On Tuesday, Sept 5th at 6pm PDT, join Massy Arts Society and a collective of brilliant poet organizers for Under The Table Masks4EastVan Fundraiser featuring Jane Shi & Kay Kassirer.
Under the Table is an open mic series centering disabled and/or queer poets. This series was dreamed up out of a desire to share work, experience art, and connect with community in a covid safer, more accessible, and anti-oppressive space. Partnering with Massy Voices and Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture, Under the Table Open Mic Series will be on the first Tuesday of each month with some events in person at Massy Arts Society and others virtually on zoom.
About Masks4EastVan
Masks4EastVan is a grassroots mutual aid project that distributes N95 or equivalent masks to neighbours in East Van that began in May 2022. We aim to make information about the importance of high quality pandemic protections accessible to the general public. We conduct home deliveries and have pop-up distribution events. Masks4EastVan was founded by two disabled and neurodivergent queer trans people of colour, and has expanded to be now run by a small group of volunteers. https://linktr.ee/masks4eastvan
This event has been made possible by Massy Voices, the Government of Canada, and Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture.
With Featured Poets
Jane Shi lives on the occupied, stolen, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Her writing has appeared in the Disability Visibility Blog, The Offing, and Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press), among others. She is the author of the chapbook Leaving Chang’e on Read (Rahila’s Ghost Press, 2022) and the winner of The Capilano Review’s 2022 In(ter)ventions in the Archive Contest. Her debut poetry collection echolalia echolalia comes out Fall 2024 with Brick Books. She wants to live in a world where love is not a limited resource, land is not mined, hearts are not filched, and bodies are not violated.
Kay Kassirer (they/them) is a spoken word poet whose autobiographical poetry focuses on gender & sexuality, grief, disability, and sex work. Kay has toured internationally performing at venues like Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Busboys and Poets, and the Bowery Poetry Club. They have competed at over a dozen national and international poetry slam festivals earning their place on several competitive final stages. Kay curated and edited A Whore’s Manifesto: An Anthology of Writing and Artwork by Sex Workers published by Thornapple Press. Their work has been featured in numerous places, including Button Poetry, Slamfind, Write About Now, and Voicemail Poems.
