“Art will save us. Expression and getting it out on paper will save us, and that is what 826LA does.” – Emily Barth Isler

Jennifer Chen and Emily Barth Isler took the stage Sunday, January 21st at our Echo Park Writing Center to share with our donors, volunteers, and community members the importance of writing as a way to express oneself creatively. Jennifer Chen wrote Artifacts of an Ex during the height of the pandemic when Asian-American hate crimes were at an all-time high, Jennifer was able to escape to a world where Asian American characters are safe, loved, and happy- and the biggest challenge is falling in love. Emily, author of is the author of AfterMath, an award-winning middle-grade novel about grief, resilience, friendship, math, and mime. 

Together, they lead two writer’s workshops in which attendees had the opportunity to listen to a classical piece of music and write about how this piece would look visually and recalling what their oldest object at home is and the meaning behind it.

When Emily was asked about her writing process and the world of publication, she shared, “Published books are just one form of writing, you can write a book and it’s still a book published or not. When students come to 826LA, they leave here becoming published authors and that’s something I never had.“

A special thank you to Jennifer Chen and Emily Barth Isler for making this event possible. Your dedication to fostering a love for writing and highlighting the importance of third spaces like 826LA is truly commendable.

If you missed your chance to pick up Emily and Jennifer’s book, you can still swing by the Time Travel Mart and pick up a signed copy.