Issue 9: “The first-ever Wedding Poetry Funeral™”
All the laughter and tears and poems (and donuts!) you'd ever need. (*Death not included.)
Strawberries!
You delightful & delicious friends, you! Such a pleasure seeing you seeing me in your inbox.
Let’s jump in, yeah?
1. Poetry: Photos from the first week my chapbook is out in the world!
Wowzah! My heart is so full with gratitude and warmth from all the kindness and enthusiasm around my chapbook.
We laughed, we cried, we read poems, we ate donuts at what my friend Julian Stern (who also happens to have a fantastic Substack!) dubbed our Wedding Poetry Funeral™ (hence all the love and tears and poems and feels…though death not included). Massive thanks to everyone for making this entire experience so special, and special shouts to my friend Kristen Layden for making a beautiful piece of stationary based on the book (see below!).
I’m just gonna dump a bunch of fun pics from the last week and, once again, share the link to snag (another???) copy of the chapbook! Maybe as a gift for someone in your life?? (Idk!)
Oh! And when your copy arrives, I’d love to see! If you’re inclined/comfortable, consider posting a photo of the chapbook on ol’ IG – tag @bkassoy, @bottlecappress, and link to the chapbook. Ya know, if you want!
2. Impact Work: American Genocide (Podcast)
I haven’t done much direct work on this podcast, but the co-hosts, Crystal Echo Hawk and Lashay Wesley, are the women who hired me to work at IllumiNative. Expertly researched and gorgeously told, American Genocide is a riveting, timely true crime podcast about the dark history and enduring legacy of one Native Boarding School.
3. Recommendation: Another Incredible Dance Video (Incredible Dance Video)
I’ll just step aside so you can check it out.
Aaaand…that’s all he wrote!
With love and thanks and strawberries and dreidels,
Ben