Community Programs
- IRL EVENT: Community Puzzle Night - November 14 at 6PM
IRL EVENT: Community Puzzle Night - November 14 at 6PM
$5.00We're using puzzle making as an excuse to be in community with you all!!!
EVENT DEETS
When: Thursday, November 14 at 6PM
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: $5 to reserve your spot and libations.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us as we attempt to complete PLANT WORLD 1,000 Piece Puzzle, illustrated by Hye Jin Chung. She puts her fantastical spin on botanica with a larger than life celebration of plants.
We'll provide the puzzles, trays, and drinks. We encourage bringing your favorite snacks or anything to make you feel cozy and comfortable!
Note: This event is intended for adults!
- Kindred Spirits: Tarot, Auras & Piercing - October 16 @ 6PM
Kindred Spirits: Tarot, Auras & Piercing - October 16 @ 6PM
from $0.00Join us for Kindred Spirits, a unique event where we celebrate the magic within us all. Come fellowship with ya kinfolk and take advantage of the full moon. Whether you're looking for spiritual guidance, self-discovery, or a fun way to express your individuality, Kindred Spirits is the perfect blend of mystical and modern.
EVENT DEETS
When: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 @ 6PM
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: RSVP to let us know you're coming!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Step into a night of magic and connection! Discover insights with tarot reading, get a luxury piercing by a professional, or explore the colors of your energy with an aura reading. Join us for an unforgettable evening of self-discovery, mystical vibes, and community.
We hope you join us!
- Rooted in Clarity: Journaling & Meditation Workshop - October 6 @ 10 AM
Rooted in Clarity: Journaling & Meditation Workshop - October 6 @ 10 AM
$23.00There are so many distracts keeping us away from ourselves, our goals, and living the lives that we've worked hard to create. Take a moment to get grounded with us.
WORKSHOP DEETS
When: Sunday, October 6 @ 10 AM - 1 PM
Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: Purchase tickets here!
ABOUT WORKSHOP
Raveen Alexis will lead us through guided journaling and meditation. Be sure to bring yourself, a young mat or towel and a journal with a writing utensil.
Space is limited.Light refreshments will be provided.
*Tickets are non refundable* - Coffee & Crosswords - August 25 @ 10AM
Coffee & Crosswords - August 25 @ 10AM
from $0.00We're celebrating the release of Black Crosswords!
EVENT DEETS
When: Sunday, August 25 @ 10 AM
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your copy of Black Crosswords!
ABOUT THE EVENT
For years, most of us have been doing crossword puzzles that didn't have much to do with Blackness. However, that will change with the release of Black Crosswords (forthcoming August 20, 2024). Together, we'll tackle some crosswords that has an emphasis on terms and clues from across the diaspora.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Frustrated by the dearth of Black people creating puzzles or appearing as clues, entrepreneur Juliana Pache created blackcrossword.com in early 2023. The site at once took off counting such regular players and fans as Academy Award winner Questlove, popular social activist Brittnay Packet Cunningham, and author and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib.
Now, to expand her platform, Pache is looking to bring her cultural crossword puzzles to book publishing. Like her site, the concept for the first BLACK CROSSWORD is a game that places emphasis on terms and clues from across the diaspora. By highlighting prominent cultural figures, movements, artistic achievements, and Black vernacular from across the globe, BLACK CROSSWORD on the page will serve as a simple yet impactful way for solvers to engage in the diaspora and celebrate Black culture.
In a crossword landscape that is predominantly white, BLACK CROSSWORD will provide puzzles to an underserved and passionate market. While the puzzles are meant to increase Black representation in crosswords, they also underscore the fact that this historically underserved market — Black solvers who would like puzzles that are culturally relevant to them—has the potential to become both a commercial hit and resonate with multiple generations of readers. BLACK CROSSWORD has the potential to become a series of books, including a general edition, a calendar edition, a pop culture edition across the diaspora, a Black History edition, and a trailblazer edition. While in a trade paperback format, BLACK CROSSWORD could have an elevated look/tone that would be a perfect gift or keepsake – the possibilities are endless.
- Bookstore Romance Day 2024: Kindred Connections - August 17
Bookstore Romance Day 2024: Kindred Connections - August 17
Sold outIt's almost Bookstore Romance Day!
Bookstore Romance Day is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community.
EVENT DEETS
When: Saturday, August 17
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: Feel free to show up anytime you would like! However, we're asking for those who are interested in the Cookie Decorating Class to RSVP!
ABOUT THE EVENT
We've celebrated bookstore romance day each year we've been open! But this year, we're stepping it up a notch to include: blind date with a book, more indie titles, a romance book swap AND decorating cookies inspired by some of our favorite romance book covers and tropes.
