Author Event! Monica D. Vance’s “Leaving the Dust and the Weeds”
Saturday, July 25, 2026 - Saturday, July 25, 2026
Monica D. Vance returns to Symposium to read and discuss her debut poetry collection, “Leaving the Dust and the Weeds”!!!
Join us on Saturday, July 25th at 6pm as we host Monica D. Vance in conversation with Tanya Young to discuss her debut poetry collection, Leaving the Dust and the Weeds! Signed copies of the book will be available during the event.
About the book:
How do you summarize a healing journey? You want to heal. You want to grow. You want to dream. But how do you do it? You have to see yourself. You have to see yourself beyond the hurtful words and actions of your mother, father, or friend. When you actually see yourself, you’re able to leave the dust and weeds. Your heart is revived. Your eyes are new.
Monica D. Vance’s debut poetry collection, Leaving the Dust and the Weeds, confronts the breaking and the healing of the human heart. Shame, loneliness, and trauma reside in the dust and the weeds. The heart lands on this ground.
From her own personal experiences of loss and her observations of life, Monica’s words encourage you to be honest about your emotional aches. Healing requires honesty. Beyond the dust and the weeds, there is recovery from the traumas that you should have never faced.
You are allowed to remember the dreams of your childhood and pursue them. You can grow out of self-hatred and lean into self-confidence. Monica’s healing collection of poetry takes you from pain and sadness to rediscovery.
About the author:
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Monica D. Vance is a poet who provokes audiences to heal and grow through passion and mental health insights. Now based in Rhode Island, Monica has been featured on poetry stages in the New England area. In between poetry performances and her work as a therapist, Monica is also an ice cream expert who graduated from UMass-Amherst with a BA in Afro-American Studies and an MSW from Wheelock College.
About the moderator:
Tanya L. Young is a writer, visual artist, and PhD student. Her work is featured in publications such as Salt Hill Journal, The Amistad, New York Quarterly, and others. She is a VONA alum. Currently, she is a staff reader for TriQuarterly. She has also read for publications such as Frontier Poetry and Tupelo Press. Find her work at www.tanyasroom.com
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