It’s our 16th year! Storytelling is alive and celebrating the power of language and performance in both Los Angeles and the Desert! This year, we’ll be at the Autry Museum, the Ebell of Los Angeles, SOCALO in Santa Monica, Mark Taper Auditorium, Living Out in Palm Springs and streaming LIVE from the Rancho Mirage Library. We draw wordsmiths and performing artists from the entire Southern California cultural landscape for an unforgettable 90 minutes of pure storytelling magic.
August 8, 2026
7:30 PM
Barnsdall Art Park
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
August 15, 2026
7:30 PM
Gertie’s Salon and Bar
1122 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
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The best-spoken word show in LA!
Who We Are
Our Mission
To create a community where diversity is encouraged and embraced through storytelling, poetry + music.
No one leaves Strong Words without feeling they belong. And that they have stumbled into something wonderful.
Meet Our Producers
Larry Dean Harris
Producer
Marlene Nichols
Producer
Roy Cruz
Producer
It’s a place of warmth that offers storytellers and audience members a place to congregate and share community.
It matters dearly.
Book Us
Have stories/will travel.
If you’d like to host an afternoon or evening of Strong Words, please contact us.
Audiences have enjoyed special Strong Words performances at the Autry Museum of the American West, the Los Angeles Central Library, the Palm Springs Art Museum and at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.
A wonderful, heartwarming, life-affirming event.
Submissions
Got a story, music, or poems to share?
Click here for more details on getting started.
Every show I’ve attended has been a delightful collection of stories from so many perspectives and demographics.