Jeané D. Ridges

2025 Luminary Cohort, LEI Program Director & Founder of SISTORIES Literary (from l to r - Dr. Bre Byrd, Jeané D. Ridges, Chinyere Erondu, Nina ‘Alex’ Scott, Priya Dames, Mariah M. & Ashley Danielle Nickens. not pictured Jasmine Butler)

If you didn't get a chance to attend the symposium for SISTORIES's Fluid By Nature, the replay is now live and access can be purchased for $2: www.sistories.org/fluid-by-nat... (vid description has timestamps for happenings and an accompanying resource packet of materials/notes used)
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⌚️Sep 27
Hr 27: Facilitating Spec Poetry Challenge Check-in
📜Sep 28
Hr 46: Facil. BIPOC Storytelling Meetup & Create ✍️🏾
Hr 47: Facil. Poetry Check-in ⏱️
Hr 53: Present/Facil. BIPOC Storytelling Discussion: Pluriverses of Us 🌏🎉🫱🏿‍🫲🏾🌌

And now, as fall teases an easing, I myself am slowing to reflect and appreciate. It will be resonating in how I show up next week. So where can you find me?
🗣Sep 26
Hr 6 (my 1st panel, & 1st opportunity to discuss gender in this way! 🥳): New Gender Just Dropped
Hr 7: Reading (feelin poetic 🧣)

'25 has been a year of joyous yes to care for '24's heartbreaks. I put down goals from the jump and have passionately pursued every creative rumination of my storytelling that called and possibilities to tend it and share it--and even more beautifully to also get to do so in aligned collaboration.

🐉I'll be not only delightedly attending but on the program for Flights of Foundry Sep 26-28:
flights-of-foundry.org/program-3/ 🪶

Roiling water, burning sky, lush swamp behind a veiled, gowned melanin-rich figure holding a lit candle with SISTORIES Litmag: An Interactive Feminist Literary Magazine and Fluid By Nature: Texture, Memory, & Ecology of The Black South overlaying.

Wooh dat full tired 😌. Yesterday was a dream realized from what happens when you move and claim your work with intention, with whole care.

If ya couldn't tune in, here's Issue V in all its glory--you can read online now and preorder a free-ninety-nine physical:
www.sistories.org/b26db0d6-709...

Lineup for LEI Fluid By Nature Symposium: 11:00am | We Begin & Ground w. Ashley Danielle, Harmony Phoenix & Mariah M. 11:20am | Archives and Altars for the Literary Souths Keynote by Dr. Randi Gill-Sadler 11:55am | Marrow as Practice: Building your Library Through the Elements with Chinyere 12:15pm | Jeané Tells on Themself: An interview, Readings, and Questions & Maybe Answers with Jeané D. Ridges) 1:10pm | Midday social hour, sonic curation by holdenxcess 2:00pm | Explorations in Opacity, a blackout poem workshop with Priya Dames 2:25pm | Black Mermaids, Time Traveling Cowries & Southern Portals with Nina Scott 3:20pm | ‘They kept telling me I looked like nina simone’ an interactive fishbowl with Brea Blossoms #5 Presentation 3:45pm | On Black Southern Literary Imaginations with Jasmine Butler (?) 4:35 | Issue V Cover reveal, Convo with Stewards of the luminary Editorial Incubator & Call to Action 5pm | Closing social hour; sonic curation by holdenxcess Link for deats: https://linktr.ee/fluidbynature

(Fun Fact: I pictured posting this but didn't 😬.) Anyhow, SISTORIES is having a closing, celebratory hybrid symposium tomorrow, Aug 8, 11-6 for my LEI cohort and the issue we nurtured into being. Reg here (those who do will be first to receive hard copies of the issue)🤎🏞🧵: linktr.ee/fluidbynature

We're celebrating 5 years of khōréō by sharing essays & interviews!

In "Writing the Space Between Here and Elsewhere: Interviews with Jennifer Hudak and Shingai Njeri Kagunda", @jdridges.bsky.social interviews two authors featured in khōréō's very first issue: www.khoreomag.com/non-fiction/...

Gratitude to Seventh Wave and my fellow contributors. This was such an attentive process to be in with y'all—and is such a wonderful community to be part of—the results show all the care each of us pour into our work 😊*big ole hug*.

Graphic created by Seventh Wave and its Art Director Meg Sykes. Shows screenshot squares of "Porch Pull Up Ep. 204" by Jeané D. Ridges and "Revolution" and Other Poems by Jack Rose above the text "We can't wait for you to get to know these voices." then Issue 18: Radical Futurity and Seventh Wave.

🗣️⚙️🫂
Grab you a tall glass of water and come rest on the porch awhile: theseventhwave.org/publication/...
(also be sure to explore the neighborhood: theseventhwave.org/publication/..., and get ready for spotlights on contributors June 11-18: www.instagram.com/seventhwavem...)
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Seventh Wave promo graphic Issue 18: Radical Futurity: over a photo of Jeane' D. Ridges--abundant with Southern melanin, scarfed and masked up--a quote reading, "I'm a poetic storyteller who creates in the speculative expanse, which means some things are poetry, some things are prose, some things are a synthesis or conversation. To the substance of it, my work often orbits the question, once we've dismantled all these influences within and without of violence/ation, can we live with ourselves."

www.instagram.com/seventhwavem...

