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The Deaf Poets Society

Support d/Deaf and disabled writers and artists, so we can make your life extraordinary!

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The Deaf Poets Society

The Deaf Poets Society

The Deaf Poets Society

The Deaf Poets Society

The Deaf Poets Society

Support d/Deaf and disabled writers and artists, so we can make your life extraordinary!

Support d/Deaf and disabled writers and artists, so we can make your life extraordinary!

Support d/Deaf and disabled writers and artists, so we can make your life extraordinary!

Support d/Deaf and disabled writers and artists, so we can make your life extraordinary!

Cyree Jarelle Johnson
Cyree Jarelle Johnson
Cyree Jarelle Johnson
Cyree Jarelle Johnson
1 Campaign |
New York, United States
$659 USD 27 backers
8% of $7,500 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Overview
Incubating and amplifying the voices of writers, poets, and artists who are Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), queer, immigrant, working-class, women, or other people relegated to the margins of literature and art is a crucial part of our work. Photo: "The Line Between Decaying and Projected Dreams" or "Life is an Experiment in Flying Too Close to the Sun" by Anastasia Keck. [Image Description: Multicolored strips overlapping one another.]

Short Summary

The Deaf Poets Society is a bimonthly, upstart d/Deaf and disabled journal of literature and art. (Click here to see our wildly successful first issue! It's free to read and fully available online.) We came together to right literature and art, which, despite people with disabilities composing about 30% of the population, doesn't yet reflect our wide-ranging diversity. We want to change this and we cannot wait.

The editors here at The Deaf Poets Society are a conglomerate of d/Deaf folks, permanently sick people, and neurodivergent/neuroqueer individuals with intersecting marginalizations. Some of us are parents, others students, some work in publishing or art. Our contributors are diverse as our community; we desire and lift up work from trans and gnc writers and artists, authors of color, women, people over 45, and anyone else who identifies as d/Deaf, disabled, crippled, sick, chronically ill, mad, or neurodivergent. Learn more about the editors at our website's About page, or read the contributors' work.

We're already getting awesome press. During the second week of August, we were featured on PBS and Poetry Foundation, and a couple of months ago, our manifesto ran on Drunken Boat's Medium site! Best of all, we have had 2203 unique readers in the two weeks since we launched! 

However, in a world where disabled people make about 37% less on average than able-bodied people, we have an ambitious vision that we're working toward: we'd like to pay the disabled authors and artists who contribute to us. In addition, we would also like to pay our d/Deaf and disabled administrative staff, because making a literary magazine is detailed, time-consuming work.

When you support The Deaf Poets Society, you help us fix the absence of D/deaf and disabled voices in literature and art. Your donation will fund contributors, writing workshops, and advertising.

What We Need & What You Get

Here's a picture of this year's budget, with more information below:

  • $3272 for publication expenses
  • $937.50 for fundraising over the year (because we want to maintain the momentum generated by this campaign, and also compensate the artists who will be designing your FABULOUS perks and prizes)!
  • $1250 for stipends for administrative staff, at $250 a pop times 5 staff members
  • $612 so we can have a bank account and pay PayPal fees and any legal fees we incur
  • $800 to cover the start-up costs already expended
  • $190 because taxes are still a thing for everyone, and 
  • $400 for 2 workshops to be held over the year with disabled people, hopefully IRL!
For a grand total of $7,461.50 for the year
Our largest expenditure for the year will be publication fees, and rightfully so because we are a lit mag. The largest publication cost is paying contributors. If we don't meet our entire goal, the funds will go towards running our literary magazine and paying our talented contributors.

We have great perks, including art prints, broadsides, and postcards from Anastasia Keck; tarot card readings with Poetry Editor and indigo child Cyree Jarelle Johnson; 10 bucks worth of advice on how to be an awesome ally to people with disabilities in your everyday life; and actual, literal, gnomes.

