Description
Join us on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. for a special conversation about death and decolonization with Jess Goldman, Upstart & Crow’s 2024 writer in residence, and ‘Cúagilákv, Jess Housty, essayist and Crushed Wild Mint poet.
This event keys off Goldman’s residency project where they explore Jewish death practices as a possible site of decolonization through personal, political, historical, spiritual and cultural lenses.
Together, the two writers will discuss death as an aspect of self-identity, and how (re)claiming decolonial death practices can act as a pathway to deeper relationships with family, community and land.
They will speak to — amongst other topics — death as a practice in Bella Bella (Haíɫzaqv territory), the impacts of ongoing decolonization on death practices, and the important intimacy of performing death rites as a way to transition a loved one from one side of the veil to the other.
This event is free, though donations are welcome and will be used to purchase books for Thistalalh Library, a community library in Jess Housty’s community of Bella Bella.
More about the authors:
Jess Goldman is an anti-Zionist Jewish writer, comics artist, and amateur puppeteer based on the traditional, unceded lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Səlilwətaɬ, and Mʷməθkʷəy̓əm Nations. Their writing has been published in Maisonneuve, the CBC and Room Magazine. A graduate of UBC’s MFA in Creative Writing Program, their writing explores that sweet spot where Yiddishkayt and queer culture joyfully collide.
Jess Housty is a Haíɫzaqv parent, poet, and land-based educator living in their homelands in the community of Bella Bella, B.C. Jess serves their Haíɫzaqv community as the executive director of Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society, and serves the wider BC Central Coast region as the Lead at Coastal Foodways. They also work as a Co-Lead with the Right Relations Collaborative in support of just and equitable relationships between Indigenous changemakers and the philanthropic sector. They are the author of Crushed Wild Mint, a debut poetry collection (Nightwood Editions, 2023).
More about Upstart & Crow:
Located on Granville Island, Upstart & Crow is a literary arts studio for curious readers and creative storytellers alike. We are international in our outlook, and local in our sensibilities. We create opportunities to surface new talent and champion bold ideas through events, workshops, literary launches, unique partnerships — and yes, we also sell books!
Health precautions:
We want this event to be safe for all. Masks are welcome, though we won’t enforce them. We hope that folks who come will be vaccinated and boosted and will stay home if they feel ill.
Accessibility:
The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.
Questions: hello@upstartandcrow.com.
