Just one month after the devastation that Helene brought to the region, we gathered in support of Southern Appalachian communities. Thanks to the writers, artists, poets, biologists, musicians, ecologists, and seed-and-song-savers who shared their soul waters with us, we found ourselves flooded with mighty and shimmering strong currents of love for the Southern mountains and powerful rivers. This flood from our hearts and souls is necessary in response to the floods, in these times of catastrophe and in a changing climate. Through the generous support of attendees, we were able to contribute $4,550 toward material care and sustenance for those who suffered losses and damage. But this support was not just monetary. Soul waters hold within them, always, other gifts.

To continue raising funds for the region, we are offering a recording of the online benefit reading for $10.

If you’d like to donate more, please visit our donation page.

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Soul Waters Rising: An Appalachian Pause
Online Benefit Reading for Helene-Impacted Communities

This gathering will be a time to pause, reflect, & collect wisdom, a time to honor our place & support our communities. Your ticket purchase will benefit rural mutual aid organizations working to get people housed & cared for. It will also support Mergoat Magazine, covering Southern Appalachian ecologies on the cusp of catastrophe & futurity. As we heal our communities, we must support the publications that care for our communal stories.

The many rivers & creeks interlacing the mountains & valleys of Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, & Southwest Virginia swelled to catastrophic levels last month as Hurricane Helene dumped unimaginable amounts of moisture from the exceptionally warm Gulf. Some 400 miles away from where the storm made landfall, countless homes, roads, & even whole towns were destroyed throughout our region. Lives have been lost & changed forever. The riparian ecosystems of the most biodiverse waters in the temperate world have suffered in ways we are still struggling to make sense of.

As the flood waters receded, our soul waters rose—in grief for these times & the ecological crises that are upon us, and with love for the land & for one another. As so much has come apart, Southern Appalachia has come together, ready to envision new ways of being, to meet the unknown future with open hearts. The title for the gathering is inspired by the work of Jaiya John, who has said, “I love tears, I love crying, I love the soul water rising. …When we connect with ourselves, when we reunion home & when we reunion with each other in a pure way, that’s what naturally happens, the soul waters rise.”

Join us for an evening of poetry, spoken word, stories, & music, as our soul waters rise together in these times of trouble.

Note: The title of this event is inspired by the work of the poet Jaiya John but is not affiliated with his company Soul Water Rising. To learn more about Dr. John, visit soulwater.org.