                                                   

[Image Description: Two metal rods each have been driven through four differently colored polyfoam gnomes. The rod on the left has been inserted through a white, red, black, and orange gnome (respectively), and the rod on the right has been inserted through a cobalt blue, black, yellow, and dark purple gnome (also respectively).]

The Impact

Are you the parent of an autistic kid? Does your mama use a wheelchair after years of being a walkie? Have you been just been diagnosed with cancer, ALS, or Celiac Disease? Welp, sounds like you need some resources; sounds like you need some disability justice! And that's what The Deaf Poets Society can provide everyone, in a beautiful way. With art and literature, just like you learned about the world the first time.

Let's be honest: The Deaf Poets Society is survival literature. In a world that says disabled people are better off dead, we are the alternative. We are alive and our words and art are a testament to our lives. Disability is one of the minority groups that anyone can be in. Even if you don't need disability justice for your own body today, you may need it tomorrow. It's a great investment in the future and in the world. 

Here at The Deaf Poets Society, we take our mission seriously. We strive to make excellent literature and art about experiences that people would rather turn their heads away from. And we've had a great deal of success for a project less than 6 months old. Your contribution will help us to continue our success ethically, by paying contributors and providing educational experiences to disabled writers and artists.

Risks & Challenges

The Deaf Poets Society has all meetings remotely and most of us have never met one another! We are all d/Deaf or disabled, but not all in the same way, which means that organizing together defies standard understandings of collective work. It can also be time-consuming and stressful.

This project has sometimes gone without the start-up money that we need to grow and sustain that growth. But with your help, we can continue the great work. Once this campaign is over, we will apply for grants. This money is seed money until we find and secure more sustainable grant-based funding. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Just because you can't donate money doesn't mean you can't help us meet our goal:

  • Share this campaign on Facebook and Twitter!
  • Don't forget to like our Facebook page and Twitter profile!
Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
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Choose your Perk

Facebook Shoutout

$5 USD
You helped us out! We'll shout it out on our Facebook page, which you should like when you get a chance!
Estimated Shipping
September 2016
1 claimed

Awesome Ally Advice

$10 USD
Are you the parent of an autistic kid? Trying to take a disabled hottie on a date? Just don't wanna insult any disabled people in your general vicinity? We understand. Become an Awesome Ally--ask your question; get real disabled advice quick! (Delivery date is asap!)
Estimated Shipping
September 2016
0 claimed

Issue 1 Artsy Postcard

$15 USD
We'll say nice things about you and probably some profound disabled stuff on a card featuring artwork by Anastasia Keck!
Estimated Shipping
October 2016
3 out of 150 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Issue 1 Broadsides!

$25 USD
Featuring Anastasia Keck's amazing art work and fantastic poetry from issue one--TBD.
Estimated Shipping
October 2016
7 out of 50 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Tarot Card Reading!

$50 USD
Mediumistic and intuitive tarot card reading from Poetry Editor Cyree Jarelle Johnson in person or via Google Hangouts. They have been reading cards for 14 years. Check them out at temperancequeertarot.com. (must be in New York or Philadelphia for in-person reading)
Estimated Shipping
November 2016
2 out of 10 of claimed

Handmade Polyfoam Gnome

$75 USD
Looks great and feels nice to say! A literal, actual gnome symbolic of alternative embodiment (color randomly assigned) by our Art Editor, Janet Morrow! 6 inches tall, definitely not a garden gnome.
Estimated Shipping
October 2016
0 out of 12 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Issue 1 Art Prints!

$100 USD
Featuring art work by Anastasia Keck!
Estimated Shipping
October 2016
1 out of 25 of claimed
Ships worldwide.

Poetry Manuscript Consultation

$250 USD
For $250, we will provide an in-person (depending on your location) or online critique/editing session for a poetry manuscript of up to 30 pages.
Estimated Shipping
December 2016
0 out of 5 of claimed
Up Caret