Join author Daniel Gross in a d ynamic exchange with Miranda Escalante and Jen Hampton of Asheville Food & amp; Beverage United using the 8 building blocks to visionary and sustaina ble unions in his new book\, followed by open discussion with attendees
Work\, to state the obvious\, is not meeting our needs. There's plent y of beautiful energy among the working class yet the vast majority of us remain screwed on the job. At the same time\, when we're not organized in the economy\, we're guaranteed the kind of society we have—with bill ionaires ruling over us.
Unions of Our Own: Eight Building Blocks to Change Work... and the World (Haymarket Books) offers a radica lly new framework to take on problems in the workplace—and in societ y—and win. Through practical tools\, labor history\, his own persona l campaign stories\, and ample examples to learn from\, Daniel Gross lifts the veil on the eight fundamental building blocks of a labor union so wor kers can discuss\, design\, and test their own unions or revitalize existi ng ones.
Unions of Our Own is about maximizing our chance of victory: unions where workers are fully meeting needs\, honoring their values\, and advancing a transformational vision of the world.
Daniel Gross has spent over twent y years building unions at his jobs and accompanying thousands of workers building unions at theirs. He is the co-author with Staughton Lynd of Labor Law for the Rank & Filer: Building Solidarity While Stayi ng Clear of the Law\, a classic passed around by autonomy minded workers generation after generation\, as well as of the graphic booklet Solidarity Unionism at Starbucks with Lynd and carto onist Tom Keough. He helped convene the groundbreaking IWW Starbucks Worke rs Union in 2004 as well as Brandworkers\, a worker center for food manufa cturing workers in New York and New Jersey. He's currently a member and a union-builder on staff at the Solidarity Union Network (SUN)\, an organiza tion of emerging unions that are led-and-operated by workers\, powered by direct action\, and aimed at fundamental change.
Jen Hampto n is a housing and labor organizer in Asheville for the Asheville Area Tenants Union. She is also a co-founder and leader of Asheville Food and Beverage United\, advocating for fair wages\, safe working conditions \, and collective power for all people. Through organizing\, advocacy\, an d coalition-building\, she works to empower people to use their voices and collective power to take back control of the systems that shape our lives .
Asheville Food and Beverage United is the Local 828 of Restaurant Workers United\, a worker-led union dedicated to advocac y and organizing for service industry workers in the Asheville area. Learn more at avlfbu.com.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3603- ChangeWorkAndTheWorld.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=0f89867a80b2301f113c1f505 fe8285f IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3603-C hangeWorkAndTheWorld.jpg?w=800&s=f367d1ea7443e1ce8f61e539342eade1 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3603 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3603-unions-of-our-own.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T193000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=1TU,2TU,3TU,4TU,5TU SUMMARY:Weekly Trans Writing Circle DESCRIPTION:A creative writing and co-working group for trans\, non-binary\ , and gender nonconforming people with independent long and short form pro jects.\nHang out\, write\, and pick other participants' brains when you fe el blocked! This space will occasionally include workshops to boost our sh ared knowledge of the writing and publishing process.\nWant to teach a wor kshop? Reach out to facilitator Ari by whispering your idea into the wind or by coming to a session and offering it to the group! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A creative writing and co-worki ng group for trans\, non-binary\, and gender nonconforming people with ind ependent long and short form projects.
Hang out\, write\, and pick other participants' brains when you feel blocked! This space will occasion ally include workshops to boost our shared knowledge of the writing and pu blishing process.
Want to teach a workshop? Reach out to facili tator Ari by whispering your idea into the wind or by coming to a session and offering it to the group!
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3610- WeeklyTransWritingCircle.png?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=ca651ec3c04876d5d4bf7c 3725664ec0 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3610-W eeklyTransWritingCircle.png?w=800&s=479ceede9a9b6f3b9004c9d66b9f080a LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3610 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3610-weekly-trans-writing-circle.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231004T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231004T190000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=1WE SUMMARY:Drop-in Community Notary Service DESCRIPTION:Have documents that require notarization\, like advance care di rectives\, name change paperwork\, custody arrangements\, etc.? Stop by Fi restorm on the first Wednesday of each month for free\, friendly\, no-judg ment Notary Public services!\nIan and Jason are current NC notaries\, and they're excited to offer this service to the community. Official notary gu idelines will be observed\, so please don't sign documents ahead of time ( they need to be signed in the presence of the notary); and bring a photo I D with you.\nPlease note: NC law prevents notarization of vehicle title tr ansfers without the buyer's information. The buyer does not have to be pre sent\, but Ian and Jason cannot notarize your title before you know who th e buyer will be. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Have documents that require not arization\, like advance care directives\, name change paperwork\, custody arrangements\, etc.? Stop by Firestorm on the first Wednesday of each mon th for free\, friendly\, no-judgment Notary Public services!
Ian an d Jason are current NC notaries\, and they're excited to offer this servic e to the community. Official notary guidelines will be observed\, so pleas e don't sign documents ahead of time (they need to be signed in the presen ce of the notary); and bring a photo ID with you.
Introducing neighborhood pickup s on the first Saturday of the month!
We'll meet at 10am for baked treats and then break into pairs or small teams to tackle sections of the neighborhood. The team that collects the most trash wins the starry-eyed a dmiration of all!
Supplies and snacks provided\, just bring y ourself (and a friend or two!)
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3461- NeighborhoodPickup.jpeg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=2cabc449da99ebec0bbbe7b820c fa6d9 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3461-N eighborhoodPickup.jpeg?w=800&s=4ad5e7f5a6edfad0e0c8cdf23abb0dac LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3461 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3461-neighborhood-pickup.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T163000 SUMMARY:"Of Water Never Ceasing" Book Launch DESCRIPTION:A community-centered book launch that invites conversation arou nd disability\, care\, access\, and how art can hold these realities with honesty.\nAuthor Kristin Entler will discuss their new poetry collection\, Of Water Never Ceasing\, with fellow poet H. M. Cotton. Kristin will read from the book and take questions from the audience.\nOf Water Never Ceasi ng is written from within ongoing illness and care. Moving through hospita ls\, homes\, and the body itself\, Kristin Entler traces how treatment\, f atigue\, diagnosis\, and love alter the rhythms of living. These poems res ist recovery narratives and instead stay with the daily negotiations of ca re\, presence\, and endurance\, offering an intimate and clear-eyed record of what it means to keep living without the promise of resolution.\nThis event will be livestreamed by Loblolly Press on Instagram. No registration is required to join.\nKristin Entler is a writer and educator from Alabam a\, currently living in Western North Carolina. They hold an MFA in poetry from the University of Arkansas and an MA in Creative Writing from the Un iversity of Alabama at Birmingham. Their work can be found in The Bitter S outherner\, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine\, Porter House Review\, BOOTH\, and elsewhere. Entler can be found online @findmycure.\nH. M. Cotton is th e managing editor of Birmingham Poetry Review\, contributing editor for NE LLE\, and production manager for both journals. Her writing appears in pla ces such as Raleigh Review\, storySouth\, and SmokeLong Quarterly. She is an MFA student at Warren Wilson and teaches at the University of Alabama a t Birmingham. As a 2023 Alabama State Council on the Arts poetry fellow\, she kayaked 180-miles of the Cahaba River and details the adventure at the cahabaproject.substack.com. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A community-center ed book launch that invites conversation around disability\, care\, access \, and how art can hold these realities with honesty.
Author Kristi n Entler will discuss their new poetry collection\, Of Water Never Cea sing\, with fellow poet H. M. Cotton. Kristin will read from the book and take questions from the audience.
Of Water Never Ceasing is written from within ongoing illness and care. Moving through hospitals\, homes\, and the body itself\, Kristin Entler traces how treatm ent\, fatigue\, diagnosis\, and love alter the rhythms of living. These po ems resist recovery narratives and instead stay with the daily negotiation s of care\, presence\, and endurance\, offering an intimate and clear-eyed record of what it means to keep living without the promise of resolution.
