Julie Cancio Harper, Lena Carson, Shari Della Penna, Kellie Kirksey & Cassandra Lawton will read their creative work at the YWCA Women Artists Show in a live reading, free and open to the public. Tuesday, July 6 from 6-7:00 PM at the YWCA Mahoning Valley, 25 W. Rayen Ave.
Julie Cancio Harper’s unexpected pandemic sabbatical opened her heart to all the things she had meant to try but never made time for. Today she practices reiki, rigid-heddle weaving, and tarot for self-care in addition to writing poetry, non-fiction, and the occasional screenplay. Curiosity is her lodestar.
Now eight years old, Lena Carson has been constructing and reading poetry since the age of five. She is the author of Brave Girl, a collection of poems written during the pandemic. In addition to literature, Lena enjoys nature walks, waving to strangers, and saving feeder insects from pet stores.
Shari Della Penna is a lifelong tree-hugger, birdwatcher, and earth-lover. Her training as a children’s librarian helps her communicate her love of nature to children. She lives in Canfield, Ohio, with her husband, 2 indoor cats, countless chipmunks and squirrels, and a rainbow of birds at and under her feeder.
Kellie Kirksey is a global traveler, speaker, poet, tree hugger, yoga teacher, holistic psychotherapist, family lover, drummer, dancer, spa promoter, heart centered hypnotherapist, live happily life consultant, essential oil enthusiast, wellness promoter and has presented workshops and wellness circles both nationally and internationally.
Cassandra Lawton, Lit Youngstown's Outreach Coordinator, is a student in the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts. She received her bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies and her master’s in Social Work from Michigan State University. Her career goal is to bring creative writing and its healing effects into therapeutic and community spaces.