The Romance Book Swap will take place at 4:30 PM. Bring one of your favorite romance books to swap with someone else. Feel free to buy something from the shop for the book swap! We're asking that you only take as many romance books as you bring.
The Cooking Decorating Class will start at 6:00 PM and will be facilitated by Alex from Adoro Desserts! You'll be designing 4-6 cookies inspired by some of our favorite Romance books and Romance tropes. Each ticket cost $30.
- Brunch & Browse for Educators, Librarians & School Leaders - August 3 @ 9:30 AM
Brunch & Browse for Educators, Librarians & School Leaders - August 3 @ 9:30 AM
Sold outEVENT DEETS
When: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: RSVP for free with your school email
WHAT TO EXPECT:
With the beginning of the school year on the horizon, we wanted to take a moment to show our love and appreciation for the work of educators. We'll be serving light bites and drink (including mimosas). There will be a short meditation and intention setting workshop. We'll also be sharing the services that we offer to schools and school districts.
We hope you join us!
- 2024 Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee: Black History Month Edition - February 24 @ 7PM
2024 Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee: Black History Month Edition - February 24 @ 7PM
Sold outWE'RE BACK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!
Join us for the 3rd Buzzed Adult Spelling Bee presented by Babe Events and Kindred Stories!
EVENT DEETS
When: Saturday, February 24 @ 7 PM (Doors open at 6 PM)
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: There are two different ticket options. If you would like to attend, purchase your ticket as an attendee. If you would like to contest for the cash prize, grab your ticket as a contestant. Both tickets come with two drinks. THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS (21+) ONLY!
Tickets are final sale. You will be allowed to transfer tickets to guests.
ABOUT THE SPELLING BEE
Contestants will be asked to spell words that speak to the theme of Black History Month including slang and AAVE over the course of four rounds. If you misspell the word, you are out! As the words get harder, you might be able to Phone a Friend or Battle to earn your place back into the competition. Fun and music-filled, this event is for folks looking for something BLACKITY BLACK to do on a Saturday night!
Be mindful that you don't have to participate in the Bee. We definitely need an audience!
Contact lanise.harris@gmail.com or chanecka@kindredstorieshtx.com for more details.
- Making Space for Renewal: Review, Reset, Refocus - January 7, 2024 @ 11 AM
Making Space for Renewal: Review, Reset, Refocus - January 7, 2024 @ 11 AM
$25.00So many of us have the vision, the intentions, the goals and often, we become stagnate. This workshop is for those who seek to hone new energy and become renewed.
WORKSHOP DEETS
When: Sunday, January 7 @ 11 AM - 2 PM
Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden
How: Purchase tickets here!
ABOUT WORKSHOP
Raveen Alexis will lead us through guided journaling and meditation. Be sure to bring yourself, a young mat or towel and a journal with a writing utensil.
Space is limited.
Light refreshments will be provided.
*Tickets are non refundable* - IRL EVENT: Gather Together Community Puzzle Time - December 8 at 6PM
IRL EVENT: Gather Together Community Puzzle Time - December 8 at 6PM
Sold outWe're using puzzling as an excuse to be in community with you all!!!
EVENT DEETS
When: Friday, December 8 at 6PM
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: RSVP to reserve your spot!
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us as we attempt to complete The Gather Together 500 Piece Puzzle from Galison. Maja Tomljanovic’s Gather Together is a joyful, Mediterranean influenced vignette of friends and family gathering together at the table.
We'll provide the puzzles and trays. We encourage bringing your favorite snacks, beverages or anything to make you feel cozy and comfortable!
Note: This event is intended for adults!
- IRL Collage Bookmark Workshop with Tay Butler - November 17 at 6:30 PM
IRL Collage Bookmark Workshop with Tay Butler - November 17 at 6:30 PM
Sold outWe've teamed up with one of our favorite artist/artist-teachers to bring you this special DIY collage bookmark workshop!
EVENT DEETS
When: Friday, November 17 at 6:30 PM
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: Grab your $30 ticket now! Space is Limited. Tickets are non-refundable.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
We all love a good bookmark but sometimes the market just doesn't do what it's supposed to do. This is the first in a series of bookmark workshops. We'll be using collages as our medium. Get ready to do a little cut and paste between sips. All supplies necessary will be provided. If you want to bring extra magazines, feel free!
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tay Butler is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Houston, Texas. He received his BFA in Photography and Digital Media from the University of Houston and recently completed his MFA in the University of Arkansas’ Photography program. After retiring from the US Army and abandoning a middle-class engineering career to search for purpose, Butler reignited a rich appreciation for Black history and a deep obsession with the Black archive. Using past and present images to create a historically-layered body of work, Tay reorients cultural material from the ever-growing Black experience.
