by Patheresa Wells
This year’s TRANSlations: Seattle Trans Film Fest will take place May 5–8. It is a hybrid event with virtual and in-person screenings. TRANSlations Mxxtape, the in-person event, will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Northwest Film Forum.
Continue reading TRANSlations Film Fest Features Films By and About Trans and Nonbinary Communitiesby Patheresa Wells
As we in the PNW turn toward Spring, there is the promise of renewal, rejuvenation, and radiance that comes with more hours of sunlight. Taylar Elizza Beth (TEB) has harnessed this promise of sun-soaked days in her new EP, NINETY THREE, released March 29, 2022. A self-professed sun baby, TEB wrote the album on a plane ride to Palm Springs. NINETY THREE also reflects the collaboration between TEB and producer WD4D. The EP’s three tracks lift our vibrations and remind us of the warmth that is to come — in many ways.
Continue reading ‘NINETY THREE,’ the New EP by Taylar Elizza Beth and WD4Dby Patheresa Wells
Help the Emerald create more “ripples and sparks” throughout the community! I’m the publisher’s mother and an Emerald founding board member. I’ve lived in Seattle all my life. Over most of those 77 years, the brilliance, diversity, and beauty of our community lacked a constant spotlight — that was until the Emerald came along. I’ve seen my son and the Emerald team sacrifice sleep, health care, self-care, and better salaries elsewhere to keep the Emerald shining a light on our community. I’d never ask anyone to make that kind of sacrifice, but I do ask to do what you can today to support the Emerald as a Rainmaker, or sustaining donor, during their 8th anniversary campaign, Ripples & Sparks at Home, April 20–28. Become a Rainmaker today by choosing the “recurring donor” option on the donation page! —Cynthia “Mama” Green, The Publisher’s Mama & Rainmaker
This poem was originally published in the Arcturus Literary Journal and is reprinted here by permission of the author.
There ain’t nothing sweet smelling or pleasing to the palate here.
This poem is all that is discarded,
tossed aside,
Forgotten.
by Patheresa Wells
Nomad Boxing Club and Rowhouse International have come together to provide an afternoon of community building and entertainment to honor the late Willie Briscoray, known as Coach Bumblebee. The first annual Bumblebee Memorial Boxing Showcase will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2022, 2–6 p.m. at Washington Hall. The event aims to continue the work of Coach Bumblee, who mentored young fighters during his lifetime by working to promote the work done by Treehouse, an organization whose mission is to create “a world where every child that has experienced foster care has the opportunities and support they need to pursue their dreams and launch successfully into adulthood.”
Continue reading First Annual Bumblebee Memorial Boxing Showcase Benefits Foster Kidsby Patheresa Wells
Mx. Pucks A’Plenty, known as “The They Them Yas Queen of Burlesque,” ended the debut performance of the Curve Collective Cabaret (C3) by sharing “People of Color, Black folks especially, do the most with the very least all of the time.”
Continue reading Doing the Most: Curve Collective Cabaret Is the Cure for Fatphobia in Burlesqueby Patheresa Wells
When you walk into Noir Lux Candle Bar in Belltown, you are greeted with a unique ambiance. Colina Bruce, CEO & chandler (maker of candles), has put together a space that feels like an Instagram-worthy living room, but this space is for more than socializing. Here, you can sit with friends and create a one-of-a-kind candle as Beyoncé plays in the background.
Continue reading Colina Bruce of Noir Lux Candle Slays at Her New Candle Barby Patheresa Wells
The Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) celebrates its 27th year this month by screening 18 films from nine countries, all related to the theme “See + Be Seen.” The festival opened March 24, and it includes both virtual and in-person screenings held throughout the city at AMC Pacific Place, the Stroum Jewish Community Center, and the University of Washington. The festival runs through April 10.
Continue reading ‘See + Be Seen’ at the Seattle Jewish Film Festivalby Patheresa Wells
Two Big Blondes Plus Size Consignment is one of the country’s longest-lasting and largest plus-size resale stores. This Sunday, March 27, Two Big Blondes will celebrate 25 years of providing clothing and community focused on fat fashion with an anniversary party open to the public. The event, which will last from 12 to 5 p.m., will include door prizes, a digital photo booth, Lindy West’s Oscar gown silent auction, music by DJ Vitamin D, and guest speakers, including Mary Lambert, who will give a mini “Everybody Is a Babe” workshop via Zoom. Details for the event can be found on the Two Big Blondes website.
Continue reading Two Big Blondes Celebrates 25 Years as a Seattle Fat Fashion Institutionby Patheresa Wells
If you close your eyes and imagine what joy sounds like, what might you hear? The laughter of a loved one? The crescendo of your favorite piece of music? When I tried to recall the sounds of joy, so many other senses flooded in — they kept trying to drown out the sounds. This made me realize that sound can often be an overpowering experience, making silence a relief. But if we do not explore sound — do not imagine its possibilities or examine how it can shape us — then, we may find ourselves blocked. We may discover that silence becomes a barrier because the ability to make noise is a privilege.
Continue reading ‘Joy Has a Sound: Black Sonic Visions’ — a Book Review of Wa Na Wari’s New Anthologyby Patheresa Wells
Every morning — well, almost every morning — I get up, and the first thing I do is complete three longhand pages of writing. This exercise is a creative brain dump based on the “morning pages” exercise found in The Artist’s Way. Usually, what I write in my pages stays there. But occasionally, an idea sticks with me and asks for more room. This holiday season, as I reflected over the past few months, the past year, and how long it has been since we have been in this pandemic, a thought stuck with me beyond the written page. It’s something I’ve had to tell myself many times in the past, something that I have never really felt: that it’s okay to take a break — if you can.
Continue reading OPINION: What I Am Taking Into 2022: It’s Okay to Take a Break — if You Can
