“We’re 75 years away from the nearest court.  You’re really going to hold her in the brig for that long?”  – Commander Chakotay, Star Trek: Voyager

I am geeked to announce that I will be speaking at this year’s DePaul  University Pop Culture Conference “A Celebration of Star Trek.”  As a life-long trekkie and social justice activist, I’m thrilled to talk about both of these passions at the same time.

In my talk, I will use Star Trek to open up a discussion of prison abolition and ask how science fiction might allow us to imagine a truly liberated universe.In Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future, humanity has banished hunger, abolished money, and ended discrimination.  So why does the Federation still utilize prisons?  How might Star Trek provide us with the opportunity to imagine alternatives to imprisonment, even if the series itself treats incarceration as inevitable?    I will contrast the frequent use of prisons in Deep Space Nine with the sometimes more progressive images in Voyager.  What transformative possibilities are opened up when a star fleet crew finds itself 75,000 light years from home and prisons are unfeasible?  To analyze these images, I draw on the work of prison abolitionist scholars, transformative justice practitioners, and “visionary fiction” writers and thinkers, including Angela Davis, Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown.

I’ll be speaking at 9 am.  Replicate yourself a cup of coffee (I’ll be sipping tea, Earl Gray, hot) and join us.

Yesterday, I opened my email and found a big surprise.  I received a Yuyi Morales Merit Scholarship to attend the Children’s Picture Book Academy.   Starting May  16th, I will spend five weeks learning about the craft and business of picture books.  I am thrilled for this life changing opportunity.

I love writing children’s literature.  I believe that kids deserve stories created by writers from all backgrounds.  I want to publish stories for queer and transgender children, kids who are like me.  I can’t wait to get started!

I am excited to be coming back to Story Club South Side tonight as a part of their “Like a Lamb” April show.  I’ll be telling the story of this photo from the time that the Israeli army arrested a couple of sheep.  Come out and hear one of the stories from At-Tuwani that didn’t make it into my upcoming graphic novel.

I loved performing at Story Lab, one of Chicago’s most moving storytelling events.

Awkward pre-show selfie

I’ve performed at several live lit events, but this is the first time that I have told a story without notes.  Here’s to new accomplishments!