Butler works with photography, collage, video, and sound exhibitions and installations. His solo exhibitions and installations include RE.Migrant I & II at Project Row Houses, Houston and We Are Still Searching at the Louise J. Moran Fine Arts Courtyard, Houston. Group exhibitions of his work have been featured at ArtPace, San Antonio, the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, and the Texas Biennial at Fotofest. Performance exhibitions include The Triangle, for The Idea Fund and CAMH, and Jefferson Pinder’s Fire and Movement for DiverseWorks, Houston. Butler’s awards include the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Arkansas Arts Council, and First Prize in the 2019 Citywide African-American Artists Exhibition at Texas Southern University, Houston. He has collaborated with the Houston Rockets, Coca-Cola, and many others. Butler currently teaches Art & Design for San Jacinto College, Houston and has led both private and community workshops for The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, Virginia and Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas.
Web: www.stayclosetay.com
IG: @stayclosetay - IRL The Banned Wagon - October 7, 2023
IRL The Banned Wagon - October 7, 2023
$0.00The Banned Wagon: A Vehicle for Change is road-tripping through the South this #BannedBooksWeek (October 1-7).
EVENT DEETSDate: Saturday, October 7
Time: 1pm-4pm
Location: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart St., Houston, TX, 77004)
Book bans are on the rise in America, driven by new laws and regulations limiting the kinds of books that kids can access.
Penguin Random House, in partnership with Freedom to Read Foundation, PEN America, Free Little Library and local bookstores, is roadtripping through the South handing out free copies of banned books to people in affected communities who need and want them most.
Join us for an afternoon of tunes, community, free books and giveaways! - In Gratitude & Self Preservation: Meditation & Journal Workshop - September 23 @10 AM
In Gratitude & Self Preservation: Meditation & Journal Workshop - September 23 @10 AM
$25.00Traditionally, Autumn has been a season in which we uproot and take stock of all the work that we've put in. Come join us in paying gratitude to ourselves.
WORKSHOP DEETS
When: Saturday, September 23 at 10 AM
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden
How: Purchase tickets to guarantee your spot!
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
With the help of guided journaling and meditation, we will tune into our inner knowing to review all that the last season has brought us and how we have preserved ourselves. It will be a light-filled gathering, and all you need to bring is yourself, a yoga mat and a journal.Space is limited.
Light refreshments will be provided.*Tickets are non refundable* - Juneteenth Trivia Night - June 18th at 6PM CST
Juneteenth Trivia Night - June 18th at 6PM CST
Sold outGrab the homies for our 1st annual Juneteenth Trivia Night!
EVENT DEETS
When: Sunday, June 18th at 6PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
How: Purchase your ticket here TODAY! Each ticket comes with entry and one drink!
ABOUT THE TRIVIA NIGHT
We are hosting a pub style trivia night! Each person is a participant. You can bring your friends or family be apart of your team or be prepared to join a team when you get here. There will be five rounds of questions around Juneteenth, Black History, Black music & culture, prominent Black history figures etc. You and your team will work together to correctly answer as many questions as possible. Put prepared for a few twists during the night!
This is a great alternative to observe Juneteenth!
- JUNETEENTH Storytime with Van Garrett-May 6 at Noon
JUNETEENTH Storytime with Van Garrett-May 6 at Noon
Sold outJoin us to celebrate the release of Juneteenth with Houston based author, Van Garrett
EVENT DEETS
WHEN: Saturday, May 6, 2023
WHERE: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)
HOW: RSVP ONLY to reserve your littles seats or RSVP WITH BOOK to support our programming and the author.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A lyrical picture book about our newest national holiday, Juneteenth follows the annual celebration in Galveston, Texas—the birthplace of Juneteenth—through the eyes of a child coming to understand their place in Black American history in a story from three Texan creators.
A young Black child experiences the magic of the Juneteenth parade for the first time with their family as they come to understand the purpose of the party that happens every year—and why they celebrate their African American history!
The poetic text includes selected lyrics from “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the unofficial Black National Anthem, and the vibrant art illuminates the beauty of this moment of Black joy celebrated across the nation. This vibrant adventure through the city streets invites young readers to make a joyful noise about freedom for all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Van G. Garrett is the author of Kicks, his debut picture book. An acclaimed poet, he won the Poetry Question National Chapbook Contest for Scrap and the Best Book of African American Poetry from the Texas Association of Authors for 49: Wings and Prayers. He is a musician and visual artist.
