Alex is a community herbalist based in Chicago, IL and founder of First Curve Apothecary and Greenspell Organization.
In addition to running First Curve Apothecary, Alex offers herbalism classes and apprenticeship through the Greenspell Organization, teaches sociology at Roosevelt University and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, and every once in a while, writes an occasional haiku.
Learn more about Alex
The Name
The name 'First Curve' originated as my first batch of bitters made years ago as gifts for friends and family. As First Curve's offerings continue to expand, the name continues to resonate because it reminds me of when I first deviated from the paved path of academia into the wild world of herbalism, foraging, and mycology. It reminds me to take risks, to not let myself become comfortable with the familiar, and to work in a medium that is alive. Now that I have immersed myself in that living medium, I'd love nothing more than to share it with you.
Our Mission
- To craft herbal products that draw us in to our own bodily ecology while grounding us in the world around us.
- To encourage vibrant aliveness through the use of herbal preparations while learning to tune in to our body’s needs and natural cycles.
- To offer affordable products to ensure that herbal self-care be as accessible as possible.
- To promote well-being and resilience in individuals and communities so they can afford greater space for living.
- To create meaningful connections through sharing our herbal products, learning, and knowledge with our community.
- To provide spaces of learning for our community to develop and learn what our health means to us.
- To defer ourselves to the fungi and plants, the true healers of the world, while we work to become allies and stewards of the ecosystems in which they thrive.
Acknowledgement
As a bioregional herbalist, I understand I am working with plants on unceded Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe land. The Great Lakes region was for millenia traversed, occupied, stewarded and sustained by these groups of people allied in the “Three Fires Confederacy,” which includes people from many other tribes as well. I believe it is my responsibility as an herbalist to do my work in deeply understanding and feeling through the history of the U.S. violently seizing this region over the course of several centuries, and work to repair the harm done in some way.
Aside from occupation, the values our culture holds continues to encourage the everyday reinforcement of racism, sexism, gender essentialism, classism, and ableism. With this in mind, I aim to to carve out a space of healing within the context of these toxic aspects of our culture to promote the health and resilience of the communities I serve. To practice in such a way requires an acknowledgement and awareness of these issues, and to move through them with compassion, respect, and care.
I am grateful that I am in a position to offer this healing work, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to support environmental and social change within these contexts, and to make healing work more inclusive and accessible to all who are interested. One aspect of this work is to offer free and low-cost herbal remedies and consultations through Greenspell's Free Clinic.