"Go Back & Fetch It sets the bar high. You let us know that the sky is not the limit, it's only a view of what lies beyond."

~ Ashante Gills

After a year of workshops and mentorship, the 2025-26 Go Back & Fetch It cohort gathered at Flava Café in Saint Paul to share their work with the public.

Hosted by Carolyn Holbrook, the evening marked the culmination of More Than a Single Story's sophomore year with their mentorship program for early-career Black writers. Throughout the year, fellows found their voice, explored performance, genre and touched literary history.

At Flava Café, all of those lessons converged.

“Where is your story?”

The reading opened with a special performance by Mary Moore Easter. At Carolyn Holbrook's invitation, Easter shared her song Anna Mallory, a remembrance of ancestry and defiance against the erasure of our stories.

One by one, fellows stepped forward to tell their stories.

The evening featured readings by Ashante Gills, Atlese Robinson, Hana Worku, I'mari Avey, Justice Jay, Lucreshia Grant, Miss Mari, Sunmi Famule, Christian Avey, and Jose Cartagena-Vega. The works ranged from poetry to memoir and prose, each writer bringing their own voice and perspective to the stage.

Some pieces looked backward toward ancestry and memory. Others confronted the urgencies of the present moment.

Though no theme had been assigned, common threads emerged organically throughout the event. Family histories, resilience, and community wove a tapestry of storytelling. Many writers also grappled with the realities of the Metro Surge operation and ICE activity throughout Minnesota, creating a powerful record of artists responding to the world around them.

Throughout the evening, Carolyn Holbrook guided the audience from one reader to the next, weaving thoughtful transitions between performances and drawing connections across the work.

Go Back & Fetch It is built on the belief that Black stories matter. The program helps to build the space, community and mentorship that emerging Black writers deserve to ensure their stories are heard.

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