- Igbo Mythology Storytime with Chinelo Anyadiegwu-April 8 at 2:30 PM
Igbo Mythology Storytime with Chinelo Anyadiegwu-April 8 at 2:30 PM
Sold outEVENT DEET
When: April 8 at 2:30 PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden
How: RSVP to reserve your spot for you and your littles.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The first definitive collection of Igbo legends and traditions for kids, this book explores the mythological origins of the Igbo people, the ancient Nri Kingdom, and Igbo cosmology before delving into the Alusi, or the core Igbo deities. Following this introduction to the pantheon of gods and goddesses, a collection of the most popular Igbo myths, folktales, and legends will immerse kids in exciting stories of tricksters, shapeshifters, and heroes, including:
- The Wrestler Whose Back Never Touched the Ground
- Ojiugo, the Rare Gem
- The Tortoise and the Birds, or The Origin Story of Sea Turtles
- Ngwele Aghuli, Why the Crocodile Lives Alone
- How Death Came to Be
- And more!
The perfect book for kids who are fascinated by Greek mythology or love the Rick Riordan series, Introduction to Igbo Mythology for Kids offers a fun look into the stories, history, and figures that characterize Igbo culture.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chinelo is Igbo, a beginning dibia, and has a BA in English. When they aren't writing stories about fantasy realms or mythology, they are writing grants. In their free time, they play video games of all sorts, from Tabletops and MMOs to Sandbox RPGs. - Story Book Opera with Houston Opera - Februrary 18 at 1 PM CST
Story Book Opera with Houston Opera - Februrary 18 at 1 PM CST
Sold outIn Partnership with the Houston Opera
EVENT DEETS
When: Saturday, February 18 at 1 PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden
How: RSVP to reserve you little's spot. Limited capacity
ABOUT EVENT
We are teaming up with the Houston Opera to bring you a special story time. This event is gear towards Pre-K through 2nd grade.
- Buzzed Spelling Bee: Black History Month Edition - February 4th at 6:30 PM
Buzzed Spelling Bee: Black History Month Edition - February 4th at 6:30 PM
Sold outWe invite you to join us for the 2nd Annual Buzzed Spelling Bee presented by Babe Events & Kindred Stories.EVENT DEETS:
When: February 4, 2023, at 6:30 PM (Door Open at 6:00 PM)
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX 77004)
How: Purchase your ticket TODAY! Each ticket comes with entry as well as two cocktails. THIS EVENT IS FOR ADULTS (21+) ONLY!
ABOUT THE SPELLING BEE:
Contestants will be asked to spell words that speak to the theme of Black History Month over the course of four rounds. If you misspell the word, you are out! As the words get harder, you might be able to Phone a Friend or Battle to earn your place back into the competition. The last three contestants standing will receive a prize!
Fun and music-filled, this event is for folks looking for something BLACKITY BLACK to do on a Saturday night!
If you have any questions please reach out to laniseharris@gmail.com or chanecka@kindredstorieshtx.com.
- Intentions Workshop: The Will To Be with Raveen Alexis-January 7 at 11:00 AM
Intentions Workshop: The Will To Be with Raveen Alexis-January 7 at 11:00 AM
Sold outAll too often do we feel like we have to be a certain way or thing or place to receive the things we want. This workshop is about accepting, celebrating and appreciating where we are RIGHT NOW and then, from that present space, calling in what we truly want.Workshop DEETSWhen: January 7, 2023 at 11 AMWhere: Kindred StoriesHow: Be sure to purchase your ticket to gunrantee your spot. Limited tickets available.About the WorkshopWith the help of guided journaling, meditation, a light sound bath and open-forum conversations, we will tune into our inner knowing and get back to the core of what we truly desire for our lives. It will be a light-filled, loving gathering, and all you need to bring is yourself, a yoga mat and a journal.Be sure to tell a friend as this type of work, to us, is always best when done in community.Light refreshments will be provided. - Movie Night: If Beale Street Could Talk feat. Boo's Burgers & Clutch Distilling-November 20 at 7 PM CST
Movie Night: If Beale Street Could Talk feat. Boo's Burgers & Clutch Distilling-November 20 at 7 PM CST
Sold outJoin us for movie night as we (re)watch the adaption of If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin.EVENT DEETS
When: Sunday, November 20 at 7PM
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden
How: Be sure to RSVP. RSVP with book to support Kindred Stories programming and staff.
ABOUT
It's that time of the year when we are craving to be surrounded by community. We've decided to pull out our projector and fire pit to (re)watch If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). We'll have free cocktails provided by Clutch Distilling and Boo's Burgers will be doing a pop up for your food/snack needs. Be sure to get there early for the best seats!
