Author Emily Pohl-Weary grew up in a famous literary family and has made that tradition her own through a series of ambitious publishing projects.

As editor of the zine, Kiss Machine, Pohl Weary is herself a pioneer in do-it-yourself publishing. She's also written a critically-acclaimed biography of her grandmoter, sci-fi pioneer Judith Merril, along with a collection of poetry and an anthology on female super heroes.

It's no surprise, then, that the heroine of Pohl-Weary's young adult novel, Strange Times at Western High, is a fearless, independent zinester. In this 2-minute video, filmed in the Toronto offices of publisher Annick Press, the author introduces us to her lead character, 16-year old Natalie Fuentes, and speaks about girls, confidence, and indy culture.