BAREFRUIT: A Collection of poc stories, poems, art and more

Barefruit as noun: 

A donation of self from self. The products of seeing’s and offerings. Of an uncovering, each iteration of that act. The ripened outgrowths of being, can be eaten as food. Those capable of resisting gravity, if even for a moment. -Ngozi Oparah

The metaphoric or literal harvest of your seeds, hard work, cultivation, care and passion produced without spectacle; a reflection of your humility and in ownership of your “propers.” -Shavonne Coleman

An intimate act of adoration for the reclamation of self...in service of imagination, in service of creativity, in service of community; in service of the stories i tell. - Ominira Mars

a fruit that is unadorned, naked, itself; could be an offering, a literal slice of life -lori rillera

an entity that is naked and exposed, yet bountiful and abundant -Tirzah Sheppard

gems of sweet wisdom stripped down to their purest form. -Diana Medina

The results, naked. The fig unashamed, and circulating without its leaf. -Rob Peagler

Barefruit is the essence of something. It's what's underneath all the layers that we put on to survive everyday. It is the foundation of who we really are. -Lucinda Canty

Barefruit as verb:

To collect histories of a certain sweetness. (Of a being) Increase, flourish, and fall in balance of will and climate. To name timeless things. To make new names. -Ngozi Oparah

could be a play on words: to bear fruit, to bring to fruition -lori rillera

To open up, as if a book, laying one's story bare to the eyes and mind of the reader -Alissa Mae Funderburk

To produce that which is to be. As it pertains to the writer: put your soul on the page and let your words be devoured. -Sharon Drapeau

Barefruit as adjective:

raw and nourishing -lavanya

About Barefruit:

Most of this collection is birthed of writing and art-making from our If/Then/Else and NextUp writing workshops. Both are small, intimate gatherings designed for QTPOC and POC.

In a world often seeking to disempower, silence, and dehumanize our communities, we are creating this page of collections with the intention to continue to uplift LGBT voices of color and all voices of color so that the world can witness our lives, stories, and words, as told by us.

Curators:

Jonny (he/him/his) is a writer, music-maker, artist, and textbook overthinker. He believes stories, and sharing them in particular, can help us transform a broken world (even our selves).

Ngozi (she/her/hers) is an odd researcher obsessed with the experiment of writing and narrative. She believes writing is healing and timeless activism.