Help Ellis Merel get to WOWPS 2023!! (pretty pls)

Hello everyone, my name is Ellis Merel (they/them), and first I would like to thank you for showing any amount of interest in this fundraiser.

It is with a deeply grateful heart that I can tell you all how far my local poetry community has shown me their invaluable support ⁠— their hours spent attending every Central Valley event they could with me, those who shared their thoughts on my work with me, those who sat at workshop tables alongside me and shared critique, and the endless encouragement I’ve had the privilege to receive for the past nine years. Thanks to them, I am both humbled and bursting at the seams to say that I will be attending the 2023 Women of the World Poetry Slam in March, all the way in Baltimore.

This will be my first time competing on any stage outside of this west coast valley that I’ve called home base since 2005. I’ve only ever read in an open mic outside of the Central Valley maybe twice, during my three years of college in the bay (visual art school dropout squad) and I wasn't anywhere near coming into myself as a writer in those years. I will likely say I haven't come into my writing style yet even now within a few years, but I’m glad to say that in the past year or two I’ve finally felt confident enough to step outside of this familiar community of mics and try my hand at seeing some foreign scores ⁠— and I’ve also finally been given my chance to face them.

I’ll be honest, I’m more than a little nervous to be jumping right into the deep end after never having left the first couple of steps, but I’m determined to work and practice until I’m certain I won't simply pass away the moment I’m standing behind the mic. I’m seriously honored to be sent to such a prestigious event. I’ll try not to start sobbing upon brushing elbows with a modern poetry legend. I’m totally gonna play it cool, quote me on that. But don't challenge me to any bets, because we’re gonna have to keep a white-knuckle grip on our wallets until March.

Speaking of which ⁠— you’ve read this far, why not check those funds of yours? WOWPS isn't exactly going to be cheap, unfortunately. That’s where this incredible community I love so dearly and the people who might have clicked this link from one of their socials come in.

Here are our estimates for everything we’re going to need help raising funds for ⁠— totals are with the intention of getting both myself and my coach, Visalia’s Loud Mouth Poetry Jam host Michael Jasso, through the event and all that it demands, with a bit of hopeful buffer room for unexpected circumstances:

Flight: ~$400

Room: ~$700

Food: ~$200

Rides: ~$200

Emergency funds: ~$300

Total: ~$1,800

We’ve set our goal for $2,000 so we can make the trip with as little anxiety as possible, but we’re determined to go and make it work regardless of what this crowdfunding produces because I’m not missing this opportunity, goddammit. But I sure would like to maybe support the other poets by picking up a chapbook or two…. ahahah.

If you read all of this disordered rambling around my desperate plea for cash, I sincerely thank you. And if you intend to donate, I cannot ever thank you enough.

I’m going to work hard and do my best. I want to do my local community’s talent and skill justice as their representative, and hopefully make them proud.

I’ll post updates as often as I can, here and/or on my socials (which you can find here: https://ellismerel.carrd.co/ )

Wish me luck! And forever, thank you.

No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe. If you would like some form of momento to remember me by, I will be selling merch such as art prints, chapbooks, stickers, etc. at upcoming events I will be attending. I'll announce all events where you can find me on my socials, so be sure to follow me!