Meet the Author / Poetry + Photos Destigmatizing Mental Health

1644 Haight Street,San Francisco CA 94117

10 September, 2022

Description

Hi there! I'm so glad you're here. This book is a love letter to anyone believing their life isn’t worth living. I have been deeply ashamed about my anxiety & depression for most of my life. Now I am offering an open book inspired by my own struggle & my Uncle Andrew’s suicide. Quite frankly, that both terrifies & delights me. The medium of photography helped me find a safe, contemplative space for my thoughts & emotions to arise. Andrew’s poetry helped me learn how to meet my own pain with love & acceptance. Through conversations about photography + poetry, I hope our time together can spur your own journey of loving acceptance for you & the you before you. The Author: My name is Ezra Bram & I've been a photogapher for 5 years. I have a BA in Theolgoical Studies & I am currently working on my Masters in Psychology to become a Mental Health Theraopist. My worldview, perceptives, and ideologies concerning faith & spirtuality have shifted over the years to trancend & include paradox, abondament, and suffering. My experiences in life have left me with no answer other than love. I can't wait to meet you & celebrate life together! The Photos: In November of 2020, I committed to going on daily walks to get outta my room & outta my head. After 3 months of walking, my film camera broke & I finally took a moment to look at the hundreds of images I made. What began as a private, desperate mental health exercise of grabbing my camera, walking the streets, & scribbling my gnawing thoughts has now morphed into a project that I’m eager to share — Walking from Home. The Poetry: Andrew Medan Karp, my uncle, was known as the “Poet of Love.” He left home at 14 & hitchhiked from Vancouver, BC to Haight Street to meet the Flower Children in 1967. After years of writing poetry & searching for home, he took his own life in 1977. After his death, my grandmother consolidated his journals of writing into a poetry book entitled Winds of Silent Mystery. I’ve now read it cover to cover many times. Throughout my own escapade of depression & anxiety, I found comfort & understanding in Andrew’s words, even though I’ve never met him. His poetry lives on to tell of love & I can’t wait to share it with you! Let’s Heal Together: Mental health has a dangerous way of lurking below the surface, as it is often labeled inconsequential & trivial. Wrestling with my own depression has inspired me to create a work that empowers people to speak up about what they need & how they’re feeling, in their own time & in their own way. YOU'RE NOT ALONE. You are loved & you matter. I hope to see you there! <3 Mad love, Ezra P.S. This event is free to attent, but donations are welcome to cover food & drink. Please RSVP so we have enough for everyone :) ____________ Learn more about the book Learn more about what I'm up to Keep on keepin' on!