Help me Fund My Dream: Lambda Literary 2019
Donation protected
Hello Friends, Chosen Family & Otherwise --
This year for me as a poet has been a riveting one! I got poems coming out in a couple dream journals (Cosmonauts Ave, foglifter press, The Shade Journal, etc) + gotten to do some cool residencies & conferences (The Speakeasy Project, Winter Tangerine, AWP). I owe a good amount of that to the monetary, artistic and emotional support of the kindred spirits around me! You all lift me up and get me through the toughest of days, and living life as a black, queer, nonbinary, non-neurotypical person means that there are A LOT of them. Truly.
On the bright side -- I’ve just been notified that I was accepted to return to Lambda Literary for their 2019 Writer’s Retreat in Los Angeles, CA! With this residency, I would get the honor of being a part of a cohort of 12 poets from around the world, interacting with writers of other genres (fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and YA) around the world, work towards finishing what is becoming my first manuscript (!), and work closely with writer, performer, and Forward Prize winner Danez Smith! Smith and I share some identities (Black, nonbinary) and they do a lot of things with their work that I aspire to do, so to have the privilege of them engaging with my work in its infancy would be a dream come true. I am writing this as a notif that, despite financial/mental setbacks, I’ve made it this far, but I am also asking for your help as I insert myself into this unfortunately-expensive literary world.
I am humbly asking for help to pay for my tuition ($1650) and travel ($350) to the Lambda Literary Writers Retreat. Last year, with the help of some friends, I was able to go and study with poet and novelist Ryka Aoki, it was the absolute BEST experience I have ever had in my literary life. I’m indebted to that week that I spent with my cohort forever, and what I need more than anything right now is to continue to get time away from my busy life as a poet, editor, elementary school teacher, host/curator of an open mic/reading series, and the various other odd jobs that I do to stay afloat. The experience & mentorship that I would gain from attending this retreat is very needed to elevate the people that share my queer, black/POC, and nonbinary identities. A $350 non-refundable deposit is due on Friday, June 1st, 2019. A second deposit of $350 is due on July 1st, 2019. The final payment is due on July 16, 2019.
If you are unable to donate, here are some other ways you can support:
book me for a reading/performance, workshop, panel, keynote/lecture, or event hosting by going to https://www.niakb.com/contact
share my poems with yourself, your friends, your class, and/or your organization by accessing them at https://www.niakb.com/work
Come to one of my events and bring a friend! You can see those at https://www.niakb.com/events
Follow me on Instagram (nia_kb) or Twitter (@nia_KB) and like/retweet/comment on my content!
All of these go way further than you know, and regardless I appreciate Lambda Literary for offering this amazing opportunity. Thank you to every person reading this AND every black person, queer person, nonbinary person, and/or a mixture of these things that choose to get up everyday and fight the world. You inspire me, and I hope to inspire you with everything that I do.
Nia KB
___________________________
Synopsis:
Nia KB needs $3000 in support for the 2019 Lambda Literary Writers Retreat (facilitator: Danez Smith)
A $350 non-refundable deposit is due on Friday, June 1st, 2019. A second deposit of $350 is due on July 1st, 2019. The final payment is due on July 16, 2019.
If can’t donate, other ways to support:
book me for a reading/performance, workshop, panel, keynote/lecture, or event hosting (https://www.niakb.com/contact)
share my poems with yourself, your friends, your class, and/or your organization (https://www.niakb.com/work)
Come to one of my events and bring a friend! (https://www.niakb.com/events)
Follow me on Instagram (nia_kb) or Twitter (@nia_KB) and like/retweet/comment on my content!
___________________________
About Lambda Literary:
The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices was established in 2007 and is the first of its kind ever offered to LGBTQ writers: a one-week intensive immersion in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, genre fiction and playwriting. The Retreat is an unparalleled opportunity to be mentored by the very best writers in our community, to develop one’s craft, make connections with publishing industry professionals and build a strong community of peers.
Faculty have included Dorothy Allison, Jewelle Gomez, Alex Sanchez, Randall Kenan, Eduardo Corral, Samuel Delany, Claire Carmichael, Nicola Griffith, Ellen Bass, Bernard Cooper, Elana Dykewomon, Katherine V. Forrest, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Cris Beam, Ellery Washington, Carla Trujillo, Eloise Klein Healy, Fenton Johnson, David Groff, Michael Nava, D.A. Powell, Justin Torres, Kazim Ali, Sara Ryan, Linda Villarosa, John Rechy, Andrew Holleran, Sarah Schulman, Robert O’Hara, Joy Ladin, and Benjamin Alire Sáenz among others.
___________________________
My Bio:
Nia KB [they/them] is a Black queer nonbinary poet, editor, and educator. They’ve received fellowships from Texas Christian University, Lambda Literary, Winter Tangerine, The Speakeasy Project, and UTSA’s African American Literatures and Cultures Institute. Their poetry appears or is forthcoming in a number of publications including Foglifter, The Shade Journal, Damaged Goods Press, Rising Phoenix Review, and Kallisto Gaia Press’ 2020 Texas Poetry Calendar. When they’re not blessing stages or writing pages, they serve as a Teaching Artist for Creative Action and the Austin Library Foundation, Curator/Host of the open mic/reading series Austin Interfaces, Assistant Editor for Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Associate Poetry Editor for fields Magazine, and proud member of Lenguas Loc@s Writers Collective.
