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ReEntry Lab

@reentrylab.org

Building bridges between writers & other artists leaving incarceration and arts & literary communities ready to receive them. Based in Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota.

224 Posts283 Follower818 Folgt
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · last mo.

Joe Davis (he/him) is an award-winning spoken word artist and bestselling author who uses poetry to power possibility. He is the founding director of Finding Your Freedom Practice, a wellness ecosystem  teaching body-centered practices through spoken word, writing, music, theater, film, … 1/7

Photograph of Joe Davis, a Black man with medium brown skin and black hair. In this photo, he's wearing a hat, a beard and mustache, and all-black clothes, including a T-shirt which says, "I just wanna make dope art and love my people."Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, July 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · last mo.

Desdamona (she/her) is an internationally known Spoken Word & Hip Hop artist who has traveled the US & abroad delivering her seamless mixture of Spoken Word, Hip Hop lyricism and melody to the stage for a dynamic & engaging performance. When she's not on stage… 1/8

Photograph of Desdamona, a middle-aged white woman with very long wavy brown hair. In this photo, she's on stage singing into a microphone and wearing a black top and a bracelet; behind her, a blurred background including another singer.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, July 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 2mo ago

Tony Burgess (he/him) was a long-standing member of MPWW during 25-plus consecutive years of incarceration, and is a plumber by trade with a BA in Communication Studies and minors in Sociology and Business Management. … 1/6

Photograph of Tony Burgess, a white man with tanned skin. In this photo, he's got very short black-tending-to-silver hair, shaved on the sides, with a mustache and small goatee; he's wearing a dark blue jacket and stands in front of a window of words.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, July 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 2mo ago

folaṣade (they/she) (b. 1992) is a blackqueer neuro/quirky poet, curator, and organizer concerned with the immediate survival and ongoing liberation of people of the global majority. intuitively guided by her ancestors, folaṣade nurtures a reverence for indigeneity and the erotic… 1/8

Photograph of folaṣade, a Black person with medium-dark skin. In this photo, they are wearing a lavender sweatshirt, thin necklace, large-framed glasses, and their hair up in a topknot. She has a satisfied smile and is in a room with books and art.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, July 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 2mo ago

Nen G Ramirez (they/he) is a nonbinary Chicanx writer from Adrian, Michigan. They are the author of All Women Are Born Wailing (Black Lawrence Press, 2023), which was awarded the 2022 Acentos Book Prize. Ramirez received their MFA in poetry… 1/6

Photograph of Nen G Ramirez, a Chicanx person with light skin and black hair with green splashes. In this photo, they are sitting in a park; their face has multiple piercings and their eyelashes are enormous.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, July 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Nen G Ramirez, folaṣade, Tony Burgess, Desdamona, and Joe Davis.
Dr. Samantha Hancox-Li@sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com · 3mo ago

this is absolutely worth remembering: when the abolitionists began the struggle against the slave power, the slave power looked unbeatable. they fought anyways--a long, difficult, often thankless struggle. they fought anyways.

Jerry Edwards@jerryedwards.bsky.social · 3mo ago

1830s Northerner: "Why are you abolitionists advocating for the immediate abolishment of slavery nationwide? It's not going to happen. Neither party has the appetite to do it. It's a fantasy. You're wasting your time & creating discord with the South." Change takes time. You have to start somewhere.

ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

Eemanna (she/her) is a Minneapolis born and based multidisciplinary artist and community organizer.  A singer song-writer and rapper spanning across genres of hip hop, alternative and soul, Eemanna is also a ceramicist and podcast producer. … 1/2

Photograph of Eemanna, a young Black woman with medium-dark brown skin. In this photo she's wearing a matched pair of stretch pants and bandeau with orange and black patterning, large hoop earrings, a nostril ring, and short natural hair.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, June 2nd, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

