I Scream Social: Marissa Ayala, Miss Jackson Newbern, Marina Peterson

I Scream Social is thrilled to welcome an inspiring line-up of writers, educators, and community organizers this May, featuring Marissa Ayala, Miss Jackson Newbern, and Marina Peterson! Open mic and friendly hangs to follow!

Presented by Host Publications, I Scream Social is a monthly feminist reading series and ice cream party that takes place at Alienated Majesty Books. We aim to celebrate and empower historically marginalized writers and share incredible literature and diverse perspectives to an Austin-area audience. Hosted this month by poets Claire Bowman & Annar Veröld! Free & open to all!

***********************Reader Bios************************

Miss Jackson Newbern is a poet from Georgia. They received their MFA in poetry from the New Writers Project at UT Austin and their poems have appeared in Dialogist, Mudroom, and Seedlings.

Marina Peterson writes, thinks and listens with the unruliness of elemental forces and phase shifting matters – sound, clouds, helium, cities. She is Professor of Anthropology at UT-Austin, where she co-directs the Bureau for Experimental Ethnography. As a cellist, her improvisational practice experiments with sonic textures and materialities.

Austin-based writer, researcher, and artist Marissa Anne Ayala is the recipient of the 2026 In Cahoots writing residency and the 2025 Puffin Foundation environmental advocacy artist grant. She also held a 2025 residency at Chulitna Lodge in Alaska. Her creative writing organization, the East Austin Writing Project, is a 2026 recipient of the City of Austin Elevate grant. Marissa’s work appears in Poets & Writers Magazine, Fugue, TELEPHONE, and Pen + Brush, and more.

***********************Open mic ************************

Open mic details: sign ups for the open mic begin at 6:45pm.

The open mic is reserved for writers from historically marginalized communities.

Because slots are limited and we want to make room for everyone, we ask that you wait until 7:10 to sign up if you joined us for the open mic the previous month.

***********************Notes ************************

✦ This project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.

✦ Health and safety note: masks are encouraged and will be provided for this month's I Scream Social

✦ is an award-winning, women-led independent publisher located in Austin, Texas. Devoted to our mission to elevate historically marginalized writers, Host Publications publishes radical poetry and fiction by emerging LGBTQ+, BIPOC, intersectional feminist, and immigrant voices.

✦ a 501(c)(3) literary arts organization. We curate free programming for all, but if you're ever inspired to donate to support our mission, head over to our Givebutter <3

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