This past November, English Department professor Stefania Heim and Fairhaven College professor Yanara Friedland relaunched the MUTTER COURAGE Reading Series at the Geheim Gallery in downtown Bellingham. Originally founded at Bruna Press and Archive in 2018, the free and occasional reading series and conversation space showcases writers engaging with poetic, embodied, and intersectional practices. MUTTER COURAGE references Berthold Brecht’s eponymous play, which unfolds in expressions of courage in voice.
With free readings featuring acclaimed writers from all around the country, MUTTER COURAGE is making a vital contribution to Bellingham’s cultural community. The series presented four events this year, featuring writers, translators, editors, and multi-media artists from Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina. We hosted poupeh missaghi, JD Pluecker, Stalina Emmanuelle Villarreal, Brandon Shimoda, and Lightsey Darst, reading alongside local writers Caitlin Roach, Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, and Emgee Dufresne. Each event draws in a lively crowd — creating meaningful exchanges between visiting writers and engaged local audiences. Stefania and Yanara are already working on next year’s schedule—inviting more incredible writers and thinking about even deeper ways to involve students at WWU.