Kristin Entler is a writer and educator from Alabama\ , currently living in Western North Carolina. They hold an MFA in poetry f rom the University of Arkansas and an MA in Creative Writing from the Univ ersity of Alabama at Birmingham. Their work can be found in The Bitter Southerner\, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine\, Porter Hou se Review\, BOOTH\, and elsewhere. Entler can be found onlin e @findmycure.
H. M. Cotton is the managing editor of Birmingham Poetry Review\, contributing editor for NELLE< /em>\, and production manager for both journals. Her writing appears in pl aces such as Raleigh Review\, storySouth\, and Smoke Long Quarterly. She is an MFA student at Warren Wilson and teaches at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a 2023 Alabama State Council on the Arts poetry fellow\, she kayaked 180-miles of the Cahaba River and details the adventure at t hecahabaproject.substack.com.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3612- OfWaterNeverCeasingBookLaunch.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=71506f1b84a0eb58d 51c5c866cc5b84f IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3612-O fWaterNeverCeasingBookLaunch.jpg?w=800&s=b88557764e7e4d8020b1d0eb741238c4 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3612 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3612-of-water-never-ceasing-book-launch.ht ml SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250202T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250202T120000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=1SU SUMMARY:Asheville PFLAG DESCRIPTION:A monthly coffee support group open to all parents\, families\, friends and allies of gay\, lesbian\, bisexual\, and transgender youth. LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3356 SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240303T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240303T140000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=1SU SUMMARY:Tranzmission Prison Project Packaging Party DESCRIPTION:Help Tranzmission Prison Project distribute free literature to incarcerated members of the LGBTQ+ community! Every month volunteers prepa re packages of books and zines to mail to prisoners across the United Stat es. This is an easy\, awesome\, low-obligation way to get involved!\nTranz mission Prison Project (TPP) is one of a growing number of LGBTQ+-focused prison abolition/advocacy groups in the US. They are a volunteer-run\, non -hierarchical organization\, and provide free books\, zines\, prisoner res ources\, and other means of support to incarcerated folks nationwide. TPP believes that\, in the words of Reina Gossett\, “people who are quee r and trans are particularly vulnerable to state violence.” They off ers support and resources solely to folks who fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrel la\, as well as women and people incarcerated in women’s facilities. tranzmissionprisonproject.org X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Help Tranzmission Prison Projec t distribute free literature to incarcerated members of the LGBTQ+ communi ty! Every month volunteers prepare packages of books and zines to mail to prisoners across the United States. This is an easy\, awesome\, low-obliga tion way to get involved!
Tranzmission Prison Project (TPP) is one of a growing number of LGBTQ+-focused prison abolition/ad vocacy groups in the US. They are a volunteer-run\, non-hierarchical organ ization\, and provide free books\, zines\, prisoner resources\, and other means of support to incarcerated folks nationwide. TPP believes that\, in the words of Reina Gossett\, “people who are queer and trans are par ticularly vulnerable to state violence.” They offers support and res ources solely to folks who fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella\, as well as wom en and people incarcerated in women’s facilities. tranzmissionprisonproject.org
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3166- TranzmissionPrisonProjectPacka.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=d1e043e865ba24d2 48b4e5ff686e1711 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3166-T ranzmissionPrisonProjectPacka.jpg?w=800&s=1e43622581629703bf9e0f41ff70de62 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3166 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3166-tranzmission-prison-project-packaging -party.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220306T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220306T170000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=1SU SUMMARY:Political Prisoner Letter Writing DESCRIPTION:Each month on 1st Sundays\, join members of Blue Ridge Anarchis t Black Cross for an afternoon of solidarity with long term political pris oners: people who have been incarcerated due to their activism and resista nce to systems of domination and oppression. We come together each month t o celebrate their birthdays by sending words of encouragement and support. We let them know that they—and their sacrifices for our movements&m dash;are never far from our minds and hearts.\nContinuously showing up for comrades who have had large chunks of their lifetimes stolen by the State is crucial solidarity work. If you have ever sat in a jail cell—for even one night—you know how important it is to show folks they are not alone on the inside. If you haven't seen the inside of a prison cell ( and we hope you never do!)\, you can probably imagine how mentally and emo tionally taxing it is to lose control over your physical self and surround ings. For those facing this reality\, especially for years and even decade s\, any reminder of support and connection from the outside means more tha n most of us can imagine. We know because our comrades tell us again and a gain\, it is no exaggeration: LETTERS SAVE LIVES! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Each month on 1st Sundays\, joi n members of Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross for an afternoon of solidari ty with long term political prisoners: people who have been incarcerated d ue to their activism and resistance to systems of domination and oppressio n. We come together each month to celebrate their birthdays by sending wor ds of encouragement and support. We let them know that they—and thei r sacrifices for our movements—are never far from our minds and hear ts.
Continuously showing up for comrades who have had large chunks of their lifetimes stolen by the State is crucial solidarity work. If you have ever sat in a jail cell—for even one night—you know how i mportant it is to show folks they are not alone on the inside. If you have n't seen the inside of a prison cell (and we hope you never do!)\, you can probably imagine how mentally and emotionally taxing it is to lose contro l over your physical self and surroundings. For those facing this reality\ , especially for years and even decades\, any reminder of support and conn ection from the outside means more than most of us can imagine. We know be cause our comrades tell us again and again\, it is no exaggeration: LETTER S SAVE LIVES!
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3040- PoliticalPrisonerLetterWriting.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=b8d242e3734621ab e7022b51a8f95408 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3040-P oliticalPrisonerLetterWriting.jpg?w=800&s=f0a0f2225d05c65bddff0a92305a7207 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3040 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3040-political-prisoner-letter-writing.htm l SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250714T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250714T200000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=2MO,4MO SUMMARY:Neurodivergent Reading Group DESCRIPTION:The Neurodivergent Reading Group is a welcoming and inclusive s pace for neurodivergent individuals to come together and connect through s hared reading and conversation.\nFor June\, this bookclub will be reading Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. Written with stylistic brilliance and based i n the author's realities\, this raw and extraordinary debut explores the m etaphysics of identity and being\, plunging the reader into the mysteries of self. Unsettling\, heart-wrenching\, dark\, and powerful\, Freshwater d azzles with ferocious energy and serpentine grace\, heralding the arrival of a fierce new literary voice.\nAll neurodivergent individuals are welcom e to participate\, including those who are exploring or questioning their neurodivergent identity. Please sign up to get the discussion questions vi a email ahead of time and to let us know if you need any accommodations to participate in this group.\nSign Up\nUpcoming Meetings\nJune 22nd: Discus sing pages 59 - 136 (Ch 6 - 12) of Freshwater\nJuly 13th: Discussing pages 137 - 226 (Ch 13 - end) of Freshwater X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Neurodivergent Reading Grou p is a welcoming and inclusive space for neurodivergent individuals to com e together and connect through shared reading and conversation.
For June\, this bookclub will be reading Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. Writ ten with stylistic brilliance and based in the author's realities\, this r aw and extraordinary debut explores the metaphysics of identity and being\ , plunging the reader into the mysteries of self. Unsettling\, heart-wrenc hing\, dark\, and powerful\, Freshwater dazzles with ferocious en ergy and serpentine grace\, heralding the arrival of a fierce new literary voice.
All neurodivergent individuals are welcome to participate\, including those who are exploring or questioning their neurodivergent ide ntity. Please sign up to get the discussion questions via email ahead of t ime and to let us know if you need any accommodations to participate in th is group.
June 22nd: Discus sing pages 59 - 136 (Ch 6 - 12) of Freshwater
July 13th: Discussing pages 137 - 226 (Ch 13 - end) of Freshwater
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3417- NeurodivergentReadingGroup.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=4157617eb3b5c5d9ff63 8a4cd6a0b2b6 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3417-N eurodivergentReadingGroup.jpg?w=800&s=664668958c6228612c06047d3ba67885 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3417 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3417-neurodivergent-reading-group.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250708T193000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=2TU SUMMARY:Zine Assembly DESCRIPTION:A drop-in space to have conversations while assembling free zin es for community distribution.\nZine-making is fun! But all the folding an d stapling is time consuming... Let's do it together! We're making free ed ucational materials that introduce ideas related to anarchism\, activism\, community defense\, and more.\nJoin us for a casual\, bi-monthly meetup w here you can socialize with new and old friends while Getting Shit Done. P articipants are welcome to bring their own zines or assemble ones printed by Firestorm for distribution at the bookstore or in the streets. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A drop-in space to have conversations while assembling free zines for community distribution .
