About
Jessica Holter
Jessica Holter is not simply telling stories — she is building a living archive, a mythic infrastructure, a healing machine disguised as art. Her work transforms the raw ache of foster care, the surreal beauty of memory, the cultural specificity of Black girlhood, and the radical intimacy of her own life into a multi‑platform poetic universe.
Through music, theater, literature, digital worlds, and AI‑powered storytelling, Holter creates spaces where truth becomes ritual, memory becomes mythology, and survival becomes art. Her creations are not just performances or projects — they are portals. They invite audiences to witness, to feel, to remember, and to heal.
FEATURED POEM
A Rapid-Fire Movie Review of Sparkle
A Remix of the Poem "My Heart Cried for Sister" by Jessica Holter
This spoken word performance blends poetry, music, and social commentary into a haunting reflection on the 1976 film Sparkle. Through verses and choruses, Jessica Holter revisits the story of Sister — a vulnerable, beautiful woman chasing dreams, only to lose them to dangerous men — and traces the ripple effects across decades of Black life, culture, and community. 📖 Themes: Vulnerability, exploitation, and survival in the entertainment industry. The impact of imagery and minstrelsy on Black communities. The rise of drug culture in the late 70s and 80s. A child’s perspective on beauty, danger, and dreams. 🎤 Style: Spoken word with musical chorus. Funky, soulful undertones with historical narration. Bilingual flourishes (Tout de Suite) woven into the refrain. 🔥 Highlights: 1976: Sister’s sacrifice on screen. 1977: Advertisements glamorizing addiction. 1987: The harsh reality of freebase culture. A chorus that echoes like a warning: “Sparkle Beautiful, Sister Fine… They gave us the rock and took the line.”
HIP Soul Fest
The Inaugural HIP Soul Festival Workshop
Jessica Holter and The HIP Team offer customized curriculum. You will enjoy this proof-of-concept video of the HIP Soul Festival Workshop in Hampton, GA. HIP INC (Holter Intellectual Property) proudly presents this proof-of-concept video showcasing the inaugural HIP Soul Festival Workshop, held at D'Wayne Wiggins' Electric Church and the Old Train Station in Hampton, GA, from September to October 20th, 2023. This incredible event highlighted the talents of young adult artists participating in our YAPP (Young Adult Producers Program) curriculum, culminating in the glorious HIP Soul Fest on October 21st, 2023—a celebration of musical collaboration and creative expression. About the HIP Soul Festival Workshop Curriculum: In 2025, as part of this curriculum, The Coffy Shop Band will be formed. Participants will enjoy an immersive experience in event production, honing essential skills in communication, marketing, and teamwork. Singers in Illinois and Indiana are invited to apply by inquiring or sharing a performance video with @writerJessicaHolter or @KarisLovechild. Alternatively, emails may be sent, attention "casting," to info@coffypop.com. This event was generously sponsored by D'Wayne Wiggins, the City of Hampton, and Main Street. D'Wayne Wiggins, a beloved music producer and dear friend, offered mentorship to the young adults and graciously provided the land for rehearsals. He personally visited Mayor Tarpley in Hampton to help secure the endorsement of The City of Hampton for our Soul Festival Workshop and main event. The late, great D'Wayne Wiggins was a vessel for musical healing, living life to the fullest from February 14, 1961 – March 7, 2025. We mourn his passing and honor his legacy. In his memory, we will gather on Saturday, October 18th at Love in the Upper Room, a Sweetest Day Cabaret featuring a soulful mix of Soul, Blues, Pop, Opera, and Gospel music, alongside a stunning debut of the new cast of Coffy Box Rom~Com. This gathering will celebrate a life well-lived and a man who was deeply loved. Footage for this proof-of-concept video was captured by Jessica Holter, the Oakland Film Company, and Mia Gant. We are thrilled to announce that HIP Soul Fest is set to make its way to Illinois in October 2025! For more information about how you can participate, visit hipsoulfest.org.
🎁 Jessica’s Free Box — A Memory Reclaimed
Before you explore the world she has built, you’ll see Jessica’s Free Box — an interactive homage to a childhood memory rooted in 1970s Berkeley counterculture.
As a foster child, Jessica imagined the mysterious “free box” her mother spoke of as a giant freezer full of wonders. When she finally saw it, she found a cardboard box on a sidewalk — filled with used dolls, discarded toys, and the forgotten belongings of strangers.
One day, her mother arrived at the foster home with a chubby Baby Crissy doll from that box. A gift. A gesture. A moment of love wrapped in scarcity.
That memory lives on in her AI‑powered video My Manic Mother, where Little Jessica the AI Poet retraces the emotional geography of longing, loss, and the fragile hope of a child waiting at a window.
Now, the Free Box returns as a digital portal — a place where visitors can move objects, open clues, discover downloads, and step into the layered universe of Coffy World. It is both a game mechanic and a memory. A metaphor and a gift.
Jessica's Free Box
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Live Reading, Jessica Holter, Alpharetta, Georgia
✨ Jessica Holter: Artist. Architect. Archivist.
Jessica Holter transforms lived experience into a multi‑platform poetic universe. Her work bridges foster‑care memory, Black girlhood, erotic activism, and mythic storytelling — creating a living archive where truth becomes ritual and art becomes healing.
She is best known as the founder of The Punany Project, the groundbreaking blend of erotic theater and public health advocacy that emerged in 1995 and reshaped conversations about intimacy, HIV awareness, and Black sexual expression. Her early books and performances became cultural touchstones, studied in universities and featured across major media.
Books & Customizable
Notebooks
Coffy Books
✨ Writer. Director. Publisher.
A writer, director, publisher, and community builder, Holter’s creative legacy spans journalism, theater, visual art, and digital world‑building. Through her nonprofit H.I.P. Inc., she supports artists with media, travel, wellness, and business development — all powered by community love.
Today, Holter is architecting Coffy World, a mythic digital city where readers, viewers, players, and performers can explore her expanding universe. From children’s stories to immersive mysteries to AI‑powered memoir, her work continues to evolve — intimate, innovative, and defiantly human.
“I make art and I make happy hearts.”
Writer, Jessica Holter
Subscribe to Jessica Holter's YouTube Channel
Jessica Holter produces Sweet Soul Chicago on Valentine's Day 2025 and features artists from Electric Church and the HIP Soul Festival Workshop.
