Ra Avis

Welcome!

Ra Avis is an award-winning author and blogger, and a social justice educator. She shares candidly about her time in prison, her living study through grief, her journey with dynamic disability and neurodivergence, and the power of community. Her writing focuses on the interconnectedness of shared struggles and joys. Her work centers small business efforts for formerly incarcerated, disabled, and neurodivergent people-- as well as the legislation and accessibility that informs that possibility. She specializes in collaborative projects that connect communities and bridge digital and analog environments.Ra loves people who do things, people who love things, and people who hate things. She probably loves you.

BOOKING
Ra is available for justice-aligned creative collaborations, workshops, podcasts, poetry readings, and paneling events.

UPCOMING
11/14 in Los Angeles, CA-- Incarceration and Literacy at Chevalier's Books

• Substack
• Instagram

Appearances & Recognitions

2024: Prison Writing Project – Living Expert (ongoing), Biggest Little Zine Fair founding co-organizer – LBC, CA – Oct, Poets Beyond Cages performing poet – LBC, CA – Sept, States of Solitary performing poet – WA DC – July, Poetry Spotlight at DiPiazzas performing poet– LBC, CA – July2023: Re-Imagining Justice Conference with the Minnesota Justice Research Center: Roundtable Discussion member – Nov, Museum of Latin American Art – Exhibit on Grief artist- Oct, Pay the Tab performing poet – July2022: Host of Abolition is for Everybody podcast, Something New: Poetry reading – LBC, CA – September, Artists United to End Homelessness – MarFinalist for the Women’s National Book Association writing contest in Creative Non Fiction 20212021: Injustice on the Small Screen: Poetry Reading – Oct, We Don’t Think We Did This Right: Poetry Reading – Oct, 64MillionArtists: Featured Artist – June, Awakin.org: Artist Discussion – June, Art for a New Future with Justice Art Coalition: Facilitator: June, Getting Unstuck When You’re Stuck Inside – Creativity Workshops with WeRiseLA and LiberatedArtsCollective – May, The Other Art Fair – Mar, Community Reading with The Nasiona – Feb2020: Taste of Long Beach: Meet the Makers with Ra Avis – Nov, The Nasiona podcast: Episode 34: Incarceration and Prison Abolition – Oct, 2020, Love Your Enthusiasm podcast: Episode 16: The Beautiful Practice of Forgiveness with Ra Avis – Sept, G.R.R.R.L Collective Anti-Racist Learning Group : Panel Discussion – Aug, AMR Therapy : Conversations with Ra Avis – May, LLS Project for the Innocent – Long Beach Community Forum for Los Angeles District Attorney Election – Friday, Feb, 2020, Expressions LA, a feature with Sarah Thursday – Saturday, Feb, The Ugly Mug – Two Idiots Peddling Poetry – Feb, Riveted- A StoryTelling Event – JanShort list for the Montreal Poetry Prize 2020Finalist for the Rita Dove Prize in Poetry 2020 & 20192019: Practicing Abolition 1, October 2019, Resistance Reading Fundraiser for RAICES, Sep 2019, Ladies Lean Into Poetry, July 2019, KPFK.org Think Outside the Cage with the Roots and Wings Project, July 2019, Ochi Projects, Artists Voices on Incarceration and Transition, Jun 2019, Feedback Sunday, Ma 2019, Poetry Bleeding, Feb 2019, Unlocked: Incarceration Open Mic, Feb2019, Critical Resistance, A Prison Abolition Event, Feb 20192018: Whittier Gallery, Find Your Inner Goddess Event, Nov 2018, Long Beach Poetry Book Fair, Oct 2018, Small Presses on 4th, Community Event, Aug 2018, Chevalier’s – Gathering of Tribes event, Aug 2018, Redondo Poets, Mar 2018, The Last Sunday – 2018.Blog Recognition: BlogHer Voices of the Year 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2017; Because We’re Poets Championship 2013; Featured by WordPress.com via Freshly Pressed or Discovered over 25 times.

Publications & Projects

An ongoing exploration of what it is to be achingly human in a world of frightfully wondrous happenings.

• Rarasaur Blog

Featuring a collection of concepts pulled through in story form, memoirist Ra Avis gently calls for happiness in a time of healing.

Some things stay still, and others move forward, and all things do both. Listen to the little flower and the big star learn how to gently say goodbye. Illustrated by Joshua P. Stroder and written by Ra Avis, this short book is all about inevitable transitions.

ONGOING – Organizer – Distro/tabling event for zines designed with a focus on accessbility.

• Biggest Little Zine Fair

PAUSED – Founder – This currently unfunded project will eventually be a collaborative zine series and interactive archive documenting carceral culture and the complexities of reentry, available for free download to grassroots organizations and the public, fostering a deeper understanding of the justice system.

• Kites Incarceration Zine Library

PAUSED – Designer – Illustrations, hand-letterings, and analog offerings for purchase.

• Behind the Dinosaur Shop

ONGOING – Community Founder – A write-every-day-in-November project that connects over 200 bloggers.

• Cheer Peppers - est 2012

RETIRED – Artist & Creator – A street-art project that engaged with thousands of locals.

• Gnome Home LB (retired)

Anthologies & Web Chronicles

Mailing Address

2201 N. Lakewood Blvd
#D1887
Long Beach, CA 90815

Contact