Adrien Wright (they/them) is a poet, performer, and costume designer who lives and works in Minneapolis. Their poems have appeared in the Midway Journal and Selfish Magazine, as well as on stages at the Midwest Poetry Mash-Up, the NorthBEAST Regional Poetry Slam, … 1/2

Photograph of Adrien Wright, a nonbinary white person with dark brown hair. In this photo, they are wearing blue striped overalls and a red/white and blue/white striped shirt, a safety-pin necklace, and mid-length curly hair with two long pigtails. They're somewhere outside, with a rock formation in the background.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, June 2nd, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

Willard Malebear Jr. (he/him) is an artist, community organizer, and creative wellness advocate based in Minneapolis. He is the founder and executive chairman of Art Shelf, a nonprofit that operates like a food shelf for art supplies, providing free creative materials, … 1/3

BildBildFlyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, June 2nd, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

Antonio Duke (he/him) is a Twin Cities based actor and playwright. He is the program director of The Ifẹ̀ (Ee-fay) Lab which is a fellowship highlighting black solo performing artists. The fellowship combines film and live performances culminating… 1/6

Photograph of Antonio Duke, a young Black man with medium-dark brown skin. In this photo, he's wearing short freshly trimmed hair, a trim goatee and mustache, and a long-sleeve black shirt. He's seated and smiling.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, June 2nd, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

mk zariel (it/its + masc terms) is a transmasculine neuroqueer theater artist, Best Of The Net and Monarch Award nominated poet, movement journalist, and BashBack aligned anarchist. it is fueled by folk-punk, Emma Goldman, and existential dread. … 1/3

mk zariel's logo, a line drawing of a crouching fox superimposed on a square diagonally divided between black and pink.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, June 2nd, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: mk zariel, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

"Conbody vs Everybody, a singular, sprawling portrait of redemption and hard-earned resilience in one of New York City’s most rapidly gentrified neighborhoods, told through the hub of one unlikely gym [started and staffed by formerly incarcerated people]." www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ap...

‘What we’re doing is real justice’: how one New York gym built a pipeline away from prison

Debra Granik’s five-hour documentary shows a former drug dealer turned entrepreneur striving to beat a system that continues to punish those that have served time

theguardian.com

ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 3mo ago

Please join us on Tuesday, June 2nd, at 7:00pm, at @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: @mkzariel.bsky.social, Antonio Duke, Willard Malebear Jr., Adrien Wright, and Eemanna, followed by an open mic. More at reentrylab.org/better-things

Better Things Gathering & Open Mic - gatherings for social change - ReEntry Lab

Better Things is a series of events sponsored by the ReEntry Lab, in partnership with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) and Moon Palace Books.

reentrylab.org

Phil Mandelbaum@philmandelbaum.bsky.social · 5mo ago

NEW: No murder weapon was ever produced, and no gunshot residue was found on his clothing. An ammunition box found at the murder scene contained a fingerprint that did not belong to him. Yet Temujin Kensu remains behind bars in Michigan. It’s been 40 years.

Making Another Murderer: The Captivating Case of Temujin Kensu - UNICORN RIOT

Nearly a dozen witnesses have placed Temujin Kensu 450 miles away from a 1980s murder in Michigan. Yet, 40 years later, his conviction stands.

unicornriot.ninja

ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Sabrin Nur (they/them) is an artist based in Minneapolis since 2014, currently serving in their second year of AmeriCorps national service, coaching and mentoring high school students on their postsecondary plans. Nur’s artistic practice weaves through many mediums, and they have worked… 1/6

Photograph of Sabrin Nur, a young Black person with dark skin and short black hair. In this photo, they have a wide smile and are wearing pearl necklaces and earrings and a purple garment with a purple head covering and a striped cloth over their left shoulder. Behind them are what look like blue stars on a black background, with a constellation tracing barely visible.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Armand McCoy (they/them), from Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a multidisciplinary artist whose passions intersect Holistic Healing, Black Liberation, and Environmental Justice. They have been studying healing modalities from all over the world, with a current focus on… 1/10