Zine-making is fun! But all the folding and stapling is time cons uming... Let's do it together! We're making free educational materials tha t introduce ideas related to anarchism\, activism\, community defense\, an d more.
Join us for a casual\, bi-monthly meetup where you can soci alize with new and old friends while Getting Shit Done. Participants are w elcome to bring their own zines or assemble ones printed by Firestorm for distribution at the bookstore or in the streets.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3426- ZineAssembly.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=9c97f0d2eef52f7deb50b624ad554c17 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3426-Z ineAssembly.jpg?w=800&s=1fcca8d37869981f57dcde40f3a7f3c7 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3426 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3426-zine-assembly.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260610T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260610T200000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=2WE SUMMARY:De-Google Together DESCRIPTION:Do you want to liberate your digital life from big tech platfor ms like Gmail and OneDrive\, but struggle to find the time to make a plan and actually do it?\nDe-Google Together is a monthly workshop hosted by Bu nk Computer Cooperative. The goal of the workshop is to sit down and do th e tedious work of actually breaking up with big tech. Everyone is welcome; whether you need help making a plan\, installing Linux\, picking a new em ail provider\, or if you just want to hold yourself accountable by schedul ing time for break-up work.\nHow the workshop works\nWe'll set up four tab les in a large circle\, and sit around them with our laptops. There's a wi red internet connection for anyone who needs it (like if you're bringing a desktop computer). There's no itinerary for the workshop\, people simply use the time to work on whatever they've chosen to work on that day.\nIf y ou're looking for help working on your big tech break up\, just ask! A Bun k member or other participants will be happy to help you. If you've alread y finished your big tech break up and want to come just to help\, please d o.\nIf you want to have dedicated\, non-social time for working on your bi g tech break up\, that's welcome too! There's often a lot of crosstalk whi le people ask each other questions and talk about different tech topics. S o if you're distracted by sound\, you should bring ear plugs or noise canc elling headphones.\nWe'll also have flash drives with Linux Mint\, if you' re curious about test-driving or installing Linux on your computer. \ nBunk Computer Cooperative is a worker-owned cooperative. They build priva te computing infrastructure for businesses\, non-profits\, and individuals in Western North Carolina. https://bunk.computer X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Do you want to lib erate your digital life from big tech platforms like Gmail and OneDrive\, but struggle to find the time to make a plan and actually do it?
De -Google Together is a monthly workshop hosted by Bunk Computer Coo perative. The goal of the workshop is to sit down and do the tedi ous work of actually breaking up with big tech. Everyone is welcome; wheth er you need help making a plan\, installing Linux\, picking a new email pr ovider\, or if you just want to hold yourself accountable by scheduling ti me for break-up work.
We'll set up four tables in a large circle\, and sit around them with our laptops. Ther e's a wired internet connection for anyone who needs it (like if you're br inging a desktop computer). There's no itinerary for the workshop\, people simply use the time to work on whatever they've chosen to work on that da y.
If you're looking for help working on your big tech break up\, j ust ask! A Bunk member or other participants will be happy to help you. If you've already finished your big tech break up and want to come just to h elp\, please do.
If you want to have dedicated\, non-social time fo r working on your big tech break up\, that's welcome too! There's often a lot of crosstalk while people ask each other questions and talk about diff erent tech topics. So if you're distracted by sound\, you should bring ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones.
We'll also have flash drives with Linux Mint\, if you're curi ous about test-driving or installing Linux on your computer.
Bunk Computer Cooperative is a worker-owned cooperative. They build private computing infrastructure for businesses\, non-profits\, and individuals in Western North Carolina. https://bunk.computer
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3624- DeGoogleTogether.jpeg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=c811ea19503f9e337bbbdc9c83eb9 c1e IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3624-D eGoogleTogether.jpeg?w=800&s=4af2179af74495f6f77cc88483220948 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3624 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3624-de-google-together.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T200000 SUMMARY:Bystander Intervention Training DESCRIPTION:A bystander intervention class BY and FOR our queer community!\ nConflict resolution is a survival skill. This class will focus on real\, actionable\, applied learning to help create confidence and control in the midst of chaos. Participants will learn to identify early signs of rising conflict and will be instructed on the safest and most effective ways to step in and prevent further harm. They will learn about the five D's of by stander intervention\, which empower us to handle a tense situation with v erbal de-escalation. The presentation will also instruct on how to most ef fectively provide support to those harmed.\nBuilding off of the last prese ntation\, we'll review what we've learned so far and problem-solve around hypothetical scenarios. This will be a fun\, laid back\, social activity. Participation is voluntary\, and quiet observers are always welcome!\nPlea se note that the presentation will emphasis sexual harassment/assault scen arios\, so audience members are encouraged to consider their own needs and triggers before attending.\nsalem thorne [he/they] is a tattoo artist by day\, and an activist... well\, still mostly by day. Using art to protest\ , to ignite emotions\, and to make people think has always been a core com ponent for him. They are fortunate to be able to support other queer peopl e to feel respected\, comfortable\, and free to make their bodies their ow n through tattoo. salem hopes to help the queer community resist fracturin g and build sustainability and resilience.\nJessy Swinkford [they/them] is a queer & neurodivergent native Appalachian deeply shaped by the moun tains and forests of this region. Robin Wall Kimmerer writes\, “To l ove a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it\,” and that idea has been formative to the way Jessy moves through the world. Jessy pr ovides sexual violence prevention education with Our Voice\, bringing tool s and conversations back into the places they are living and loving in. Je ssy cares deeply about the resilience of queer communities and believes th at we thrive when we look out for us. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A bystander interv ention class BY and FOR our queer community!
Conflict resolution is a survival skill. This class will focus on real\, actionable\, applied le arning to help create confidence and control in the midst of chaos. Partic ipants will learn to identify early signs of rising conflict and will be i nstructed on the safest and most effective ways to step in and prevent fur ther harm. They will learn about the five D's of bystander intervention\, which empower us to handle a tense situation with verbal de-escalation. Th e presentation will also instruct on how to most effectively provide suppo rt to those harmed.
Building off of the last presentation\, we'll r eview what we've learned so far and problem-solve around hypothetical scen arios. This will be a fun\, laid back\, social activity. Participation is voluntary\, and quiet observers are always welcome!
Please note tha t the presentation will emphasis sexual harassment/assault scenarios\, so audience members are encouraged to consider their own needs and triggers b efore attending.
salem thorne [he/they] is a tatto o artist by day\, and an activist... well\, still mostly by day. Using art to protest\, to ignite emotions\, and to make people think has always bee n a core component for him. They are fortunate to be able to support other queer people to feel respected\, comfortable\, and free to make their bod ies their own through tattoo. salem hopes to help the queer community resi st fracturing and build sustainability and resilience.
