Work
Saturday, December 7th at 11 a.m., I Will Be Reading at Red Bird Chapbook’s Open House
On Saturday, December 7th, at the Red Bird Chapbook Press Open House in the Landmark Center, I will be reading a story from If You Wave a Chicken Over Your Head, my flash fiction collection, as part of a presentation by Red Bird authors from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Landmark Center, 75 Fifth Street West, St. Paul, MN, Suite #424
Article about Immigrant Garment Workers in Prato and the Florence Area
My article for Remake, published on May 15, 2024, “Made in Italy: How Prato Became One of Fashion’s Biggest Manufacturers,” recounts the history and tells today’s story of immigrant workers in Italy’s fashion industry, with an emphasis on Prato and the Florence Area. The article includes my interviews with workers themselves.
Collaborating Out Loud: Stories by Immigrant Garment Workers From Italy and To Italy
“Collaborare ad Alta Voce: Stories by Immigrant Garment Workers From Italy then and to Italy Now,” was an evening of multi-media story-telling and discussion about Italian and Jewish immigrants working in NYC’s garment industry at the turn of the XX century and today’s immigrant workers in Tuscany’s fashion sector.
With Francesca Ciuffi, Maria Grazie Cotugno, Giulia Falzoi, Debora Florio, Alison Morse, Raza Muhammed, Claudio Tosi and Abbas Zaigham
Organized by Alison Morse
March 16 at 6:30 pm at Bio Fashion Lab, Via Alfonso La Marmora 25A 50121, Firenze
Audience at Bio Fashion Lab
Alison reading her poetry
Debora talking to the audience
Abbas, Raza and Francesca respond to an audience question after Abbas and Gaza told stories in Italian of their struggles for fair pay and decent work hours in the Tuscan leather factory where they work — a factory making products for an international luxury brand — and the support they receive from the 8X5 Movement in Prato. Francesca, from the 8X5 Movement, translated their stories into English.
My Poem at the Rutgers’ LEARN Event “From Triangle To Rana Plaza To Temp Workers: Building Worker Power”
On May 6th, I presented one of my poems, “Ready to Wear,” which was also translated into Bangla, as part of the Rutgers University Labor Education Action Research Network (LEARN) Event “From Triangle To Rana Plaza To Temp Workers: Building Worker Power,” an international virtual panel discussion with:
Moderator: Dina Siddiqi, Clinical Associate Professor, Global Liberal Studies, NYU
Alison Morse, Poet
Taslima Akhter, Photographer and President BGWS
Rupali Akhter, former Garment Worker at Rana Plaza, Secy for Health Support, BGWS
Reynalda Cruz, Worker Organizer New Labor Taslima Akhter, Photographer and President BGWS
Carmen Martino, Rutgers LSER, Dir, Occupational Training and Education Consortium
Abul Ahsan Rubel, Executive Coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon (People’s Solidarity Movement) and Chief Coordinator of Protibesh Andolon (Ecological Movement)
Four of My Poems in The Bangalore Review
Four of my poems, “Union Maids,” “To Target,” “#Garment Workers, Too,” and “Craft Project,” appear in The Bangalore Review.
Two Poems in Social Fabric
Two of my poems, “Conundrum Dream Dialogue” and “Delicate Cycles,” appear in Social Fabric, an anthology of visual art and personal writing about textiles and apparel.
Two Poems in Portland Review
Two poems, “Interview with Aduri and Translator, Shubomoy Haque, in Savar, Bangladesh,” and “Sisters,” were published by Portland Review for their Labor Issue.
Two Poems in Puerto del Sol
Two poems from my ms-in-progress, “Kafan” and “First Interview”, were accepted by the journal Puerto del Sol for publication in 2019.