who is you?

My name is Tasha Fierce. I'm a writer & artist currently studying sociology (undergrad) at UCLA. My work has been published in the anthologies White Riot: Punk Rock and the Politics of Race and Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion as well as in publications such as Bitch Magazine, EBONY.com, and Bitch Planet.

I had a Patreon before but I had to shut it down because I was going through a lot with my crazy, so I couldn't live up to my commitments to patrons and it was just a constant source of guilt for me. If you come across this and you used to be a patron, hit me up! I finally finished the chapbook and I would love to send you one!

I've made a pivot from nonfiction to fiction lately because the power of narrative to inspire activism was recently impressed upon me in a major way. I also realized I don't have the temperament for academic research! So after I finish at UCLA, I intend to pursue an MFA in creative writing, if I can get the financial aid to do it. I'm about 20,100 words into my first novel, and I have the rough outlines for two more after that. I'm working on short stories and playing around with publishing. It's really exciting. I'm actually hype about writing again and it feels really good.

If you'd like to know more about me, or see some of my published work & poetry, my online home is tashafierce.com.

why should i give you money?

So I'm starting this thing back up because I'm productive again, and that qualifies me for support, right? Joking. But yeah, I'm a Black, queer, disabled, fat, cisgender femme, so the traditional avenues for advancement in society are often closed off to me. I know that I have amazing things to offer if given the chance, so I'm asking you to help give me one. With school and commuting and dealing with my crazy mind and my pained body and also trying to help others around me as much as possible, I don't have a lot of spoons left for making money and pouring myself into my art. Anything you can offer would help lighten the load and enable me to create even more.

about the tiers:

$1/mo guarantees you access to all the patrons-only content available here and on my website (via a password that is provided to patrons, in the latter case).

$10/mo will get you a copy of my zine/chapbook, how to breathe fire, along with all patrons-only content. It compiles essays, poetry, & musings I've recorded on my various forms of craziness--depression, mania, etc--from 1996-2018 and includes some poetry and writing that I haven't published before.

Eventually there will probably be more tiers and rewards, but baby steps are good.

pricing transparency on the zine/chapbook:
- $5.46 for the materials to make each zine (copy cost).
- $1.16 in gas for my trip to the copy shop & P.O.
- $??? time & energy expended in the past to create the zine & in the present to go make & mail the copies.
= $6.62 cost of production