We are thrilled to announce that Natasha Ria El-Scari will join us at this year’s Writers Conference! Natasha will facilitate a discussion between Traci Brimhall and Kelly Yarbrough as they dive into the details of their writer-artist collaboration while working on the Library’s November poetry walk in Strang Park. Make sure you don’t miss out on this great discussion and be sure to check out the poetry walk behind the library during the conference!
Natasha Ria El-Scari is a poet, performer, writer, Cave Canem alum, Ragdale Residency recipient and facilitator/educator for nearly two decades. Her poetry, academic papers, and personal essays have been published in anthologies, literary and online journals. She has opened for and introduced many great writers, singers and activists, and has been featured at a host of universities and venues nationwide. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Natasha has a BA from Jackson State University and an MA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Natasha’s Black Feminist approach is reflected in her writing, poetry and performance pieces. Once asked in an interview what makes her unique she replied, “…most people lie to themselves, but I like to reveal myself.”
In 2015 Natasha released her first book, Screaming Times (Spartan Press, 2015). Of her work, critic and poet Denise Low writes, “Poems lift off the page, almost reading themselves. Unlike some performance poetry, her words translate well to the printed page.” Her second book, The Only Other (Main Street Rag, 2016) dives into the taboo voice of the other woman. In 2019 Natasha released her first self-published and non-fiction book in collaboration with her son entitled, Mama Sutra: Love and Lovemaking Advice to My Son. In 2020, Natasha self-released, I Say, T(He)y Say a chapbook about a special decade in her maternal grandmother’s life. In the same month she released Growing Up Sina, her first novel created after challenging herself creatively to grow outside of her first love, poetry. Her forthcoming work, Steelife, explores her feminist upbringing and the evolution of her womanhood.
Natasha’s CDs, DragonButterFirefly (2006), This is Love… (2010), CuddleComplex (2016), We Found Us (2023) and DVD Live at the Blue Room (2015) display how Natasha connects with any crowd with maternal warmth and unrelenting honesty. This mother of two adult children and a bonus son is also the founder and curator of Black Space Black Art, an organization created to promote the exhibition of African American visual arts and businesses. She is also the founder and curator of the Natasha Ria Art Gallery, a small powerhouse that focuses on exhibiting marginalized artists and cross genre cultural events. In 2021, Natasha was featured in the Emmy nominated PBS documentary 6 Streets and received the 2021 KC People’s Choice Award Winner for Best Author. In 2022 BSBA was awarded the Downtown KC Urban Hero Award. Natasha and her husband Kevin have plans to open her day and overnight urban retreat space for creatives in the future. For details and booking: www.natasharia.com
You can register for the conference here. Registration isn’t required but is appreciated, and your RSVP includes both days of the conference, Nov. 3 and 4. Sessions are available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will also be hosting a Writers Conference Kickoff on Thursday, Nov. 2.