Boston Write-In

Class Description

**IMPORTANT: NO NEED TO REGISTER -- JUST COME!**

Sharing stories is a uniquely powerful way to see and feel from different perspectives, to build empathy and connection. Given the climate of rising hate and intolerance in the world today, we believe it’s important to stand in solidarity with recent immigrants and refugees who are under attack. Much like sit-ins, where people take up public space to protest and make the case for change, the Write-In is a chance to bring people together through the stories we tell.

The Write-In will take place on Friday, May 19th, 12:00pm-2:00pm, on the front steps of the Boston Public Library Main Branch. Speakers include Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston; Eve Bridburg, founder and executive director of GrubStreet; Boyah Farah, a Somali refugee and writer; Ayanna Pressley, Boston City Councilor-at-Large; and Gazmend Kapllani, an Albanian-born journalist and author of A Short Border Handbook.

The Write-In is a partnership between GrubStreet, Boston Public Library, and Facing History and Ourselves. Co-sponsoring the event are the William Joiner Institute for the Study of War and Social Consequences at UMass Boston, the City of Boston’s Office of Immigrant Advancement and Office of Arts and Culture, WriteBoston and the International Institute of New England.

"As an immigrant and a storyteller, I feel the artistic and moral obligation to speak out for both. Storytelling is the art of human existence, and oftentimes of human resistance too."

-Gazmend Kapllani, author of A Short Border Handbook.