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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

This event will be hosted by @davigray.com and Cecily McMillan. ReEntry Lab is an organization working to connect writers and other artists leaving incarceration to a community that’s ready to receive them.

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Light refreshments will be served; masks are encouraged at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social and are available on-site. This is a free event. Better Things is a series of events sponsored by @reentrylab.org, in partnership with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) and Moon Palace Books.

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🎤 Please join us on Tuesday, October 6th, at 7:00pm, at Moon Palace Books, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Bridget Gordon, Wordsworth Musinguzi, Marquise Bowie, KJ Kieras, and Najeeba Syeed, followed by an open mic. Reading & open mic feature ASL interpretation.

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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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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They've been a Sundress Academy for the Arts resident and are a Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize Finalist. When not writing, they perform drag across the twin cities as the only lesbian in Minneapolis, Lucy Goosey. They proudly co-produce Minneapolis’ fiercest drag and poetry show, Debasement.

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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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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Deacon, Author, Ambassador, Mentor, Cofounder of the MN Agape movement. “Transforming street energy into community energy and putting the neighbor back into the hood”. South side we outside!

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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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

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…people that feel distant or obscure in proximity. His work is held by Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, UNC Chapel Hill, Cooper Hewitt, and Ohio University. He's a recipient of grants and fellowships from Forecast Public Art, ICP, MRAC, Yale University, and the Emerging Curators Institute.

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…and archives intergenerational social movements and subcultures through portraits, books, zines, and exhibitions. Combining traditional and experimental approaches to image-making and publishing, his practice is rooted in redefining what is legible, can be seen and understood by everyday…

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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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

ReEntry Lab is an organization working to connect writers and other artists leaving incarceration to a community that’s ready to receive them.

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… "if you know the color of their eyes it’s already too late," will be published by Raging Opossum Press in Fall 2026. Fae lives with her husband, metamour, cats, a blue electric guitar named Evie, and an ominously large TBR pile.

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… She has past or forthcoming publications in Moist Poetry Journal, TRANS MAG, Pink Poetry Club, Coin-Operated Press, and Red Rock Review. Fae is the author of the self-published chapbook, the rest is up to you, love, released in Summer 2026. Her debut full-length poetry collection, …

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@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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. 4/4

…with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) and @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social. The ReEntry Lab is an organization working to connect writers and other artists leaving incarceration to a community that’s ready to receive them. 3/4

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Both the reading and the open mic will feature ASL interpretation. Light refreshments will be served; masks are encouraged at Moon Palace Books and are available on-site. This is a free event. Better Things is a series of events sponsored by @reentrylab.org, in partnership… 2/4

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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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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.

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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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.

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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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 is a champion for healthcare accessibility and equitable treatment for people directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

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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Hawti (she/her) is a poet from Minneapolis, doing poetry ever since starting out with TruArtSpeaks' Be Heard MN youth poetry slam series and BuckSlam monthly poetry slams.

Photograph of Hawti, a young Black woman with medium-dark skin. In this photo, she's wearing tightly coiffed hair, jeans, a long jacket over a crop top, and a necklace; she is reading off her phone and speaking into a microphone.

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Joel Hernandez (he/him) 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.

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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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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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. 5/5

in partnership with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) and @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social. ReEntry Lab is an organization working to connect writers & other artists leaving incarceration to communities ready to receive them. 4/5

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…followed by an open mic. Both reading and open mic will feature ASL interpretation. Light refreshments will be served; masks are encouraged at Moon Palace Books and are available on-site. This is a free event. Better Things is a series of events sponsored by ReEntry Lab, 3/5

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🎤 Please join us on Tuesday, September 1st, at 7:00pm, at Moon Palace Books, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Joel Hernandez, Hawti, Moncies Franco, Beau Rara, and Khary Jackson, … 2/5

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

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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. 6/6