What: A special reading in collaboration with Creative Colloquy, Arts Bridging Communities Initiative, and 350Tacoma. When: February 24, 7 p.m. Where: 350Tacoma, 311 Puyallup Avenue Tacoma “Racism may indeed carry out the doom of the Western world, and, for that matter, of the whole of human civilization.” ​​​​​​​​​​—Hannah Arendt This past January, through the sponsorship of the Arts Bridging Communities Initiative, an unusual pilot workshop was hosted at 350Tacoma, titled Transforming Hate – A Perspective Leap: Exploring the Infrastructure of Forgiveness Through Creative Writing. Featured readers include: Paula D Rachel Ervin Daniel J. Heath Sue Carol Letsinger Laura Martinez Beverly Naidus Tracy Wiegman Inspired by the work of the political theorist Hannah Arendt and utilizing the elements of creative writing, the workshop seeks to reclaim the “public sphere” as a sharable space for conversation amid difference, and get at the roots of hate in America. The questions at the center of its discussion are: How does trauma travel across communities? How does hate solidify itself into a social complex? How do we prevent racial prejudices from hardening into the ideology of racism? What role can forgiveness play in disarming the rigid complexes of racism, antisemitism, sexism, xenophobia, and transphobia? What does forgiveness look like? Join us for a special Creative Colloquy event where some of the participants of the workshop share the written work produced and their experience of participating in this workshop, followed by a conversation of how to open this up to the Tacoma community at large.