Jess y Swinkford [they/them] is a queer & neurodivergent native Ap palachian deeply shaped by the mountains and forests of this region. Robin Wall Kimmerer writes\, “To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it\,” and that idea has been formative to the way Jess y moves through the world. Jessy provides sexual violence prevention educa tion with Our Voice\, bringing tools and conversations back into the place s they are living and loving in. Jessy cares deeply about the resilience o f queer communities and believes that we thrive when we look out for us.&n bsp;
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3625- BystanderInterventionTraining.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=b10d76dd6f038615a d3da4891675f6f6 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3625-B ystanderInterventionTraining.jpg?w=800&s=af61fdc04bd653f64798c35e90520964 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3625 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3625-bystander-intervention-training.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250510T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250510T140000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=2SA SUMMARY:Harm Reduction Kit Packing Party DESCRIPTION:Want to take action to improve community health and show solida rity with people who use drugs? Help Steady Collective package harm reduct ion kits that will be distributed at upcoming outreach events!\nHarm reduc tion is an evidence-based approach that is critical to engaging with peopl e who use drugs and equipping them with life-saving tools and information to create positive change in their lives and potentially save their lives. Harm reduction is a key pillar in national campaign to prevent overdose.\ nThe Steady Collective is a harm reduction organization and mobile syringe exchange dedicated to promoting the well-being of people who use drugs in Asheville\, North Carolina through empowerment\, respectful collaboration and non-judgmental support. Their primary goal is to enhance community he alth by reducing rates of drug overdose\, injection related injury\, and i nfectious disease through education\, advocacy\, and direct services. Thro ugh a mobile syringe exchange initiative\, Steady brings these resources d irectly to where they are most needed. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Want to take action to improve community health and show solidarity with people who use drugs? Help Stead y Collective package harm reduction kits that will be distributed at upcom ing outreach events!
Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach t hat is critical to engaging with people who use drugs and equipping them w ith life-saving tools and information to create positive change in their l ives and potentially save their lives. Harm reduction is a key pillar in n ational campaign to prevent overdose.
The Steady Collective is a harm reduction organization and mobile syringe exchange ded icated to promoting the well-being of people who use drugs in Asheville\, North Carolina through empowerment\, respectful collaboration and non-judg mental support. Their primary goal is to enhance community health by reduc ing rates of drug overdose\, injection related injury\, and infectious dis ease through education\, advocacy\, and direct services. Through a mobile syringe exchange initiative\, Steady brings these resources directly to wh ere they are most needed.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3386- HarmReductionKitPackingParty.png?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=6a8c273a117c4fc9bb fb82cf8345bf24 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3386-H armReductionKitPackingParty.png?w=800&s=02342c929daf7be64745f2b04734020f LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3386 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3386-harm-reduction-kit-packing-party.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T163000 SUMMARY:The Networked Colonization of Everyday Life DESCRIPTION:Taking the recently published book The Reticular Society (PM Pr ess\, 2026) as their guide\, Ian Alan Paul and Andrew Culp will reflect up on the networked reorganization of capitalist society\, the diverse ways d igital technologies have invaded and imposed their shape upon everyday lif e\, and what forms of revolt might remain possible against the suffocating flows of our online world.\nThis event is organized in collaboration with PM Press as part of their All We Have Is Each Other Speaker Series.\nRegi ster Now\nIan Alan Paul is a theorist whose work engages with technopoliti cs and anarchist thought. Over the course of their life they have taught a nd developed projects in the United States\, Mexico\, Spain\, Egypt\, and Palestine. They presently are part of the faculty of the Graduate Program in Media\, Power\, and Difference at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona \, and published their first book The Reticular Society with PM Press in 2 026.\nAndrew Culp is Professor of Media History and Theory and Director of the MA in Aesthetics and Politics in the School of Critical Studies at th e California Institute of the Arts. His scholarship recovers negativity as a political and aesthetic force\, with interventions in radical philosoph y and anti-political theory. His first book Dark Deleuze (University of Mi nnesota Press\, 2016) argues against the “canon of joy” that h as domesticated French philosophy. His newest book\, Anarcheology of Power \, examines the enduring divide between rulers and the ruled across five m odes of power. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Taking the recently published b ook The Reticular Society (PM Press\, 2026) as their guide\, Ian Alan Paul and Andrew Culp will reflect upon the networked reorganizat ion of capitalist society\, the diverse ways digital technologies have inv aded and imposed their shape upon everyday life\, and what forms of revolt might remain possible against the suffocating flows of our online world.< /p>
This event is organized in collaboration with PM Press as part of their All We Have Is Each Other Speaker Series.
Ian Alan Paul is a theorist whose work enga ges with technopolitics and anarchist thought. Over the course of their li fe they have taught and developed projects in the United States\, Mexico\, Spain\, Egypt\, and Palestine. They presently are part of the faculty of the Graduate Program in Media\, Power\, and Difference at Universitat Pomp eu Fabra in Barcelona\, and published their first book The Reticular Socie ty with PM Press in 2026.
Andrew Culp is Professor of Media History and Theory and Director of the MA in Aesthetics and Poli tics in the School of Critical Studies at the California Institute of the Arts. His scholarship recovers negativity as a political and aesthetic for ce\, with interventions in radical philosophy and anti-political theory. H is first book Dark Deleuze (University of Minnesota Press\, 2016) argues a gainst the “canon of joy” that has domesticated French philoso phy. His newest book\, Anarcheology of Power\, examines the enduring divid e between rulers and the ruled across five modes of power.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3617- TheNetworkedColonizationOfEver.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=331767f853be2287 274b406d54f9df1c IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3617-T heNetworkedColonizationOfEver.jpg?w=800&s=a0a95c76c62b71d145df64f51d36b64a LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3617 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3617-the-networked-colonization-of-everyda y-life.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260614T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260614T123000 SUMMARY:Sacred Anarchy Book Club DESCRIPTION:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our mo vements for liberation? What roles have they played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the State? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & collective liberation?\nParticipan ts in this group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space fo r deepening both political and spiritual practices. At the June gathering\ , participants will discuss Palestine 1492\, geographer Linda Quiquivix's reflections on 500 years of the struggle for life in words\, maps\, and im ages in the seven cardinal directions. (Use promo code SACRED to save 10% at checkout.)\nFirestorm collective member Beck says\, "[Palestine 1492] i s an engaging and poetic liberation primer\, with enormous value to the ne w and seasoned alike. The book is split into four sections\, beginning in Palestine\, traveling on to a crash course in global history since 1492\, through to Chiapas\, Black liberation\, and our impossible task ahead. As I read\, I felt so many things click satisfyingly into place alongside Qui Qui's big picture analyses\, while her references offer a thousand worthwh ile threads to follow." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our movements for liberation? What roles have th ey played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the Stat e? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & co llective liberation?
Participants in this group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space for deepening both political and spiri tual practices. At the June gathering\, participants will discuss Palestine 1492\, geographer Linda Quiquivix's reflections on 500 years of t he struggle for life in words\, maps\, and images in the seven cardinal di rections. (Use promo code SACRED to sa ve 10% at checkout.)
Firestorm collective member Beck says\, "[ Palestine 1492] is an engaging and poetic liberation primer\, wit h enormous value to the new and seasoned alike. The book is split into fou r sections\, beginning in Palestine\, traveling on to a crash course in gl obal history since 1492\, through to Chiapas\, Black liberation\, and our impossible task ahead. As I read\, I felt so many things click satisfyingl y into place alongside QuiQui's big picture analyses\, while her reference s offer a thousand worthwhile threads to follow."
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3601- SacredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=79dbf6ef4b2ecd98c047b1b6d 640f2fe IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3601-S acredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=800&s=85c0dd4c7eaf79c270b4c62d0041a5c5 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3601 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3601-sacred-anarchy-book-club.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260615T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260615T200000 SUMMARY:Skill Share Discussion Circle: Grant Writing DESCRIPTION:An ongoing\, community-led gathering exploring environmental re silience\, skill sharing\, and collective care.\nEmerging from Firestorm's Disaster Reading Group\, this evolving circle brings people together to c onnect\, learn from one another\, and experiment with practical ways of li ving well in uncertain times. Each gathering centers on one specific\, con crete skill or idea you can actually use\, and makes space for the knowled ge and experience people already carry.\nThis session\, led by Ellen\, cov ers the fundamentals of grant writing for small community initiatives. You 'll leave with a practical framework for structuring a proposal\, a cleare r sense of what funders are actually looking for\, and pointers to grant o pportunities relevant to Asheville and Western NC.\nAs always\, the sessio n will leave room for participants to share their own experiences and ques tions. The group's collective knowledge is part of what we're here to tap. All are welcome. Come curious and participate at whatever level feels rig ht. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:An ongoing\, commu nity-led gathering exploring environmental resilience\, skill sharing\, an d collective care.
