New QC book embodies radical hospitality

Katlyn Newell has a radical idea – to be free.

In a world of black and white, I lived,

Forced to fit, conform, my true self sieved.

Adult years unfolded, a journey untold,

Queer and nonbinary, my colors bold.

Locked in a box, society’s decree

A puppet, strings pulled, but I yearned to be free.

Awakening whispers, a truth long denied,

Embracing my hues, no longer to hide.

This is part of her poem, “A beacon of hope in a muted world, queer and colorful, unfurled,” penned for the new anthology “Shattered Constraints,” a partnership between the Midwest Writing Center and the Galvin Fine Arts Center at St. Ambrose University. It collects poems, stories, and essays by 23 writers from around the QC area to form a chorus of welcoming.

Newell is a 31-year-old prevention specialist at the Project of the Quad Cities. (Read her entire poem HERE.)

“Writing has been a lifelong passion for me, sparked by my grandmother, a published author,” she said recently. “From poetry to journalism and everything in between, I’ve explored various forms of expression through writing since childhood.

“Writing about radical hospitality and being queer was vital for me as it provided a platform to amplify marginalized voices, challenge societal norms, and advocate for inclusivity,” Newell said, noting the book’s title “Shattered Constraints” comes from her poem.

“It allowed me to share personal experiences, foster empathy, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance, ultimately striving towards a more compassionate and equitable world,” she said.

“Radical hospitality is crucial for the queer community as it challenges systemic oppression, demands visibility, and fosters solidarity. It empowers individuals to confront discrimination head-on and advocate for transformative change, paving the way for a more inclusive society.”

The diverse experiences with radical hospitality offer invaluable insights into breaking down barriers and fostering genuine connections, Newell said.

“In my poem, shattered constraints symbolizes the liberation that comes from dismantling societal norms and embracing authenticity,” she added. “It embodies the power of radical hospitality to challenge limitations, celebrate diversity, and create spaces where all individuals are seen, heard, and embraced for who they are.

The Midwest Writing Center and St. Ambrose will host a book release event for Shattered Constraints: An Anthology of Radical Hospitality on Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Galvin Fine Arts Center.

This book calls out to consider ways “to dismantle the barriers to belonging faced because of immigration status, recovery journey, or history of incarceration,” to be bold in their generosity, and to embrace those in our community who are too often considered strangers, as who they are: our neighbors, according to a MWC release.

The 23 contributors, whose ages range from 11 to 79, include several published writers and many authors for whom this will be their first publication.

Many of the contributors are dealing with, or have dealt with, the issues this project and its theme seek to address. Admission on April 18 is free and the first 100 people to come will receive a free copy of the anthology.

This project is supported by Quad City Arts, through the Arts Dollars re-granting program, supported by The Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation – Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment, and the MWC Legacy Society.

Here are thoughts from a few other of its writers:

Jacob Duncan of Aledo

Duncan is 24 years old, working at a family-owned appliance store. This is his first publication and he’s in the process of finishing other stories for publication.

“I’m always looking for opportunities to get my work out there. And this is a critical topical issue,” Duncan said by email. “While I may have no personal connection to the topic, the xenophobic opinions my peers and family voice about immigration and refugees upset me. America has always been a country founded on immigration, and while we have never been very welcoming to foreigners, America is an enormous mixing pot of cultures. For better or for worse.”

Duncan said his story is mainly a “counterargument to people who say that accepting so many immigrants makes our country worse off. So, I depict a situation where that is true. A man seeks asylum in a friend’s home, causing the host’s fiancé to leave and them both to live in poverty,” he said.

“Despite their financial struggles, life is better for the refugee than in a country where his survival is impossible,” he said. “The story may be hopeful, but in its ambiguous ending, I suggest that their situation could get even worse: a tragic reality — You can’t stop the rain but at least you can wear a coat.”

“I think most great art has a political slant, and for such an important issue, especially if it encourages just one person to expand their thoughts on the situation,” Duncan said. “Even if it doesn’t, having an outlet for artists to express their frustration is a great source of catharsis, especially for those who have a connection to the issue.

