Plans are underway for Kaleidoscope, a new project in collaboration with the scientists and artists at The Benaroya Research Institute (BRI). I also collaborated with them on the 2018 publication The Body Lives its Undoing.

 That booklet, a reflection in poetry and visual art about autoimmune diseases and the impact on those living with them, featured BRI researchers and artists, physicians and patients and was an exploration of the world of autoimmunity and an expression of what it means to live with autoimmune disease. In 2019, BRI produced several public events (A Town Hall reading among others,) featuring poetry readings, perspectives from interviewees and a closer look at the artwork.

The vision for Kaleidoscope is broader, a furthering of The Body Lives its Undoing. In collaboration with BRI and other community organizations, I will produce a hybrid book of poetry, essays, and original visual art, with collages involving scientific scans, words etc., on the multifaceted issue of autoimmune diseases, with emphasis on healthcare disparities, mental health and women.

I will conduct writing workshops in underserved communities in the Seattle area with kids living with AI diseases and their caregivers. I will also provide writing workshops for scientists and medical providers researching and caring for those with AI diseases. I’ll use their writings in the book in addition to non-fiction essays and poems by others and myself.

I am the curator, editor, and producer of this book, as well as one of the contributors.

If this project is of interest to you, as a funder or participant, please contact me here, or suzanne.edison@curejm.org.