This Fall, singer-songwriter, Jessie Reyez released the second installment in her poetry series, The People’s Purge: Words of a Goat Princess Vol II. On October 24, Jessie Reyez the words to life at the Marran Theater in Cambridge, MA. The intimate reading of the USA Today Bestseller showcased not just the work itself, but the collaborative and interactive creative process behind it.
During the evening, Reyez explained how fan engagement became the root of this book. She regularly uses Instagram Stories to get prompts from followers, crafting poems based on their suggestions, only for these pieces to disappear after 24 hours. Many fans had asked whether these collaborative creations were archived anywhere, and this collection represents her answer. Jessie was able to turn these temporary prompts into something physical and permanent.
The book pairs perfectly with Eloïse Diot’s playful illustrations, previously featured in Reyez’s first collection and her “Being Human in Public” project. Diot became connected to Reyez through fan art, which speaks to how organically these collaborations form from genuine creative admiration and develop into meaningful partnerships.
Guided by the book’s inspiration, the reading was interactive and very intimate. Reyez invited audience members to call out page numbers, letting chance determine which poems she would share which was a fitting approach for someone who has turned fan prompts into art. The four sections organizing the collection were Love, Life, Mental Health, and Creativity which provided a roadmap through both universal and personal experiences.
One of the readings stood out to me on this Friday night: a fan had submitted the word “unrequired” instead of “unrequited” in a Instagram prompt. Rather than dismiss the error, Reyez saw something profound in it. She described the typo as accidentally revealing its own truth that sometimes mistakes contain answers, that life often teaches us through unintended paths. The willingness to find meaning in imperfection feels characteristic of her work. It also shows the power of a typo.
In addition to “Unrequired,” two other shared pieces particularly resonated: “Healing Generational Wounds” and “Limerence.” All three tackle the collection’s theme of love in its various forms, the weight of inherited pain, and an overpowering feeling of longing.
During the Q&A, when asked whether she finds more solace in songwriting or poetry, Reyez’s answer was telling: while both feel natural to her, poetry offers a particular freedom. Without the accompanying context of music, poetry exists without certain boundaries which has more room for possibility, more room for what she called “room for God.” It’s an observation that suggests why poetry, for her, might feel like the truest form of expression.
Reyez also spoke about growing up speaking Spanish until she entered school, describing her bilingualism as a kind of superpower. She painted a vivid image of childhood walking into her house felt like stepping into another country. Reflecting back, she now sees the value in that distinction, that cultural and linguistic heritage as something to take pride in rather than diminish.
What has stuck me most from that evening was the genuine care Reyez extended to everyone in the room. It was clear she truly appreciated that people showed up for her work. She stayed longer than planned to answer more questions, giving everyone the time and attention they wanted, not out of obligation, but because she seemed to genuinely value the exchange between everyone. There’s a real warmth to her presence as an artist, and it made the entire evening feel less like a reading and more like a conversation with someone who cares about her audience as much as they care about her (myself included).
The People’s Purge represents poetry that’s genuinely collaborative and conversational, born from the exact medium that makes it temporary on Instagram Stories and transformed into something meant to last figuratively and physically. Reyez’s reading demonstrated an artist fully present in her work, unafraid to interrogate her own creative process and generously acknowledging the role her audience plays in shaping what she creates.
Get your copy of The People’s Purge: Words of a Goat Princess Vol II here.
