Events

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 8, 2024, 5 pm, “Homelessness and the Meaning of Home” Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau. Orcas Island Library, Eastsound, Orcas Island. An in-person event.

February 24, 2024, 12 pm “Homelessness and the Meaning of Home” Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau. Ferndale Public Library, Ferndale, Washington. An in-person event.

PAST EVENTS: 

January 20, 2024, 2 pm, “Homelessness and the Meaning of Home” Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, The Westport Timberland Library (online/free).

October 11, 2022, 11:30 am to 1 pm, Seattle University, Campion Ballroom. Speaker on “Housing is Health Care” at the Power of Home 2022 Mercy Housing Northwest annual luncheon.

October 18, 2022, 6pm, The Urbanist Book Club, Skid Road book discussion (free and virtual).

September 29, 2022, 6pm. Skid Road book talk at Everett Public Library (free and virtual).

October 20, 2021, 6-7 pm, “Josephine Ensign Discusses Skid Road: On the Frontier of Health and Homelessness in an American City,” Seattle Public Library virtual event, with Elliott Bay Book Company.

October 29, 2021, 7-8 pm. “Listening to Skid Road” video and discussion. Jack Straw Cultural Center.

March 17, 2021, 6:30pm MOHAI History Cafe: “The Important Connections Between Health and Homelessness,” (virtual and free). Video of event here.

January 21, 2021, 7pm KCTS9 “Finding Your Roots Washington: from Old Growth to New Beginnings” panel discussion, moderated by Knute Berger (virtual and free).

January 26, 2020, 2pm “Catching Homelessness” (and Skid Road), League of Women Voters and Town Hall, Seattle 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA. Video of event here.

April 16, 2019 Keynote speaker, “Walk in My (Homeless) Shoes: The Promises and Pitfalls of Empathy,” Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing, Ashland, OR

April 24, 2019 Keynote speaker, “Sex Trafficking and Trauma-Informed Care,” Washington State National Association of Pediatric Associates and Practitioners, Seattle, WA

April 8, 2019, 5:30-8:30pm. Crawford Lecture, “Exercising Empathy and Selecting Solutions to Homelessness and Health Inequities,” University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

April 8, 2019, 5:30-8:30pm. Crawford Lecture, “Exercising Empathy and Selecting Solutions to Homelessness and Health Inequities,” University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

March 13-14, 2019 Keynote speaker, “Catching Homelessness, Hearing Voices: Perspectives from the Streets,” Pathways for Homelessness 2019 “Rethinking Housing and Health,” London

January 8, 2019 (7pm) Book launch of Soul Stories: Voices from the Margins, Elliott Bay Book Company, along with a benefit for Elizabeth Gregory Home. 

June 14, 2018 (6-8pm/Free) “Unraveling Homelessness: Women’s Experiences of Homelessness,” The Riveter, Capitol Hill, Seattle. Video of the evening on the Seattle Channel. 

May 22, 2017, Yale University School of Nursing Commencement speaker, New Haven, CT.

May 3, 2017 (6-9:30pm)  University of Washington Libraries Literary Voices, HUB Ballroom, with Annie Proulx as keynote speaker.

April 29th, 2017 (9am-3pm) “Going Public: Sharing Research Beyond the Academy,” University of Washington Allen Library. Moderator for lunchtime roundtable discussion, “Academic Freedom and Public Scholarship,” and part of panel, “Navigating the Path from Research to Public Policy.”

April 27th, 2017 (5:30-7:30pm) reading and discussion “Listening to Stories for a Change.” University of Washington, Seattle. Kane Hall. With Ana Balint and members of the Safe Place Writing Circle at Seattle’s Recovery Cafe. U-Bookstore will be selling autographed copies of both Catching Homelessness: A Nurse’s Story of Falling Through the Safety Net (Berkeley: She Writes Press, 2016) and Balint’s edited anthology, Words From the Cafe (Seattle: Raven Chronicles Press, 2016).

