iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Last year the Minnesota Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans conducted a community needs assessment and the results are here! You can find out more about the study at mnqt.info/reports. Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey!

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 23/09/2026

Najeeba Syeed (she/her) - Najeeba’s first book of poetry, Dreaming Lost Bodies Back, was released a few months ago. She writes about lineages of loss and resilience. She is a professor of religion here in Minneapolis. (Alt text embedded.)

Photograph of Najeeba Syeed, an Asian American woman with light brown skin and dark eyes. In this photos, she's wearing a pink covering draped over her head and shoulders, a fuchsia top, large flat round yellow earrings, and lipstick. She looks at the camera with a serious expression.

Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).

Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, October 6th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Bridget Gordon, Wordsworth Musinguzi, Marquise Bowie, KJ Kieras, and Najeeba Syeed.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 21/09/2026

KJ Kieras (they/them) is a writer and performer currently based in Minneapolis. They have performed slam poetry across the nation and are a three-time Midwest Poetry Mashup winner. Their work can be found in BeaverMag, Button Poetry, 45th Parallel, and Tinderbox Poetry Journal. (Alt text embedded.)

Photograph of KJ Kieras, a white nonbinary person performing at a mic with their arms stretched wide. In this photo, they're wearing black pants and a black leather jacket over a dark brown top; metallic jewelry; and short brown hair.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 19/09/2026

Marquise Bowie (he/him). Born and raised on the South Side of MPLS, MN. Son of the Most High. Father of two daughters Marquissa (26) Marquia (18). Grandfather of Makayla (2). Husband of Treva Bowie. Bonus kids Treionne, Isaiah, Mimi, Jeremiah, Xion and dog Angel. (Alt text embedded.)

Photograph of Marquise Bowie, a Black man. In this photo, he's wearing a long black-and-white beard, glasses, tan pants, black gloves, and a red fur-trimmed coat he's holding open to reveal a maroon sweatshirt with the words "Minnesota Strong." He's standing on a snowy street corner at George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 17/09/2026

Wordsworth Prescott Musinguzi (b. 1991, he/him) is a Trans first-generation Ugandan-Liberian American documentary photographer and multidisciplinary artist based in Minneapolis, MN. A former music photojournalist and lifestyle blogger, his practice documents… (Alt text embedded.)

Photograph of Wordsworth Musinguzi, a Black man with medium-dark skin. In this photo, he has very close-cropped hair, a light mustache, some metal jewelry, and a serious expression.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 15/09/2026

@bridgetgordon.gay (she/her, fae/faer) is a queer trans woman and emerging poet living in Chicago. A former MFA student and sports journalist, her current work with poetry and short-form writing is enraptured with queer longing, identity, and liminality. … (Alt text embedded.)

Photograph of Bridget Gordon, a young white trans woman. In this photo, she's performing at a mic, eyes closed; she's wearing a wide-collared ripped black T-shirt with words beneath a black leather jacket, some metallic jewelry, and bright blue-and-purple bob-length hair.

Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 04/09/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, October 6th, at 7:00pm, at Moon Palace Books, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: @bridgetgordon.gay, Wordsworth Musinguzi, Marquise Bowie, KJ Kieras, and @najeebasyeed.bsky.social, followed by an open mic. 1/4

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 25/08/2026

One week to go! Please join us on Tuesday, September 1st, at 7:00pm, at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Joel Hernandez, Hawti, Moncies Franco, Beau Rara, and Khary Jackson, followed by an open mic.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 17/08/2026

Khary Jackson (he/they/any) is a writer, dancer and musician. Khary has been a recipient of generous grants, including the 2019 Jerome Artist Fellowship and 2022 McKnight Fellowship in Writing. In 2020/21 Khary co-composed a MNiatures commission with MN Opera. 1/5

Photograph of Khary Jackson, a Black man with medium-dark skin. In this photo, he's wearing narrow glasses, a mustache and short beard along chin and jawline, and a black jacket; his hair is pulled back out of focus and he's looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 15/08/2026

