LitFest Pasadena continues its virtual 2021 iteration, the ninth annual, on Sunday, May 16, with more panel discussions, workshops, readings, performances, and recorded interludes – all virtual and all free, sponsored by Light Bringer Project and supported by the City of Pasadena, specifically the Pasadena Arts and Culture Commission and the City’s Cultural Affairs Division.
LitFest features over 200 authors and more than 50 virtual events – including 10-minute interludes in-between panels – that are all free to watch on Light Bringer Project’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and the LitFest Pasadena website, www.litfestpasadena.org.
The panel discussions touch on a wide range of topics including social justice, cultural equity, race relations, inclusivity, and author activism. There’s content for young writers as well, and workshops on graphic novels, fiction, podcasting, and all sorts of new ways to communicate literature.
You’re not even required to register to be able to watch LitFest Pasadena online!
On Sunday, the panels begin with “The Twists and Turns of True Crime” at noon, discussing the changing narratives of true crime and the ways in which the experience of victims of both crime and the criminal justice system are centered in the conversation. The panel includes bestselling author and podcaster Rabia Chaudry, Alex Manzano-Lesnevich, Rachel Monroe, and Pasadena’s own Chip Jacobs, moderated by Julia Callahan.
“Authors and Airwaves,” at 1 p.m., discusses how publishers are looking to podcasts as a major resource to publicize their authors. Prominent podcasters and authors, and those who do both, talk about how they started podcasting, what mistakes they made, and what are the benefits of releasing episodes of their shows. “Drinks with Tony” host Tony DuShane leads this panel, which also features Meghan Daum and Zibby Owens.
At 2 p.m., “Modern Kid Lit: Writing from the Heart” explores today’s middle grade fiction and how it’s full of diverse voices and experiences. Authors Tracy Holczer, Rajani LaRocca, and Mae Respicio take you on a quest for meaning and acceptance through the lens of childhood, and talk about how writing for children means writing from the heart. Dana Middleton moderates.
“Don’t Hit Repeat” comes on at 3 p.m. and features esteemed movie critic John Powers and community leader Jinghuan Liu Tervalon as they converse with filmmaker Myles Matsuno about “First To Go,” the story of Ichiro Kataoka, the first Japanese-American the FBI took after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Ichiro’s daughter, Mary, tells the story of his resilience, strength and joy in the face of adversity. It will surely look at the parallels between past and present ignorance, especially in the face of recent anti-Asian hate crimes.
At 4 p.m., “Untangling the Family Story” features four acclaimed authors – J. Ryan Stradal, Steph Cha, Sergio Troncoso, and Amy Meyerson – as they discuss how family relationships become a gold mine for storytelling, character and universal truths. Colleen Dunn Bates, founder of Prospect Park Books, moderates this panel.
Finally, “Publishers’ Roundtable,” at 5 p.m., provides a crash course on the publishing industry from among some of SoCal’s fantastic publishers. Some of these are Red Hen Press, Unnamed Press, Lil’ Libros, TSEHAI Publishers. Self-publishing author Tim DeRoche and Julia Callahan, former Director of Sales and Marketing at Rare Bird, joins the discussion and provides insight into how the business models in the industry differ.
After LitFest Pasadena was cancelled last year when the coronavirus pandemic began, the organizers began planning to come up with a virtual edition of what has been a classic Pasadena literary exposition that used to be centered in the Playhouse District.
With the two-day event, Light Bringer Project hopes to continue to celebrate literature of all kinds with the authors and the community, to instill a love of reading and writing, and to provide a public intersection of dialogue around the variety of topics and ideas that literature inspires.
Again, no registration is required to watch the two-day literary event.
For more information, visit www.litfestpasadena.org.
