This event takes place in person at Charis and simulcast on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. If you would like to watch the event virtually, please register HERE. Please note that you must be physically in person to participate in the open mic portion of the event but can listen/view from anywhere.
Charis and Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic & reading series that celebrates new voices and seasoned veterans alike. Co-hosted by Karen G. and Theresa Davis, all are welcome to come and share their work. If you would like to participate as a reader or performer, all you need to do is arrive by 7:15 pm ET to sign up on the list. If you are a non-acoustic musician and would like to plug your instrument into our sound system, please contact info@chariscircle.org ahead of time to let us know so we can have the right setup for you! There are no genre, style, or form requirements, but please keep your set to under five minutes to allow everyone to have a turn!
This month's featured poet is Karen G. in celebration of Driving Into Midnight. "From within the fallout of 2020 and the following years, this punk —with a reputation for showing up— has met us once again in Driving Into Midnight. Garrabrant's book is that black leather jacket one needs for the ride." -Marjorie Hendrix
"Karen Garrabrant tells us "this is the era of letting go / the year of releasing" and Dear Reader, no lies are being told. Driving Into Midnight navigates grief and joy, from personal loss to the real faces of gentrification with a deft, caring hand and with the voice of someone who has stomped and shouted with equal aplomb at American power structures and their own lungs. This collection is a manual for How To Love So Fierce and Full. It is both testimony and confessional. To paraphrase Karen's own words, these poems show up and keep showing up. Now that's love." --Rob Sturma, author, HEAD V HEART
Karen Garrabrant/aka Karen G. Co-founded C/literati, a womxn/queer/gender outlaw open no mic, was a founding board member of Grrl’s Rock Camp ATL & slam manager of the Art Amok Slam, she's operated as a poet & organizer in Atlanta for 20 plus years. She's been a clock holder, score keeper, MC, bout manager, Tournament Director & secretary for the National Poetry Slam, with a streak of attending every big event from 2004-2018, except for one.She’s published in the presses Swimming With Elephants, Write Bloody and Read or Green Books. They are made possible by Billy Tuggle, Tara Hardy, Mags Down,Gia Kagan-Trenchard, Adam Stone, Theresa Davis, Marty McConnell, Scott Woods, Louise Robertson, Daryl Funn, & Ophelia Rising & many others as well as the spaces they create & hold for communities. She writes about love, grief, loss, and experiences that the late Gabrielle Bouliane described as “all of this is true, none of this is real.” She's famous for hugs & being a loud cheerleader because life is short. kgarrab@gmail.com is her email, @kgarrab on Instagram. She came out in DC & the Riot Grrl era, so DIY ethics inform her foundation.
Photo cred-Adam Rubinstein
This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Event. The suggested donation is $5, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Accessibility:
Charis Books is a fully wheelchair-accessible space with on-site van-accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow-accessible parking nearby. Most of our shelves are on wheels and can be moved to provide additional access. Our bathrooms are wheelchair-accessible and gender-neutral with motion-activated fixtures. Both bathrooms have wheelchair-accessible baby changing tables. Our directional signs are written in braille. Our events are mic'd for sound. We caption videos when we show them in the space. Free ASL interpretation is available for most Charis Circle programs upon request. Please email info@chariscircle.org to request interpretation as early as possible. We have several different kinds of seating for events. If you need a wider or sturdier chair and don't immediately see one available, please let us know and we will help you find one that fits your body. The space has all LED lighting. The space is not scent or chemical free but we do our best to minimize the use of chemicals and scents throughout the space and use low-VOC materials whenever possible. If you have specific questions about the space or how an event can be made more accessible to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@chariscircle.org.