Austin independent bookstore Alienated Majesty houses a wide variety of literature, from indie comics to obscure fantasy smut. This Sunday from 2-4 p.m., the space will be full of poetry, music and visual art — all created by local artists and writers with disabilities.
The Disability Pride Showcase reading and open mic includes eight creatives who will present work that highlights their personal experience with a disability. The event is organized by Austin-based nonprofit Art Spark Texas and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, which works directly with the Texas Legislature on accessibility policies. The coalition’s communications director, Laura Perna, said the group plans arts programming as one way to advocate for the community.
“Our mission is to create a Texas where people with disabilities of all ages can work, live, learn, play and participate fully in the communities of their choice,” she said, “and so creating and supporting art spaces of artists with disabilities folds right into that.”
Fantasy and sci-fi author Cornelia Amiri is participating in the showcase for the first time. She will read two essays from her 2020 memoir, A Boomer Chick’s Bingo Card, and an excerpt from her young adult fantasy book, Moonless Night, in which the main character is a survivor of childhood abuse. She said she wants to focus her reading on the healing process after living through trauma.
Lorianne Willett
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KUT News
Molly Kamper, who was diagnosed with autism last year, plans to read her poetry at the Disability Pride Showcase event Sunday at Alienated Majestic.
First-time reader Molly Kamper said this event has given her a space to fit in. Last year, when she was diagnosed with autism at 53, her husband pushed her to come to the reading. She said the showcase was her introduction to understanding her disability. Now she is reading her raw poetry about the experience.
“I needed a community and I needed people,” Kamper said. “I came out to this group, and I made connections with people, and it’s just been this wild year of coming to terms with that.”
The readings will be followed by a brief open mic opportunity for audience members to share. Perna encourages people to put themselves out there and participate in showcasing their art.
“Having a space that really draws disabled performers to say, ‘Oh, I want to do that, this is a space for me’ is really exciting and cool,” Perna said, “and signals to me that we need even more spaces.”