Twofer: Isobel, a Witch’s Life & Love and Other Hard Truths at Dixon Place

Isobel: A Witch's LIfe. Days prior to departing for a long-since planned Uk tour with their partner, Swann discovers that they lived a past life as a witch in Scotland. What’s more, their witch-life ended horrifically and unjustly. Unable to skirt the trip, Swann and their partner set out as planned. Swann is terrified of what they might discover about themselves and who they might be when–and if–they return. Swann does meet the spirit of their past life as a witch, ISOBEL. ISOBEL tells about her life worth living, in 1619, her tragic ending, and how she has changed over the last 400 years.

Shelley Marlow (Their/her/sir) Their novel, Two Augusts In a Row In a Row, was published by Publication Studio, Portland; with art editions by Publication Studio, Hudson, NY and Publication Studio, London(2017). Belladonna* Collective recently published Halloween in Edinburgh, chapters from Shelley Marlow’s The Wind Blew Through Like A Chorus Of Ghosts as part of their Lesbian All Stars series. Excerpts from Two Augusts In a Row In a Row were performed in NYC, Rotterdam, and London. Marlow received an Acker Award and a MacDowell fellowship. Marlow’s work appeared in Brooklyn Rail, Hyperallergic, Lambda Literary, St. Petersburg Review, Resist Much/Obey Little Anthology, and LTTR.

Love and Other Hard Truths. Surprise! Heartbreak! Transformation! And some sexy stuff too…Valarie, a lesbian of a certain age, shares stories about love. Valarie share life from her perspective, Queer, Black and Gifted. Valarie challenges you to see yourself reflected in her eyes. Are we are the same?  How are we different?  And how do we learn from all of it?

Valarie Walker (she/her) is an educator, actress, writer and storyteller. Her credits include a featured role in “The Watermelon Woman”, a national Sears commercial, and PSAs. An accomplished storyteller, her story of meeting her childhood hero Ruby Bridges was featured on the Moth Radio Hour. In Nov 2023 she won a Moth Grand Slam competition. A more recent visual artist, she published an adult coloring book for lesbians. She received a storytelling residency with Keepsake House for the 2023 and participated in the EMERGENYC 2024 fellowship.