Writer, Founder of @bklynprose
I’m passionate about language, communication, and how our brains makes sense of the information we receive. I’m also a huge hobby-person. After I started skateboarding, I learned everything I needed to know about discipline and persistence. Fully immersing myself in hobbies (skateboarding, roller skating, journaling, and guitar) has had an immense impact on my vitality and happiness. All of that energy gets directed toward my personal relationships. My goal is to have a positive impact on many people
My clothes have been through a lot of public transportation. I don’t like to travel much; I moved and traveled a lot as a child and teen, so I prefer being rooted more than not. Which is sort of a silly thing to write since I’m a native New Yorker. Everyday feels like one big jolt into something new.
I’m really proud that I got the chance to speak on my mother’s behalf at my grandmother’s funeral. My mother had written a beautiful note about my grandmother, and seeing her apprehension at reading it, I jumped up to read it for her. I’m onstage a lot, but having the chance to project my mother’s words to everyone was a moment I’ll never forget.The most powerful thing about being a woman is the history we carry in our bones. The history we carry in our bones.
ThreadConnection’s mission parallels my beliefs. People are interconnected beings, and communicating our stories helps us find common ground. This concept is also the basis of my event company, bklynprose.com. I started bklynprose as a way to meet women in the park over food, wine, and my poetry workshops. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was driven by a desire to learn more about the women around me. That’s it. I wanted to hold space for folks to talk about their lives while channeling their creativity. Our mission hasn’t changed so much since then, but bklynprose is now inclusive of varied gender expressions and identities.
I was taking a walk with my mother on my birthday a few years ago, and I started crying over someone I was dating at the time. This was the first time I’d ever cried in front of her as an adult, and the first time I told her anything about my love life. But she pushed me against a wall, looked me in the eyes and said, “It’s either working, or it’s not. There is no ‘try.’” Blue family women are not the coyest. Since then, I’ve begun to adopt this motive: You are going to die one day. Live positive experiences fully, and don’t feed what isn’t working. Move on and refocus your energy.
One blaring thing to know is I’m a rape survivor. This has resulted in my life’s mission to be vocal about mental illness and sexual violence. Otherwise, I’m a poet, and I grew up in The Bronx, NY, which I’m endlessly proud of. Being raised in such a vibrant, loud, and culturally-aware climate is why I write what I write about. I’m told my work is full of images, pain, freedom, and “ferocity,” which is the exact conundrum that is the boroughs of New York.
Lastly, I’m a huge fan of Bitmoji, free pens, and testing my comfort zones. I’m queer-identified, and I only operate on passion. You can find me at bklynprose.com, @bklynprose, and my poems are getting published in some cool places!