Co-organizer Melissa Dey Hasbrook is a writer based in Lansing, Michigan. She began The HerStories Project in 2010 to celebrate stories about women, and in 2011 expands its scope to celebrate gender expression. Her poetry is significantly inspired by her homeland in the Great Lakes and North America, ancestral legacies, and the personal-political of everyday life. She is an alumnus of Michigan State University with studies in linguistics, community literacies, and pedagogy. Melissa’s community-based work focuses on creating spaces to explore word art and healing. Drawing upon past teaching experiences in literacy programs, college classrooms, and tutoring offices, she strives to celebrate the lives of everyone participating in her events.

Co-organizer Dawn Comer received her MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Notre Dame. She currently teaches part-time at Defiance College and is writing two books: Raised in a Corn Palace: Stories from the National Association of Tourist Attraction Survivors, and Fella With an Umbrella: Discovering Joy on the Autism Spectrum. The Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature (SSML) has awarded her with The Paul Somers Prize for Creative Prose for the story “Raised in a Corn Palace” (2008) and the memoir “Fella with an Umbrella: Finding Joy on the Autism Spectrum” (2009).

Despite having recently completed her formal education, Julia Brown has experienced much in her career as artist and teacher.  Much of her inspiration is taken from those she has had the privilege to teach.  As an art educator, Julia Brown endeavors to encourage her students to develop a positive and informed sense of self through creative expression.  Her award winning artwork is deeply rooted in the natural world but also in the ethereal.

Barb Barton:  ”As far back as I can remember I have been hunting for wild foods and playing the guitar.  I was raised in a family that couldn’t wait for the first signs of spring, because that was when the morels and leeks would be appearing, and when sassafras root was harvested. And I remember the times of neighborhood sing alongs after a long day of mushroom hunting.  Since those early days, I have continued to seek out those tasty offerings of the woods and sing songs of the Earth.  Where the Wild Foods Grow is a natural offshoot of my lifetime love of all things wild.”

Poet-activist Jan de la Torre just moved back to the Lansing area from Kalamazoo, where they were the lead organizer of Pulse, an LGBT people of color arts group at Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative. Last April, Jan also opened for Cheryl Clarke, Willie Perdomo, and Stacyann Chin at an Arcus Center for Social Justice event.

Christine Wilson teaches English at Wright State University-Lake Campus and writes fiction and creative nonfiction. She’s been a yoga practitioner for over ten years.  Christine is especially interested in using yoga to create a mind body connection that fosters creativity and healing.

Julia Brown and Dawn Comer - “Circles of Motion”: Letting Go, Journeying Honestly

In “Eagle Poem,” Joy Harjo speaks of “circles of motion” both beyond and also within our selves, a fluid unity that resonates with this year’s theme.  Drawing from selected poems, Katherine Dunn’s Creative Illustration Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists, and Julia’s and Dawn’s experiences as a visual artist and a writer, this workshop will explore possibilities for creating with an openness to the journey rather than an emphasis on the end product. Conversational in tone and hands-on in approach, Julia and Dawn desire a balance of engaged community dialogue and personal creative space, an interweaving of circles of motion within a workshop setting.

Barb Barton – Wild Foods:  For Body and Soul
Wild foods foraging and harvesting have been a traditional practice in all cultures across the globe, both providing sustenance and community bonding.  Barb Barton will share her knowledge of Great Lakes wild foods and traditional harvesting practices, and the impacts that their decline has had on community.

[CLOSED] Christine Wilson – Saturday morning yoga session
Yoga is sometimes defined as a “coming together.” As such, it represents a time when the relationship between the mind and body emerges more clearly because as we move into our bodies, we see how all of the workings of our minds manifest in our muscles and tissues, and vice versa. This gentle class will focus asanas (poses) that create openness so that we have the space to explore ourselves, our bodies, and our writing. Yoga helps us learn to let go of our egos and attachment to particular outcomes, which are two things essential to writing. There will be a period of guided meditation at the end.

Jan de la Torre – Writing With Your Senses in Mind
This workshop will explore how participants can incorporate the five main senses in their writing. Prompts will be given by the presenter as the students take a short walk around the workshop location. The participants will be asked to remember the sensations they felt during the walk. The remembrances will be used to compose a group written literary piece.

Below you will find a listing of and selections from texts from this year’s participants.  Feel free to add to it in the “comments” section or to request that it be posted separately.

From Jerri Courtney, a selection from Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”

This is the online text of the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. It is made available by the Walt Whitman Archive. One can even view the passage on its original page from the original book (page 14) by click on the page above the text at the following http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1855/whole.html.

