Please join us for this interfaith forum to share ideas, stories, inspiration, and solidarity with regard to socially-engaged practice across spiritual traditions. In these gatherings we aim to highlight the richness and beauty of our community by featuring artists of color in a predominantly white area such as Portland. The emcee for this open mic is Phoenix Soleil, and our feature artist is gifted local poet and writing teacher Maya Williams.

The (optional!) theme for this open mic is redemption. Redemption can be defined as saving one’s self from an error, cruelty or failing, or saving someone else from their error, cruelty or failing. Gandhi was quoted as saying no human being is so bad as to be beyond redemption. When have you experienced salvation and/or witnessed salvation of others? What supports forgiveness and healing in your life? How have you experienced redemption as a vehicle for transformation? What do our spiritual practices offer as an antidote to the harsh and divisive interactions we often see in the landscape of media and politics?

We all have something to teach and we all have something to learn. Please come to listen and/or to share any form of artistic expression you wish with a supportive community of fellow travelers. There is no need to identify as a member of any particular faith or religion.

About our feature artist: Maya Williams (she/her & they/them) is a religious black mixed race suicide survivor currently residing in Portland, ME. She has published poetry in venues such as The Portland Press Herald, Frost Meadow Review, glitterMOB, Bosque Press, Occulum, Black Table Arts, The Tempest, and more. You can find them organizing for one of the longest running open mics in Portland, Port Veritas, Tuesday nights, as well as leading writing workshops Sunday mornings at Quill Books & Beverage in Westbrook. Social media handle is @emmdubb16 on Twitter and Instagram.