Emerging from Firestorm's Disaster Reading Group \, this evolving circle brings people together to connect\, learn from one another\, and experiment with practical ways of living well in uncertain times. Each gathering centers on one specific\, concrete skill or idea you can actually use\, and makes space for the knowledge and experience peopl e already carry.
This session\, led by Ellen\, covers the f undamentals of grant writing for small community initiatives. You 'll leave with a practical framework for structuring a proposal\, a cleare r sense of what funders are actually looking for\, and pointers to grant o pportunities relevant to Asheville and Western NC.
As always\, the session will leave room for participants to share their own experiences an d questions. The group's collective knowledge is part of what we're here t o tap. All are welcome. Come curious and participate at whatever level fee ls right.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3609- SkillShareDiscussionCircleGran.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=9603dddb85432873 e408401e0a188ec8 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3609-S killShareDiscussionCircleGran.jpg?w=800&s=122fb05a5bccd210fe1d1230a1d7c928 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3609 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3609-skill-share-discussion-circle-grant-w riting.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260418T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260418T143000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=3SA SUMMARY:Asheville Animal Rights Reading Group DESCRIPTION:For June participants will begin reading Lost Animals\, Disappe aring Worlds by Barbara Allen.\nAnimals—loved\, exploited\, endanger ed\, revered\, killed\, abused—who are they? Can we really know\, an d isn't each individual and not a representative of an entire species? Joi n participants to discuss these and many\, many other questions around the furred\, the four-legged\, the winged\, finned\, webbed\, the tiny and th e large\, and humanity's interactions with\, responsibility to and for the m. This group takes an animal-rights based philosophy\, and looks at ficti on\, non-fiction\, poetry and even articles to learn\, to enjoy\, and to f igure out how we might be best of service to helping and saving these spec ies we share the world with.\nPlease note: this group is aware of the inte rsection of oppressions and strives to find books and articles related to animal rights and connected struggles—but as an animal rights group\ , non-humans are the primary focus. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Animals—lo ved\, exploited\, endangered\, revered\, killed\, abused—who are the y? Can we really know\, and isn't each individual and not a representative of an entire species? Join participants to discuss these and many\, many other questions around the furred\, the four-legged\, the winged\, finned\ , webbed\, the tiny and the large\, and humanity's interactions with\, res ponsibility to and for them. This group takes an animal-rights based philo sophy\, and looks at fiction\, non-fiction\, poetry and even articles to l earn\, to enjoy\, and to figure out how we might be best of service to hel ping and saving these species we share the world with.
Please note: this group is aware of the intersection of oppressions and strives to fin d books and articles related to animal rights and connected struggles&mdas h;but as an animal rights group\, non-humans are the primary focus.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3590- AshevilleAnimalRightsReadingGr.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=916ea1df94a1ebf0 935d3e39efe6b7c3 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3590-A shevilleAnimalRightsReadingGr.jpg?w=800&s=81b20945f283537cd386d0569e8b17bc LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3590 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3590-asheville-animal-rights-reading-group .html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220116T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220116T150000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=3SU SUMMARY:Asheville Prison Books Packaging Party DESCRIPTION:Asheville Prison Books (APB) is a volunteer-run collective whic h has distributed free reading material to people incarcerated in North an d South Carolina since 1999. The group's monthly (3rd Sundays of the month ) packaging party is an opportunity for new folks to learn about APB and p lug in!\nAsheville Prison Books is a prison abolitionist project. They sen d books to folks who are locked up because it is one of the best ways to s how solidarity with them. As a project rooted in anti-authoritarian politi cs\, APB views prison as a tool the State uses to uphold an unjust social and economic order based in large part on white supremacy. When dealing wi th a system that thrives on dehumanization and isolation\, finding ways to connect with and meet the every day needs of incarcerated people is a cru cial part of challenging the legitimacy of this repressive institution. Le arn more at avlpb.org X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Asheville Prison Books (APB) is a volunteer-run collective which has distributed free reading material to people incarcerated in North and South Carolina since 1999. The group's m onthly (3rd Sundays of the month) packaging party is an opportunity for ne w folks to learn about APB and plug in!
Asheville Prison Bo oks is a prison abolitionist project. They send books to folks wh o are locked up because it is one of the best ways to show solidarity with them. As a project rooted in anti-authoritarian politics\, APB views pris on as a tool the State uses to uphold an unjust social and economic order based in large part on white supremacy. When dealing with a system that th rives on dehumanization and isolation\, finding ways to connect with and m eet the every day needs of incarcerated people is a crucial part of challe nging the legitimacy of this repressive institution. Learn more at avlpb.org
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3041- AshevillePrisonBooksPackagingP.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=834fb5d32ade0cc0 8e81a402833629d5 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3041-A shevillePrisonBooksPackagingP.jpg?w=800&s=20dd919f2f55626a47eebcc0abd9e8a9 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3041 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3041-asheville-prison-books-packaging-part y.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260621T163000 SUMMARY:Invasive Species and Capitalism DESCRIPTION:The problem with invasive species is a problem of capitalism.&n bsp;\nAuthor Clare Follmann is joined by activist Patty Krawec for a virtu al conversation about her new book Scapegoat and the the outdated narrativ e of "species management."\nDrawing on environmental science and semiotics \, Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong recounts how the use of biased rhetoric and inaccessible language has created support for a popular but misleading war of “native” against “invasiv e” that does nothing to address the root cause of biodiversity loss. Instead\, these are "plastic words" that lose their precise scientific or igins with their introduction to everyday language yet still carry the wei ght of authority—becoming persuasive and dangerously malleable.\nReg ister Now\nClare Follmann\, M.E.S.\, is an author and environmentalist loc ated in Olympia\, Washington. Her writing engages with themes of ecology\, language\, and philosophy. She likes to poke holes in dominant or obsolet e narratives\, and strives to both listen to and help uplift the voices an d stories that have been too often cast aside—including those from o ur more-than-human world. Her work focuses on finding and planting the lit eral and figurative seeds that will help support a post-capitalist society that prioritizes the well-being of people and planet.\nPatty Krawec write s about how Anishinaabe thought informs faith and social justice practices . Krawec actively supports Palestinian liberation\, viewing it through an Indigenous lens of anti-colonialism\, advocating for collective liberation and connecting Palestinian struggles with Indigenous sovereignty around t he globe. She is the author of Becoming Kin (2022) and Bad Indians Book Cl ub (2025). She lives in Niagara and reflects on traditional Anishinaabe st ories on her blog thousandworlds.ca. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The problem with i nvasive species is a problem of capitalism.
Author Clare Foll mann is joined by activist Patty Krawec for a virtual conversation about h er new book Scapegoat and the the outdated narrative of "species management."
Drawing on environmental science and semiotics\, < a href="https://firestorm.coop/products/24645-scapegoat.html">Scapegoat: W hat the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong recounts how the use of biased rhetoric and inaccessible language has created support for a popul ar but misleading war of “native” against “invasive&rdqu o; that does nothing to address the root cause of biodiversity loss. Inste ad\, these are "plastic words" that lose their precise scientific origins with their introduction to everyday language yet still carry the weight of authority—becoming persuasive and dangerously malleable.
Clare Follmann\, M.E.S.\, is an author and envi ronmentalist located in Olympia\, Washington. Her writing engages with the mes of ecology\, language\, and philosophy. She likes to poke holes in dom inant or obsolete narratives\, and strives to both listen to and help upli ft the voices and stories that have been too often cast aside—includ ing those from our more-than-human world. Her work focuses on finding and planting the literal and figurative seeds that will help support a post-ca pitalist society that prioritizes the well-being of people and planet.
