08/11/2021
Hey all - this is probably not the Chatterbox origin story you all imagined but it's important that you are aware what is happening in the Phoenix arts community even as this page remains inactive. This is my story but my supportive friend and co-host Estevan Piña co-signs this message with me, Phoenix deserves better.
---
As someone who has been a part of the Phoenix arts community since 2014, I have had the privilege of creating and participating in a number of inclusive spaces alongside other creators. However, as some of you may already be aware, the community is not always safe and inclusive for all. I am writing this statement today to publicly denounce an abuser in the Phoenix arts community that I collaborated with in the past.
I regret not coming forward sooner. As someone who didn’t experience abuse firsthand from this person I didn’t feel right being the loudest voice at the time. By working through my own trauma and past abuse, I now have the language to better support and advocate for these victims today.
In December 2014, I found a community in the backyard of a bookstore in the Roosevelt Row Arts District in downtown Phoenix. The following month, I was on stage telling stories at Yarnball, the weekly storytelling open mic at Lawn Gnome Publishing. The show was originally created by the owner of the bookstore, Aaron Johnson, but was later handed off to two local storytellers. A short time later I was invited to co-host the show, a post I held for a little over a year until August 2016.
During this time I witnessed and was made aware of the owner’s abusive behavior. Some of the employees were under the impression that they would be making a living wage at the bookstore. However, more than half of the employees hadn’t been paid regularly since they started. When me and my co-hosts were made aware that the staff hadn’t been paid for three months in late 2016, we made the decision to leave the bookstore, move the show to a new venue and change the name to Chatterbox Storytelling Open Mic. At this time, I was also made aware of a young woman who had been physically and emotionally abused by the owner.
Five years later, this victim, along with almost a dozen others, have come forward with their personal accounts of abuse at the hands of Aaron Johnson. We can no longer turn a blind eye while this abuser continues to open his space to women and femmes in the community. It is our responsibility to make it known that this behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In this moment, it is imperative that we speak out for the victims. Each time they share their stories or are asked to provide more detail, they are being forced to relive their trauma.
These accounts of abuse have already been detailed online and I’ve compiled a resource list specific to Phoenix that includes these and other sexual assault and domestic violence resources and inclusive community spaces. I’m angry and disheartened that this disgusting behavior continues in our community. As a survivor of sexual assault and relationship violence myself I know how it feels to be violated and not believed. - Jessie Balli
https://phxdeservesbetter.carrd.co/
Comprehensive list for resources in Phoenix, AZ including sexual assault/domestic violence support, mental health assistance, inclusive arts communities and more.