- An Ode to Wash Day presented by Gulf Coast Cosmos x Kindred Stories - October 2 @ 11 AM CST (PURCHASE TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE)
An Ode to Wash Day presented by Gulf Coast Cosmos x Kindred Stories - October 2 @ 11 AM CST (PURCHASE TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE)
Sold outJoin Gulf Coast Cosmos and Kindred Stories as we celebrate beauty, friendship, the endurance of Black women, our hair and the captivating graphic novel, Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Roswer & Robyn Smith.EVENT DEETS
When: October 2 at 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM CST
Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (Weather Permitting)
How: Purchase your ticket on Eventbrite and bring yourself! All tickets come with a copy of Wash Day Diaries.
ABOUT THE EVENT
We were absolutely floored when we seen the panels of Wash Day Diaries. The semi monochromatic but vivid images were...inspiring.
So, here we are spending a Sunday morning reading Wash Day Diaries, putting narrative to our wash day feelings, thoughts and experiences with Brittny Ray, our writing instructor and taking photos in front of our special Wash Day Diaries backdrop.
We are encouraging you all to come as you are! We want to see your natural hair in all its phases. Whether you'll be in the process of wash day during the event or you are in desperate need of your wash day routine, you are welcome to come be photographed and have a bellini or mimosa on us!
- Educators' Night at Kindred Stories
Educators' Night at Kindred Stories
Sold outJoin us for a special night for educators! Come build community alongside teachers, librarians, and school leaders while stocking your classroom and school libraries using a special 15% discount. We'll also be giving away free Advanced Reader Copies of recently published books!
Light bites and cocktails will be provided by our friends at ChòpnBlọk.
- HEALING PRACTICES presented by The Black Man Project-May 29 @9AM- 1PM CST
HEALING PRACTICES presented by The Black Man Project-May 29 @9AM- 1PM CST
Sold outThe Black Man Project in partnership with Kindred Stories invites you to move toward wholeness and healing.
EVENT DEETS:
WHEN: May 29, 2022 @ 9 AM
WHERE: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX 77004)
HOW: Limited spaces are available. Be sure to reserve you spot today!
ABOUT THE EVENT
As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to an end, we invite you to slow down and tap into yourselves. While we strongly believe in seeking outside help in order to step into your wholeness, we are also advocates of self-care. We have invited Black wellness practitioners to come and share their healing practices with us. Our hope is that you find something to add to your wellness routine.
Tentative Schedule
9:00 AM Breakfast & MinglingFirst come, first served9:30 AM Journal Workshop with RavenPlease bring notebooks or journals10:30 AM Yoga Session with RashadBe sure to bring your own mat or beach towel11:30 AM Soundscape with Josh12:30 Closure with Brian*You are welcome to come and go as you see fit*ABOUT THE BLACK MAN PROJECT
The Black Man Project explores the origins of how misconceptions such as one dimensional expression and emotional inaccessibility have come to be. We specifically explore the complexity of African American masculinity for young boys and simultaneously create safe spaces for black young men to engage in dialogue that grants space that nurtures healing, wholeness, leadership, accountability, and brotherhood.
To learn more visit: www.theblackmanproject.com
- D.A.T.E. Night May 14 at Kindred Stories with Normal Anamoly
D.A.T.E. Night May 14 at Kindred Stories with Normal Anamoly
Sold outIt's May Masturbation Month! So join Kindred Stories for another D.A.T.E. Night with Normal Anomaly as we discuss safer sex options when it comes to consent, communication, and pleasure. This is a safer space that will be facilitated by Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri & Jordan Edwards. Feel free to bring questions, comments, boos, and/or concerns. Kindred Stories staff member, Kadie, will be in attendance offering titles that support the conversation! There will be complimentary cocktails and non-alcohol beverages and MUCH to discuss!
Email kadie@kindredstorieshtx.com if you have any questions.About the facilitators:
Jordan J Edwards is a Program Director at the BQPlus center of Libertarian at the Normal Anomaly Initiative. Jordan serves the black queer plus community by increasing opportunities for sustainable employment, linkage to care services for those living with HIV and those interested in PrEP. His first experience with HIV was when he watched a family member pass away of AIDS complications in early 2000, talked down a friend down from planning attempted suicide from receiving an HIV positive diagnosis, but the shift in his life changed once he got his HIV positive results in 2013. Jordan became a Heavy Hitter Pride ambassador in 2019, received
an Emerging Leader award from AASOTF and Impulse Group Houston 2019. In 2021 he received the Phoenix Rising award from the Mahogany Project. He can be found in the Advocate, VoyageHouston, and Outsmart. Jordan spends most of his time being creative, gaming, in an animal shelter, and spending time with family and friends.Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri Espeut (she/her/hers), Director of Programming, oversees the ancillary programs of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, including P.O.W.R. (Positives Organizing Wellness and Resilience), T.A.C. (Transgender Ally Collective), and Project Liberate. Joelle’s social advocacy experience includes assisting with program planning and implementation as well as serving as Communications Manager for The Mahogany Project, Inc. since 2018. Aside from her work with the Mahogany Project, Joelle has worked with AIDS United, GLAAD, Gilead/Compass Initiative, and Emory University. She has also been awarded the Rising Star Phoenix Award in 2020.