Patty Krawec writes about how Anishinaabe thought inf orms faith and social justice practices. Krawec actively supports Palestin ian liberation\, viewing it through an Indigenous lens of anti-colonialism \, advocating for collective liberation and connecting Palestinian struggl es with Indigenous sovereignty around the globe. She is the author of Becoming Kin (2022) and Bad Indians Book Club (2025). She l ives in Niagara and reflects on traditional Anishinaabe stories on her blo g thousandworlds.ca.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3596- InvasiveSpeciesAndCapitalism.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=3bc24999311ce839e4 76680a0cce73cf IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3596-I nvasiveSpeciesAndCapitalism.jpg?w=800&s=6e8805b9e896185a89261e295eca41f8 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3596 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3596-invasive-species-and-capitalism.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260626T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260626T200000 SUMMARY:Fuck Amazon Prime Day Book Swap DESCRIPTION:Bring a book\, take a book. Surveillance capitalism not require d!\nAmazon's largest sale of the year means extra hours\, increased rates of injury\, and sweltering temperatures for Amazon warehouse workers. Opt out of this consumer "holiday" and scratch your shopping itch by giving a new home to a pre-loved book instead!\nThis Prime Day\, we're hosting anot her community book swap on Firestorm's patio. Bring books you have loved b ut are willing to part with\, and get a different book (or more) from some one else! No limit on the number of books you bring or take\, just be cons iderate of what you contribute (i.e. don't bring things that others are un likely to want) or take (leave a few good books for the rest of us)!\nCan I join if I don't have any books to bring?Yes! No worries if you don't hav e any books you want to bring this time. Firestorm staff will also contrib ute from our collective's personal beloved book collections.\nWhere is the book swap happening?Come to Firestorm's patio where there will be cute te nts and tables piled high with books! But beware\, books inside the bookst ore are NOT part of the swap and sadly still subject to Commerce. But the point is\, you DON'T have to spend money at the book swap! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Bring a book\, tak e a book. Surveillance capitalism not required!
Amazon's largest sa le of the year means extra hours\, increased rates of injury\, and swelter ing temperatures for Amazon warehouse workers. Opt out of this consumer "h oliday" and scratch your shopping itch by giving a new home to a pre-loved book instead!
This Prime Day\, we're hosting another community boo k swap on Firestorm's patio. Bring books you have loved but are willing to part with\, and get a different book (or more) from someone else! No limi t on the number of books you bring or take\, just be considerate of what y ou contribute (i.e. don't bring things that others are unlikely to want) o r take (leave a few good books for the rest of us)!
Can I j
oin if I don't have any books to bring?
Yes! No worries if you
don't have any books you want to bring this time. Firestorm staff will al
so contribute from our collective's personal beloved book collections.
Where is the book swap happening?
Come to Firestor
m's patio where there will be cute tents and tables piled high with books!
But beware\, books inside the bookstore are NOT part of the swap and sadl
y still subject to Commerce. But the point is\, you DON'T have to spend mo
ney at the book swap!
Queers and horror have always g one hand in manicured hand. We know what it means to be made into a monste r\, all while navigating the true life terrors of conversion therapy and g ender reveal parties. This queer horror book club explores queerness from the magic to the truly macabre. This month we're going southern (gothic) w ith Yah Yah Scholfield's debut novel\, On Sundays She Picked Flowers. (Use promo code YIKES to save 10% at checkout.)
“On Sundays She Picked F lowers is a vibrant and visceral debut\, in both the literal and metap horical senses. Scholfield's novel digs deep on themes like monstrosity\, queer desire\, and the deep-running legacies of trauma and violence that h ave shaped Black life in the American South—it's an absolute stunner of a book.”—Lee Mandelo\, author of Summer Sons
Each meeting of this book club is structured to encourage deep engageme nt with the themes of the text\, as well as facilitate connection among th e participants. If you are looking to meet other queer people and/or horro r lovers this is the book club for you!
For past book club title se lections\, check out our queer horror list.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3622- SkeletonsInTheClosetQueerHorro.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=c2505faf7e3c932c a42075014d00e1c9 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3622-S keletonsInTheClosetQueerHorro.jpg?w=800&s=d6753b1d7772e348cdb952fdfe559d28 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3622 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3622-skeletons-in-the-closet-queer-horror- book-club.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240128T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240128T180000 RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=4SU SUMMARY:Abolitionist Reading Club DESCRIPTION:Over the past year Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross (BRABC) has hosted a monthly discussion of issues pertaining to incarceration and the penal system in the USA through study and discussion of essays and zines by captured comrades and their allies. In the coming months we will expand our discussion to include currently-incarcerated comrades through an "ins ide-outside study group." Now is a great time to get involved--come check out what we're up to\, and help us launch this exciting project!\nBlue Rid ge Anarchist Black Cross is a collective of anarchists who believe that ja ils and prisons\, rather than offering a solution to the harms people comm it against themselves and their communities\, instead make social problems worse. They are a prison abolitionist organization\, which is to say they are part of a wider movement working towards an end of incarceration and the creation of alternative\, transformative forms of justice in our socie ty. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Over the past year Blue Ridge A narchist Black Cross (BRABC) has hosted a monthly discussion of issues per taining to incarceration and the penal system in the USA through study and discussion of essays and zines by captured comrades and their allies. In the coming months we will expand our discussion to include currently-incar cerated comrades through an "inside-outside study group." Now is a great t ime to get involved--come check out what we're up to\, and help us launch this exciting project!
Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross is a collective of anarchists who believe that jails and prisons\, r ather than offering a solution to the harms people commit against themselv es and their communities\, instead make social problems worse. They are a prison abolitionist organization\, which is to say they are part of a wide r movement working towards an end of incarceration and the creation of alt ernative\, transformative forms of justice in our society.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3126- AbolitionistReadingClub.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=f77e4b30b2f02f386a20f64 b964f9c60 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3126-A bolitionistReadingClub.jpg?w=800&s=579c64abd1ae771326a45102b23675e5 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3126 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3126-abolitionist-reading-club.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260628T193000 SUMMARY:Reports from the Frontline: On Non-Violent Resistance DESCRIPTION:Palestinian activist Iyad Burnat speaks on the nonviolent resis tance to Israeli apartheid.\nIyad Burnat is a Palestinian activist who lea ds Bil'in's non-violent struggle in the West Bank. He is the head of the B il'in Popular Committee against the Wall\, which has led weekly demonstrat ions since 2005 against the Israeli West Bank barrier. He's also the autho r of Speech and Q&A with Iyad Burnat and Bil’in and the Nonviole nt Resistance. He has been on the front of the genocide\, has been arreste d and tortured\, has had his family members arrested\, and continues to le ad a powerful nonviolent resistance movement.\nIn 2011\, the story of Iyad 's resistance is the subject of the award-winning film 5 Broken Cameras. H e was the 2015 recipient of the prestigious James Lawson Award for Achieve ment in the Practice of Nonviolent Conflict given by Tufts University. He recently released the book Bil’in and the Nonviolent Resistance desc ribing his village’s ongoing struggle for justice and freedom and wh at inspires them to continue non-violent resistance.\nThis event is sponso red by Reject Raytheon and Asheville Alliance for Palestine Solidarity. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Palestinian activi st Iyad Burnat speaks on the nonviolent resistance to Israeli apartheid.
Iyad Burnat is a Palestinian activist who leads Bil'in's non-violent struggle in the West Bank. He is the head of the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Wall\, which has led weekly demonstrations since 2005 against the Israeli West Bank barrier. He's also the author of Speech and Q&a mp;A with Iyad Burnat and Bil’in and the Nonviolent Resista nce. He has been on the front of the genocide\, has been arrested and tortured\, has had his family members arrested\, and continues to lead a powerful nonviolent resistance movement.
In 2011\, the story of Iya d's resistance is the subject of the award-winning film 5 Broken Cameras. He was t he 2015 recipient of the prestigious James Lawson Award for Achievement in the Practice of Nonviolent Conflict given by Tufts University. He recentl y released the book Bil’in and the Nonviolent Resistance describing his village’s ongoing struggle for justice and freedom and what insp ires them to continue non-violent resistance.