“I see ‘Shattered Constraints’ as symbolic of what this collection is doing, attacking the systems that have oppressed so many,” he added.

Sophia Best of Moline

Best is 22 and will be graduating next spring from Western Illinois University, with a degree in English with a concentration on professional writing.

She participated in the MWC’s Young Emerging Writers program for three summers and was featured in the Atlas 13, 14, and 15. In 2023, she won the Iowa Chapbook Prize and had a chapbook titled “Pink Bathwater” published by the Magid Writing Center at University of Iowa.

“I wanted to be a part of this project because I think it’s an important topic. In my opinion, radical hospitality is welcoming all people no matter their background and I think that’s really beautiful,” Best said. She also served as one of the book’s editors, with Ryan Collins and Sarah Elgatian.

“For my piece, I wanted to focus on my family and how they have always been so welcoming,” Best said. “The main points of my piece are about how my great-grandmother let us live with her when we moved back to the Quad Cities after living in San Diego. She opened her home for many people, family or not, and I want to be like that.

“I think the value of this collection is to highlight the diversity in our area and how we can appreciate it,” she said. “To me, the title ‘Shattered Constraints’ means letting go of whatever may prevent us for seeing all people as worthy of love, kindness, and acceptance.”

Olha Huska of St. Ambrose

Huska is a 21-year-old junior at Ambrose, originally from Ukraine. She’s majoring in music education and in addition to being involved in many ensembles, does work-study and is a winter guard captain at SAU.

Huska has written poetry since 7th grade. In 2020, she got into writing even more, branching out to short stories, prose and more. “Though quarantine wasn’t fun, it was the first time I had to sit with my thoughts and feelings,” she said recently. “This forced self-reflection inspired me to write about my experiences and thoughts.

“Currently, I write poetry mostly for myself because it’s a way for me to reflect on my ideas and experiences in a creative way,” Huska said.

“As someone who immigrated with my parents when I was young, I saw the struggles of immigrating to a new country first-hand. I experienced the language barrier, the cultural differences and uncertainty that all immigrants deal with,” she said. “What I also experienced was the amount of care and hospitality I saw from my family.

“No one on this earth would be where they are if it wasn’t for the empathetic actions of others,” Huska said. “My parents, especially my mother, have always emphasized the gift of hospitality through action. They’ve taken in Ukrainian immigrants, helped with paperwork, and found jobs. They knew that not everyone would have the support we had when we first came to the U.S and that adjusting to a new country cannot be done alone.”

When she heard of the new anthology project, she had to include her story.

“Radical hospitality is what helped my family find stability in the states and that generosity has continued to spread,” Huska said.

“The topic of my piece is immigration and the struggles it comes with. It’s about how my mom has been helping a Ukrainian woman named Maryna adjust to the States,” she said by email. “It mentions the legal, emotional, and social stressors that come with migrating to a new country (especially when you’re leaving a country at war) and it talks about how even when you’ve adjusted to the new world, there is still a part of you that aches for home.

“The main value of this collection is that it is a representation of many peoples’ experiences with radical hospitality or a need for it,” Huska said. “I’m a firm believer that listening to others’ beliefs and experiences helps us become compassionate and when there is passion in the compassionate, we start to see change for the better.”

The title “Shattered Constraints” reflects the impact and importance of radical hospitality.

“There are many limitations in place that make adjusting and thriving in new situations difficult,” she said. “Some examples that I mentioned were having a language barrier, being unable to find work, and struggling to have reliable transportation.

“When these constraints are in place, people are reliant on generosity and compassion to survive,” Huska said. “I hope that if anyone gains anything from this collection, it’s that the world is full of hope and hospitality, but to see the change, we need to be the change. We need to shatter the walls that keep us from thriving.”

There will be copies of the book available for purchase ($10) during the April 18 event and via the MWC Press online bookstore HERE.

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