When Joelle is not fighting for liberation and social justice, you can catch her thrift shopping, blogging/writing, or being a plant mom.
- Hair Party with Kindred Stories - May 1 @ 2 PM CST
Hair Party with Kindred Stories - May 1 @ 2 PM CST
Sold out**Registration fee is per family and includes one copy of Cocoa Girl Awesome Hair by Selina Boyd **
Join Kindred Stories for our first-ever Hair Party! Black caregivers doing a child's hair before the start of a new week is a cornerstone in so many Black homes. At this event, we'll celebrate this ritual and Black Hair in all its forms. Come celebrate and build community with us!
Parents and caregivers are invited to bring their little ones to play and style their hair for the new week in the Reading Garden at Kindred Stories.
Everyone is invited to bring products for the Product Swap. There will also be product samples from Uncle Funky's Daughter, our sponsor.
Additional Information:
You are more than welcome to bring your hair supplies to the store and style your little one's hair in our Reading Garden. Rubber bands, barrettes, and other accessories will be available but please bring your own combs, brushes, and clips.
Please bring a picnic blanket for your crew. There will also be book, games, and other activities to keep your little ones busy during the event.
Please reach out to info@kindrestorieshtx.com for any additional questions.
- Senior Memoir Writing Class with the Museum of Fine Arts
Senior Memoir Writing Class with the Museum of Fine Arts
Sold outLimited Space Available
In celebration of The Obama Portraits Tour exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, this spring, the Living Witness Workshop for Senior Citizens seeks to highlight our own living icons in the Third Ward community. Over the course of three gatherings, participants will engage in reflective creative writing exercises focused on preserving personal narratives and memories of the people, places, and events that have developed this rich and historical Houston neighborhood over time. Anyone who considers themselves a senior citizen is invited to take part in this free workshop. No prior creative writing experience is necessary, just a passion to share and help preserve great stories.
This workshop series is sponsored by Kindred Stories, Museum of Fine Arts, Emancipation Park Conservancy, and Inprint.
Class Dates and Times:
Session 1: April 26, 5:30 - 7:00 Pm at Emancipation Park
Session 2: May 3, 5:30 - 7:00 PM at Emancipation Park
Rehearsal: May 10, 5:30-7:00 PM at Project Row Houses
Visit and Present: May 14, 10:00 AM at The Museum of Fine Arts
- Warsan Shire Poetry Read & Workshop With Josie Pickens - April 10th 2022 @ 2:00 PM CST
Warsan Shire Poetry Read & Workshop With Josie Pickens - April 10th 2022 @ 2:00 PM CST
Sold outJoin writer Josie Pickens, for an afternoon of reading, reflecting, and writing at Kindred Stories' Reading Garden. Josie will guide attendees through a public reading of poems from a new collection of poetry from the incomparable Somali British poet Warsan Shire called Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head: Poems. In addition to reading and reflecting on Warsan’s poetry, attendees will also be invited to tap into their hearts and imaginations and write in response to the poems shared.*** Attendees are asked to purchase the collection directly from Kindred Stories, if possible, and are also asked to bring writing materials to the event.Here’s more about Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head: Poems:ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Vogue, BuzzFeed, Esquire, Bustle, Essence, The Week, Lit Hub
Mama, I made it / out of your home / alive, raised by / the voices / in my head.
With her first full-length poetry collection, Warsan Shire introduces us to a young girl, who, in the absence of a nurturing guide, makes her own way toward womanhood. Drawing from her own life, as well as pop culture and news headlines, Shire finds vivid, unique details in the experiences of refugees and immigrants, mothers and daughters, Black women and teenage girls. In Shire’s hands, lives spring into fullness. This is noisy life, full of music and weeping and surahs and sirens and birds. This is fragrant life, full of blood and perfume and shisha smoke and jasmine and incense. This is polychrome life, full of henna and moonlight and lipstick and turmeric and kohl. The long-awaited collection from one of our most exciting contemporary poets, this book is a blessing, an incantatory celebration of resilience and survival. Each reader will come away changed.About the author:Warsan Shire is a Somali British writer and poet born in Nairobi and raised in London. She has written two chapbooks, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth and Her Blue Body. She was awarded the inaugural Brunel International African Poetry Prize and served as the first Young Poet Laureate of London. She is the youngest member of the Royal Society of Literature and is included in the Penguin Modern Poets series. Shire wrote the poetry for the Peabody Award–winning visual album Lemonade and the Disney film Black Is King in collaboration with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. She also wrote the short film Brave Girl Rising, highlighting the voices and faces of Somali girls in Africa’s largest refugee camp. Shire lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head is her full-length debut poetry collection.About the workshop guide:
Josie Pickens is a womanist professor, writer, speaker and cultural critic whose collective brand Love No Limit is dedicated to curating expansive conversations about love. Josie asks through her writing and curated public conversations: how can we be better lovers to ourselves, to our families, to our friends, to our romantic partners and to our beloved communities. Her work centers curiosity and imagination much more than it centers prescriptions, as she her writings and public conversations co-learning experiences. Follow Josie’s musings on Twitter and Instagram at @jonubian.
