Ramya Ramana is an award-winning author, poet and lyricist. She was a winner of the Youth Poet Laureate of New York City award. In addition to performing and writing, she has also worked as an educator and mentor for young women and poets. Ramana shares her Brief But Spectacular take on forgiveness.

Brandon Kazen-Maddox is an artist, filmmaker, acrobat and GODA, a grandchild of deaf adults. They are a cofounder of Up Until Now Collective, a non-profit that provides opportunities for deaf artists who want to bring ASL dance theater to the stage, screen and beyond. Kazen-Maddox shares their Brief But Spectacular take on blending the worlds of art, ASL and accessibility.

For recent graduates, every year of their high school career was touched by the pandemic. In spite of the challenges, they never lost their perseverance and creativity. Graduating seniors at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California share their Brief But Spectacular take on the future.

Author and lecturer Allan Goldstein’s younger brother Fred is a survivor of the Willowbrook State School, an institution on Staten Island for people with disabilities that became notorious in the 1970s for its neglect and abuse of residents. Once Fred got out, Goldstein saw his brother’s many talents that had never been nurtured. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on how everybody can learn.