Jayson

& another one. 🎂✨ eternal thanks to the DJ, my sisters, the library, & my mama for *our* face. to everyone tryna keep their eyes, sweetness, & stingers: i see you. hold on. free the land till it’s backwards.

2025 ✌🏾✨ moved; was moved. still mending. thanks to everyone who kept me [ ] this year. hug your loved ones 💙

Thank you @red_lappa for these words of wisdom. Video: @transientphotog | It’s our turn to get outside with @bklyn_fam and do what we do on that Prospect Park Boathouse patio next Sunday 10.26.25. It’s free. Come on thru so we can properly ring this Fall bell and transition into ancestor veneration season together under the trees and by the water like our farmer grandparents did way back. Ohhhhhhh! And let’s talk about getting here … A year since we’ve performed … New apprentices … New company mates …. New time rebuilding from scratch … The explaining over and over … The capacity thinning … The let downs … The grant winning … The grant rejections … The overdue everything … The almost made its … The overflow of blessings … The shining in our glory … The devastation … The set backs … The joy, opulence, and excellence … The ocean … The volcano … The canyon … The mountain top … The laughter … This life … And waterfalls of LOOOOOOOVE. All of it. @serena_maximilien @freee_stile @goussycelestin_ayitibrass @goussyc @orionkg @imogenewill_ @tylahlyzette @jaysonpsmith @bloodlinedancetheatre @mendance2 @isaiahtyrelleboyd @makafui_mordedzi @sanctuariomusica @skymenesky @capri_quarius719 @orionkg @bradleygirlfree @thornstouchwellness @jbdances333

Dear all! I’m thrilled to invite to you the Brooklyn book release party for my debut full-length poetry collection, Interlocutor Goddess! So much love to poets @jaysonpsmith & @toositajoon who I will be reading alongside, and to the incredible poetess @leggomymeggoo who will be interviewing me during the reading! There will be free books and refreshments! 📍Bedford Branch of the BPL (496 Franklin Ave) 📅Thursday, October 23 🕕 6pm Doors, 6:30pm Reading I grew up in my local library in many ways. It was a satellite beam for my childhood dreams! What joy to be celebrating a book dedicated to little Jasmine at my current local library. Thank you to @bklynlibrary for hosting, and head librarian Adeeba for all your work to make this happen!

As I gather videos to piece together for you, dear ones, anyone of you who couldn’t be there & also for myself bc I’m still processing: here is evidence via slides that my official NYC Book Launch for What We Do With God happened. Seeing videos & photos is helping me piece together/have a fuller conceptualization of the very stunning, very fortifying evening—if you have videos/photos plz send to me! Slides: 1. @tracedepass & @ehimeora film a Daniella’s post-event ramen reflection. 2. Daniella is moved to switch up her reading set after being moved by @poemsandcake & @champagnepoet ‘s v stunning readings. 3. What We Do with God Bingo was a hit—you really should have been there. Congrats to our winner, @ehimeora ! 4. The crowd game “Is it cookies or is it sewing supplies” was also a hit. Volta: it was cookies lmao. Then the open container of cookies was placed next to me during end-of-night Book Signing time for ppl to get both a signed copy of What We Do with God and a cookie :). Someone said the fact that there were actual cookies in the container healed something in her childhood ♥️. 5. My shoe of the evening was teddy bear slippers bc a. the book launch theme was slumber party & b. I read “all about bears” as apart of my set (if you read the book, then, you know lmao). 6. Two friends brought me beautiful bouquets of flowers that I carried around all day the next day with my luggage bc I had to teach the next day and hotel checkout was 11am so here is Daniella in her office w/ her flowers and bags during post-teaching office hours. 7. @tracedepass & @ehimeora & Daniella being silly pals post-book launch. 8. Daniella gifts abuela a copy of What We Do with God. I will keep the details between me & abuela personal bc it was stunning & between me & my beloved. Just know, something in our lineage was healed in the exchange ♥️✨. 9. Teddy bear again bc lmao. 10. Thank you @ptknitwear for having us!! It was an honor to be held in your space. 11. Signing store copies! 12. Documents <3. More on this soon. Until then, thank you to everyone who made this night—and me—possible ♥️. What We Do with God, out now with @haymarketbooks !

proof of life.

BOOK LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT! Before I continue w/ any other info: the eventbrite rsvp/ticket purchase for What We Do with God book launch is in bio (both insta & Linktree) & the campaign donation link for @othmanabdrabou pictured in the 3rd slide is in IG bio. Alright! Announcement: Friends, my book launch and book tour kickoff event is Oct 1 at 6:30pm at @ptknitwear in the lower east side. I’d love to celebrate the release of my debut book alongside you. Bring your whimsy, bring your grief, bring your hugs (or nods w/ half smiles, we don’t have to hug), your suggested masks, your hopes & dreams & exhaustion & joys. I’m happy for it to share space with me and the brilliant reader pals @_joseolivarez , @poemsandcake , @champagnepoet and host @jaysonpsmith <3. Thank you @ptknitwear for having us. Thank you to my pals reading and hosting alongside me. Thank you @haymarketbooks for EVERYTHING <3. Thank you @othmanabdrabou for your trust and care. Thank you, friends, for all all all of the support and love and grace you’ve given me as I’ve been navigating life and health up to this point—this all truly wouldn’t be possible without you. See you there ♥️.

MoveFest STUDIO SESSIONS start next Monday — there’s still time to join the party (sign ups in bio). Free for youth 12+. Lunch provided with transportation available from Catskill. 👁️Meet your facilitator team: Jayson. 🎉 CLUB, KIDS. This class will be exactly what it sounds like—each day, we will create our own “dance club” & use the foundations of punking, waacking, and house to build our improvisation toolbox. What does your dance look like in an unexpected environment? #hudsonvalley #hudsonvalleydance #dance #movement #waacking #punking #house #housedance

happy summer, from me & sensei. ✨👊🏾🌊

wishing you all at least one friend you can run to on the dance floor. endless love to @justabdiel for the ride & @danceislifenyc for making my month with this record be water, beloveds. ✊🏾💙

One of our hosts for Saturday, @jaysonpsmith , with some of the sweetest experiences on what BODY HIGH means to them 🦋 we are so excited to have Jayson grace Saturdays party with their energy and presence 🌞 About them: Jayson P. Smith / Amethyst (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist, dancer, & writer from the Bronx. Jayson’s solo performance work has been showcased in venues such as Miriam Gallery & The Guggenheim. They currently dance for J. Bouey Dance Projects & other loves. Tickets are $10 on RA! Doors are at 3, old way class is at 3:30 and is included with the ticket fee. Hit that link in bio 🔗