- D.A.T.E. Night at Kindred Stories with Normal Anamoly
D.A.T.E. Night at Kindred Stories with Normal Anamoly
Sold outWhat’s February without a little sex? Well, we can at least talk bout it!
Join Kindred Stories’ first D.A.T.E Night in partnership with Normal Anomaly as we discuss safer sex options when it comes to consent, communication, and pleasure. This is a safer space that will be facilitated by Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri & Jordan Edwards. Feel free to bring questions, comments, boos, and/or concerns. Kindred Stories staff member, Kadie, will be in attendance offering titles that support the conversation! There will be complimentary cocktails and non-alcohol beverages and MUCH to discuss!
Email kadie@kindredstorieshtx.com if you have any questions.About the facilitators:
Jordan J Edwards is a Program Director at the BQPlus center of Libertarian at the Normal Anomaly Initiative. Jordan serves the black queer plus community by increasing opportunities for sustainable employment, linkage to care services for those living with HIV and those interested in PrEP. His first experience with HIV was when he watched a family member pass away of AIDS complications in early 2000, talked down a friend down from planning attempted suicide from receiving an HIV positive diagnosis, but the shift in his life changed once he got his HIV positive results in 2013. Jordan became a Heavy Hitter Pride ambassador in 2019, received
an Emerging Leader award from AASOTF and Impulse Group Houston 2019. In 2021 he received the Phoenix Rising award from the Mahogany Project. He can be found in the Advocate, VoyageHouston, and Outsmart. Jordan spends most of his time being creative, gaming, in an animal shelter, and spending time with family and friends.Joelle Bayaa-Uzuri Espeut (she/her/hers), Director of Programming, oversees the ancillary programs of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, including P.O.W.R. (Positives Organizing Wellness and Resilience), T.A.C. (Transgender Ally Collective), and Project Liberate. Joelle’s social advocacy experience includes assisting with program planning and implementation as well as serving as Communications Manager for The Mahogany Project, Inc. since 2018. Aside from her work with the Mahogany Project, Joelle has worked with AIDS United, GLAAD, Gilead/Compass Initiative, and Emory University. She has also been awarded the Rising Star Phoenix Award in 2020.
When Joelle is not fighting for liberation and social justice, you can catch her thrift shopping, blogging/writing, or being a plant mom.
- Get LIT with Natasha - Feb 5 @ 1:00 PM CST
Get LIT with Natasha - Feb 5 @ 1:00 PM CST
Sold outJoin Kindred Stories as we launch our At Home Lit Workshop in partnership with Lit-Life! During the workshop parents will learn highly engaging strategies to use with their children to support reading out loud, comprehension, and more!
In this workshop, Natasha, a former preschool teacher, will provide one-on-one literacy coaching and take-home reading resources. Natasha will be working from Another by Christian Robinson.
A Little About Natasha:
Natasha McDaniel is a passionate educator from Houston, TX. Her 11 years in education include roles as classroom teacher, district literacy specialist, and classroom management coach. While serving in schools, Natasha’s greatest joy became nurturing children into resourceful learners and independent thinkers.
Natasha launched Lit for Life fueled with the mission of empowering families and children through literacy and learning. Her vision is to take the frustration out of at home literacy learning to build skilled, engaged learners and confident, equipped families. Natasha offers relevant, engaging, and effective family literacy coaching and hands-on learning materials to improve children’s reading, writing, and phonics growth and engagement.
- Kindred Stories Kinfolk Gathering (INVITE ONLY)
Kindred Stories Kinfolk Gathering (INVITE ONLY)
Sold outIf you got an invite to this gathering, know that you are truly apart of our community.
EVENT DEETS
When: Please refer to invitation.
Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden
How: RSVP with the password to the notes to secure your spot and we'll see you there!
ABOUT THE GATHERING
There is nothing formal about this gathering! There will be food, drinks and a bomb playlist. Come hang out with the Kindred Stories Staff, some of our favorite local authors and fellow readers/book lovers.
