BOOK EVENT: Mainline Mama w/Keeonna Harris and Myriam Gurba

WHO & WHAT: Join Rep Club for a discussion on with author Keoeonna Harris & moderator Myriam Gurba.

WHEN: Doors at 6:30pm, event promptly at 7pm.

WHERE: Reparations Club, 3054 S. Victoria Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016

HOW:

TICKET w/ BOOK: This ticket guarantees a seat including a signed book available for pick up at the event.

FREE RSVP (No Book Included): This Free RSVP DOES NOT include a copy of the book and entry is based strictly on capacity at the door. Books may be available for purchase in-store.

SIGNED BOOK ONLY: Can't make it IRL but still want a signed copy? Order directly from our site!

Please email us at [email protected] if you have any additional needs, questions, or accessibility concerns.

About the Book:

A POWERFUL AND WRENCHINGLY INTIMATE MEMOIR ABOUT THE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE OF RAISING A FAMILY SEPARATED BY Pr*son WALLS AND HOW WE CAN FIGHT BACK AGAINST A BROKEN BYZANTINE SYSTEM.

Keeonna and Jason met as young teens. Only fourteen, Keeonna had never had a boyfriend before, dreamed of attending Spelman to become an obstetrician, and thought she was "grown." Within a year she was pregnant, and Jason was in Pr*son, convicted of a carjacking and sentenced to twenty-two years. Overnight Keeonna had become a "mainline mama," a parent facing the impossible task of raising a child--while still growing up herself--with an incarcerated partner.

In this devastating and triumphant memoir, Keeonna recalls her harrowing journey as a Mainline Mama, from learning to overcome the exhausting difficulties of navigating the carceral system in the United States, to transforming herself into an advocate for other women like her--the predominantly Black and brown women left behind to pick up the pieces of their families and fractured lives.

Keeonna speaks frankly about the depression and suicidal thoughts that threatened to defeat her, how she learned to rebuild her broken relationship with a mother that lost trust in her, and how time eased the shame, guilt, and stigma of being a young Black teen mom with a partner behind bars. She offers inspiration and solace, showing how to create moments of beauty, humanity, and love in a place designed to break spirits, such as picking the perfect wedding dress for a ceremony in a state Pr*son visiting room.

Mainline Mama is about creating self-love and community--crucial acts of radical resistance against a Pr*son industrial complex that is designed to dehumanize and to separate and shut away incarcerated individuals and their loved ones from the world.

KEEONNA HARRIS is a writer, storyteller, mother of five, Pr*son abolitionist, activist, and academic, born and raised in Watts and other parts of South Central Los Ange - les. Her work focuses on health disparities and radical organizing for women connected to systems of mass incarceration, mothering, and community building as acts of radical defiance against carceral institutions. Harris has received several honors, including a 2018–2019 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, a 2021 Tin House Summer Residency, a 2023 Baldwin For The Arts Residency, and a 2023 Hedgebrook Fellowship as the 2023 Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence. She is a 2024 Hay - market Writing Freedom Fellow and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health. She is developing the Borderland Project, a mental health and community support system for women forced to navigate carceral institutions to maintain connections with incarcerated persons. She lives in Seattle.

MYRIAM GURBA is a writer and activist. She has authored five books, including Poppy State: A Labyrinth of Plants and a Story of Beginnings. Her essays have been published by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Vox, and Paris Review. She is a co-founder of Dignidad Literaria, a grassroots organization committed to combating racism in the book world. She believes that we can achieve a world free of rape culture and works hard to make that a reality. In her spare time, she enjoys solving crossword puzzles, baking, and annoying her cats.

Refund Policy: At Rep Club, we are committed to providing a valuable experience for all attendees. However, we understand sometimes plans change. Below is our refund policy for ticket purchases:

Refund Eligibility: Requests for refunds must be made no later than 14 calendar days prior to the event date via Eventbrite only.

- After this deadline, no refunds will be issued, except under extraordinary circumstances (see "Force Majeure" below).

- Refunds will only be issued to the original purchaser via the original method of payment (i.e. Eventbrite).

Non-Refundable Items: Processing fees and service charges are non-refundable, unless the event is canceled by the organizer (i.e. Rep Club).

Event Cancellation or Rescheduling

- If the event is canceled by the organizer, a full refund will be issued to all ticket holders, including any fees paid.

- If the event is rescheduled, your ticket will automatically be valid for the new date. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, a refund request can be made within 7 calendar days of the rescheduling notice.

No-Show Policy If you do not attend the event and have not contacted us by the refund deadline, unfortunately no refund will be issued.

Contact Us If you have any questions regarding this refund policy, please contact us at [email protected].

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