From Dawn Comer, Joy Harjo’s “Eagle Poem”  

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadly growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.
From Dawn Comer, Mary Oliver’s “Mindful” 

Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

From Dawn Comer, Bruce Cockburn and Annabelle Chvostek’s “Driving Away” (song) - 

The dichotomy of being a sentient being
driving away, driving away

Angel in the heart lost out this time
driving away, driving away

The calamity of seeing, and fleeing the night
driving away, blue as the night

Driving away, blue as the night
mustang, lizard, mud and light
blood and diamonds, fight or flight
right?

The picture of the world that’s coming clear
driving away, driving away

The things you never thought your ears would hear
driving away, driving away

The ashes of a heart drift past the lights
driving away, blue as the night

Driving away
Blue as the night
Mustang, lizard, mud and light
Blood and diamond, flight or flight

From Rachel Baker

“Mary Oliver’s poetry is a wonderful, beautiful celebration of nature, in the physical outdoors/spiritual sense. Also, some of Barbara Kingsolver’s environmentally focused non-fiction sticks with me.

I love, love, love that we are already allowing our weekend’s theme to take on such a porous meaning. I am eager to explore with you!”

…

Terry Tempest Williams interview from On Being:  http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/vitality-of-struggle/

“There are a large number of shows available that would fit with any of the aspects of our chosen ‘Embodying our Nature’ theme. I encourage you all to check them out.”

From Christine Wilson

“A lot of Terry Tempest Williams’ work, as well as Gretel Ehrlich’s directly address women, nature, embodiment, and writing.  It strikes me, too, that some theoretical work by ecofeminists might be interesting in this context.”

From Bethany Styer

I second the nominations of Mary Oliver and Barbara Kingsolver and add Wendell Berry for some of his finely tuned observations of nature particularly in regard to agriculture.

A special note about On Being
Rachel Baker’s recommendation of the NPR program On Being as a valuable source for programs exploring this year’s theme is one that I heartily second.  In fact, it’s hard to think of programs that don’t in some way connect with our theme.  A few that immediately spring to my mind include:

“The Body’s Grace:  Matthew Sanford’s Story” 

“The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi”

“Fishing with Mystery” (James Prosek)

“The Vitality of the Struggle” (Terry Tempest Williams)

“Planting the Future with Wangarai Maathai”

“The Wisdom of Tenderness” (Jean Vanier)

Gender expression
Fluid rather than fixed, not bound to anatomy or cultural conventions, “gender expression” encompasses a wealth/range/ continuum rather than the constructed constraints of categories as masculine, feminine, and androgynous.

Nature
“Nature” can be thought about in at least two ways.

First, there is a sort of physical nature–whether we live in rural areas or urban centers, “Nature” can be understood as that in which we live and is present everywhere.  Nature encompasses the Earth with all the flora and fauna, all species and naturally-originating elements. While both science and spirituality explore Nature’s nature or mysteries, Earth-revering traditions honor Nature’s inhabitants as spirits and often with a gender.

Second, “nature” can also be understood in terms of our individual selves, made up of our quirks, talents, gender expression, community with others, and ways through which we understand ourselves and operate within the world.

Bodies
These physical vessels we inhabit are constantly changing and aging. Like our bodies, Nature also is shaped with bodies of land and water. Even the planet as Mother Earth is understood as a body, a living being.  Bodies are part of embodiment–how we treat both our discrete individual bodies and the Earth in which we live.

How do we express ourselves with our bodies?  As individuals and communities of intersecting individuals, how do we talk, walk, take up space? Our bodies have languages, as genders have identities.  Bodies are flesh, matter, yet are animated by our inspirations, even spirits.  What does this mean for how we live in the world?

We invite ALL to actively engage in discussion on this theme, to suggest readings that speak to them, to explore questions and propose answers to them.  Most of all, we look forward to February 17-18 when we will meet in person to explore together in real time and real space.

As a grassroots endeavor, HerStories relies on word of mouth and helping hands to spread news about programming. Thanks for any assistance to pass on the flyer! Also, volunteers are most welcome for a variety of tasks; just email herstories.project @ gmail.com with interest or questions.

These free programs are being held at Gone Wired Cafe (2021 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing). Thanks to owner Colleen Davis for her open-door policy to community events!

Registration is encouraged for both events due to limited seating. Email herstories.project @ gmail.com or contact the listed phone number for the corresponding program.

