Words after dark, a reading series
On Memoir: From the meth lab to the red carpet
I started this Words After Dark reading series at the beginning of the pandemic to help me feel connected to art, to the artists who make it, and to myself. I read excerpts from some of my favorite books, pieces of my own writing from my self-published book of creative nonfiction, “From The Dust,” and poems from incredible humans like
. My partner would film the readings and set them to his beautiful instrumental music, and it was such a special project for us to do together.In this video, I’m reading my first published piece, “From the Meth Lab To the Red Carpet.” It was published in print in Beacon Quarterly. When this was filmed I was newly pregnant and already so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. Maybe that's why I read this so slowly, or maybe it just felt right at the time. This story is about how I got out of the shithole nowhere town in the Mojave where I grew up, how someone took a chance on me, and how dreams can lead us to freedom.
You're such an inspiration. Seriously.
Jessy. I love this - seeing your face and hearing your voice, warms my heart. And Perry’s music and the visuals you all added were warmly beautiful. I know that the amount of work a video like this takes and I want you to know how much it’s appreciated.
So much of your writings and feelings resonate with me as someone who grew up in some similar circumstances. Your words help make me feel like that me, that kid, was not alone because someone else was going through something similar.
Always know how much you and your family are loved, appreciated, and seen. ❤️