dani austin (they/them) is a queer, disabled, anti-Zionist Jew, poet, ceramicist, and facilitator with Eastern European, German, Cherokee, and Irish ancestral lineages. They are from Northern Arizona and have lived in Appalachia the last several years.

Some of their favorite sensual experiences include: the smell of mimosa flowers in bloom & smooshed on the pavement, the feel of morning sunlight on their face, the sound of squirrels scrambling on the roof above, the taste of a medium roast cup of coffee, the sight of layered lines in desert canyons.

dani has a master’s degree in Sustainable Communities, a bachelor’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, and a background in facilitating, teaching, and community organizing. Their poetry has been published in MAYDAY, and they have received support from Brooklyn Poets.

They aim to create ceramic forms that are intentional and unhurried, but still loose and emergent. dani is inspired by collaborations with the natural world: with clay, water, air, fire, and surrendering to what emerges based on the convergence of the elements in a specific moment. As a poet, they aspire to make ceramic pieces that Rilke might have enjoyed- dark, devotional, with lyrical lines.