Fire Through Dry Grass Discussion Guide

Wearing snapback caps and Air Jordans, the Reality Poets aren’t typical nursing home residents. In Fire Through Dry Grass, these young, Black and brown disabled artists document their lives on lockdown during Covid, their rhymes underscoring the danger and imprisonment they feel. In the face of institutional neglect, they refuse to be abused, confined, and erased. Co-produced with ITVS.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the
power of human connection and designed for people who want to
use Fire Through Dry Grass to engage family, friends, classmates,
colleagues, and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster
debates in which participants try to convince others that they are
right, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit
of openness in which people try to understand one another and
expand their thinking by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide
range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film.
Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that
best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to
consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave
the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when
conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit
https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

By selecting this option you will be able to download a PDF plain text version of Fire Through Dry Grass Discussion Guide: FTDG Discussion Guide Plain Text

Discussion Guide Authors

Rosemary McDonnell-Horita is a disabled Japanese-American woman living in the East Bay of California. She’s been supporting, advocating, and fiercely fighting for disability inclusion for 10-plus years. With a focus on youth transition
and event accessibility, McDonnell-Horita has experience working with the California Youth Leadership Forum (YLF), the impact campaign for the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp, Google, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts
and Sciences, and numerous others. She is currently the impact producer for Fire Through Dry Grass. Those close to McDonnell-Horita know her as a conductor of collective access, curator of playlists, and lover of justice.

Alhassan “El” Abdulfattaah was born and raised in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and spent his childhood in Brooklyn and the Bronx with his parents and siblings, with whom he is very close. In a case of mistaken identity, Abdulfattah was shot
in a drive-by shooting in 2012 that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Today, Abdulfattah is a core member of the OPEN DOORS design team, using bold graphics to creatively inspire and uplift the community.

Peter Yearwood, co-producer, associate impact producer, and film participant, contracted polio as an infant in his home country, Belize, and has lived with a disability his whole life. In 1970, he emigrated to Brooklyn and met the
mother of his children. When that relationship ended, Pete fell into the street life, using and selling drugs. In 2015, many years sober, Yearwood moved into Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center, where he met his OPEN DOORS brothers, aka the Reality Poets. Yearwood’s poetry has been published in literary journals, and he has led
poetry workshops for youth and people with disabilities. As a member of the Coler Task Force and the Moving Forward Coalition, Yearwood advocates for nursing home residents’ rights.

Jennilie Brewster is an artist who works in various forms and in community. She has traveled around the country painting and writing in response to the topographies, mythologies, and metaphoric possibilities of landscape. She is the recipient of numerous residencies and fellowships, and her work has been shown in galleries and museums and published in literary journals. For seven years, she lived on Roosevelt Island, where she developed and led the arts-and-justice initiative OPEN DOORS. In this role, Brewster guided organizing campaigns and creative collaborations with the Reality Poets—a collective of long-term care residents and gun violence survivors.

DISCUSSION GUIDE PRODUCERS

Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV
C. Rees | Education Editor, POV

THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED THIS GUIDE
Natalie Danford | Copyeditor