Queer Bookclub in May offers an extra treat as we host Nikki Pimentel, the author of âIn My Mindâs Eyeâ !! Nikki will be co-facilitating our discussion about their book, offering personal insight into the inspirations, creative process, and lived experiences behind the work. Readers can expect an open, affirming, and heartfelt conversation; one that honors the vulnerability within the pages and welcomes all questions, reflections, and connections readers bring to the table. My Mindâs Eye is a bilingual (English/Spanish) debut poetry collection by local author Nikki Pimentel. Written from lived experience as a queer, trans, neurodivergent, Latine person, the collection takes readers on an intimate journey through trauma, healing, identity, and family challenges. This is a book that invites readers to sit with the full complexity of a life including the grief, the tenderness, the reclamation, and the joy of becoming. You can scoop a copy of the book at Small Format starting this weekend! As always, no need to sign up for Queer Bookclubâ just cozy in with a drink and a snack to explore with us!
CONTENT WARNING from the author â ď¸ This collection contains references to topics around trauma, mental health challenges, grief, and sexual violence. Please read with care and prioritize your wellbeing.
Thank you to everyone who came and packed the opening night of âSeed of Sovereigntyâ â this photography exhibit features recent images from Palestine, telling the story of resistance and insistence on life in the face of colonization. The exhibit, curated and installed by Tameka E-C @goneglittering showcases powerful photography by Rabat Photography @rabat.photo and will be on view throughout May. All prints purchased from the show will continue to fundraise for the Lajee Center in Palestine.
Tonight, Friday 7-8:30â youâre invited to the opening of âSeed of Sovereigntyâ to explore the work of Syrian-American photographer John Rabat Russell (@rabat.photo ) in a new photography series sharing his recent trip to Palestine.
Johnâs photography centers the work of the Lajee Center in Aida Refugee Camp, documenting the many ways Palestinians have been our compass and our teachers in joy, community power, the love of life and all things living, and resistance against oppressors. Even in the face of the darkest horrors of colonial violence, Palestinian sovereignty remains. The aim of this series is to showcase and celebrate the Palestinian ingenuity, community care, love, and creativity embodied in the work of the Lajee Center and other grassroots community organizers in refugee camps across Palestine. Prints will be available for sale and 100% of the proceeds will go to the continued work on the ground in Palestine.
Aprils Queer Bookclub is reading âHoney Girlâ by Morgan Rogers. This debut novel follows the story of Grace Porter, a Black woman who just completed her PhD in Astronomy, during a pivotal moment in her life. Despite being a rather self-disciplined person, while on a girlsâ trip to Vegas celebrating her newly earned degree, Grace drunkenly gets married to another woman she just met. This one gorgeous moment of spontaneity quickly unravels the life plans Grace has very carefully planned over the years. Now she must ask herself a few questions: how can she prioritize her happiness while achieving what she truly wants to do in her life? And how can she break out of the rigid mold instilled in her by her family background?
As usual, Queer Bookclub will meet the last Monday of the month, April 27th, from 5:30pm to 7pm. Thereâs no need to sign up, just come by to join us in a fun conversation about this sapphic second coming of age story. Refreshing snacks and sips will be available!
A quick âb-rollâ winter retrospective before the Spring equinox. We literally couldnât have made it through without yall and these tasty+silly moments. Queer love really is magic.
Marchâs Queer Bookclub will be reading a favorite Audre Lorde text âSister Outsider: Essays and Speeches.â This infamous text weaves a collection of short essays and speeches that explore the intersections of Lordeâs identityâBlack woman, lesbian, feminist, poet, activist, mother, and cancer survivor.
Recognizing the original publication of Sister Outsider in 1984, this queer bookclub will critically examine how the numerous âismsâ touched on in the text still exist today as well as how we might continue to dismantle them in the present.
As always, Queer Bookclub is the last Monday of the month from 5:30-7pm. No need to sign up, just bring yourself. Join us for a cozy evening of discussion accompanied by cafe cocktails, teas, and snacks!
Come out to play, yall. Weâre doing a special pastry deal (buy two, get one freee) for the PUPPPY BOWL today and tomorrow. Lots of vegan and gluten free options available toođ
