of its growth,” continued Exum, as she passed out brochures to curious shoppers, flanked on both sides by the turquoise shirts of the LPVBF volunteers, “because what we aspire to do is to promote a culture of reading in our community and for us in the community to get excited about reading, and literature in a fun and interactive way.”  

 

As the shoppers passed Exum and her volunteer greeters, they made their way past the vintage typewriter that sits flanked by a row of about half dozen school aged children all vigorously typing on the ancient writing tools like the secretary schools of days old.

 

“We have the ‘Earnest Hemmingway Typewriter,’ added Exum.  “It’s dated around 1936. It was given to us, on loan, by the Steve Soboroff’s collection, and we are very proud to exhibit it.  There’s a connection between Hemmingway and the Harlem Renaissance writers that we wanted to educate the community on.  That’s our greatness, that we are all kind of linked together through our literary history.  We are very proud of that.”

 

Moving further into the mall, shoppers are met by a sea of tables with a Comicon-style area with booths that feature artists drawing portraits and showcasing good artwork, to authors pedaling their latest cover.  In this section, shoppers can see the regular author such as Chris L. Hackey, Sr. author of ‘Admired man Why’ speak about his book on being a quality man and father, to actress turned author Erika Alexander, from UPN’s Living Single, push her hard hitting graphic novel ‘Concrete Jungle’ about a post-nuclear world run amuck. 

 

Rounding the corner shoppers walked pass Kathleen Bradley’s autobiography ‘Back Stage at the Price is Right.’  Bradley still stood tall with a wide smile as she spoke to those interested in learning about the trials of being the first, and for a long time, only African-American model on the Price is Right.

 

Passing the independent author’s booths, visitors to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza walked to the Children’s stage where there were readings, music performers and magic shows for the kids. 

 

“We have a wonderful ‘Children’s Village,’ with Garcelle Beauvais who is a writer of a book called ‘I am Mixed.’  She will be on our ‘Children’s Stage’ doing a reading with Sabastian Jones.  We also have some wonderful panels, including the ‘Empire’ panel with writers from Fox’s Empire show, and Attica Locke, a producer and writer who is also on another panel called ‘Writers Voices.’”

 

According to Exum, “There are over one hundred and fifty authors, poets and spoken word artists who are here to celebrate the written word.”  

 

The highlight of the event was the ‘Empire Panel’ composed of some of the writers from the hit TV show ‘Empire’ on Fox.  Leading the panel discussion was moderator Tananarive Due, but the real charm of the panel came from ex-Source Magazine Editor Carlito Rodriguez and former ‘Soulfood’ writer Eric Haywood, who sat at opposite ends of black culture, but found common ground as writers on the Empire series.

 

“I’m most proud of the show, as a whole,” said Haywood, “and I’m most proud of the way it has been embraced around the country and honestly around the world.”   

 

“I’m proud of the fact that it is unprecedented, that I have never seen anything quite like it,” added Attica Locke.  “I think I’m proud of the family dynamic that it captures.  I’m proud of the fact that it touches on issues of class, homophobia, issues of mental well-being, it’s just a lot of stuff that I have never seen on TV around a black family.”

 

The LPVBF was an event that offered both cultural, networking and educational experiences to authors and aspiring writers of all genres.  For more information regarding the next Leimert Park Village Book Fair go to www.leimertparkbookfair.com.  

Category: Arts & Culture