East Window’s Banned Book Club
presents
Unalive: Readings and Discussions on Suicide
Curated by Charlotte Piper
With Aimee Herman, Hillary Leftwich, and Crisosto Apache
Suicide claims over 49,000 lives each year in the U.S. and more than 700,000 globally, yet it remains a topic deeply stigmatized and avoided—even though millions have seriously considered it. It affects nearly every age group and leaves lasting scars on families, friends and communities. Despite being the 11th leading cause of death overall and the second among ages 10–34, conversations about suicide remain rare, even as rates continue to rise.
Though difficult to discuss, it’s vital to acknowledge the profound despair behind suicidal thoughts. Stigma has offered neither solutions nor comfort, and silence only deepens isolation.
That’s why East Window is hosting UNALIVE—an evening to share stories, poetry, and reflections on suicide. This is not to normalize or romanticize it, but to create connection and help others feel less alone.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, contact the 988 Lifeline or call 911 immediately.
We really need you here and you matter more than you may realize.
Crisosto Apache (they/them) is the current 11th Poet Laureate for Colorado (26-27) and the recipient of the Montalvo Center’s Lucus Art Fellowship. Crisosto is from Mescalero, New Mexico, on the Mescalero Apache reservation. Crisosto is Mescalero Apache, Chiricahua Apache, and Diné (Navajo). Apache’s clanships are the Salt Clan, born for the Towering House Clan. Apache attended the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and earned an MFA and is an Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing. Apache is the recipient of the Montalvo Center’s Lucas Artist Fellowship and is on the board for The Offing Magazine. Apache’s books are GENESIS (Lost Alphabet), Out-of-Print & Ghostword (Gnashing Teeth Publishing), winner of the Publishing Triangle’s 2023 Betty Berzon Emerging Writers Award and a finalist for the 2023 Colorado Authors League Award in poetry, with a new poetry collection is (ness), from Gnashing Teeth Publishing. Apache is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Crisosto continues to advocate for the Two-spirit/Indigiqueer community for the past twenty years, working in grassroots non-profit organizations both locally and nationally.
“Suicide impacts many young people, and I recently lost one of my nephews (whom my spouse and I raised, and whose image is on the cover of "Ghostword"), and the news of his passing was a shock. Discussing how the theme interjects in creative writing and art is a necessary conversation, so the voices of those who follow through with this decision can have a space to advocate for their memory through the various creative expressions.”
—Crisosto Apache
Aimee Herman (they/them) is constantly in search of ways to disrupt spaces through poetry, music, and other forms of creative expression. They are a writer, performance artist, educator, letter writer, misfit and ukulele player (sometimes percussion) with The Brand New Queers. They have a new collection of poetry, "somewhere in the body a nest of anger hatches." They are currently in search of all the ways to disembowel the anger within them. Music helps. Find them at aimeeherman.com or just walk up to them and say: “HELLO.”
“It's interesting to me how I spent so much of my life shielding a huge part of me that wanted to die. How we talk about depression, sadness, anxiety, wanting to no longer exist has more room now to take up space. That, alone, saves lives. What interests me is being about to share some of my own experience in that.”
—Aimee Herman
Hillary Leftwich (she/her) is a multi-media writer and the author of Ghosts Are Just Strangers Who Know How to Knock (Agape Editions, 2023), Aura (Future Tense Books, 2022), and Saint Dymphna’s Playbook (Limit Zero, 2025). She teaches creative, business, and environmental writing across universities, writing organizations, and nonprofits, working with adults, active-duty service members, formerly incarcerated and hospitalized youth, and unhoused populations. Her work centers on class struggle, disease, mental illness, ritual, and the supernatural. On the outskirts of the writing world, she teaches Tarot and Tarot writing workshops focusing on strengthening divination abilities along with writing. She is a professional Tarot reader, death worker, and speaks with the dead.
“I am a survivor of suicide and also continue to live with extreme depression every day. I find writing and creative aspects help to educate communities who live off stereotypes and also to channel this into something that helps create beauty.”
—Hillary Leftwich
Charlotte Piper (she/they) is an author, entrepreneur, activist, and advocate in many LGBTQI and BIPOC communities. She has worked closely with East Window as the assistant to the director, marketing/PR and program consultant, and sometimes curator since 2022. Her published works cover a broad spectrum, from music and entertainment journalism to educational workshops and curriculum. With an ever curious mind and open heart, Charlotte loves exploring culture, food, literature, art, music, and the metaphysical realm through travel, community engagement, and connections. Her passion is inspiring and empowering others to enjoy the most of the human experience.
“My first real experience with suicide was in highschool when I found a dear friend after they’d ended their life. This left an indelible impression in my mind. Throughout adulthood I wrestled with my own preconceived notions and stigmas surrounding the subject until I witnessed the battle through the lens of my own flesh and blood, and subsequently, endured my own battles with suicide. Watching so many people around me struggle brought me to the conclusion that we, as a community, sorely need to actively address and embrace the issue as a collective one, so that we can support and uplift one another in these times of crises.”
—Charlotte Piper