Name: Holding Place: A Slow Reading & Grief Circle Series
Start: 2026-02-19T18:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-02-19T20:00:00-07:00
Location: The Historic Y

Holding Place: A Slow Reading & Grief Circle Series

Over 12 weeks (4 meetings), we'll be reading and engaging w/ The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life, Suleika Jaouad.
About this Event

The Holding Place is a series of gatherings (4) for those navigating grief, death, and loss of any kind. Each session will cover one-three chapters from a text that invites us to explore the landscape of these topics at a gentle pace, making space for reflection, connection, storytelling, and quiet witnessing. This format allows for folks to drop in and out of the space, whether you have read the current chapter or not. Reading along is encouraged, but not required.

We'll be reading The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad and moving through the book together over 12 weeks in conversation and community. This book explores themes of new beginnings, love, loss, and rebuilding through journaling, making grief a core part of life's transformative journey.

Where: The Historic Y
738 N 5th Ave, Tucson

When: 6-8pm on the following Thursdays
Feb. 19, Mar. 12, Apr. 2, Apr. 23

Sliding-scale suggested donation:

$20-$80
All participants will receive a copy of The Book of Alchemy, which is covered by a Blade of Grass Field Fund grant. Book pickup will be at The Historic Y and all registrants will be contacted about coordinating.
Light snacks and journaling supplies will be provided at each gathering. Participants are welcome to bring anything they'd like to share as well.
A portion of the donations received will go towards the Arizona Queer Archives.
All registrants will be contacted after Feb. 12 with the details for the first meeting (i.e. what chapters to read, what to bring, etc.)

Ames Meeks is a death doula, teaching librarian, and interdisciplinary artist committed to building compassionate, creative spaces for exploring death, dying, and grief. In addition to offering individual and community-based doula support, their own creative work centers around themes of love, grief, and feminist care through zines, book arts, and participatory experiences that invite reflection. Their values-based practice is shaped by their training with Going with Grace and certification through the National End-of-Life Doula Association.