"I ask a lot of questions." The subject matter Teena has tackled over the years is widely diverse: prison life, all-women mariachi groups, NASA scientists, Black architecture, Filipino food, domestic violence, and much more. At the heart of her favorite stories are trailblazers and unsung heroes: She enjoys learning about what inspires individuals to affect change and how communities are transformed by them. Teena is the author of 52 Things to Do in Los Angeles, and she has edited and contributed to numerous other books and written for many outlets, including LAist, PBS SoCal, and KCET. Listen to interviews with her on The Hidden History of Los Angeles, KCRW's DnA: Design + Architecture, and Bookstories with Andrea Richards.

"If it's not written on a yellow legal pad, it doesn't exist." Andrea writes about cultural trends, film history, and forgotten philosophical systems for such publications as The New York Times, The Believer, BUST, make/shift, and Los Angeles magazine. She is the author of Girl Director, Library of Esoterica: Astrology, and three L.A. guidebooks, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Cocktails, and Los Angeles Restaurants. Andrea has also worked as an editor for Girl Press, Angel City Press, and TASCHEN. Fond of the esoteric, she is an enthusiast for her adopted city, outdated technologies, and the creative pursuits of others. Listen to Andrea's interview on KCRW's Good Food here.

"I like prose that's clear and packed with meaning." Jessica is a writer, editor, dance teacher, and movement coach. She has worked on more than 200 books and especially loves copyediting. She writes reports, educational materials, and much more for arts, social justice, labor, and philanthropic organizations. She also teaches all-levels, body-positive dance classes and coaches people to find ways of moving their bodies that they love. From 2007 to 2017, she coedited and copublished the community-based feminist magazine make/shift. 

Anne's work can be seen in our books and event artwork. Her small-scale, square format paintings are inspired by the portraits and landscapes of Fairfield Porter and Richard Diebenkorn. A native of Southern California, Anne studied at the University of California, Irvine, and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna. She is the associate director and head of reader rervices at The Huntington.

"Pas trop trop, et pas trop trop." If you ask Miriam, almost everything in design and life is about striking a perfect (or perfectly imperfect) balance. Having launched her graphic design career in Montreal’s vibrant fashion scene, she subsequently spent years honing her typography skills with publishers, corporate clients, and letterpress projects. She believes that at its most compelling, visual communication is good storytelling.

Dominie is an artist, writer, and prolific maker. She has led online and in-person creative workshops for Narrated Objects and is known for her whimsical Domi clay sculptures. In addition to having illustrations in our We Heart P-22 and We Heart L.A. Parks books, Dominie contributed to the anthology The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Racial Justice and has appeared on episodes of the podcasts StoryCorps from NPR and Asian Americana.

Linda is a senior public-relations strategist and storyteller. Over the last two decades she has shaped and elevated the reputations of several influential health care organizations and charities in the United States and the United Kingdom, including Dignity Health, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Stanford Hospital, and UC San Francisco , where she recently served as director of communications of the California Preterm Birth Initiative. Linda currently resides in San Francisco and is a consultant for USCF's Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Born in South Pasadena, California, and a Californian his whole life, Steven is the manager of  Skylight Books and has served on the American Booksellers Association Advisory Board and the PEN USA Board. He also writes short stories, publishes tiny books, and plays in the band Ukefink.

"If clutter is evidence of a life well-lived, all the books, magazines, and records stacked and shelved around my apartment must mean I’m having an awesome time!" Laura amassed her collection while working for many years in art and literary publishing for such publishers as Chronicle Books and TASCHEN and the magazines Artforum, BOMB, Cabinet, and Tin House, among others. More recently she was publisher of The Believer magazine and McSweeney’s. Last year Laura ditched her cubicle job and established Kind Life Media, a marketing agency aimed toward independent publishers, thus ensuring her bookshelves stay full.

Maite  is a Los Angeles native, a writer, artist, and nonprofit professional. She's the founder of S/he’s Mighty Mighty, which aims to create a safe space for uncomfortable conversations, especially around social justice, mental health, and relationships. Her work can be found on Instagram @shes_mightymighty.