It's National Poetry Month and we are celebrating local poet Rachel Economy's new collection, The Origins of Streams, with a round-robin of exciting voices. Rachel will be joined by Derek Economy, Emilie Lygren, Signature Soul, Jojo Donovan, and Nicole Mitchell.

What happens if we imagine beyond the confines of what we are told is possible? This question runs through the hearts of the poems in Rachel Economy's The Origins of Streams. Glimmers of answers emerge in conversations and overlaps with animals, plants, the soil itself. The Origins of Streams invites the reader into sensory awakening as a human body within the bigger body of the world. Whether the topic is chronic illness, creation myths, heartbreak, or the ethics of big agribusiness, these poems queer and dissolve the (often artificial) separations placed between the human and non-human world. Love poems are populated with plants. Decomposition and the movement of matter become essential processes for reorganizing the world towards justice. Grief and loss offer richness and regrounding in ecological relationship between watersheds and human bodies. Food is a tapestry that grows and graces tables and words throughout. More than anything, these poems speak deeply to what being alive feels like, and what being alive could be. Moving from land-as-origin-story, through themes of dancing, apocalypse, animacy, and refuge, Rachel Economy immerses us in the body of now, and in the seeds of a fragmented and thriving future.

Rachel Economy is a poet-performer, design-thinking strategist, and visionary futures educator with her hands in the dirt.  She is the owner of Index For The Next World, where she offers human-centered design consulting, garden skills-education, and story-publication for those seeking to build a just and thriving world. Her first poetry chapbook, The Origins of Streams, was published by Finishing Line Press in January of 2021. You can find more of Rachel's writing, videos, and work, at www.indexforthenextworld.com.

Derek Economy is Rachel's dad and an awesome poet in his own right. You can buy his book directly from Finishing Line Press. https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/in-the-flood-of-94-by-derek-economy/

Emilie Lygren is an educator, facilitator, and poet committed to building a more connected and just world. Throughout her career, Emilie has intentionally cultivated a broad range of teaching skills and expertise in curriculum development, science education, social-emotional learning, facilitation, learning theory, outdoor leadership, and culturally responsive teaching practices. https://emilielygren.com/product/what-we-were-born-for/

Signature Soul is a fusion of rhythm + rhyme + reason + resonance made up of the eclectic duo MARCO SOULO & SIGNATURE MIMI Check them out here: https://www.signaturesoul.love/

Jojo Donovan is a poet, facilitator, storyteller, and trauma worker who uses writing and ritual to connect survivors of abuse with our own body-brilliance, with each other, and with the living, animate world that is fighting for survival alongside us. Jojo is also a non-binary trans woman, a survivor, a priestess, a pleasure-monger, a word-witch, a mystic.

Nicole Mitchell is a queer, mixed-race white and Chinese woman.  She teaches 2nd grade in Oakland, CA.  Her poetry has appeared in Nepantla: A Journal Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color.  You can follow her on Instagram @nic.mitch.the.witch.

This event is free and open to all people, especially to those who have no income or low income right now, but we encourage and appreciate a solidarity donation in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/CharisCircle?code=chariscirclepage

We will be archiving this event and adding closed captioning as soon as possible after airing so that it will be accessible to deaf and HOH people. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we begin this new way of connecting across distances.

By attending our virtual event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Rachel Economy and Friends