This year for me as a poet has been a riveting one! I got poems coming out in a couple dream journals (Cosmonauts Ave, foglifter press, The Shade Journal, etc) + gotten to do some cool residencies & conferences (The Speakeasy Project, Winter Tangerine, AWP). I owe a good amount of that to the monetary, artistic and emotional support of the kindred spirits around me! You all lift me up and get me through the toughest of days, and living life as a black, queer, nonbinary, non-neurotypical person means that there are A LOT of them. Truly.
On the bright side -- I’ve just been notified that I was accepted to return to Lambda Literary for their 2019 Writer’s Retreat in Los Angeles, CA! With this residency, I would get the honor of being a part of a cohort of 12 poets from around the world, interacting with writers of other genres (fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and YA) around the world, work towards finishing what is becoming my first manuscript (!), and work closely with writer, performer, and Forward Prize winner Danez Smith! Smith and I share some identities (Black, nonbinary) and they do a lot of things with their work that I aspire to do, so to have the privilege of them engaging with my work in its infancy would be a dream come true. I am writing this as a notif that, despite financial/mental setbacks, I’ve made it this far, but I am also asking for your help as I insert myself into this unfortunately-expensive literary world.
I am humbly asking for help to pay for my tuition ($1650) and travel ($350) to the Lambda Literary Writers Retreat. Last year, with the help of some friends, I was able to go and study with poet and novelist Ryka Aoki, it was the absolute BEST experience I have ever had in my literary life. I’m indebted to that week that I spent with my cohort forever, and what I need more than anything right now is to continue to get time away from my busy life as a poet, editor, elementary school teacher, host/curator of an open mic/reading series, and the various other odd jobs that I do to stay afloat. The experience & mentorship that I would gain from attending this retreat is very needed to elevate the people that share my queer, black/POC, and nonbinary identities. A $350 non-refundable deposit is due on Friday, June 1st, 2019. A second deposit of $350 is due on July 1st, 2019. The final payment is due on July 16, 2019.
If you are unable to donate, here are some other ways you can support:
book me for a reading/performance, workshop, panel, keynote/lecture, or event hosting by going to https://www.niakb.com/contact
share my poems with yourself, your friends, your class, and/or your organization by accessing them at https://www.niakb.com/work
Come to one of my events and bring a friend! You can see those at https://www.niakb.com/events
Follow me on Instagram (nia_kb) or Twitter (@nia_KB) and like/retweet/comment on my content!
All of these go way further than you know, and regardless I appreciate Lambda Literary for offering this amazing opportunity. Thank you to every person reading this AND every black person, queer person, nonbinary person, and/or a mixture of these things that choose to get up everyday and fight the world. You inspire me, and I hope to inspire you with everything that I do.
Nia KB
___________________________
Synopsis:
Nia KB needs $3000 in support for the 2019 Lambda Literary Writers Retreat (facilitator: Danez Smith)
A $350 non-refundable deposit is due on Friday, June 1st, 2019. A second deposit of $350 is due on July 1st, 2019. The final payment is due on July 16, 2019.
If can’t donate, other ways to support:
book me for a reading/performance, workshop, panel, keynote/lecture, or event hosting (https://www.niakb.com/contact)
share my poems with yourself, your friends, your class, and/or your organization (https://www.niakb.com/work)
Come to one of my events and bring a friend! (https://www.niakb.com/events)
Follow me on Instagram (nia_kb) or Twitter (@nia_KB) and like/retweet/comment on my content!
___________________________
About Lambda Literary:
The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices was established in 2007 and is the first of its kind ever offered to LGBTQ writers: a one-week intensive immersion in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, genre fiction and playwriting. The Retreat is an unparalleled opportunity to be mentored by the very best writers in our community, to develop one’s craft, make connections with publishing industry professionals and build a strong community of peers.
Faculty have included Dorothy Allison, Jewelle Gomez, Alex Sanchez, Randall Kenan, Eduardo Corral, Samuel Delany, Claire Carmichael, Nicola Griffith, Ellen Bass, Bernard Cooper, Elana Dykewomon, Katherine V. Forrest, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Cris Beam, Ellery Washington, Carla Trujillo, Eloise Klein Healy, Fenton Johnson, David Groff, Michael Nava, D.A. Powell, Justin Torres, Kazim Ali, Sara Ryan, Linda Villarosa, John Rechy, Andrew Holleran, Sarah Schulman, Robert O’Hara, Joy Ladin, and Benjamin Alire Sáenz among others.
___________________________
My Bio:
Nia KB [they/them] is a Black queer nonbinary poet, editor, and educator. They’ve received fellowships from Texas Christian University, Lambda Literary, Winter Tangerine, The Speakeasy Project, and UTSA’s African American Literatures and Cultures Institute. Their poetry appears or is forthcoming in a number of publications including Foglifter, The Shade Journal, Damaged Goods Press, Rising Phoenix Review, and Kallisto Gaia Press’ 2020 Texas Poetry Calendar. When they’re not blessing stages or writing pages, they serve as a Teaching Artist for Creative Action and the Austin Library Foundation, Curator/Host of the open mic/reading series Austin Interfaces, Assistant Editor for Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Associate Poetry Editor for fields Magazine, and proud member of Lenguas Loc@s Writers Collective.
Organiser
Nia KB
Organiser
Austin, TX
