Naomi Ortiz

An innovative roadmap to facing our past and present selves Honest, aching, and intimate, self-elegies are unique poems focusing on loss rather than death, mourning versions of the self that are forgotten or that never existed. Within their lyrical frame, multiple selves can coexist—wise and nai¨ve, angry and resigned—along with multiple timelines, each possible path stemming from one small choice that both creates new selves and negates potential selves. Giving voice to pain while complicating personal truths, self-elegies are an ideal poetic form for our time, compelling us to question our close-minded certainties, heal divides, and rethink our relation to others. In Writing the Self-Elegy, poet Kara Dorris introduces us to this prismatic tradition and its potential to forge new worlds. The self-elegies she includes in this anthology mix autobiography and poetics, blending craft with race, gender, sexuality, ability and disability, and place—all of the private and public elements that build individual and social identity. These poems reflect our complicated present while connecting us to our past, acting as lenses for understanding, and defining the self while facilitating reinvention. The twenty-eight poets included in this volume each practice self-elegy differently, realizing the full range of the form. In addition to a short essay that encapsulates the core value of the genre and its structural power, each poet’s contribution concludes with writing prompts that will be an inspiration inside the classroom and out. This is an anthology readers will keep close and share, exemplifying a style of writing that is as playful as it is interrogative and that restores the self in its confrontation with grief.

Activists can ask uncomfortable questions when they step back and examine their lives such as: "Will burnout destroy me as an effective advocate?" and, "How can I change the world when I'm too tired to change my socks?" We face messy, contradictory intersections where we must regain our balance and somehow take care of ourselves in the midst of struggling for a better world. Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice, Second Edition is a necessary companion during challenging times." It's a must read..." - Adela Nieves, Traditional Health Practitioner, Taino (Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean)We must speak out, take action, make a difference-yet can we remain passionate about a cause without being consumed by it? What habits can we cultivate to feel compassion for ourselves as well as others? Why does a willingness to self-nurture evoke such discomfort? Now the distinctive voice of social change activist Naomi Ortiz offers powerful, thoughtful, transformative insight into self-care. They weave personal experiences in class, race, and disability advocacy, into informative advice on dealing with the risks of burnout. Ortiz brings wisdom drawn from a deep connection to the Sonoran Desert to guide us to live more wholehearted lives. The power of belonging is a catalyst that resonates throughout these stories. Ortiz offers self-care techniques, tips, and tactics for those who would affect the world. Caring about the world should not burn us out. From interviews with social justice organizers involved in a variety of movements, as well as from their own activist efforts, Ortiz shows how to break the cycle of burnout. Sustaining Spirit shows us how to balance activism with self-care. A gorgeously moving and practical guide, each chapter ends with questions intended to lead the reader to self-awareness and the development of personalized tactics. This book is recommended for therapists, counselors, social workers, chaplains, educators, and people in related fields, in addition to the activists that it addresses itself to directly. Part guide and part workbook, readers will find support in these pages for their self-care journey." Activists from every movement can gain strength from Sustaining Spirit." - Alice Wong, Founder, Disability Visibility Project(TM)Sustaining Spirit includes wisdom from over 30 leader interviewees, representing different organizing efforts, such as (at the time writing): adrienne maree brown (author of Emergent Strategy)Cristy Chung (Move to End Violence)Debra Erenberg (Amnesty International)Adam Maltby (social worker)Adi Afek (reproductive justice activist)Emma Fialka-Feldman (inclusion educator)Hillary Jorgensen (Colorado Progressive Coalition)Janice Felka, (author, What Matters: Reflections on Disability, Community and Love)Jennifer Thomas (Institute for Educational Leadership)Kellie Haigh (MSW, Disability activist)Kim Borowicz (Independent Living Research Utilization)Lisa Hoffman (international human rights activist)Melinda Haus (Justice Moves)Micah Fialka-Feldman (Through the Same Door)Rachel Scoggins (artist, educator)Rahnee Patrick (ADAPT and Access Living, Chicago)Rich Feldman (James and Grace Lee Boggs Center)Sarah Triano (Disability rights activist)"A guide book for activists and leaders in social justice movements." - Erin Blanding, WE.org

"must read" - Adela Nieves, Traditional Health Practitioner, Taino (Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean)Caring - Volunteering - Always too much work to do - BurnoutDoes this sound familiar? Burnout is a vicious cycle. Naomi Ortiz went through this cycle many times before she realized: This Is Not Working. Sustaining Spirit shows how she broke the cycle of burnout and brought balance into her life." Sustaining Spirit takes us on a poetic and layered journey"- Lisa Hoffman, International Human Rights ActivistNaomi provides us with a guide to self-care, sharing her journey and the strategies she's learned from interviewing over 30 social justice activists. "beautifully crafted and exquisitely written" - Melanie Morrison, Allies for ChangeHere's a taste of this remarkable book: "We live in a world where there is a raging storm swirling around our bodies all of the time. Wind blowing so hard we can't catch our breath. Do not get blown away in this raging storm. We need you. You have so many gifts to give. Y d nde est tu ombligo? Where are you rooted? How does one grow roots in the midst of this storm, you ask? Growing our roots is a leap of faith. We must trust ourselves that where our roots wander and how deep they grow is just right. In knowing where our roots grow, in tending to how and where they spread, we make a commitment to ourselves that we can survive here. Self-care is a practice of returning. Of remembering. Of noticing. Be gentle. When living in a way where many truths exist at once, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the possibilities and the complexity. Accept all of who you are because this is the place where you begin, the essential truth of your nature. You are precious, and it's up to you to carry this preciousness centered in your heart. I carry mine tenderly, wrapped up in an old piece of cloth my grandmother embroidered with the sun and stars. Sometimes, remembering I'm precious takes all the courage I have. Sometimes, it'll take all the courage you have too.""activists from every movement can gain strength from Sustaining Spirit" - Alice Wong, Founder, Disability Visibility Project(TM)Wow. Powerful words. Uplifting. Providing a light during challenging times. Sustaining Spirit includes wisdom from over 30 leaders representing different communities including: adrienne maree brown (author of Emergent Strategy)Erin Blanding (WE Movement)Cristy Chung (Move to End Violence)Debra Erenberg (Amnesty International)Adam Maltby (social worker)Adi Afek (reproductive justice activist)Emma Fialka-Feldman (inclusion educator)Hillary Jorgensen (Colorado Progressive Coalition)Janice Felka, (author, What Matters: Reflections on Disability, Community and Love)Jennifer Thomas (Institute for Educational Leadership)Kellie Haigh (MSW, disability activist)Kim Borowicz (Independent Living Research Utilization)Lisa Hoffman (international human rights activist)Melinda Haus (Justice Moves), Micah Fialka-Feldman (Through the Same Door)Rachel Scoggins (artist, educator)Rahnee Patrick (ADAPT and Access Living, Chicago)Rich Feldman (James and Grace Lee Boggs Center)Sarah Triano (disability rights activist)"A guide book for activists and leaders in social justice movements." - Erin Blanding, WE.org