Featured Books Offer Spiritual Reflection and Poetic Insight at LA Times Festival

Inks & Bindings showcases diverse authors exploring themes of identity, faith, and the human experience.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 5:03am

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An abstract, out-of-focus image composed of soft, warm pools of color and light, evoking a contemplative and introspective mood without depicting any specific objects or scenes.The featured literary works at the LA Times Festival of Books invite readers to embark on a journey of spiritual reflection and poetic discovery.Los Angeles Today

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2026 will feature a diverse lineup of authors presented by Inks & Bindings, including works that blend memoir, spiritual reflection, and poetry. The featured titles explore topics such as physical difference, spiritual endurance, and the search for meaning in everyday life.

Why it matters

This literary showcase at the prominent LA Times Festival of Books provides a platform for authors whose works examine the human condition from unique perspectives, offering readers opportunities for meaningful discovery and personal reflection.

The details

Inks & Bindings will feature several authors at Booth #978 in the Black Zone, including Robert W. Janek, whose books 'Polio: A Personal Spiritual Journey' and 'A Pensive Peregrination' delve into themes of physical difference, spiritual endurance, and identity. Also featured are Alan V. Goldman's 'Reflections on Mountaineering,' a collection of narrative poetry exploring the parallels between mountain climbing and everyday life, and 'Serafina' by Waldron Collins, a poignant volume of poetry centered on the narrator's invented character. Rounding out the lineup is 'Winter Afternoon and Other Poems' by Carlo Danese, a visually vivid and emotionally layered collection.

  • The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2026 will take place on April 18-19 at the University of Southern California (USC) campus.

The players

Robert W. Janek

An author whose deeply introspective works offer readers a moving exploration of physical difference, spiritual endurance, and the lifelong shaping of identity.

Alan V. Goldman

An author whose collection of narrative-style poetry, 'Reflections on Mountaineering,' transforms the mountain landscape into a site of philosophical inquiry, emotional reckoning, and human self-discovery.

Waldron Collins

An author whose poetic volume 'Serafina' centers on the title figure as a vessel through which reflections on emotion, identity, storytelling, and human experience unfold.

Carlo Danese

An author whose collection 'Winter Afternoon and Other Poems' captures flashes of beauty, violence, tenderness, absurdity, memory, and longing in language that is at once arresting and enigmatic.

Inks & Bindings

A premier self-publishing company based in Los Angeles that is committed to amplifying diverse voices and bringing meaningful books to wider audiences.

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What they’re saying

“Polio: A Personal Spiritual Journey carries added relevance in light of contemporary concerns surrounding the re-emergence of polio, while also standing as a compassionate affirmation that those who feel marked by difference are not alone.”

— Robert W. Janek, Author

“Far from being limited to mountaineering enthusiasts alone, Goldman's poems draw powerful parallels between the trials of the ascent and the challenges of everyday life, revealing the mountain as both physical terrain and spiritual metaphor.”

— Alan V. Goldman, Author

“Waldron Collins invites readers into a lyrical landscape that is at once intimate and inventive, shaped by thoughts that might otherwise remain unspoken.”

— Waldron Collins, Author

“Danese's poems move fluidly through startling imagery and shifting emotional registers, inviting readers to engage with the unexpected and to linger in moments that are fragmented, sacred, or unsettling.”

— Carlo Danese, Author

What’s next

Visitors to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2026 are invited to stop by Inks & Bindings' Booth #978 in the Black Zone throughout the April 18–19 festival weekend to discover these notable works in person.

The takeaway

This featured collection at the prestigious LA Times Festival of Books showcases authors whose works explore the human experience through diverse lenses, offering readers opportunities for meaningful discovery and personal reflection.