Denayja Reese’s Memoir – Coming February 2022

My name is Denayja Reese and I began writing this book in 2018 (after conceiving of the idea to write a memoir at all in 2015) and it has been a journey.

This book is my contribution to this conversation and to our global healing revolution. This is an offering of my talents as well some of the most talented people that I know & will find.

This book and its accompanying film tells my story of healing through grief, trauma and addiction. I detail the mistakes that I’ve made, offer the tools that have saved my life and riff my musings on the myriad of pop cultural references that have influenced my life.

I started writing this book simply to tell my story. However, as my friend Emi said, "when what you have to say is important, it’s imperative that you take your time in figuring out exactly what you want to say". What I want to say with this project is that we are in the middle of a revolution.

Black women, women of color and marginalized people from all walks of life are emerging from the indoctrination that has told us we are not worthy. That our stories do not matter and that we do not matter. We are rejecting, inwardly and outwardly, the backwards programming that stands in direct opposition to our healing. Make no mistake about it, healing is our top priority. We have seen what life looks like unhealed and we have lived those lives. Now, we are saying that we will not live those lives, we will not go back and we will end these cycles.

In a perfect world, in what I hope my future will be, I would not have to ask for monetary support from my community to bring my creative visions to life, especially given the difficult times we are in.

Still, I know that nothing worth doing is done alone, so I am asking for your help in bringing the vision for my memoir project to life.

Whatever you can offer - if not a donation, sharing with your community, offering to be a part of the project in some way or another show of support - I am honored, grateful and humbled by your belief in me. In this project. In our unlimited capacity for healing. Thank you for any and all support that you can offer.

Love, Denayja

LINK TO FUNDRAISER PROMO VIDEO

What is the funding for?

Book Production Costs

• Editor
• Marketing & PR
• Book Design
• Printing & Distribution

Film Production Budget

• Director
• Production Design
• Costume Design
• Art Department/Props
• Cast & Crew
• Hair & Makeup
• Editing & Post-Production

When will the book and film be released?

February 9, 2022

Why support this project?

• You want to read the book!
• You love & support me (as family, a friend or appreciator of my voice/work)
• You believe in the power of healing
• You want to see this work brought to life
• You support one of my collaborators & want to see their work brought to life

What do I get out of this?

If you donate $25, you will receive:

• A copy of the book
• A thank you on social (Denayja’s page & project’s Instagram page)

If you donate $50, you will receive:

• A signed copy of the book
• A thank you in the film’s credits
• A thank you on social

If you donate $100, you will receive:

• A thank you gift + card
• A signed copy of book
• A thank you in film credits
• A thank you on social

If you donate $500, (monetary or in-kind resources):

• A thank you gift + card
• A individual acknowledgement inside of book
• A special thank you from Denayja in BTS film
• A signed copy of book w/ gratitude note from Denayja
• A thank you in film credits
• A individual thank you on social

If you donate $1,000 (monetary or in-kind resources):

• A producer credit on film
• Access to exclusive BTS/making of content & bi-weekly updates on project’s progress
• 2 thank you gifts + cards
• An individual acknowledgement inside of book
• An individual thank you from Denayja in BTS film
• A signed copy of book w/ gratitude note from Denayja
• An individual thank you in film credits
• An individual thank you on social