1/27 ~ READING BY MARYCELA

The first program is a reading by visiting author Marycela on Friday, January 27, at 7:00pm with seating at 6:30pm. Her novel El Libro de Marcia is a fantastical story about a woman who escapes to the sea to write, and is inspired by Marycela’s experience as a domestic-violence survivor. The book now is available at Everybody Reads Bookstore (2019 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing) and online. Here is an interview (PDF file) from May 2011 with the author. Also visit her website in Spanish or its translation in English. The bilingual program is supported by the Capital Area Response Effort (CARE), End Violent Encounter (EVE) Inc., and the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing. Resources about domestic-violence services will be available. Register by email herstories.project @ gmail.com or phone Caroline from C.A.R.E. at (517) 420-6888.

2/17 & 2/18 ~ EMBODYING OUR NATURE

This writing program is running for its second year with a new theme that explores relationships between gender expression, nature(s), and bodies. Also the program welcomes all writers — new to seasoned, across genres and genders. Under development are workshops, talking circles, self-directed writing, and a reading by participants — so stay tuned! Partners include the LBGT Resource Center of MSU and the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing. Sessions may be attended in part or in whole, and run Friday, Feb. 17, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm, and Saturday, Feb. 18, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Register by email herstories.project @ gmail.com or phone the Women’s Center at (517) 372-9163. Due to the food-service venue, outside drink or food are not allowed. For requests regarding dietary needs, please inquire upon registration.

There’s good news, Michigan State University students, faculty, and staff: the first 50 guests hailing from Spartan country with an ID gain free admission! This offer is made possible by a generous donation from the MSU LBGT Resource Center, an event partner. Thanks, LBGTRC, for the donation!

More thanks to Shari Murgittroyd, Program Coordinator of the MSU Sexual Assault Program, another Bridges partner. She connected co-emcee Jeffrey Franckowiak (read more below) and I, which strengthened the program in many ways. Also the office printed our beautiful posters and flyers!

Bridges features lesbian poet Bobbi Byrd, who’s traveling from her home in Osseo, Michigan, for the event. Thanks again, Peace Education Center, for providing her gas funds! And Bobbi’s in good company with these stellar guests and contributors:

Co-emcee Jeffrey Franckowiak, a community organizer and advocate whose work creates safe and supportive space for the LBGTQ community of Greater Lansing, especially for trans gender identified persons.

Poet-activist Jan de la Torre, who just moved back to the area from Kalamazoo, where they were the lead organizer of Pulse, an LGBT people of color arts group at Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative. Last April, Jan also opened for Cheryl Clarke, Willie Perdomo, and Stacyann Chin at an Arcus Center for Social Justice event.

Drew Prosch-Jensen, who lives in Flowerville, Michigan, believes everything in life is an art-form, and that there aren’t any boundaries between life and art.

Max D, a transmasculine youth poet, hails from the eastern reaches of Greater Lansing.  As a local queer kid, he is excited to step up to the mic.

A representative from the 2012 MSU Vagina Monologues, who delivers “They Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy… Or So They Tried.”

Lauren Spencer, Program Coordinator of the MSU LBGT Resource Center, reading “It Doesn’t Get Better” by MC Lane.

Lee Sayles, a Lansing-based wordsmith whose performances include the Women in the Arts Festival and the collective Two Butches and a Broad.

See you soon!

Meanwhile, it’s time to register for the Open Mic segments of Bridges! The more contributors the better to celebrate gender expression; challenge gender violence and militarism; and honor Trans gender and Two Spirit voices. Register by email at herstories.project[at]gmail.com, with information about your work — written or spoken word.

It’s amazing to see this event bring together talented circles and converging priorities across Greater Lansing. Stay tuned for the official flyer, which is on its way from design students of Defiance College in Ohio. Thanks to Professor Amy Drees for facilitating their contributions!

And here’s the scoop on one of the featured artists:

Bobbi Byrd is a lesbian poet who lives in Osseo, Michigan. In the past, she has been a member of the Lansing Poetry Club, Poetry Society of Michigan, and smaller writing groups in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties.

She self-published her first collection “Poetry the Music of a Woman’s Words” in 1981. Her latest book “Seasons of the Soul” (2003) was published by Booksurge. Her first poem published by a periodical was in “The Island Lesbian” after she and her beloved partner returned from a trip to Hawaii. She since has been published in “Faith @ Work,” a nationally juried gallery, as well as local papers.

Bobbi has shared her work in a variety of venues: Lansing’s Capitol step, Schuler’s Bookstore in Okemos, and readings in Hillsdale county. She also regularly shares poems of a spiritual nature in her church. She was invited to share her work by the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature for two years, but last year chose to present and share poetry at the National Association for Esoteric Healing instead.

Collaborators and participants are still wanted, so send word with your interest (herstories.project[at]gmail.com) and pass the news on to those who may want to take part! The updated bookmark for the event makes it easy to invite others.