[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]wo of LA&#8217;s finest, Sean Maung and Valerie J. Bower will be in at the NY Arts Book Fair this weekend showing work that includes the collaborative &#8216;zine &#8220;UNCONDITIONAL&#8221; which seamlessly melds their unique styles into a single volume. All film, all black-and-white, UNCONDITIONAL celebrates and explores what is unique about Los Angeles. Maung&#8217;s…

Valerie J. Bower & Sean Maung ~ Unconditional

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<div>Ivan Ehlers is an Ecuadorian-American cartoonist and writer. He is a regular contributor to <i>The New Yorker</i>, <i>MAD Magazine</i> and the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>.</div>
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<div>IG: <a id="m_-8957504711371111195plusReplyChip-0" class="gmail_plusreply"></a>@ivan_ehlers</div>


Ivan Ehlers

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<p>3rd-generation Angeleno Mike Sonksen, aka Mike the PoeT, is a poet, professor, journalist, historian and tour guide. Sonksen’s read poetry at over 100 academic institutions, appeared on radio and television and hosted at the Getty Center. His latest books are <em>Traces, Places, Faces</em> and <em>Poets of My City: A Collective Effervescence</em>. Sonksen was recently appointed the Long Beach Design District&#8217;s first Poet-in-Residence.</p>


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Juicy Ribeye Khao Soi In a Wisteria-Covered West Hollywood Courtyard

<p>Julianne Lê graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Lê is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


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<p>Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.</p>


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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.</span></p>


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<p>Héctor Zaldívar is the head of a print magazine and art/music publication titled Dead Relatives. Completely written and designed by Zaldívar, every month subscribers are mailed in-depth stories on different subcultures from graffiti in Latin America to hardcore punk to lowrider culture and back.</p>


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