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June 16, 2018
Tweet Tweet: writing and publishing as acts of resistance: a continuation in three acts
@erica_mojo: “@poetchelene I really appreciated your participation in the closing panel of #BookSummit18. Commanding, empathetic, supportive. Glad I got to hear you speak.” @poetchelene: “Thank ...
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May 15, 2019Have You Hugged Your Google Sheets Lately? How Spreadsheets Helped Me Create Space for My Trauma
Coffee, walking your dog, getting ready for work, breakfast, more coffee, what you missed on Twitter while you were asleep, what fires to fight on Twitter, what fires to diffuse on Twitter, getting more ...
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June 27, 2019On Hanging Laundry
I have an obsession with laundry hung on lines. The image literally stops me in my tracks. There’s so much thought put into the way the sleeves of shirts are pinned just close enough to the hem of a ...
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June 30, 2019Behind the Title: "Frying Plantain"
This is my last post for Open Book and I’ve been thinking about how I should end my June tenure as Writer in Residence. I landed on writing about the title of my book. I’ve been asked a few times ...
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February 13, 2019Writing Black Futures: I see you creating strong bonds
In February of 2018 I had curated an event at the Vancouver Public Library called “Where are you really from?” which I hoped would create a safe space for dialogue around what it means to identify ...
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June 23, 2018
Mentors & Allies 2: Meghan Bell
When I first met Meghan Bell I was immediately aware of her ability to come up with amazing project ideas. During one of my first editorial meetings at Room magazine, Meghan was chatting about this idea ...
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June 25, 2018
Mentors & Allies 3: Jónína Kirton
Everything happens for a reason. A person enters your life at a specific time, and specific place for a reason. When I met Jónína Kirton, her energy wrapped my body like a hug I had been so desperately ...
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June 12, 2020On Collaboration and Trust
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller I crave collaboration. When I was young, I had no desire to connect or work closely with people in the way that I do today. ...
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October 29, 2020On Listening to Your Gut Instinct When Editing Your Work
First, there’s that twisty churny feeling that crawls across your skin when something doesn't feel right. It’s similar to the feeling that can arise when you are walking home late at night and you ...
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November 30, 2020When old ways, thoughts, beliefs, and people no longer serve you
“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” —T.S. EliotLately I have been thinking about the act of releasing the things in my life that no longer serve me. When I revise a piece of writing, the first ...
