Video: Life is Living 10

Video: please watch this video w/footage from the 10th annual Life is Living Festival. It features interviews w/founders of the fest, participants, and people enjoying themselves. This past yr I got to participate by giving to the festival as a planner of the book zone in collaboration w/ Emily Butterfly leader of the kids zone. Shout out to Hodari B. Davis, Joan Osato , all the zone leaders, and all the folks who come! U want to be involved in the 11th? 

Holler and share this video. 

Kids & Book Zone- Life is Living back on

Check it out, so we're back on this Saturday. Bring your babies, teens, and family to Life is Living. This is an intergenerational event. So, I will be there with several authors doing storytime: Grace Caroll, Tiffany Golden, Laurin Mayeno, and Kamaria Lofton.  We will be there as part of the Kids Zone!

The event was postponed briefly as we were trying to avoid putting folks outside in dangerously smoky and toxic air. After the northern California fires the smoke was everywhere and not good for the babies, the performers, or the people. But, we're back. 

If you would like to send relief to the folks affected in the fires and in Puerto Rico, please check out this LINK. Come through to Life is Living!

Flyers designs- Life is Living

Town park-skateboarding

Nationwide Salsa/Boogaloo/break party-Bay, LA, NY, ATL

The Peoples kitchen-free breakfast at 10 am

The Crucible-welding, making, building

Emily Butterfly-Kids Zone

Book zone-storytime

Teen zone

Here are "some" of the flyers for this weekend's Life is Living Fest. There will be dance, skateboarding, free breakfast, book zone, kids zone, teen zone, poetry, welding, activities, and more. Come through if you're in the Bay. Flyers designed by Nick James.

Facebook invite for General event
Facebook invite for Kids Zone/ Book Zone

Website for Life is Living

Last year's video:

Book Zone @ Life is Living 10!

Hey folks, I'm sure you know that I'm a father, husband, artist, and children's book creator. 

I would like to invite your family to join me and hundreds of other parents @ Life Is Living, October 14th, 2017! It's the 10th year anniversary. Likely to be the best event in all of Oakland that day. Can you join us? If so, RSVP HERE and tag other parents who might be interested.

// My family has attended Life Is Living for the last 10 years.

We attend because it is a place to see friends, meet fellow creatives, and to manifest community building. It's been a great space to meet new people, to catch up with folks, and introduce my son to so much–skating, visual arts, poetry, healthy food, an event with a vibe filled with love. This is our second year as more than just attendee's. Last year we organized a book zone. That was fun, so we're doing it again. This time, with multiple story times throughout the day!

We've organized a host of local authors to lead story time through out the day. This years focus is on stories about children of color and some stories about queer kids too.

Hear the stories with your kids, meet the authors, collect a book, get author signatures, and connect with literacy some advocates like the Oakland Public Library.

We hope to gathering over 100 Parents throughout the day at the Book Zone, which is part of a much larger KIDS ZONE run by artist Emily Butterfly. 

There will be many activities for children such as face painting, silk screening, mural painting, and there is a Labyrinth and obstacle course!

OCTOBER 14TH 10:30am-5:30PM, Defremery (Bobby Hutton) Park 1651 Adeline St, Oakland, Ca 94607

Book Zone-Life is Living Oct 8th

This Saturday at the Life is Living festival I will be selling books alongside authors and artists Avy Jetter Breena NuñezPeralta Simon Abramowitsch Tiffany Golden Hafrocentric Comic Kriyani Comics and several Youth Speaks alumni. I hope to grow this zone as an integral part of the fest w/ more kids books, zines, comics, novels, and more books. ALSO-We will have a small table for zine making so come through. For the parents, there is a book reading in the “kids zone” happening throughout the day. Check the schedule at www.youthspeaks.org/lifeisliving/