Beau RaRa (they/them) is a poet hailing from the land of ten thousand lakes. They are a post-conviction lawyer and circle keeper by day and moonlight as an aerialist teaching at Phoenix Flight Studio in Minneapolis. Beau believes that relationship is the locus of transformative change. … 1/6

Photograph of Beau RaRa, a nonbinary person with light brown skin and medium-short auburn hair. In this photo, they are wearing a necklace, a patterned blue sleeveless shirt, and a distant smile.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 13/08/2026

Moncies Franco (he/him) is a change agent with a passion for community transformation. As a 3rd generation incarcerated adult, and a person living with a chronic illness; he has overcome the associated stigma and shame tied to those experiences to champion healthcare accessibility… 1/5

Photograph of Moncies Franco, a Latino man with light brown skin. In this photo, he's wearing a tightly trimmed mustache and chin beard, short black hair with shaved sides, and a light blue button-down shirt, and he's gazing at something off-camera.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 11/08/2026

@minnesotaj.bsky.social is a poet and book artist in Minneapolis, MN. He is the author of 'Baghdad Express: A Gulf War Memoir' (Borealis/Penguin) and 'war | machine' (Nine Chains Press) and his work has appeared in GQ, Granta, NYT Magazine, Rain Taxi, VQR, and other journals. 1/5

Photograph of Joel Hernandez, a middle-aged Latino man. In this photo, he's wearing glasses, a few days' growth of facial hair, short curly hair, and a brown jacket over a patterned blue-and-white button-down shirt. He has pale skin and is smiling.

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UMN English @umnenglish.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Next Tues August 4 @reentrylab.org (a recent community partner through the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub residencies) hosts a "Better Things" series discussion and open mic at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social in Minneapolis:

moonpalacebooks.com

Better Things August | Moon Palace Books

Your neighborhood independent bookstore located in south Minneapolis. Selling new and used books since 2012.

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Into a Darker Wilderness @intoadarkerwilderness.com · 02/08/2026

Season 1, Episode 4: Into the Unknown with katie robinson Available wherever you get your podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/1PDY... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... music.amazon.com/podcasts/b24... www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRG7... www.iheart.com/podcast/269-... pca.st/hpx3nucu

podcasts.apple.com

Episode 4 - Into the Unknown with katie robinson

Podcast Episode · Into a Darker Wilderness · July 23 · 51m

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 24/06/2026

Joe Davis (he/him) is an award-winning spoken word artist and bestselling author who uses poetry to power possibility. He is the founding director of Finding Your Freedom Practice, a wellness ecosystem teaching body-centered practices through spoken word, writing, music, theater, film, … 1/7

Photograph of Joe Davis, a Black man with medium brown skin and black hair. In this photo, he's wearing a hat, a beard and mustache, and all-black clothes, including a T-shirt which says, "I just wanna make dope art and love my people."

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 22/06/2026

Desdamona (she/her) is an internationally known Spoken Word & Hip Hop artist who has traveled the US & abroad delivering her seamless mixture of Spoken Word, Hip Hop lyricism and melody to the stage for a dynamic & engaging performance. When she's not on stage… 1/8

Photograph of Desdamona, a middle-aged white woman with very long wavy brown hair. In this photo, she's on stage singing into a microphone and wearing a black top and a bracelet; behind her, a blurred background including another singer.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 20/06/2026

Tony Burgess (he/him) was a long-standing member of MPWW during 25-plus consecutive years of incarceration, and is a plumber by trade with a BA in Communication Studies and minors in Sociology and Business Management. … 1/6

Photograph of Tony Burgess, a white man with tanned skin. In this photo, he's got very short black-tending-to-silver hair, shaved on the sides, with a mustache and small goatee; he's wearing a dark blue jacket and stands in front of a window of words.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 18/06/2026

folaṣade (they/she) (b. 1992) is a blackqueer neuro/quirky poet, curator, and organizer concerned with the immediate survival and ongoing liberation of people of the global majority. intuitively guided by her ancestors, folaṣade nurtures a reverence for indigeneity and the erotic… 1/8