This event is sponsor ed by Reject Raytheon and Asheville Alliance for Palestine Solidarity.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3626- ReportsFromTheFrontlineOnNonVi.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=21d93e323875ecf3 f546487a97edc722 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3626-R eportsFromTheFrontlineOnNonVi.jpg?w=800&s=3e1863016c3283fad3d4139c0f13e72e LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3626 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3626-reports-from-the-frontline-on-non-vio lent-resistance.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260630T190000 SUMMARY:Crafting Myth and Metaphor DESCRIPTION:Add depth and richness to your worldbuilding with powerful new mythologies.\nThis event was organized by and for participants in the week ly trans writing circle\, but others are welcome to join in!\nBestselling author Nghi Vo pulls back the curtain on how she approaches mythbuilding i n her work. This brief author talk will be followed by Q&A\, so please bring questions about writing mythic fiction\, the writing process\, and publishing.\nNghi Vo is the bestselling author of the novels Siren Queen\, The Chosen and the Beautiful\, and The City in Glass\, as well as the acc laimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle\, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her work has been nominated for the Nebula\, Locus\, and Lambda Literary Awards and the LA Times and Ursula K. Le Guin Prizes\, and has won the Crawford\, Ignyte\, and Hugo Awards X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Add depth and rich ness to your worldbuilding with powerful new mythologies.
This event was organized by and for participants in the weekly trans writin g circle\, but others are welcome to join in!
Bestselling author Nghi Vo pulls back the curtain on how she approaches mythbuilding i n her work. This brief author talk will be followed by Q&A\, so please bring questions about writing mythic fiction\, the writing process\, and publishing.
Nghi Vo is the bestselling author of t he novels Siren Queen\, The Chosen and the Beautiful< /a>\, and The City in Glass\, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle\, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her work has been n ominated for the Nebula\, Locus\, and Lambda Literary Awards and the LA Ti mes and Ursula K. Le Guin Prizes\, and has won the Crawford\, Ignyte\, and Hugo Awards
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3628- CraftingMythAndMetaphor.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=f0633d110fb51e9db399756 e5a2d94f4 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3628-C raftingMythAndMetaphor.jpg?w=800&s=4e3669e2df0859af48de52af4c540c13 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3628 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3628-crafting-myth-and-metaphor.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260705T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260705T163000 SUMMARY:Policing American Slavery DESCRIPTION:Legal historian Gautham Rao shares his new book\, White Power\, which examines the history of policing and slave patrols in the United St ates and the ways systems of surveillance and racial control shaped Americ an governance and law.\nWhite Power: Policing American Slavery introduces us to laws that empowered white people to forcibly exercise their desired racial superiority over Black people\, shows how they spread from the Sout h throughout the nation\, and traces the rebellions\, fugitivity\, activis m\, and legal systems that challenged them. Gautham offers a new interpret ation of the history of policing in the US\, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance\, white supremacist militia grou ps\, and white racist cops determined to maintain power over Black people by force.\nGautham Rao is a legal historian of early America and the Unite d States and a professor of history at American University. He is the auth or of National Duties: Custom Houses and the Making of the American State (University of Chicago Press\, 2016) and a leading scholar in legal history. He serves as editorin-chief of Law & History Review and the Oxford Bibliography of Legal History\, and has contributed to historians' amicus briefs before the US Supreme Court. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Legal historian Gautham Rao sha res his new book\, White Power\, which examines the history of po licing and slave patrols in the United States and the ways systems of surv eillance and racial control shaped American governance and law.
White Po wer: Policing American Slavery introduces us to laws that empower ed white people to forcibly exercise their desired racial superiority over Black people\, shows how they spread from the South throughout the nation \, and traces the rebellions\, fugitivity\, activism\, and legal systems t hat challenged them. Gautham offers a new interpretation of the histo ry of policing in the US\, speaking to the origins of today's persistence of white vigilance\, white supremacist militia groups\, and white racist c ops determined to maintain power over Black people by force.
An ongoing\, commu nity-led gathering exploring environmental resilience\, skill sharing\, an d collective care.
Emerging from Firestorm's Disaster Reading Group \, this evolving circle brings people together to connect\, learn from one another\, and experiment with practical ways of living well in uncertain times. Each gathering centers on one specific\, concrete skill or idea you can actually use\, and makes space for the knowledge and experience peopl e already carry.
This session\, led by Maren\, introduces S cuppernong\, a locally-run privacy-respecting alternative to corp orate tools like Slack and Google Drive built specifically for Western NC community groups and organizations. You'll leave knowing what it can do\, how to get set up\, and whether it's a fit for your group or project.
As always\, the session will leave room for participants to share their own experiences and questions. The group's collective knowledge is part o f what we're here to tap. All are welcome. Come curious and participate at whatever level feels right.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3608- SkillShareDiscussionCircleScup.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=8a6d9eccd0c863f7 f13b138913eea645 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3608-S killShareDiscussionCircleScup.jpg?w=800&s=57c40d934bcfd423b6323373e977d358 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3608 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3608-skill-share-discussion-circle-scupper nong.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260712T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260712T123000 SUMMARY:Sacred Anarchy Book Club DESCRIPTION:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our mo vements for liberation? What roles have they played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the State? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & collective liberation?\nParticipan ts in this group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space fo r deepening both political and spiritual practices. At the July gathering\ , participants will continue a discussion of Palestine 1492\, in which geo grapher Linda Quiquivix's reflections on 500 years of the struggle for lif e in words\, maps\, and images in the seven cardinal directions. (Use prom o code SACRED to save 10% at checkout.)\nFirestorm collective member Beck says\, "[Palestine 1492] is an engaging and poetic liberation primer\, wit h enormous value to the new and seasoned alike. The book is split into fou r sections\, beginning in Palestine\, traveling on to a crash course in gl obal history since 1492\, through to Chiapas\, Black liberation\, and our impossible task ahead. As I read\, I felt so many things click satisfyingl y into place alongside QuiQui's big picture analyses\, while her reference s offer a thousand worthwhile threads to follow." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our movements for liberation? What roles have th ey played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the Stat e? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & co llective liberation?
Participants in this group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space for deepening both political and spiri tual practices. At the July gathering\, participants will continue a discu ssion of Palestine 1492\, in which geographer Linda Quiquivix's ref lections on 500 years of the struggle for life in words\, maps\, and image s in the seven cardinal directions. (Use promo code SACRED to save 10% at checkout.)
Firestorm collective member Beck says\, "[Palestine 1492] is an engaging and poet ic liberation primer\, with enormous value to the new and seasoned alike. The book is split into four sections\, beginning in Palestine\, traveling on to a crash course in global history since 1492\, through to Chiapas\, B lack liberation\, and our impossible task ahead. As I read\, I felt so man y things click satisfyingly into place alongside QuiQui's big picture anal yses\, while her references offer a thousand worthwhile threads to follow. "
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3629- SacredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=ce9dac341a18c55bfee35de77 e4127cb IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3629-S acredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=800&s=955eea9c5c4f3fcd2cd7e7a8e6b6a070 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3629 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3629-sacred-anarchy-book-club.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T193000 SUMMARY:The Healing Kinship of Trees DESCRIPTION:Join us for a conversation between author Lindsay Branham and A J Hardie of Asheville GreenWorks on creating reciprocal relationships with trees.\nIn her new book\, Lindsay Branham invites readers into an embodie d\, reciprocal relationship with tees to heal our severed connections to o urselves and the earth\, returning home to the living world. Heartwoo d: The Wisdom and Healing Kinship of Trees speaks directly to what is the missing piece at the heart of the unfolding environmental mega-crisis : the fact that our dissatisfaction\, discontent and despair are core symp toms of being separated from nature. Lindsay shares how to rediscover the medicine that is right under our feet.\nLindsay Branham is an environmenta l psychologist\, Emmy-nominated filmmaker\, and founder of NOVO and The He artwood Institute\, initiatives that address ecological and human rights c rises through film\, culture\, and community engagement. With a PhD in Psy chology from Cambridge\, her work explores how humans can restore a sense of kinship with the living world\, weaving together environmental psycholo gy\, storytelling\, spirituality\, and ecology.\nAsheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 registered environmental non-profit that seeks to inspire\, equip \, and mobilize communities to create an equitable\, climate resilient fut ure. https://ashevillegreenworks.org X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Join us for a conv ersation between author Lindsay Branham and AJ Hardie of Asheville GreenWo rks on creating reciprocal relationships with trees.
