Tents and makeshift shelters

Greetings, friends, from the great state of Colorado, where I am at the AWP conference, passing long and happy days in the meatspace company of many wonderful people I usually only type at, including Gene “the Machine Levine” Morgan, Blake “Lively” Butler, and Ryan “Last” Call, which in this town is apparently 12:45. For all of you at the conference, I hope you’ll come say hello if you haven’t already. And if you’re in the Denver area but not registered for AWP, know that the bookfair is free and open to the public on Saturday April 10, so the same goes for you, too. But I digress. The true news I bring comes from much further afield.

About a month ago, I posted a call for funds to help send Ariana Reines on a UN Mission to Haiti to serve as a French-English translator for a team of trauma clinicians. Well, she went, and upon her return sent a note of thanks to those who donated, as well as a handful of photographs from her trip. All of these things are reproduced in full below the break.

dear friends

you sent me to haiti and i am writing to thank you.

i worked with the first team from The Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention, the only psychological aid group that i know of now at work there (if you know of another, please tell me about it.)  most of my time was spent painting, drawing, + singing with children and orphans in and around the hopital de la communauté haitienne in pétionville.  the plan is to return in may.

haiti is the most spiritually advanced place i have ever been.  there is a lot to say that cannot be said here.

those of you who have SAVE THE WORLD coming to you will be hearing from me again in the next month.

thank you again for your generosity in sharing my call for donations with others, in giving so generously yourselves, and in sending your votes of confidence and support.

very truly yours

ariana

ps.  there is flimsy evidence, at least between port-au-prince and léogane, which is as far as i got, of the massive international aid that supposedly flooded the country.  people are very hungry, very thirsty, and most continue to live without shelter. if you would like to continue to support non-corporate, non-neoliberal, grassroots aid in haiti, i recommend giving generously to:

http://www.haitiresponsecoalition.org/
http://www.tentsforhaiti.com/
http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/how-you-can-help-volunteer-and-donate-supplies/

Painting "a safe place"

In line for food

A in a tap tap