February 25, 2017 (9-10am) workshop and reading “The Meaning of Home(less).” Seattle University’s Search for Meaning Book Festival.

October 17, 2016 7p.m. University (of Washington) Bookstore, U-District location on University Avenue, Reading and book-signing for Catching Homelessness: A Nurse’s Story of Falling Through the Safety Net (Berkeley: She Writes Press, 2016). Co-sponsored by ROOTS Young Adult Shelter. The University Bookstore’s video recording of the event is linked here. 

October 11, 2016 6:30p.m. Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia. Reading and book-signing for Catching Homelessness: A Nurse’s Story of Falling Through the Safety Net (Berkeley: She Writes Press, 2016). Benefit for The Daily Planet, Richmond’s “Wellness for All” healthcare program serving low-income and homeless patients and families. 

August 23, 2016 7p.m. Elliott Bay Book Company book launch/author event for Catching Homelessness: A Nurse’s Story of Falling Through the Safety Net (Berkeley: She Writes Press, 2016). Benefit for Mary’s Place, an agency that helps empower homeless women, children, and families in Seattle.

May 31, 2016, Roundtable presentation and discussion, “Narrative Advocacy: Power, Responsibility, Accountability” at the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and Policy Symposium, Portland, OR.

April 7, 2016, Performance of multi-modal piece, “Way Out; Way Home” at the Health Humanities Conference, Arts and the Health Humanities: Intersections, Inquiry, Innovations. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

March 31, 2016, Panel presentation and discussion, “Never on Your Own: Finding Community After the Writing is Done” at the 2016 Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

December 8, 2014 to March 20, 2015. Soul Stories: Homeless Journeys Told Through Feet exhibition of poetry, prose, photographs, and digital storytelling video about my work as a nurse providing health care to people marginalized by poverty and homelessness. Location: University of Washington Odegaard Library, First Floor, Seattle.

May 28th and 29th, 2014. National Health Care for the Homeless Conference and Policy Symposium, New Orleans. I’ll be presenting on my project Soul Stories: Homeless Journeys Told Through Feet.

December 6, 2013. Here is a link to a videotaped talk I gave on youth homelessness and commercially-sexually exploited youth at the University of Washington.

November 7, 2013 (Thursday) 7pm. I’ll be reading new work from “Soul Stories” at Northwind Arts Center, Pt Townsend, WA along with Daemond Arndell, Kate Caroll De Gutes, Peter Munro, Corry Venema-Weiss, and Chelsea Werner-Jatzke.

November 2, 2013 (Saturday) 2pm. Seattle Public Library, Central library/downtown branch. I’ll be reading along with other Jack Straw 2013 writers.

October 24, 2013 (Thursday) 7pm University Bookstore/”The Ave” Seattle. I’ll be reading from new work along with Jack Straw writers Peter Munro and Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, Hosted by Stephanie Kallos.

August 24, 2013 (Saturday afternoon)  Smoke Farm Lo-Fi Fest “Must Be Present to Win” Artist Weekend, Live reading of new work with the Jack Straw Writers Program 2013 Group. Arlington, WA.

June 11, 2013 7-8pm. Elliott Bay Bookstore, Seattle. Reading “Next of Kin” from I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse, edited by Lee Gutkind (In Fact Books, 2013). With Eddie Lueken and Karla Theilen.

May 3rd, 2013, 7-8pm. Reading of new work/ essay “Soul Story,” at Jack Straw Productions. With Jeannine Hall Gailey, Jay McAleer, and Emily Perez.
Jack Straw Productions
Studio and Lobby $5 suggested contribution/receive copy of 2103 Jack Straw Writers Anthology
4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle

May 24th, 2013 6:30-7:30pm  Reading of new work from Soul Stories collection/Jack Straw. Northwest Folk Life Festival. Siff Cinema/Narrative Stage. (link to recording of reading here—at bottom of page under Jack Straw Writers.)

June 11, 2013 7-8pm. Becoming a Nurse/ Readings and discussion. , Elliott Bay Book Company.