November 9, 2023 - November 11, 2023

The Letters Festival 2023

presented by lostintheletters

Special Event

The Letters Festival believes in the power of independent literature and is committed to increasing its role in Atlanta’s rich artistic culture. The Letters Festival is a program of Lostintheletters, an Atlanta-based literary organization which also hosts an award-winning reading series. The festival offers workshops, conversations, and live performance featuring some of the country’s most riveting independent authors.

Schedule

The Letters Festival will happen over the course of two days at Atlanta Contemporary. The full schedule is as follows:

Thursday, November 9 | 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Whitespace

Reading & Conversation with Anya Lifting

  • Film Screening—7:30 - 7:45 pm
  • Live Reading—7:45 - 8:00 pm
  • Conversation with Stephanie Dowda DeMer—8:00 - 8:30 pm

Friday, November 10 | 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Live Readings

  • Monic Ductan—7:30 - 7:45 pm
  • Felicia Zamora—7:45 - 8:00 pm
  • E. Hughes—8:00 - 8:15 pm
  • Justin Torres—8:15 - 8:30pm

Saturday, November 11 | 11:00am - 8:00pm

Workshops—11:00 am - 3:30 pm

Finding the Heartbeat: A Workshop in Voice with Anya Liftig — 11:00am-1:00pm

In this generative memoir workshop, we will play with concepts of voice. Through close reading of short passages, we will examine how “voice” is developed in memoir. We will also look at voice in non-human forms, exploring the inner emotional state of objects and places.

This workshop is for writers, artists and makers of any type who are looking to approach their work from new perspectives. Whether you are working on a long project, starting something new, or just thinking about starting, you will find something to help your creative journey.

Overheard: Methods of Sound with Courtney Faye Taylor —1:30 - 3:30 pm

Sound is a vital unit of storytelling. Writers mold sonic textures, rhyme, tone, and even silence to convey truth and open universes of understanding. In this workshop, we will examine how sound appears in our everyday world and study artists who use sound to shape narrative. With these examples as a guide, we will generate new writing that asks us to manipulate, complicate, and reinvent our use of sound in writing.

Live Readings—6:00 - 8:00 pm

  • Babak Lakghomi—6:30 - 6:45 pm
  • Claire Donato—6:45 - 7:00 pm
  • Courtney Faye Taylor—7:15 - 7:30 pm
  • Marium Khalid—7:45 - 8:00 pm

Purchases & Parking

The Letters Festival will also feature a merch table, bartender, and food. The beverages and are paid by card-only.

Parking is always free at Atlanta Contemporary! Please park in the Carriage Works lot at the intersection of Bankhead Ave and Means St.

Purchase tickets for the Letters Festival here!


Upcoming Program Events

View All Programs
September 27 / 10:00am Special Event

Somatic Sound: Contemporary Yoga

Lead by Sydney McCall

Register

This is more than just a yoga class—it's an exploration of rhythm, breath, and energy. As Sydney guides you through a mindful flow, while DJs shape the soundscape in real-time, creating a fully sensory, meditative environment designed to ground the body and expand the mind. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just beginning your practice, Flow State invites you to embrace the process—investigate, explore, and move with intention. Bring your mat, an open mind, and get ready to vibe.

September 27 / 12:00pm Contemporary Talks

Artist Talk with Jiha Moon

Free

Join us for a conversation with Jiha Moon, acclaimed artist and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow, as she reflects on her exhibition Ten Moon and her evolving practice. After relocating from Atlanta to Tallahassee, Moon’s work has shifted to embrace new environments and influences. Ten Moon features her signature blend of paintings, ceramics, and mixed-media works that draw from Korean folk traditions, American pop culture, and digital iconography. At its center is the Shrine series, where paintings and ceramic objects merge into intimate, dreamlike spaces exploring memory, identity, and transformation. Moon will share insights into her practice, the symbolism of the moon as a marker of resilience and change, and her exploration of in-betweenness—where the familiar meets the surreal. Her work is held in major collections including the Hirshhorn, the High Museum of Art, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

September 27 / 2:00pm Contemporary Talks

Curator Talk with Youmi Efurd

with a Special Performance by Atlanta Korean Cultural Center (AKCC)

Free

Join us for a special curator talk with Youmi Efurd, curator of the Richardson Family Art Museum at Wofford College, as she discusses two exhibitions currently on view: Shaping Identity: Korean Print in Diaspora and Ten Moon by Jiha Moon. Shaping Identity explores the relationship between cultural heritage, migration, and identity through the lens of printmaking. Featuring works by Tschang Yeul Kim, Kakyoung Lee, U-fan Lee, Jiha Moon, Yoonmi Nam, Nam June Paik, Jean Shin, Joo Yeon Woo, and Jayoung Yoon, the exhibition highlights how Korean and diasporic artists have used printmaking to navigate traditions, hybridity, and belonging across generations. Ten Moon presents a new body of work by Jiha Moon that reflects her transition from Atlanta to Tallahassee and her ongoing exploration of identity, memory, and transformation. Incorporating paintings, ceramics, and mixed media, Moon blends Korean folk traditions, American pop culture, and digital imagery into a vibrant, dreamlike language of resilience and renewal. Efurd will share insights into the curatorial vision behind these exhibitions and discuss how they together reflect themes of cultural continuity, migration, and the evolution of identity. To close the event, the Atlanta Korean Cultural Center (AKCC) will present a Nanta performance, a high-energy percussion show that celebrates Korean culture and traditions through rhythm and movement. Founded in 2008 by HyunSuk Yang, AKCC has performed at national, state, and local festivals with a mission to build community connections through performing arts and education. This event is free and open to the public.

Support Atlanta Contemporary

Make a gift to help keep Atlanta Contemporary free, safe, and open to all.

Donate Today Become A Member
Imported Layers Created with Sketch.

We encourage you to share your images using #atlantacontemporary. Read our full photography policy.