Image of Jeané Ridges, melanin glowing and curls picked and satin-wrapped, beside the text: Fellowship of the Griots Presents Communion - Jeané Ridges Breathing Room Readings & Discussion April 6 2 pm EST, 1 pm CST To join: https://linktr.ee/fellowshipofthegriots

Apr 6 2 pm EST/1 pm CST/11 am PST: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Home - Seventh Wave Publishing people, not just pieces. Seventh Wave is a BIPOC- and queer-led creative community by and for emerging writers, artists, and activists from around the world.

Broadcasting live from Atlantas of the Risen South, "Porch Pull Up | Ep. 204 Transcript — 'Tinkering a Way, Together: An Interview with Plastivap Inventor Mirukosee Balan.'"
I'll post the link when it's available, but if you want to stay on it and/or explore the mag ➡️ theseventhwave.org 
🔩🫂⚙️

Home - Seventh Wave Publishing people, not just pieces. Seventh Wave is a BIPOC- and queer-led creative community by and for emerging writers, artists, and activists from around the world.

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3️⃣ If you're not over me, coming this June (which feels an early birthday present), I'll have a story published in the Seventh Wave's Issue 18 🌊 Radical Futurity:

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2️⃣ I'm "headlining" the April Communion for Fellowship of the Griots. I'll talk about my work, breathe-read, then, hopefully, y'all will talk to me and we'll do some Q&MA (Questions & Maybe Answers).Watch out for a link here round the end of March ➡️ linktr.ee/fellowshipof...
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This story is equal parts eulogy to who I was in the kitchen pre-diagnosis and dedication to who I've become tending the needs of my bodymind post.

Final word here: In this not-sprung/springing springtime, 💐 for Julia.
🥧🥔🥕🌶🫘💊🥣🧀🧈🫚

Here with first quarterish updates and [spare *hugs*] ⬇️

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1️⃣ Concluding this issue's filling narrative menu, on a 🌑-orbiting world, "Recipes for the Course of Living" follows its narrator's luay to luay a recipe at a time.
www.juliarios.com/the-february...

Fellowship of the Griots Presents: A Community Reading Dec 8 4 pm EST, 3 pm CST (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrfuivpjgoGdL9-n-9hLBNc5caRlWljTrq) over a black and white photo of people out of frame and someone whose face is covered looking at a man speaking into a corded microphone.

I'll be reading at Fellowship of the Griots' Community Reading this Sunday, December 8. The event starts at 4 pm EST/3 pm CST: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... . 🤗 to this community for not only the prompt that prompted 😆 these words but for the space, for everyone's incredible being.

If ya relished the friens, the noms, the vistas in "Prep Luay", the story where the world first unfolded, "Recipes for the Course of Living", will also find a home away from home in Worlds of Possibility next year. 💌 to @omgjulia.bsky.social and Rivers Misfits for y'alls enthusiasm for these words.

beestungmag.com/issue19/one-...

Here's the link to access the recording of the reading--you'll be prompted to register and a link will be sent to the email you provide (it expires Feb 15): us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/d8...

Just finished my periodic Valerie June listen-a-thon!

The readings for Roots.Wounds.Words' 2024 Retreat are open to the public. I'll be the penultimate reader on Jan 11 (rdgs start at 8 pm EST). The registration links to attend are here--at the bottom of newsletter: mailchi.mp/rootswoundsw...

Much of its context and all of its essence remain. I take that to mean the fear\dread\hurt still need their time, which also means: (1) of what I can influence, I still need to listen and tend accordingly; (2) of what I can't, we still need to genuinely care for each other.

Continuing my gratitude, it's been bout a year since I was presented the opportunity for [i\e\i\e\i\e] to spill from me: apparitionlit.com/inhaleexhale...

Shoutout to Apparition Lit's Generative Wrkshps, Hugh's sprint group, NYWC BWP's Creating Community Wrksp w/ Joy Notoma, & the Southern Esesu Endeavor Fllwshp/our little meetup groups. An, on the noncreative-side, special thx to Chronic Hues for space to commune, exist w/ other chronically ill folk.

Meeting this lap's close, I'm grateful-glad: I was printed in my 1st antho and the story that's joy evoked it was an award finalist; I've already signed a contract for a poem to be pubd nxt round; & for all the spaces that offered me chances to connect while leaning into creation for its own sake.

Page 216 Hang Kang's Human Acts (ISBN: 9781101906729)

Page 215 Hang Kang's Human Acts (ISBN: 9781101906729)

Even though it's been several years since I read Han Kang's Human Acts, the end of this passage still surfaces clearly when I'm haunted by/overcome processing such violence. (content awareness: graphic imagery)

(opening Dec 1, 1-5k) bsky.app/profile/hous...

Death In The Mouth: An Anthology of Original Horror from the Margins An illustrated horror anthology showcasing BIPOC and other ethnically marginalized writers and artists from around the world!

(Deadline Dec 1; 1-6k) deathinthemouth.com#ditm2 ; (open?, 5k limit) www.seizethepress.com/submissions/ ; (open, up to 7,500) www.3lobedmag.com/submissions.... ; (open except for December, up to 7,500) apex-magazine.com/submissions/