Yuuuus, Tyra. Via GIPHY.com!
Hiii everyone!!!
I feel like it's been so long. I'm sorry for leaving ya'll dry 2X last month. And the last blog I wrote felt rushed. Sigh. I've been v busy prepping for readings, which I'll get into below!
This year has been hectic, angering, exuberant, high, and extremely low. But right now, I'm experiencing a lot of powerful, positive, forward-movement. And I know just what to do with it:
EMBRACE THAT SHIIIII.
(Thinking this bloggo will be a shorty b/c the mood I'm in rn. Had a great night's sleep, so I'm just uber chill and wanna work on some stuff that's pending!) Continue onward 😄
I remember one of the first open mics I ever went to.
After years of wanting to get inside, I went to a mic night @ Le Poisson Rouge. It was 2015, and I'd had some things written down, but I tried SO hard to coax myself out of getting onstage. At the time, I was only sharing my poems on my ancient Tumblr acct. and saw a lil' twinge of folks who enjoyed my stuff.
I still see myself behind the mic. I know the outfit I was wearing. I also see my confusion and excitement as folks told me they dug my super beginner poems! Boo-yah ✨
After the glitter of folks' support started to settle 🤣 I asked someone to take my photo onstage. Unfortunately, I went on a rampage and deleted a lot of old photos on IG....... BUT I will share this selfie with ya'll until I find the other one buried in my email. I took that selfie @ another reading that summer.
I walked into that ^ grungy bar and sat in the back, basking in the hellish, red ambiance (see photo link above). And I kept thinking,
"WHAT do I need to do to become a featured performer!? I want it!!!"
It would be two more years (so, obvi, we're in the present day now), a handful of published work, and an uncountable amount of hours writing before I'd finally reach my dream.
Queer Abstract, which is "a monthly performance series for Queer Trans People of Color (QTPOC) became my first featured performance! Thank you to Shannon Matesky for having me -- I had so much fun hopping up first. That was last last month -- and the day after my birthday, no less. Photos of me @ QA are here!
Before that November 17th performance @ QA, I'd already had a performance scheduled for Collective Sex. Collective Sex is "a space for storytelling, a container for vulnerability, [and] a site for intersectionality." I'd met Poppy Liu, the founder of Collective Sex, at a storytelling event she'd held about a month ago titled, "My Body Not State Property."
After reading for CS's open mic after the storytelling (photos of me on that amazing, neon stage are here!), Poppy talked to me about reading for their next event: Queer Ancestor Stories (photo of me from this past Sunday is here!). Poppy is a beautiful soul, and I'm so grateful to know her. Queer Ancestor Stories was an INCREDIBLE event. Folks I invited or met couldn't hold their words about the experiences they'd shared.
For December, I'll be reading at a community fundraiser 😄 Details soon come!
Right now, I'm really owning all this momentum. I'm sleeping, breathing, drooling, and losing my breath in it.
I feel no need to be coy about what I'm accomplishing. This is such an exciting time in my life. Considering how low I was this time last year and thru the summer, I almost can't believe it :-O
Really looking forward to what's next / for 2018. Expect the best, prepare for the worst, eh? But I see a lot rn: more work out there, more performances, teaching, organizing, and building bklynprose to have its best year yet.
^ In light of this last sentence + recognizing that I need to CREATE A TEAM OF AWESOME, I'll be adding a new tab to the site that'll display what needs someone dope in charge of it 💣
For now, all of this is volunteer, as I'm not making any money either. LOL. But I promise fun and wine at my place! Will need NYC-local folks age 21+++ to start this jam off!!!!
As always, thanks for reading! I still need to write ya'll about this skate crew that is quickly growing. Will be live next wk 😉
Also, I'm starting a monthly interview series! Folks doing bomb community work are 100% on my radar, and that's who this series will be highlighting. First one is currently in progress, and should be live two Tuesdays from now.
Find me on IG via that link ++ link in left sidebar. Talk to me if you're feelin' froggy 🐸 Thank you for being present on this earth today.