Please join us for our next installment of exploring Faiths and Feminisms as three women share their unique spiritual journeys and invite us all to reflect on our own paths. We’ll hear from\: Nadirah Z. Sabir\, the child of a Baptist father and Sunni Mother\, who was raised Muslim in the 10th generation of her American family. Gayanne Guerin Weiss whose
path took her from a Southern Baptist childhood\, handing out salvation tracts in the high school bathroom\, to a time as a spiritual orphan\, to the
University of Chicago divinity school\, to the surprise of finding a home in
Jewish faith\: a Reconstructionist shul founded by gays and lesbians. Toni Thomas who spent over 15 years in a very strict non-traditional Christian religion and now has transitioned to New Thought spiritualities as her spiritual practice. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to learn from the sharing of these experiences.
Charis &\; Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic &\; reading series on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Hosted by the anarchic spoken word team of Karen G and Theresa Davis\, members of the Art Amok Slam Team\, this series cultivates the voices of authors\, novices and an assortment of poets\, songstresses and storytellers. June’s feature is Rachel
Wiley\, a native of Columbus\, OH. She read her first poem aloud just 2 short years ago at Writer’s Block First Draft Open Mic and serves as a living cautionary tale about the gateway drug of open mic poetry. Recently\, she stormed the Rustbelt regional poetry slam by finishing in the top ten of forty-five poets. She writes and performs with power\, vulnerability\, sass and humor.
The Akoma Book Club (of Women Healing Women) is open to any woman seeking camaraderie with like-minded women for fun\, self-empowerment and growth. Even if you haven't read the book\, but are willing to talk about the
principles in the book\, you can join us for a lively discussion. June’s book pick is The Fifth Agreement. Since 1997\, The Four Agreements has transformed the lives of millions of people around the world with a simple but profound message. Now bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz and his son\, don Jose Ruiz\, collaborate with this powerful sequel The Fifth Agreement. The Four Agreements provides the foundation for breaking thousands of agreements that create needless suffering and with The Fifth Agreement you recover all the power of your authenticity\,
which is who you really are when you are born.
Join Baraka Bethany Elihu\, author of Birthing Ourselves into Being\: A Year Long Women’s Empowerment Program for an evening honoring the Solstice as well as celebrating the release of her new book which encourages women to create the selves they’ve always wanted. Offering clear\, innovative\, and effective steps\, this creative arts-based curriculum provides readers tools
to emerge with an entirely new life and stories of adventure and love to
inspire the journeys of other women.
This facilitated group discusses books which feature queer
characters/storylines as well as a strong attention to literary craft and
style. June’s selection is Sacred Country by Rose Tremain\, in which the
narrator Mary's fight to become Martin\, her claustrophobic small town\, and her troubled family make up the core of this remarkable and intimate\, emotional yet unsentimental novel. As daring as Virginia Woolf's Orlando\, Sacred Country inspires us to reconsider the essence of gender\, and proposes new insights in the unraveling of that timeless malady known as the human condition.
This facilitated group is open to all writers of fiction and creative
non-fiction who want a serious group to provide constructive criticism\,
motivational exercises\, and interpersonal accountability to keep their
writing on track. We do in group exercises and critiques with an eye
towards individual improvement and the eventual goal of
publication. Writers are encouraged to bring copies of their work to
share for critique. Please direct
inquiries to elizabeth@chariscircle.org.
Did you know that the
right color will make your sleep restful\, or even encourage conversation\,
focus\, and creativity? The wrong color can make you restless\, irritable\, even
physically uncomfortable. Rebecca Ewing is a member of the Color Marketing Group\, the international association of color designers who forecast color trends a year or more in advance—helping car\, paint and furniture manufacturers prepare for the future. As an industry leader in the application of color to influence mood and behavior\, Rebecca will share her skills and insights with all of us\, whether you want to know the best color to wear when asking for a raise or the right shade to paint your bedroom for more restful sleep.
This facilitated group is open to all writers of fiction and creative
non-fiction who want a serious group to provide constructive criticism\,
motivational exercises\, and interpersonal accountability to keep their
writing on track. We do in group exercises and critiques with an eye
towards individual improvement and the eventual goal of
publication. Writers are encouraged to bring copies of their work to
share for critique. Please direct inquiries to elizabeth@chariscircle.org.
\\"Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery\\"\: Benefit showing of the revival of long-time Charis friend Shay Youngblood’s acclaimed play at Horizon Theater. A joyous\, exuberant celebration about the coming of age of a young girl and the eight loving Big Mamas who raised her. This circle of diverse Southern women prepare Daughter to go to the river - her rite of passage into womanhood. The stories they share are funny\, sad\, magical\, and touching - tales of survival and healing.VIP tickets\, including pre-play wine and cheese reception with Shay and preferred seating\, are available for $60\; general admission tickets are $25.All proceeds benefit Charis Circle.
Tickets available at Charis Books and More or at http\://www.chariscircle.org
VIP reception begins at 6\:30pm\, Show begins at 8\:00pm.
This facilitated group is open to all writers of fiction and creative
non-fiction who want a serious group to provide constructive criticism\,
motivational exercises\, and interpersonal accountability to keep their
writing on track. We do in group exercises and critiques with an eye
towards individual improvement and the eventual goal of
publication. Writers are encouraged to bring copies of their work to
share for critique. Please direct inquiries to elizabeth@chariscircle.org.
On December 10th 2009\, The Washington Post
published a front-page profile of Helena that was hugely popular and
prompted responses from The Huffington Post\, Jezebel\, and Racialicious.
In the article\, “Single Minded Success\,” Helena explained her work\,
life and love\: “What I am trying to say about single black women is\,
you don't know them as well as you think you do. They may not know
themselves as well as they think they do.”
Her first book\, a memoir told in parts titled Bitch Is the New Black\, chronicles
Helena’s journey from the kidnapped daughter of the town lesbian to the
Washington reporter who can’t remember a single senator’s name\, to the
girl who runs her love life on G-chat. “I’m pretty much pants-ing
myself here\,” says Helena about Bitch Is the New Black\,
“daring folks to look at the hole-ly Hanes of my life as a metaphor for
the rest of the women who look like me or think like me.”
The film rights to Bitch Is the New Black have already been optioned by Grey's Anatomy
creator Shonda Rhimes\, who will produce the project for Fox Searchlight
Pictures. Helena will write the screenplay. Rhimes called the book
“outrageously funny and heartbreakingly honest.” Don't miss your chance to meet this hilarious and provocative author.
Charis &\; Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open
mic &\; reading series on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Hosted by
the anarchic spoken word team of Karen G and Theresa Davis\, members of
the Art Amok Slam Team\, this series cultivates the voices of authors\,
novices and an assortment of poets\, songstresses and storytellers