Photograph of Armand McCoy, a young Black man with medium-brown skin, short hair, and a short beard and mustache. In this photo he's wearing a light tan coat over a white T-shirt, a bandanna around his forehead, a ring on his middle finger, and a necklace. He's sitting in a vehicle and has a neutral expression.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Andre Anderson (he/him) is a justice‑impacted educator, writer, and graduate student whose work explores belonging, reentry, and the power of narrative to reshape public understanding. He serves as a Graduate Assistant in Metro State University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, … 1/6

Photograph of Andre Anderson, a white man with dark brown hair. In this photo he is wearing a wide smile, short hair, a short beard and mustache with sprinkles of gray, and a black T-shirt. He stands, arms slightly akimbo, in front of a blurred background.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Sana Wazwaz (she/her) is a Palestinian American writer and theater artist. Her work appears in Black Warrior Review, Water~Stone Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, The Ghassan Kanafani Anthology, Overtly Lit, and has been featured at the Colorado College Fine Arts Center’s Muslim Futurism exhibit…. 1/7

Photograph of Sana Wazwaz, a young Palestinian American woman with light brown skin. In this photo, she is wearing a purple hijab and a white top, smiling at the camera against a gray background.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Jennifer Marysia Landretti (she/her) writes poetry and essays. Her themes are nature, place, and spirit—and in recent years, gender, which has served as a vector to explore the former three.  Over the years her work has appeared in various literary publications, most regularly Orion magazine…

Photograph of Jennifer Landretti, a white woman with medium-short graying brown hair. In this photo, she's wearing a blue sleeveless top, a blue gaiter around her neck, and dark sunglasses, and is standing in dunes behind an ocean shore.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Please join us on Tuesday, May 5th, at 7:00pm, at Moon Palace Books, for our next 5×5 Reading, featuring five fantastic artists: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, and Sabrin Nur. Each featured artist will take five minutes to share work. After the main reading, … 1/5

Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, May 5th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Jennifer Landretti, Sana Wazwaz, Andre Anderson, Armand McCoy, Sabrin Nur.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Come join us *tonight* at Better Things - 7pm - @moonpalacebooks.bsky.social—we'd love to see you there! Featuring Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf. ASL interpretation; masks required at Moon Palace Books & available on-site. There Will Be Snacks 😁

Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, April 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 4mo ago

Nick Metcalf (they/them) is Sicangu Oyate – Burnt Thigh People – Rosebud Sioux Tribe.  Nick has lived in the Twin Cities for 30 years where they’ve made a life filled with lots of friends, family, and community.  Nick is a proud Parent and Grandparent…. (1/6)

Photograph of Nick Metcalf, a two-spirit American Indian. In this photo, they are wearing a striped collared shirt over a t-shirt and standing in front of a microphone with one hand raised.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, April 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf.
ReEntry Lab@reentrylab.org · 5mo ago

Ben Westlie (he/him) is the author of Run From Your Now, a Minnesota Book Award Finalist in Poetry 2025. His poetry has appeared in DASH, The Fourth River, MUSE, Superpresent, ArLiJo, Atlas and Alice and The Talking Stick. 1/6

Photograph of Ben Westlie, a young white man with dark blond hair. In this photo, he wears short hair, a short scruff of beard and mustache, a wide smile, and a crimson velour T-shirt. He's standing, arms crossed, in front of an out-of-focus grassy field.Slide containing text with biographical information (duplicated in post).Text slide bearing words "For more: follow @reentrylab. better-things.org. reentrylab.org" and logos for the Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment.Flyer with text reading: “Better Things - a 5x5 reading for social change - the reading everybody will be talking about the next day. Moon Palace Books, 3032 Minnehaha Avenue, April 7th, 2026, 7 pm.” Small photos of each of five readers, labeled by name: Sagirah Shahid, Suzanne Locke, Isavela Lopez, Ben Westlie, and Nick Metcalf.