- IRL Poetry Reading with Ariana Brown & Aris Kian-July 29 at 7PM
IRL Poetry Reading with Ariana Brown & Aris Kian-July 29 at 7PM
from $0.00We're celebrating the anniversary of We Are Owed. with Ariana Brown!
EVENT DEETS
When: July 29, 2023
Where: Project Row House Community Gallery
How: RSVP for a free ticket or support the our programming and the author by RSVP WITH BOOK to grab a copy of We Are Owed.
ABOUT THE BOOKWe Are Owed. is the debut poetry collection of Ariana Brown, exploring Black relationality in Mexican and Mexican American spaces. Through poems about the author’s childhood in Texas and a trip to Mexico as an adult, Brown interrogates the accepted origin stories of Mexican identity. We Are Owed. asks the reader to develop a Black consciousness by rejecting U.S., Chicano, and Mexican nationalism and confronting anti-Black erasure and empire-building. As Brown searches for other Black kin in the same spaces through which she moves, her experiences of Blackness are placed in conversation with the histories of formerly enslaved Africans in Texas and Mexico.
ABOUT THE AUTHORAriana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American poet from San Antonio, TX, currently based in Houston. She is the author of We Are Owed. (Grieveland, 2021) and Sana Sana (Game Over Books, 2020). Ariana’s work investigates queer Black personhood in Mexican American spaces, Black relationality and girlhood, loneliness, and care. She holds a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies, an M.F.A. in Poetry, and an M.S. in Library Science. Ariana is a 2014 national collegiate poetry slam champion and owes much of her practice to Black performance communities led by Black women poets from the South. She has been writing, performing, and teaching poetry for over ten years. Follow Ariana online @ArianaThePoet.ABOUT CONVERSATION PARTNER/ CO-READER
Aris Kian is a Houston enthusiast and student of abolitionists. Her poems are published with Button Poetry, West Branch, Obsidian Lit, The West Review and elsewhere. She ranks #2 in the 2023 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam and is the 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate. She received her MFA from the University of Houston as an Inprint C. Glenn Cambor Fellow and currently serves as the Narrative Change & Media Manager at Houston in Action. - FEBRUARY 2024: Young Adult Book Club for Adults - February 29 @ 7PM
FEBRUARY 2024: Young Adult Book Club for Adults - February 29 @ 7PM
from $0.00The bookclub meeting will take place on February 29, 2024 at 7 PM in the Kindred Stories' Reading Garden. Be sure to show up with the book read (or partially read). You are always welcome to just come and take up space.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A young girl with forbidden powers must free her people from oppression in this richly layered, gripping epic fantasy—called an “explosive, powerful debut” and “a triumph of a book” by New York Times bestselling authors Stephanie Garber and Roseanne A. Brown—inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology and perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes.
This is what they deserve.
They wanted me to be a monster.
I will be the worst monster they ever created.
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely and becoming the very monster that she abhors.
Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, this deeply felt and emotionally charged debut from Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone that will utterly thrill and capture readers.
- March 2024: Young Adult Book Club for Adults - March 26 @ 7PM
March 2024: Young Adult Book Club for Adults - March 26 @ 7PM
from $0.00The bookclub meeting will take place on March 26, 2024 at 7 PM in the Kindred Stories' Reading Garden. Be sure to show up with the book read (or partially read). You are always welcome to just come and take up space.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this new pulse-pounding thriller from the author of The Black Queen, two brothers must come together to solve the murder of the most popular girl in school after one of them is caught fleeing the scene of her death.
Amir Trudeau only goes to his half brother Marcel’s birthday party because of Chloe Danvers. Chloe is rich, and hot, and fits right into the perfect life Marcel inherited when their father left Amir’s mother to start a new family with Marcel’s mom. But Chloe is hot enough for Amir to forget that for one night.
Does she want to hook up? Or is she trying to meddle in the estranged brothers’ messy family drama? Amir can’t tell. He doesn’t know what Chloe wants from him when, in the final hours of Mardi Gras, she asks him to take her home and stay—her parents are away and she doesn’t want to be alone.
Amir never finds out, because when he wakes up, Chloe is dead—stabbed while he was passed out on the couch. And in no time, Amir becomes the only suspect. A Black teenager caught fleeing the scene of a rich white girl’s murder? All of New Orleans agrees: the case is open-and-shut.
Amir is innocent. He has a lawyer, but unless someone can figure out who really killed Chloe, things don’t look good for him. His number one ally? Marcel. Their relationship is messy, but Marcel knows that Amir isn’t a murderer—and maybe proving his innocence will repair the rift between them.
To find Chloe’s killer, Amir and Marcel need to dig into her secrets. And what they find is darker than either could have guessed. Parents will go to any lengths to protect their children, and in a city as old as New Orleans, the right family connections can bury even the ugliest truths.
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