HOUSTON: Creatives for Palestine!

Join us for "Houston Poets for a Free Palestine", as we come together with the Houston community for poetry readings, a teach-in, tabling, books and more.

When: Thursday, November 30th, 6-9PM
Where: 20 N Sampson St, Houston, TX 77003

Just 'cuz we're in a drought doesn't mean you should leave your literary thirsts unquenched.

Poison Pen this Thursday, 8/31. Come through!

Things kick off at 8:30(ish).

This month's readers:

Adele Elise Williams is a PhD candidate in Literature and Creative Writing at The University of Houston where she serves as Nonfiction Editor for Gulf Coast. Her work can be found in Poetry Northwest, Indiana Review, The Georgia Review, Crazyhorse, Guernica, Cream City Review, The Florida Review and elsewhere.

Fariha Tayyab is a multidisciplinary artist hailing from Houston. As a writer and photographer, her work revolves around the themes of identity and social justice. Fariha’s poetry and creative nonfiction are published in a variety of journals and publications. She has facilitated workshops with many programs, including the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. Fariha has received awards and grants for her artistry, mentored emerging artists, and built community through local organizations.

Brandon Dean Lamson is the author of a memoir titled Caged: A Teacher’s Journey Through Rikers, or How I Beheaded The Minotaur (Fordham University Press, 2023) as well as two poetry books: Starship Tahiti (University of Massachusetts Press, 2013), winner of the Juniper Prize for Poetry, and Houston Gothic (LaMunde Press, 2007). His poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals including Poetry Northwest, Prairie Schooner, Tricycle Magazine and Buddhadharma Quarterly. Currently, he teaches creative writing and literature at The University of Texas at Austin where he lives with his wife and their German Shepherd Apollo.

Storytelling and story collection are critical tools for any social change work. The principles and processes for how to collect and utilize stories of impacted communities should be rooted in ethical frameworks to avoid reinforcing harmful power dynamics. Storytelling that lifts up individuals’ humanity, instead of exploiting or appropriating their voices, is the focus of this session. Exploring different approaches for audio-, video- and text-based stories, this session will discuss how to integrate thoughtful and ethical storytelling practices into your campaigns and will share practical and best practices for doing this important work.

Hosts: Tanya Paperny, Fariha Tayyab, Michelle Kweder, Frederic Adou

Fariha Tayyab is a multidisciplinary artist hailing from Houston. As a writer and photographer, her work revolves around the themes of identity and social justice. Fariha’s poetry and creative nonfiction are published in a variety of journals and publications. She has facilitated workshops with many programs, including the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. Fariha has received awards and grants for her artistry, mentored emerging artists, and built community through local organizations.

Source: https://www.netrootsnation.org/nn_events/nn22/art-for-liberation-building-how-to-use-written-and-visual-storytelling-to-create-a-more-equitable-society/

Join us on December 10th from 6-9pm for Franklinton Fridays to view works by multiple artists including AAPI artist Fariha Tayyab. Supported by CoverMyMeds, the Community Arts Incubator is a mentorship program that provides opportunities for professional artists to share their skills and knowledge with the next generation of creatives in Columbus. For the past 6 months, mentors have been providing mentees with resources and one-on-one support to develop new and existing skills in the arts. As a visual representation of their partnership, they’ve been working on a piece of work to be featured in the showcase. Join us to view the works and meet the cohort!

Source: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-arts-incubator-showcase-tickets-219095278877?aff=ebdsoporgprofile