In her new boo k\, Lindsay Branham invites readers into an embodied\, reciprocal relation ship with tees to heal our severed connections to ourselves and the earth\ , returning home to the living world. Heartwood: The Wisdom and Healing Kins hip of Trees speaks directly to what is the missing piece at the heart of the unfolding environmental mega-crisis: the fact that our d issatisfaction\, discontent and despair are core symptoms of being separat ed from nature. Lindsay shares how to rediscover the medicine that is righ t under our feet.
Lindsay Branham is an environmen tal psychologist\, Emmy-nominated filmmaker\, and founder of N OVO and The Heartwood Institute\, initiatives that address ecologi cal and human rights crises through film\, culture\, and community engagem ent. With a PhD in Psychology from Cambridge\, her work explores how human s can restore a sense of kinship with the living world\, weaving together environmental psychology\, storytelling\, spirituality\, and ecology.
Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 registered environme ntal non-profit that seeks to inspire\, equip\, and mobilize communities t o create an equitable\, climate resilient future. https://ashevillegreenworks.org
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3564- TheHealingKinshipOfTrees.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=c6349915d130ff5aab402e 48fd5da6e7 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3564-T heHealingKinshipOfTrees.jpg?w=800&s=0eebe96c4f796ee9bb34f269772d64ac LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3564 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3564-the-healing-kinship-of-trees.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260803T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260803T203000 SUMMARY:Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection DESCRIPTION:Communal living isn’t just for cults or millennials with a pipe dream.\nJoin editor Samantha Paige Rosen and contributors to Living \, Together\, a new anthology on communal living that invites us to i magine what new opportunities for connection exist when we push through th e walls society has built for us.\nLiving\, Together: Reimagining Communit y in the Age of Disconnection is literary\, activist\, and queer\, vulnera ble and hopeful in its exploration of the different ways we might come tog ether through intentional community\, with essay topics on chosen family\, mutual aid\, living with friends\, living with siblings in adulthood\, mu ltigenerational households\, transformative neighbor relationships\, homes on wheels\, drag houses as historic models for community\, artist and imm igrant communities\, and more.\nRegister now\nSamantha Paige Rosen’s writing on identity\, the arts\, and culture has appeared in the Washingt on Post\, Harper’s Bazaar\, ELLE\, Slate\, and elsewhere. She lives outside of Philadelphia\, where she is a freelance writer and editor\, a w riting tutor and coach\, and an amateur potter. Her first book\, the liter ary anthology Living\, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disco nnection\, will be published on 7/14/26. \nElizabeth Hart Bergstrom i s a queer\, chronically ill writer who was born in the foothills of the Bl ue Ridge Mountains of Virginia\, on Monacan land. Their essays appear in M ichigan Quarterly Review\, the New York Times\, Catapult\, and elsewhere. Elizabeth's short stories have been published in Bennington Review\, India na Review\, Passages North\, Witness\, Wigleaf\, and other journals. Their poetry appears in Uncanny\, ALOCASIA\, New Orleans Review\, Sycamore Revi ew\, The Offing\, and elsewhere. You can read more of their writing at liz bergstrom.com.\nMary Anne Adams is a community activist\, social worker\, and public health community researcher. She is the founder and executive d irector of ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging) b ased in Atlanta\, Georgia. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Communal living is n’t just for cults or millennials with a pipe dream.
Join edi tor Samantha Paige Rosen and contributors to Living\, Together\, a new anthology on communal living that invites us to imagine what ne w opportunities for connection exist when we push through the walls societ y has built for us.
Living\, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection is literary\, activist\, and queer\, vulnera ble and hopeful in its exploration of the different ways we might come tog ether through intentional community\, with essay topics on chosen family\, mutual aid\, living with friends\, living with siblings in adulthood\, mu ltigenerational households\, transformative neighbor relationships\, homes on wheels\, drag houses as historic models for community\, artist and imm igrant communities\, and more.
E lizabeth Hart Bergstrom is a queer\, chronically ill writer who w as born in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia\, on Mona can land. Their essays appear in Michigan Quarterly Review\, the New York Times\, Catapult\, and elsewhere. Elizabeth's s hort stories have been published in Bennington Review\, India na Review\, Passages North\, Witness\, Wigleaf< /em>\, and other journals. Their poetry appears in Uncanny\, ALOCASIA\, New Orleans Review\, Sycamore Review\, < em>The Offing\, and elsewhere. You can read more of their writing at lizbergstrom.com.
Mary Anne Adams is a community a ctivist\, social worker\, and public health community researcher. She is t he founder and executive director of ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging) based in Atlanta\, Georgia.
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3614- ReimaginingCommunityInTheAgeOf.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=846302b82a825a14 6a712fec78e1e7c6 IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3614-R eimaginingCommunityInTheAgeOf.jpg?w=800&s=26eb47fff446e7ca1af11b632b136bce LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3614 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3614-reimagining-community-in-the-age-of-d isconnection.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260809T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260809T123000 SUMMARY:Sacred Anarchy Book Club DESCRIPTION:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our mo vements for liberation? What roles have they played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the State? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & collective liberation?\nParticipan ts in this community-led group will discuss these questions and more! This is a space for deepening both political and spiritual practices. At the A ugust gathering\, participants will discuss Racism as Zoological Witchcraf t\, a scintillating combination of critical race theory\, social commentar y\, veganism\, and gender analysis by media studies scholar Aph Ko. (Use p romo code SACRED to save 10% at checkout.)\n“Racism as Zoological Wi tchcraft is a fascinating\, groundbreaking\, thoughtful work that shows nu anced relationships between systems that historically dehumanize people of color and the consumption of animals as food. This transformative framewo rk is as disturbing as it is enlightening. Aph Ko steadfastly demonstrates that veganism can be more than a matter of health and lifestyle—tha t plant-based diets can be a radical practice in valuing the aligned right s of all living beings on Earth as well as a practice in dismantling syste ms on our planet that devalue humanity.”—Ytasha L. Womack\, au thor\, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi & Fantasy Culture X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:What roles do magic\, animism\, and spirituality play in our movements for liberation? What roles have th ey played historically? Why are some ideas hidden\, suppressed by the Stat e? How do we harness these ideas for both personal transformation & co llective liberation?
Participants in this community-led group will
discuss these questions and more! This is a space for deepening both polit
ical and spiritual practices. At the August gathering\, participants will
discuss Racism as Zoological Witchcraft\, a scinti
llating combination of critical race theory\, social commentary\, veganism
\, and gender analysis by media studies scholar Aph Ko. (Use promo code SACRED to save 10% at checkout.)
“Racism as Zoological Witchcraft is a fascinating\, gro undbreaking\, thoughtful work that shows nuanced relationships between sys tems that historically dehumanize people of color and the consumption of a nimals as food. This transformative framework is as disturbing as it is en lightening. Aph Ko steadfastly demonstrates that veganism can be more than a matter of health and lifestyle—that plant-based diets can be a ra dical practice in valuing the aligned rights of all living beings on Earth as well as a practice in dismantling systems on our planet that devalue h umanity.”—Ytasha L. Womack\, author\, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi & Fantasy Culture
IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=THUMBNAIL:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3615- SacredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=300&h=300&fit=crop&s=08437a880e0fa93fab1929c88 a8fcabe IMAGE;VALUE=URI;DISPLAY=FULLSIZE:http://firestorm.coop/images/events/3615-S acredAnarchyBookClub.jpg?w=800&s=157c7b4d2e5f816af35ea84185edf566 LOCATION:1022 Haywood Road\, Asheville NC 28806 UID:3615 URL:http://firestorm.coop/events/3615-sacred-anarchy-book-club.html SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260615T140545Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR