{"id":24785,"date":"2012-07-24T06:30:58","date_gmt":"2012-07-24T10:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/?p=24785"},"modified":"2013-08-28T14:33:19","modified_gmt":"2013-08-28T18:33:19","slug":"good-makers-blogs-for-good-contest-jesse-bernstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/2012\/07\/24\/good-makers-blogs-for-good-contest-jesse-bernstein\/","title":{"rendered":"good maker’s ‘blogs for good’ contest (+ jesse bernstein)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Good Maker<\/a> is running a contest for bloggers trying to make a social impact. Selected by popular vote, the winner will get $1,000 for the cause they support plus a $500 prize. The ‘Blogs for Good’ run the gamut, from blogs that advocate for the positive aspects of pit-bull-like dogs<\/a>\u00a0or the virtues of home-grown foods<\/a>\u00a0to \u00a0fashion bloggers who advocate for various social justice issues<\/a>. We found out about the contest from Dese’Rae L. Stage<\/a> who is ‘the improvised life’s remarkable new part-time assistant.<\/p>\n

She has entered her blog ‘Live Through This<\/a>,’ which is a\u00a0photography-based project about life on the other side of a suicide attempt. Dese’Rae interviews and photographs people who have survived a suicide attempt in the hopes of opening up the very taboo subject and saving lives by offering hope and resources. If she wins, she’d get to give $1,000 to To Write Love on Her Arms.<\/a><\/p>\n

We’re voting for\u00a0Live Through This<\/a> because a) we like to support people who boldly bring little-discussed subjects into the open and b) we figure preventing suicide is about as real and worthwhile as you can get.<\/p>\n

\"Stephen<\/a><\/p>\n

We’re casting our vote in memory of our friend, Steven Jesse Bernstein<\/a>, legendary Seattle underground poet, who committed suicide in 1991 at the age of 40. He was utterly talented, real, truthful, looked-like-a-wild-man and was one of the tenderest-and-most-sensitive beings we’ve known. He inspired and encouraged the voices of A LOT of people. We miss him like crazy and wish to hell he was still here.<\/p>\n

We recommend seeing ‘I Am A Very Important Man’, a documentary about Jesse that really ‘gets’ his story and why his work is resonating as strongly as ever. Here’s the trailer<\/a>:<\/p>\n