Hi Friends:
Because writer’s block is imposter syndrome induced by an additional rejection, this issue includes:
A sip…
The muse is prone to solely gift by will… and thus is the need to Save the Legacy.
A shout out…
If necessity is the mother of invention, biased generalization can be the impetus to proving otherwise. Inspired to negate schoolyard claims, advocate, collector/curator, educator, essayist, historian/intellectual, and publisher, Arturo Alfonso (Arthur) Schomburg, began researching and documenting the accomplishments and raising awareness surrounding the contributions of Africans to the Continent and the diaspora.
Educated at St. Thomas College (Danish West Indies) where he studied Negro Literature, he was a political advocate for Puerto Rican and Cuban independence from Spain prior to moving to the United States (1891) and co-founding the Negro Society for Historical Research (1911), and later joining and then becoming the fifth and final President of American Negro Academy (1914 – 1928).
His unwavering and scholastic refutation of racism, combined with his promotion of individual, social, and political equity for African Americans and Afro-Latin Americans and his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance helped the movement to spread to other communities throughout the United States.
A skilled tradesman who also taught Spanish, he wrote articles and pamphlets, co-edited Encyclopedia of the Colored Race (1912), and published the widely distributed, The Negro Digs Up His Past, an intellectual rebuttal to racism credited with inspiring John Henry Clarke to further his studies in African history.
His private collection of artworks, manuscripts, rare books, slave narratives, and other materials of African History amassed over a thirty-five-year period were acquired by The New York Public Library with the assistance of the Carnegie Corporation (1926) and are the cornerstone of The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
A sentence…
Prompts gleaned from The Negro Digs Up His Past:
“The bigotry of civilization which is the taproot of intellectual prejudice begins far back and must be corrected at its source.”
“But today, even if for the ultimate purpose of group justification, history has become less a matter of argument and more a matter of record.”
“With such crucial truths to document and establish, an ounce of fact is worth a pound of controversy. When we consider the facts, certain chapters of American history will have to be reopened.”
"From neglected and rust-spotted pages comes testimony to the black men and women who stood shoulder to shoulder in courage and zeal, and often on a parity of intelligence and talent, with their notable white benefactors.
“We seem lately to have come at last to realize what the truly scientific attitude requires, and to see that the race issue has been a plague on both our historical houses, and that history cannot be properly written with either bias or counter bias.”
A few useful tips…
The writing life includes:
Reading as much as possible including good stuff, bad stuff, weird stuff, things that are old, things that are new, all genres, and all types of writing. It's good for you. It's like eating vegetables.
Making as many mistakes as you can, and not being afraid to fuck things up because the faster and more frequently you fail at something, the closer you'll get to where you need to be. So, keep making bad decisions. Keep living. Oh, and get some sleep.
Submitting and counting rejections not acceptances because your publication count will only rise as your rejection count rises. So, every time you get that 'thanks, but no thanks', you should celebrate it because that story/poem/novel is one step closer to finding its home.
Never accepting advice from someone who isn't living the kind of life you want to live. You must trust yourself and be true to your own suffering. No one else will bleed for you. So, you might as well go after that pure thing you always wanted, regardless of what other people expect of you.
Taking time to do nothing, staring at the wall sometimes or listening to the wind, and refusing to be afraid of the sound of your own thoughts. The world is too loud as it is. Fight against it. Be brave in the silence. You will find incredible things in the stillness of doing nothing. It is not lazy to do nothing.
Only seeking feedback on something from people who you know are either on your level or more advanced than you; being open to it, and not taking it personally if it's bad or confusing. Taking what works, discarding the rest, and moving forward. This includes refusing to seek feedback from your buddies or your girlfriends and boyfriends, your moms, or your grandmas. Because really, like, what could they possibly say to you that you'll actually believe about your own writing?
A few contests/competitions…
The Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize
Moniack Mhor Brilliant Emerging Writer Awards
Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Story Unlikely Annual Short Story Contest
A few grants/fellowships/retreats/scholarships…
The Black List and Women in Film invite non-professional TV writers who are women, nonbinary, and trans to apply for the 2024 Episodic Lab.
Cassava Republic has opened submissions for its inaugural Global Black Women's Non-fiction Manuscript Prize.
Sundress Microgrant for Palestinian Writers
A few freelance opportunities…
The Mary Sue is seeking a part-time editor.
Whisky Advocate is looking for writers (with expertise in whiskies and spirits).
ZocDoc is seeking a freelance content writer.
A few residency opportunities…
Cave Canem Fellowship for Black Poets
The Mae House Rest Residencies
Sundress Publications announces a one-week fully funded residency in Summer 2024 for writers of Palestinian descent.
Tin House Summer Residency for First-Time Authors
A few submission opportunities…
Chicken Soup for the Soul is seeking true dog stories.
Cold Lake Anthology is open to submissions of creative non-fiction.
The Commuter will open for submissions in all categories in one week.
The Heroines Anthology is seeking submissions from women poets that reimagine women in myth, fairy tale, folklore, or legend.
HerStry is seeking submissions on the theme of What I Learned Along the Way.
Ruffwear is seeking stories about outdoor adventures with dogs.
VICE News Canada is seeking original news stories, features, and investigations that have a strong Canadian angle.
Zora's Den has an open call for submissions for their anthology, The Fire Inside, Volume 3.
A few sessions & workshops…
November 6th
November 7th
Using Journal Articles as Templates
November 8th
November 9th
Past & Future Faction, How to Write Fiction in Fact
Virtual Creative Writing Workshop -Chuck Salmons 2023 Biennial Exhibit
November 10th
November 11th
November 12th
Ongoing
Saturday Streams Writing Group
And a final thought…
This installment is a collaborative effort; the writers’ life tips were provided by
, author of Garbage Notes and host of Scuzzbucket, the Medium publication (and whom I cannot thank enough). It does not contain an affiliate link, however, if inclined, you may please buy me a coffee.Thanks for reading,
Extremely nice to know about Schomburg. It turns out there were other activist Black historians at that time besides W.E.B. Du Bois...
I loved passing by the Schomburg as a Harlem resident. So well curated and preserved.