Today we are excited to talk to powerful Melissa Ferrer Civil! Melissa lives on the traditional lands of the Osage, Kaw, Missouria, Shawnee and Wyandot people. They are a christian, first-gen, queer, black, femme, multi-disciplinary artist, organizer, educator and theologian who battles with mental illness. As such, a lot of their work deals with the impact of oppressive institutions upon the mind, heart, body and soul of marginalized individuals as well as the reclamation and redefining of community. Primarily a poet, Melissa writes into and from the body, and the spirit therein. They believe deeply in the quote spoken by June Jordan that says “Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth.” Their work has been published in Rising Phoenix Review, voicemail poems, Fahmidan Journal, Zin Daily and elsewhere. She was long listed for the 2021 Palette Poetry Emerging Poet Prize. Listen as we discuss living lovingly, and radical disengagement.
Experience Melissa’s work by visiting their website (http://melissaferrerand.com/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/melissaferrerand)
The Waystation Podcast is a component of The Chrysalis Institute. Please visit www.thechrysalisinstitute.com to learn more.