Photograph of folaṣade, a Black person with medium-dark skin. In this photo, they are wearing a lavender sweatshirt, thin necklace, large-framed glasses, and their hair up in a topknot. She has a satisfied smile and is in a room with books and art.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 16/06/2026

Nen G Ramirez (they/he) is a nonbinary Chicanx writer from Adrian, Michigan. They are the author of All Women Are Born Wailing (Black Lawrence Press, 2023), which was awarded the 2022 Acentos Book Prize. Ramirez received their MFA in poetry… 1/6

Photograph of Nen G Ramirez, a Chicanx person with light skin and black hair with green splashes. In this photo, they are sitting in a park; their face has multiple piercings and their eyelashes are enormous.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 03/06/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, July 7th, at 7:00pm, at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis. For more info, see reentrylab.org/better-things/

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Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 17/05/2026

this is absolutely worth remembering: when the abolitionists began the struggle against the slave power, the slave power looked unbeatable. they fought anyways--a long, difficult, often thankless struggle. they fought anyways.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 20/05/2026

Eemanna (she/her) is a Minneapolis born and based multidisciplinary artist and community organizer. A singer song-writer and rapper spanning across genres of hip hop, alternative and soul, Eemanna is also a ceramicist and podcast producer. … 1/2

Photograph of Eemanna, a young Black woman with medium-dark brown skin. In this photo she's wearing a matched pair of stretch pants and bandeau with orange and black patterning, large hoop earrings, a nostril ring, and short natural hair.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 18/05/2026

Adrien Wright (they/them) is a poet, performer, and costume designer who lives and works in Minneapolis. Their poems have appeared in the Midway Journal and Selfish Magazine, as well as on stages at the Midwest Poetry Mash-Up, the NorthBEAST Regional Poetry Slam, … 1/2

Photograph of Adrien Wright, a nonbinary white person with dark brown hair. In this photo, they are wearing blue striped overalls and a red/white and blue/white striped shirt, a safety-pin necklace, and mid-length curly hair with two long pigtails. They're somewhere outside, with a rock formation in the background.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 16/05/2026

Willard Malebear Jr. (he/him) is an artist, community organizer, and creative wellness advocate based in Minneapolis. He is the founder and executive chairman of Art Shelf, a nonprofit that operates like a food shelf for art supplies, providing free creative materials, … 1/3

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 14/05/2026

Antonio Duke (he/him) is a Twin Cities based actor and playwright. He is the program director of The Ifẹ̀ (Ee-fay) Lab which is a fellowship highlighting black solo performing artists. The fellowship combines film and live performances culminating… 1/6

Photograph of Antonio Duke, a young Black man with medium-dark brown skin. In this photo, he's wearing short freshly trimmed hair, a trim goatee and mustache, and a long-sleeve black shirt. He's seated and smiling.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 12/05/2026

mk zariel (it/its + masc terms) is a transmasculine neuroqueer theater artist, Best Of The Net and Monarch Award nominated poet, movement journalist, and BashBack aligned anarchist. it is fueled by folk-punk, Emma Goldman, and existential dread. … 1/3

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Hal 10000 @hal10000.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

The most revolutionary thing you can do these days is be kind.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 10/05/2026

"Conbody vs Everybody, a singular, sprawling portrait of redemption and hard-earned resilience in one of New York City’s most rapidly gentrified neighborhoods, told through the hub of one unlikely gym [started and staffed by formerly incarcerated people]." www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ap...

theguardian.com

‘What we’re doing is real justice’: how one New York gym built a pipeline away from prison

Debra Granik’s five-hour documentary shows a former drug dealer turned entrepreneur striving to beat a system that continues to punish those that have served time

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 10/05/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, June 2nd, at 7:00pm, at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: @mkzariel.bsky.social, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna, followed by an open mic. More at reentrylab.org/better-things

reentrylab.org

Better Things Gathering & Open Mic - gatherings for social change - ReEntry Lab

Better Things is a series of events sponsored by the ReEntry Lab, in partnership with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) and Moon Palace Books.

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Phil Mandelbaum @philmandelbaum.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

NEW: No murder weapon was ever produced, and no gunshot residue was found on his clothing. An ammunition box found at the murder scene contained a fingerprint that did not belong to him. Yet Temujin Kensu remains behind bars in Michigan. It’s been 40 years.

unicornriot.ninja

Making Another Murderer: The Captivating Case of Temujin Kensu - UNICORN RIOT

Nearly a dozen witnesses have placed Temujin Kensu 450 miles away from a 1980s murder in Michigan. Yet, 40 years later, his conviction stands.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 22/04/2026

Sabrin Nur (they/them) is an artist based in Minneapolis since 2014, currently serving in their second year of AmeriCorps national service, coaching and mentoring high school students on their postsecondary plans. Nur’s artistic practice weaves through many mediums, and they have worked… 1/6

Photograph of Sabrin Nur, a young Black person with dark skin and short black hair. In this photo, they have a wide smile and are wearing pearl necklaces and earrings and a purple garment with a purple head covering and a striped cloth over their left shoulder. Behind them are what look like blue stars on a black background, with a constellation tracing barely visible.

Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 20/04/2026

Armand McCoy (they/them), from Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a multidisciplinary artist whose passions intersect Holistic Healing, Black Liberation, and Environmental Justice. They have been studying healing modalities from all over the world, with a current focus on… 1/10

Photograph of Armand McCoy, a young Black man with medium-brown skin, short hair, and a short beard and mustache. In this photo he's wearing a light tan coat over a white T-shirt, a bandanna around his forehead, a ring on his middle finger, and a necklace. He's sitting in a vehicle and has a neutral expression.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 18/04/2026

Andre Anderson (he/him) is a justice‑impacted educator, writer, and graduate student whose work explores belonging, reentry, and the power of narrative to reshape public understanding. He serves as a Graduate Assistant in Metro State University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, … 1/6

Photograph of Andre Anderson, a white man with dark brown hair. In this photo he is wearing a wide smile, short hair, a short beard and mustache with sprinkles of gray, and a black T-shirt. He stands, arms slightly akimbo, in front of a blurred background.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 16/04/2026

Sana Wazwaz (she/her) is a Palestinian American writer and theater artist. Her work appears in Black Warrior Review, Water~Stone Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, The Ghassan Kanafani Anthology, Overtly Lit, and has been featured at the Colorado College Fine Arts Center’s Muslim Futurism exhibit…. 1/7

Photograph of Sana Wazwaz, a young Palestinian American woman with light brown skin. In this photo, she is wearing a purple hijab and a white top, smiling at the camera against a gray background.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 14/04/2026

Jennifer Marysia Landretti (she/her) writes poetry and essays. Her themes are nature, place, and spirit—and in recent years, gender, which has served as a vector to explore the former three. Over the years her work has appeared in various literary publications, most regularly Orion magazine…

Photograph of Jennifer Landretti, a white woman with medium-short graying brown hair. In this photo, she's wearing a blue sleeveless top, a blue gaiter around her neck, and dark sunglasses, and is standing in dunes behind an ocean shore.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 10/04/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, May 5th, at 7:00pm, at Moon Palace Books, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, and Sabrin Nur. Each featured artist will take five minutes to share work. After the main reading, … 1/5

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 07/04/2026

Come join us *tonight* at Better Things - 7pm - @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social—we'd love to see you there! Featuring Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf. ASL interpretation; masks required at Moon Palace Books & available on-site. There Will Be Snacks 😁

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 25/03/2026

Nick Metcalf (they/them) is Sicangu Oyate – Burnt Thigh People – Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Nick has lived in the Twin Cities for 30 years where they’ve made a life filled with lots of friends, family, and community. Nick is a proud Parent and Grandparent…. (1/6)

Photograph of Nick Metcalf, a two-spirit American Indian. In this photo, they are wearing a striped collared shirt over a t-shirt and standing in front of a microphone with one hand raised.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 23/03/2026

Ben Westlie (he/him) is the author of Run From Your Now, a Minnesota Book Award Finalist in Poetry 2025. His poetry has appeared in DASH, The Fourth River, MUSE, Superpresent, ArLiJo, Atlas and Alice and The Talking Stick. 1/6

Photograph of Ben Westlie, a young white man with dark blond hair. In this photo, he wears short hair, a short scruff of beard and mustache, a wide smile, and a crimson velour T-shirt. He's standing, arms crossed, in front of an out-of-focus grassy field.

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Davi Gray (she/they) @davigray.com · 21/03/2026

I'm leading a Visual Poetry workshop at the Liberal Arts Engagement Hub (University of Minnesota) on Tuesday, April 21st, 6-8pm. It's FREE and open to anyone 18+; space is limited, so register here if you're interested: (the social preview picture makes me 😂... my friend Louise) tally.so/r/7RxPqa

tally.so

Spring 2026 Writing Workshop with the ReEntry Lab

Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 21/03/2026

Isavela Lopez (she/her) is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist, storyteller, and activist of Zapotec heritage from Oaxaca, Mexico. Based in the Twin Cities, she brings together her gifts in spoken word, writing, dance, and film to illuminate issues of cultural resilience, climate justice,… 1/9

Photograph of Isavela Lopez, a Latina woman with light brown skin and very dark hair. In this photo, she's wearing a white top with puffy sleeves, two necklaces, hand-crafted pendant earrings, a nose ring, and long wavy hair pulled to the back and side.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 19/03/2026

Suzanne Locke (she/her) is a writer, mother, grandmother, and a huge advocate for Raising Sisters, a support group for people previously incarcerated in the Shakopee facility. Originally from Bemidji, she now lives in Roseville, … 1/6

Photograph of Suzanne Locke, a white woman with long blond hair. In this photo she's wearing a black coat over a fuchsia top, two necklaces, a nose stud, and glasses propped on top of her head. She's got a wide smile and freckles.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 18/03/2026

Sagirah Shahid (she/her) is a pushcart prize nominated Black Muslim poet and performance artist from Minneapolis, MN. Her poetry and prose have been published in Mizna, Winter Tangerine, Prose Online, KHÔRA, Puerto Del Sol, Juked, Paranoid Tree, Parhelion, … 1/6

Photograph of Sagirah Shahid, a Black woman with light brown skin. In this photo, her hair is pulled back into a low bun; she's wearing thin gold framed glasses, a tan sweater over olive shirt, a gold necklace, and a skeptical expression. Behind her on the wall, a framed print with Arabic writing and an English phrase, "IT MATTERS WHERE YOU START - A NARRATIVE."

Graphic containing text of the featured artist's bio.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 04/03/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, April 7th, at 7:00pm, at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf. 1/5

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 18/02/2026

Raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota’s historic Rondo neighborhood, Lt. Sunnie (she/her) is a powerhouse in the Midwest music scene with over a decade of experience. She has headlined major events across the region, delivered charged up halftime show performances, completed a milestone 10-stop tour, 1/9

Photograph of Lt. Sunnie, a Black woman with medium brown skin and very long braided hair descending from both sides. In this photo she's wearing a leather-look top over white collared shirt, silver necklace, large earrings, and a huge smile.

Text slide repeating biographical information from post.

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 16/02/2026

Lester Batiste (he/him) is a savage writer in living color who writes for political, social, economic change and Black futures. Born in Chicago, IL, he holds an MFA from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast writing program, and an M.S.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. 1/8

Photograph of Lester Batiste, a Black man with dark skin, very short hair, and a trim beard and mustache. In this picture he's wearing a tan suit with pocket square, white shirt, gold watch, stud earrings, and two rings, and he's got a serious expression as he looks into the camera.

Text slide containing biographical information (repeated in text).

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ReEntry Lab @reentrylab.org · 14/02/2026

Cecily McMillan (all pronouns) is a social justice organizer, political consultant, and published author. After enduring a Kafkaesque trial following her arrest at Occupy Wall Street in 2012, she served 58 days at Rikers Island. Since their release, McMillan has become… 1/8

Photograph of Cecily McMillan, a Latine person with light skin and dark brown hair. In this picture she's wearing a sweater vest, earrings and red lipstick, and shows her teeth in not quite a smile.

Text slide containing biographical information (repeated in post).

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