February
I’m delighted to share that my dear friend Boyuan Gao and I are collaborating on an experimental event called- The Joy of Grief. The original idea stemmed from the desire to have a book reading celebrating the 2nd edition of my self-published book- So Many Ways to Draw a Ghost. I lost interest in that format but a new idea came to life through the many incredible and fun conversations Boyuan and I have been having about death, grief, and joy. We will use my book as the ‘anchor’ but we have invited multiple amazing artists to join us in exploring the theme.
The event is being held at our wonderful friend’s Kel & Rebecca’s beautiful botanical lounge, Sub Rosa in Northampton, Mass.
There are only 40 seats open, so if you’re interested don’t wait too long to buy a ticket! And if you want to support the event but can’t make it, there is an option to buy a donation ticket for someone who is grieving. Boyuan made a beautiful and thorough ticketing page where you can get a better sense of what the night will be like, and if it’s right for you. We wanted the description of the event to be a resounding yes or no, and to empower you to make a choice.
Boyuan is an old friend (we lived together 20+ years ago when we both attended U-mass, Amherst), we reacquainted after finding ourselves back in western Massachusetts. Boyuan is co-founder of Joyous Rebellion. They create relational experiences for leaders to give people a reprieve from the madness of the world.
She and I have similar visions and curiosities for lots of topics we want to share in community- death, grief, money, family, aging, wmass culture.. Boyuan is also my favorite person to go to for book, movies, and YouTube video recommendations! She just started a Substack with all sorts of musings about weird stuff that you might be into. I see her as one of my favorite curators! Check it out here:
👽🌹⛄️
Lastly, I’ll be doing a cute ❤️Valentine’s Day Market❤️ at Darling’s Bar at 40 ½ Holyoke St, Easthampton, Ma on February 5th from 6-10.
Sending love and care, Chelsea
